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Wonders of the world. Vibrant cities, beaches, and cuisine. Asia will wow you, but getting there…is half the fun.
There isn’t a region in the world that compares to the customer service you will receive in Asia. Forget the motto “the customer is always right,” in my experience…the customer is King. I’ve been lucky enough to travel to many destinations across Asia and without exception I have fallen in love with each unique culture, vibe, and country. I’ve also been very fortunate to fly there in some of the world’s best business classes, and you can too! Here are 5 GREAT ways to fly to Asia in business class using points.
Ha Long Bay, Vietnam is well worth the trip. An incredible place to do an overnight cruise.
Cathay Pacific Business Class
These incredible business class seats have long set the standard for lie-flat comfort and privacy. Utilizing a reverse herringbone design and Zodiac Cirrus seats, this business class is tough to beat. Add in the renowned Cathay customer service and odds are you’ll become a certified Cath-a-holic.
How can you fly it?
- American Airlines
- US to Asia: 70k
- Alaska Airlines
- Us to Asia: 50k
- Other easy redemption options:
- Cathay Marco Polo and British Airways, both of which are mileage based programs.
EVA Business Class
EVA operates in and out of Taipei and offers a truly incredible business class. The seat is a fantastic reverse herringbone design that offers privacy and comfort. The service? Arguably the best in the sky for business class. You’ll get pajamas and top flight champagne as well.
How to book?
- Aeroplan
- US to Asia: 75k
- United
- US to Asia: 80k until 11/1 then 90k
- Singapore
- US to Asia: 87.5k
Singapore Airlines Business Class
Singapore Airlines is an award leviathan when it comes to customer service, and an experience you should definitely add to your bucket list. Don’t be fooled by the name though, Singapore operates flights from the west coast into Seoul, Hong Kong, and Tokyo making this a great option when traveling to Asia. It’s worth mentioning that Singapore doesn’t release much, if any, award space to partners. This is no problem because Singapore is a partner of Chase, Amex, Citi, and SPG making it one of the most accessible award currencies out there.
How to book:
- Singapore Airlines
- US to Asia: 82k to 98k
China Airlines Business Class
This Skyteam partner, not to be confused with Air China, gives EVA a run for its money. Featuring B/E Aerospace Super Diamond seats and Johnnie Walker Blue Label, top shelf whisky, this “other” Taipei based airline will make you wish the flight lasted a bit longer. They also offer great award availability, but the prices have gone up in recent times and now Korean represents the best way of booking these awards.
How to book:
- Delta
- US to Asia: 95k
- Air France
- US to Asia: 100k
- Korea Air
- US to Asia: 155k Roundtrip ( Korean only allows r/t awards on partners)
American Airlines Business Class 772 Super Diamond
Not to be outdone by all of the Asian carriers I’d offer up one of America’s own carriers as a superb business class. No you won’t get top flight champagne or pajamas, but you will get an incredible, and brand new, cabin. The 777-200 operating currently operating between the U.S. and Japan is a great way to cross the pacific in lie flat comfort.
I haven’t flown, but hope to soon:
Both of the following airlines, from what I’ve heard, could easily be on the above list.
Korean Air Business Class
Featuring private, all aisle seating, Korean Airlines offers great business class seats on SOME of their planes. Make sure you check the seat map if you’re planning to fly on Korean so you don’t end up with their old business class. The new 747-8i has the new seats across the board, and certain 77Ws also have the new seats. As far as I know, any A380 features the old product.
Both Alaska Airlines and Korean Air represent amazing opportunities for redemption. I will advise that Alaska requires r/t reservations.
Japan Airlines Business Class
Japan Airlines may offer the most variety in terms of business class seats and configurations of any carrier out there servicing Asia. There are two particular configurations that I would keep an eye out for, and specifically what I intend to fly.
The JAL Sky Suite
JAL Sky Suite III
How to book:
- Alaska:
- 60-65k
- American
- 60k to Japan.
Ready to take your trip? We have partnerships and appreciate you using our links 🙂
- Check out Viator for tours and organized excursions!
- I’ve used them for private Vatican tours, Great Wall of China, Ha Long Bay, and on and on.
- Travel Insurance with Allianz for health, and trip insurance. The world leader in trip travel insurance.
- I have used and Allianz, specifically TravelGuard for prior trips with my family and have been very pleased with the coverage and the ability to claim benefits when needed.
- Short on Points? You can shore up your balance here.
- With mileage and points sales occurring monthly this can create great value for your trip.
- Need to make other travel arrangements?
- Need a rental?
- Check Seating Configurations, Award Avail, Routing Possibilities, and set Alerts? Join ExpertFlyer.
Opinions, reviews, analyses & recommendations are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, endorsed or approved by any of these entities.
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
Welcome Offer
Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
Annual Fee
$95
Points Earned
Transferrable Chase Ultimate Rewards
- 5x on all travel purchased through Chase Travel℠
- 3x on dining, including eligible delivery services for takeout & dining out
- 3x on select streaming services
- 3x on online grocery purchases
- (excluding Target, Walmart and wholesale clubs)
- $50 Annual Chase Travel Hotel Credit via Chase Travel℠
- The begins immediately for new cardmembers and after your account anniversary for existing cardmembers
- 2x on all other travel
- 10% Anniversary Bonus
- Every year you keep the card, your total spend will yield a 10% points bonus. If you spend $10k in a year, you’ll get 1k bonus points
- Chase Sapphire Preferred continues to redeem at 1.25c in the Chase Travel℠ and the slew of other benefits remain in tact including Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver ( primary ), purchase protections, etc.
- Points are transferrable to 14 Ultimate Rewards partners
- Redeem in Chase Travel℠ for 1.25 cents per point
- No foreign transaction fees
- Suite of Travel and Purchase Coverage
- Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver is my favorite
- Get complimentary access to DashPass which unlocks $0 delivery fees and lower service fees for a minimum of one year when you activate by December 31, 2027.
- $95 Annual Fee
We keep an up to date spreadsheet that lists the best ever offers: You can find that spreadsheet here.
Historically 80k is a very, very good offer and hit in both 2022 and 2023. In 2021, we saw the offer hit an all time high of 100k. Who knows if that will ever come back.
Main Cast:
Cards that earn flexible points and should be used on the bulk of your purchases.
Supporting Cast:
Cards that earn fixed points in the currency of the airline/hotel and can not be transferred at attractive rates. These cards yield benefits that make it worth keeping, but not necessarily worth putting a lot of your everyday spend on.
The Chase Sapphire Preferred® is exceptional starter card and offers transferrable Ultimate Rewards, and pairs well with other Chase cards.
If you carry this card alongside Chase’s cashback cards like the Chase Freedom Flex® and Chase Freedom Unlimited® or the business versions: Ink Business Cash® , Ink Business Unlimited® you can combine the points into Preferred account and transfer into hotel and airline partners
Annual fee is quite low at $95 a year + you get a 10% anniversary bonus on points + $50 hotel credit in Chase travel.
The responses below are not provided or commissioned by the bank advertiser. Responses have not been reviewed, approved, or otherwise endorsed by the bank advertiser. It is not the bank advertiser's responsibility to ensure all posts and/or questions are answered.