How to get to Asia on points and miles

Asia was one of the top parts of the world Going members reported that you wanted to use points and miles to visit. 

If you’re eager to visit countries in Asia, there are plenty of ways to get there on points and miles. 

How to search for award flights to Asia

Before discussing which airline transfer partners are best for flying to and from Asia, let’s talk about how to structure your flight search.

Here are some tips you can use when planning your trip.  

Tip 1: West Coast airports are not your only option

Sure, some West Coast airports like LAX, SEA, and SFO offer direct flights to places such as Tokyo (HND, NRT), Seoul (ICN), Hong Kong (HKG), or Taipei (TPE). 

But a West Coast airport isn’t the only way to snag a points deal to Asia. You may find good deals from major airport hubs across the US. And possibly even direct flights, too. 

I’m not joking: There’s a direct flight from Newark (EWR) to Singapore (SIN). (Just thinking of a 19-hour flight makes me antsy!)

Tip 2: Airline alliances and partnerships matter

When searching for flights, pay attention to airline partnerships and alliances because those partnerships will play a big part in your departure airport and itinerary. 

For example, let’s say you want to convert your credit card points to Turkish Miles&Smiles to fly Turkish Airlines. 

Turkish Airlines is a member of the Star Alliance. So is United Airlines. That means your Turkish flight will involve flying from a United hub, such as IAD, EWR, ORD, SFO, or DFW.

This is why our transfer partner guide is organized by airline alliances.

Tip 3: Consider a repositioning flight—in the US or Asia

We talk a lot about the Greek Islands trick here at Going, which is all about finding the cheapest flight to cross the ocean. Once there, you can book a second connecting flight to your ultimate destination.

When it comes to points and miles travel to Asia, you can do this in one of two ways: 

• In the US: Book a cheap domestic flight to position yourself for a business class flight to Asia. 
  • Example: I book a cash flight from Syracuse (SYR) to Chicago (ORD), then from ORD fly an award flight to Tokyo (HND).
• In Asia: For a relatively small number of points, many airlines allow you to connect from their main international city hub to another regional location.
  • Example:  I want to go to Malaysia, but I also want my international flight to be in a premium cabin. I book an award flight from Los Angeles (LAX) to Hong Kong (HKG), then take a short connecting flight from HKG to Kuala Lumpur (KUL).

Tip 4: Plan for how many miles you’ll need

Because routing may vary, I’m not going to quote you specific mile estimates for each airline. Instead, here are the 2025 thresholds we use at Going when looking for points deals to Asia. 

• Economy: 100k miles roundtrip or less
• Business: 200k miles roundtrip or less

Airline transfer partners to get to Asia on points and miles

Here are some ideas for airline transfer partners that offer good value for flights to Asia.  

Cathay Pacific Miles

Cathay Pacific is renowned for its first- and business-class seats to Hong Kong and beyond. Hong Kong is a hub for Cathay Pacific, which means that if you want to get to smaller Southeast Asian countries like Malaysia or Cambodia, Cathay Pacific is a good option to consider. Just beware of its high fees on award tickets. 

• Good for going to: Hong Kong (HKG), Southeast Asia
• Alliance: oneworld (US member airlines: American, Alaska)
• Transfer partners: American Express® Membership Rewards®, Capital One miles, Bilt Rewards points, Citi ThankYou® points

Alaska Mileage Plan

Alaska Airlines is now more accessible than ever to book with points, thanks to the recent merger with Hawaiian Airlines. You can transfer Hawaiian Airlines 1:1 to Alaska miles. Plus, Alaska taxes and surcharges on award tickets are comparatively low. 

You can use Alaska miles to book on partner airlines, like American or even Starlux Airlines, a luxury airline flying to Taipei, Taiwan (TPE) and beyond. 

• Good for going to: Tokyo (HND), Taiwan (TPE)
• Alliance: oneworld
• Transfer partners: 
  • Amex points → HawaiianMiles → Alaska Mileage Plan
  • Bilt points → Alaska Mileage Plan 

American Airlines AAdvantage

No credit card points transfer directly to American Airlines, but if you have access to Advantage miles, then you may able to use them to book a flight on Cathay Pacific or Japan Airlines at reasonable rates. 

Qatar Airways Privilege Club

One of my friends at Going transferred some of her credit card points to Qatar Airways Privilege Club, to book a premium cabin Qsuites seat. She’s flying from Vietnam to Dallas (DFW) via a connection through Qatar Airways’ hub in Doha, Qatar.

Qatar Airways has a partnership with British Airways, so even if you credit card points don’t transfer directly to Qatar, you could first transfer your points to British Airways Avios, then transfer from British Airways Avios to Qatar. 

To transfer Avios, you’ll just need to link your accounts with each airline. 

• Good for going to: Connect through Doha to get to Southeast Asia, China, India and more 
• Alliance: oneworld
• Transfer partners: 
  • Amex, Citi  → Qatar Avios
  • Capital One, Bilt, Chase Ultimate Rewards®→ British Airways Avios → Qatar Avios

Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer

Singapore KrisFlyer isn’t the cheapest award program, but it does have a decent amount of premium cabin award space. 

Their monthly promo—called Spontaneous Escapes—offers affordable award tickets to hop from one Asian country to another. For example, you can get a business class seat from Singapore to Bangkok for 16.8K one-way. 

• Good for going to: Singapore, Tokyo
• Alliance: Star Alliance (US member airline: United)
• Transfer partners: Amex, Capital One, Chase, Citi

Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles

A friend here at Going just flew to Thailand this way recently! Flying on Turkish likely means a connection in Istanbul (IST), but it opens you up to flying nearly anywhere in Asia. 

• Good for going to: Connect through Istanbul to get to Seoul (ICN), Beijing (PEK), Bangkok, and more
• Alliance: Star Alliance (US member airline: United)
• Transfer partners: Bilt, Capital One, Citi

Virgin Atlantic Flying Club to book ANA

You can use Virgin Atlantic points to fly ANA premium cabins because of a partnership between the two airlines. Since ANA is a member of the Star Alliance, you’ll find space by searching on United.com.  Read more about how.

Virgin Atlantic points are also good for booking flights on Korean Air, which is a great way to get to South Korea or the Philippines.

• Good for going to: Japan (HND/NRT), Seoul, Philippines
• Alliance: Virgin is not an alliance member; ANA is a member of the Star Alliance 
• Transfer partners: everyone