Cathay First & Business Class, 2 Seats

Cathay has opened up a nice chunk of first and business class space on their JFK route. If Hong Kong isn't on your list to visit, it's a great jumping off point if you want to visit Taiwan, Thailand, Singapore, Vietnam, and many other destinations!


Considering how to tough transpacific premium cabin award space has been to find, I wouldn’t hesitate to jump on this if you are planning a trip to Asia.


Even better, there’s a transfer bonus that can help you use fewer points!


Now, let’s get into it!

Cathay Pacific first class seat

Straight To The Points

Routes: JFK-HKG

Operating airline: Cathay Pacific

Class of service: First class & business class

Dates: November 2024 - June 2025

Seats available: 2

Cabin layout: 1-1-1 (first); 1-2-1 (business)

Book with (per person, one-way):

  • Cathay Asia Miles:

    • First 160,000 miles

    • Business 110,000 miles


Avios programs have access to limited dates and often for only one seat.

  • Finnair Plus:

    • Business: 75,000 Avios


*No Surcharges


Taxes/fees (per person, one-way):

  • From US: ~$150

  • From HKG: ~$215


Bank transfer partners:

  • Cathay Pacific: Amex, Bilt, Capital One, Citi, Marriott

  • Finnair: Capital One

    • via British Airways: Amex, Bilt, Chase, Marriott

    • via Qatar Airways: Citi


Current Airline Transfer Bonuses

Best Card Offers


Let me know if you book!

Cathay Pacific business class cabin

Available Dates

Flight Experience


Cathay's first class cabin is arranged in a 1-1-1 layout so everyone has direct aisle access and a massive lie-flat seat. The bedding is some of my favorite in the sky. You can expect a solid meal and great champagne. If you fly out of Hong Kong, make some time for a lounge visit and check out The Pier.


Business class is arranged in a 1-2-1 reverse herringbone layout. The business class lounges are nice plus you can expect solid service and catering inflight.

Best Ways To Book


Finnair Plus: Limited Space, But Best Business Class Option


If you can find dates with space, Finnair Plus only requires 75,000 Avios for a one-way ticket. Even better, you can combine Avios from British Airways or even Qatar Airways via British Airways.


Some dates only have one seat. In those cases, you could book one ticket with Finnair Avios then book a second with Cathay miles.


Cathay: More Award Space + First Class


For business class, Cathay is your only option on most dates. While 110,000 miles is steep, Citi’s 15% transfer bonus can bring your total points cost down to 96,000 points. Points diversification for the win!


If you want to book first class, Cathay is your only option. While 160,000 miles one-way is steep, Citi’s 15% transfer bonus means you’d only need 140,000 points. That’s still steep, but it’s much better!


If you include a business class connection on a first class ticket, you can reduce the award rate a bit. For example, Bangkok to Hong Kong in business class then Hong Kong to JFK in first class requires 154,200 miles instead of 160,000 miles. With the 15% transfer bonus, that’s 135,000 Citi points.

How To Book


To search with Cathay's site:

  1. Go to Cathay Pacific's award booking page

  2. Select One-way or Return (aka round-trip)

  3. Select origin and destination

  4. Select cabin class and number of passengers

  5. Select date(s)

  6. Select your flight and click next


If you want to use Asia Miles and include a connecting flight on Alaska, you'll need to call (833-933-2244) to complete the booking.

Final Thoughts


If you're an AvGeek, you'll love flying into/out of Hong Kong. If you're a foodie, you'll love all of the food you can eat while visiting Hong Kong. Whatever you're looking for, it's is an amazing place to visit.

Even if you're not looking to visit Hong Kong, Cathay first class provides a great way to start a trip to anywhere in Asia.

Happy booking!