JAL And Cathay Pacific Are Devaluing Their Award Charts

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-JAL will devalue their award chart, effective November 20.

-Cathay Pacific Asia Miles will devalue their award chart, effective June 22.

Here is the JAL partner award chart:

You can transfer points from Starwood, Marriott, and Barclays to JAL.

Sample price increases on partner award travel:

JAL miles are one of the best ways to redeem for an Emirates Shower Class ticket.

For example:

  • An Emirates shower class flight from JFK to Milan is 360K Alaska miles round-trip, but just 105K JAL miles. That will go up to 135K miles. Note that JAL now tacks on $1,040 in fuel surcharges to this award.
  • A flight from JFK to Dubai is 300K Alaska miles round-trip, but just 135K JAL miles. That will go up to 165K miles. Note that JAL now tacks on $1,624 in fuel surcharges.
  • If you fly from Toronto to Dubai and back from Dubai to either NYC or Toronto the fuel surcharges will be just $936. The rate is now 135K JAL miles, but will go up to 165K miles.
  • A flight from the Maldives to Dubai and then Dubai to JFK in shower class is now 105K JAL miles and there are no fuel surcharges. That will go up to 135K miles.
  • A flight from Tokyo to Dubai round-trip in shower class is 105K JAL miles (85K SPG) and there are only $128 in fuel surcharges. That will go up to 135K miles.
  • A flight from Tokyo to Dubai and then Dubai to JFK in shower class is 115K JAL miles (95K SPG) and there are only $110 in fuel surcharges. That will go up to 145K miles.
  • A flight from Hong Kong to Dubai and then Dubai to JFK in shower class is 115K JAL miles (95K SPG) and there are no fuel surcharges. That will go up to 145K miles.
  • A flight from Sydney to Dubai and then Dubai to JFK in shower class is 155K JAL miles (125K SPG) and there are no fuel surcharges. That will go up to 190K miles.

 

Here is the current Cathay Pacific Asia Miles award chart:

 

Here is the new Cathay Pacific Asia Miles award chart:

The old chart charged a premium for one-way awards, while the new chart is only priced for one-way awards.

You can transfer points from AMEX, Citibank, Starwood, and Marriott to Cathay Pacific Asia Miles.

Sample price increases on award travel:

A round-trip business class flight on partner British Airways from JFK to London goes up from 80K miles to 90K miles. A first class flight goes up from 120K miles to 140K miles.

It’s worth noting that Cathay Pacific Asia Miles charges lower fuel surcharges for British Airways flights than other airlines do.

A round-trip business class flight on Cathay Pacific from JFK to Hong Kong goes up from 145K miles to 170K miles. A first class flight goes up from 220K miles to 250K miles.

For now you can use Alaska miles to fly on Cathay Pacific from JFK to Hong Kong for just 100K miles in business class or 140K miles in first class with no fuel surcharges, though availability isn’t as good as it is with Asia Miles. You can transfer points from Starwood or Marriott to Alaska.

Tickets booked before June 22 on Cathay Pacific or before November 20 on JAL will be at the lower rates.

Will you book any awards before the devaluation?

HT: AJK

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20 Comments On "JAL And Cathay Pacific Are Devaluing Their Award Charts"

All opinions expressed below are user generated and the opinions aren’t provided, reviewed or endorsed by any advertiser or DansDeals.

Sammy

Looks like Asia miles have some prices which are better – 10k+ long haul redemtions became better.

Yochai

True. Most flights are better on the new chart for economy. The distance categories widened significantly.

SR

Thanks for the info! Do you think Alaska will have to increase their redemptions on Cathay because of this? How long would it take them to do this and would they give advance notice?

Zack

Does Asia miles have more availability than AA on cx?

Westin

Are the US departure fuel surcharges already in place for JAL?

Avi

@Zack yes
And asia miles can book PE That AA can’t

uk

Important to note that JMB Oneworld partner award is slightly different : https://www.ar.jal.co.jp/ar/en/jalmile/use/partner_air/oneworld/miles_ar.html

pesach

anyway to take a 2 or 3 da stopover in dubai otw to the maldives using aa , or cathay pacific points without having to break it up into 2 trips? and if you have to break it up into two trips how much more points are you paying?thanks

Andy Shuman

Interesting. So the JAL own chart doesn’t seem to be affected (yet?), just the partners.

A

Any Asia miles sweet spots?

Avi

Yup, TLV HKG 30k PE 45k J (ow)

Andy Shuman

In the new chart? Very few. JFK-YVR, HKG-CMB, HKG-BOM, HKG-Asia w/stopovers via 5th Freedom flights.
http://lazytravelers.net/cathay-pacific-asia-miles-devaluation-sweet/

gina

Can flights be taken one way, or is it only allowed round trip JAL for emirates?

M.D.E.

I tried to book tickets earlier today before the devaluation and the CX website was down for “system maintenance” and that rewards could not be booked either online or on the phone. I called the service center and was told that everyone was notified earlier and that I should have booked earlier. It is completely unfair that they should disable their site for any mileage redemption bookings for “system maintenance” for 2 days just before they devalue the miles.

HoKo

i dont understand the math on the jfk-lhr business class example using cx miles. JFK-LHR is 3451 miles one way so I would’ve thought it would price at 45k in the old chart…and in the new chart it would still fall in the 45k band. What am i missing here?

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