Introduction to Asia Miles

Asia Miles have become a cornerstone in my travel experiences. It is the loyalty rewards program of Cathay Pacific, the flag carrier of Hong Kong, SAR. There is no fee to open an account, so you can start earning miles and reap its benefits immediately.  Let me share my tips on how to earn Asia Miles, which earned me two recent free round trips to Thailand and Japan (where I bought my perfect diary)!

Asia Miles are not just about free flights. They open doors to flight upgrades, hotel stays, shopping discounts, and more. In my opinion, it is worth saving up your miles for expensive flight rewards instead.

Cathay Pacific’s Asia Miles program is part of the Oneworld Alliance, which means it offers benefits across various airlines. This expands my travel options as I sometimes fly with airlines like Qatar Airways, Japan Airlines, British Airways and Finnair.

My History in Earning Air Miles

When I was studying abroad in Ireland, I only flew with Lufthansa and Swiss, which earned me enough miles in their Miles & More program (under Star Alliance) to reach frequent flyer status. The points accrued allowed me to upgrade my seat from economy to business class a few times, redeem free merchandise like Fissler cookware and gave me access to high quality lounges. It offered real benefits to my travels.

Now that I’m based in Hong Kong, I switched my main choice of airline to Cathay Pacific, hence the focus now on Asia Miles. With the following strategies, I have significantly increased my miles, bringing me closer to free flights and upgrades. Hope it helps you earn more miles too!

My Favorite Hacks to Earn Asia Miles in Hong Kong

Earning Miles with Local Merchants

Living in Hong Kong offers unique opportunities to earn Asia Miles while shopping or dining. When I’m out in the city, I try to notice if the shop has any promotions or partnership with Asia Miles or Cathay Pacific on shopfronts or near the till. Every transaction adds up! I try to make sure any large purchases, like tech products (cameras, computers, appliances), are bought at a partner store or the bare minimum, paid by a credit card that offers a good points-to-miles rate.

Credit card point conversion is the main method I earn Asia Miles. This means I can earn miles when paying for groceries, dining, paying bills or even when visiting the doctor or dentist.

Individual Reward Apps and Dining

I alwayscheck the updated list of partners on Asia Miles’ website to make sure I spend at shops included in the list whenever possible. Here are some Asia Miles partner categories:

• Retail 
• Holidays
• Dining
• Insurance
• Wellness

A few that I recommend:

• Trip.com — Hotel booking and completed your stay. 10HKD = 2 Asia Miles
• Esso — Great for car owners. They offer two rates, either a monthly auto-conversion at a rate of 3 Esso Smiles = 1 Asia Miles or flexible-conversion at 2500 Esso Smiles = 600 Asia Miles.
• Shell — Another gas station option. 1250 Shell Points = 400 Asia Miles. They also offer Card Linked Earn (more info below) when spending 600HKD or more in a single transaction. Recent promotion as of April 2025.
• MoneyBack — A pretty extensive membership reward program in Hong Kong with over 200 partner merchants.  500 MoneyBack Points = 100 Asia Miles.¹
• Slowood — An eco-friendly store with sustainable alternatives. Card Linked Earn supported. 4HKD = 1 Asia Miles (Minimum spend is 300HKD in a single transaction.)
• CLP (China Light and Power Company) — If you are paying electricity bills at CLP, you can earn Domeo Points, which can be converted to Asia Miles. 400 Domeo = 100 Asia Miles. Recent promotion: additional 50 Asia Miles when redeeming with 400 Domeo, as of April 2025.
• OpenRice — Earn 15 Asia Miles every time you book at Cathay Pacific partner restaurants. Valid as of April 2025.
• Examples of restaurants and cafes. Card Linked Earn supported*. 4HKD = 1 Asia Miles (No minimum, check participating branches):
  • SPIGA (Italian)*
  • QUÉ (Japanese fusion)*
  • Silk (drinks)
  • Mother Pearl (drinks)
  • Nodi (cafe)*
  • NOC COFFEE CO. (cafe)*
  • Cupping Room (cafe)
  • Blue Bottle Coffee (cafe)
  • Godiva (chocolatier)

Look out for promotions in insurance, health, gym, hotels, petrol, flights, as these usually account for larger sums than a meal or coffee. Combining these sources have made accumulating Asia Miles not just easy but a fun part of living in Hong Kong.

Leveraging Credit Cards for Asia Miles

In Hong Kong, I found many credit cards offering the ability to transfer points directly to Cathay Pacific Asia Miles, including American Express, Standard Chartered, Citibank, HSBC, DBS, BEA, BOC, AEON, etc. (Some offer immediate transfer while others require a few days to a week. So always check before redeeming for flights!) This was a great revelation, allowing me to maximize my mileage potential. Check with your bank which Asia Miles-focused credit card you are eligible for, which can offer the best Asia Miles rates to maximise your spending.

I discovered it’s crucial to watch for promotional offers that could provide bonus miles during the transfer process. These offers often surface around festive periods or from special bank promotions. Sometimes there are offers for opening a new card, so it’s always worth a check! It was rewarding to see my miles stack up faster during these periods. For example, there is a promotion currently for setting Time Deposits with Standard Chartered: deposit 10,000HKD for 12 months to earn 2800 Asia Miles. (As of April 2025.)

Linking my credit card to the Cathay Pacific Asia Miles program with Card Linked Earn made my life easier. Each time I spent in partner shops, I earned miles effortlessly. No extra steps; just simple, direct rewards. I could also easily monitor the miles I accumulated in the transactions page (past 18 months history). Although few partners offer this function yet, it turns everyday expenses into valuable travel rewards seamlessly. For shops without the Card Linked Earn function, you can still get Asia Miles by showing your Cathay membership QR code on payment via the Cathay app at partner shops.

Online Retail at Milesback and Cathay Shop

I recently discovered Milesback, a shopping portal that earns miles with eligible purchases at partner retail merchants online. It is a bit similar to ShopBack (affiliate referral link). By shopping online, I effortlessly accumulate miles from stores I already love. It’s a win-win situation, as I get the items I need while boosting my miles. Make sure you follow the instructions carefully and allow cookies and tracking (i.e. turn off browser Advanced Tracking Protection, ad blockers, etc, as these may cause errors). 

There are some pretty big retail partners on Milesback, for example:

• Apple Online Store HK
• iHerb
• PNS eShop
• foodpanda
• Taobao HK
• Watsons HK
• Sasa
• Lane Crawford
• UNIQLO HK
• lululemon HK
• StockX HK
• Samsung HK
• YesStyle HK
• Zalora HK
• The Economist Asia
• DJI HK
• FARFETCH HK
• CASETiFY HK
• MR PORTER UK
• Rakuten Ichiba JP

Cathay Shop, on the other hand, is an e-shop by Cathay Pacific that sells a wide variety of items including beauty, electronics, home, luggage, and even concert tickets. For example, I bought an iPhone 15 Pro and had very reliable and fast shipping, earning me an extra 1,566 Asia Miles on top of my credit card points!

Combo Earning

This example demonstrates how a single transaction can help you earn rewards in more than one way.

1. I use the credit card registered with Card Linked Earn at Shell, and automatically earn 100 Asia Miles without extra steps when my total is over 600HKD. 
2. As I also use the Shell app, I get points accumulated there, which can be converted at a later time to Asia Miles at a rate of 1250 Shell Points = 400 Asia Miles.
3. Lastly, I accumulate credit card points when I pay my credit card bill, which can then be converted to Asia Miles.

Final Thoughts

Keep up to Date: New Partners or Promotions

To maximize my potential to earn Asia Miles, I set up a regular reminder to check the official websites and social media (e.g. Instagram) of Cathay Pacific and Asia Miles. Of course, I always try to check before big purchases as new partnerships or limited promotions can provide additional opportunities to earn miles. The “Hottest Offers” is a webpage that shows recent deals.

One pretty nice deal I’ve seen a few times is that when a typhoon hits Hong Kong, Cathay Shop offers an extra 300 Asia Miles when you make a purchase over 300HKD with the code “TYPHOON”!

Earn Asia Miles in Hong Kong: A Rewarding Journey

Earning Asia Miles has been a rewarding experience. It has opened up travel opportunities across the globe. By engaging with various partners and strategically planning my spending, I have consistently boosted my mileage. Whether it’s through traditional flight bookings or just grabbing a coffee, each activity contributes significantly to my mile balance.

Strategic planning and utilizing special offers and promotions are key to maximizing Asia Miles. I’ve learned to watch for this, ensuring I don’t miss out on lucrative deals. Lastly, as a reminder, Asia Miles expire 18 months after your last activity (earning or redemption).

I look forward to my next free flight redemption with the miles I’ve earned and hope you get to reap the advantages of earning miles too!