One of the ‘sweet spots’ for redeeming Avios points in the Asia-Pacific region has always been short-haul awards on Cathay Pacific flights in Business Class, which can offer great value in a long-haul flat-bed seat at a fraction of the miles requirement Singapore Airlines charges through its KrisFlyer programme.

Popular routes with our readers for these awards include Singapore to Bangkok and Singapore to Hong Kong, with Cathay also offering what most consider to be superior airport lounges, for an enhanced pre-flight experience.

BA Avios pricing has increased twice

Last September we reported on the disappointing news that British Airways had made yet another stealth no-notice devaluation for award bookings using Avios points on two popular Oneworld partners in the Asia-Pacific region – Cathay Pacific and Japan Airlines.

It’s meant Avios pricing through this programme has steadily diverged away from BA’s regular zone-based partner award chart, which once offered far more competitive pricing.

However, one thing we noticed last year is that Qatar Airways Privilege Club has retained BA’s previous 2019 partner award rates for Cathay Pacific redemptions, as part of a fantastic reduction for its Oneworld and partner award rates in June 2023, to harmonise with the British Airways Avios chart.

Here’s how it looks.

Partner Award Chart
(since 19th June 2023)

We went ahead and locked in a Cathay Pacific Singapore – Hong Kong Business Class redemption last year using Qatar Airways Privilege Club (QRPC) Avios, a semi-offline process, and it ticketed no problem at 22,000 Avios + S$101.50, a 33% saving on the 32,500 Avios + S$101.50 British Airways was charging for the exact same flight.

Since you can transfer Avios 1:1 instantly and free between British Airways Avios and Qatar Airways Avios, it was a no-brainer to use QRPC for these redemptions to access the original rates, despite the hassle of an offline booking that took a couple of days to complete.

Redemption is now online

Qatar Airways has been slowly adding Oneworld and partner award bookings online over the last few months, in addition to offering this functionality for American Airlines and British Airways awards for some time.

One of the latest carriers to be added is Cathay Pacific, which means you no longer need to follow that annoying manual award booking process, which involved:

• Completing an online form at least 96 hours before travel
• Waiting for a Qatar agent to confirm the award space, within 48 hours
• Making payment for the taxes and fees via an emailed link, within 48 hours after your award is put on hold

Now, you can just search your preferred routing online and lock in your Economy or Business Class award instantly with QRPC, just like you can via the British Airways portal, but at those far more competitive Avios rates.

Premium Economy can’t be redeemed online via QRPC for some reason, but you can still complete the partner award request form via QRPC to secure an award in this cabin (search via the BA site for availability first).

That’s great news for being able to lock in awards on this Avios ‘sweet spot’ instantly and fully online, but there’s more good news too.

There’s no fuel surcharge for Cathay Pacific awards

While the British Airways Avios programme applies a fuel surcharge when you redeem Cathay Pacific flights, interestingly Qatar Airways is not doing so.

Even back in September last year, when I redeemed 22,000 Avios for a Cathay Pacific Business Class flight from Singapore to Hong Kong, taxes and fees of S$101.50 included Cathay’s fuel surcharge (YR).

As you can see from the earlier screenshot, that’s no longer the case now award booking has moved online.

This means not only can you lock in the lower Avios award rate on Cathay Pacific flights booked via QRPC, you’ll also make a substantial saving on the cash cost for these flights, which in the case of Singapore to Hong Kong is set only at the mandatory airport and government taxes of S$65.20, no fuel surcharge in sight.

With BA on the other hand, you’ll not only be forking out 10,500 move Avios, but S$35.80 more cash too, money that can be far better spent on Dim Sum in Hong Kong!

At this stage it remains to be seen whether QRPC is intentionally offering Cathay Pacific awards without a fuel surcharge payable, or whether it’s an oversight on their part.

With other partners, like Bangkok Airways and British Airways, a fuel surcharge is payable, so this might be a case of “make hay while the sun shines”. For redemptions locked in now, it’s unlikely Qatar will chase the extra fees even if it then realises they should have been charged.

You must link your BAEC and QRPC accounts

If you have Avios in your British Airways Executive Club account, in order to move them instantly 1:1 into Qatar Airways Avios you will need to have an account with both airlines with a matching name in order to link the two accounts.

Head for Points has an excellent guide on how to complete this process.

What awards does this unlock?

For most of our readers based in Singapore, it’s one of Cathay Pacific’s nine daily flights between the Lion City and Hong Kong that are the most attractive deal under this new online fuel-surcharge-free award booking option, with a significant saving on SIA’s saver award rates in Business Class.

This also means lounge access at the airline’s dedicated facility in Terminal 4 at Changi (and other Oneworld options – like the Qantas one in T1).

On the return journey, Cathay’s extensive selection of lounges in Hong Kong is also accessible prior to departure (as is the Hong Kong Qantas lounge).

A recent reinstatement though from Sunday last week is the airline’s popular daily “fifth freedom” flight between Singapore and Bangkok, upgraded before it even began from the Airbus A330 to the Airbus A350.

While there’s only one timing to choose from, this is a great way to redeem far fewer miles than on Singapore Airlines (16,500 QR Avios in Business Class, compared to 24,000 KrisFlyer miles).

There’s also a very nice Cathay Pacific lounge in Bangkok, which includes a tended bar, a noodle bar (just like the Singapore one), and during our visits over the years certainly provides a great serene experience away from the hustle and bustle of Suvarnabhumi’s main concourse.

Here’s how the redemption rates look on these two key “sweet spots”, for a variety of Oneworld frequent flyer programmes.

Cathay Pacific
Singapore – Bangkok award rates

FFP	Travel Class
	Economy	Premium	Business
	7,500 + S$84	n/a*	n/a*
	9,000 + S$67	12,500 + S$67	16,500 + S$67
	10,000 + S$104	20,000 + S$104	28,000 + S$104
	12,000 + S$104	21,600 + S$104	30,000 + S$104
	14,000 + S$104	23,700 + S$104	30,000 + S$104
	26,000 + S$104	37,000 + S$104	55,000 + S$104

* Cathay Pacific is currently not offering Premium Economy or Business Class awards to Alaska Mileage Plan members

In Cathay Business Class between Singapore and Bangkok, Qatar Avios is now offering a rate 40% cheaper than the next best option – Asia Miles – while charging S$37 less in taxes and fees.

Even in Economy Class it’s a Qatar Avios redemption you need to focus on here, though Alaska Mileage Plan does have an attractive rate if you’re holding a stash in that scheme.

Cathay Pacific
Singapore – Hong Kong award rates

FFP	Travel Class
	Economy	Premium	Business
	11,000 + S$65	16,500 + S$65	22,000 + S$65
	10,000 + S$101	20,000 + S$101	28,000 + S$101
	14,300 + S$101	23,400 + S$101	32,500 + S$101
	20,000 + S$101	34,500 + S$101	43,800 + S$101
	25,000 + S$82	n/a*	n/a*
	26,000 + S$101	37,000 + S$101	55,000 + S$101

* Cathay Pacific is currently not offering Premium Economy or Business Class awards to Alaska Mileage Plan members

On the Singapore – Hong Kong route, Qatar Avios is actually charging slightly more in Economy Class for a Cathay Pacific redemption than Asia Miles, but with lower taxes and fees.

Once you move into the Premium Economy and Business Class cabins though, its QR Avios that rules the roost over the other options, both in miles and money.

Cancellation fees for partner flights booked with QRPC Avios

If you cancel a partner flight booked using Qatar Privilege Club Avios, the same cancellation and change fees apply as they do when you book a Qatar Airways flight through the programme.

If you cancel your flight:

• More than 24 hours before departure: 100% of your Avios and all taxes and fees will be refunded, less a US$25* cancellation fee per person.
• Between 3 hours and 24 hours before departure: 100% of your Avios and all taxes and fees will be refunded, less a US$100* cancellation fee per person.
• Less than 3 hours before departure: Avios and fees are forfeited (no refund). Only eligible airport and government taxes will be refunded.

* Free for QRPC Gold and Platinum members

Citi transfers to BAEC are quicker

Here’s a tip for those transferring Citi Miles or Citi ThankYou points into Avios points.

You might think for an award redemption like this that you’ll be redeeming via QRPC, the quickest way to credit your account would be to transfer from Citi directly to QRPC Avios, but that’s actually not the case.

Citi transfers to British Airways Avios take only 24 hours, but those to Qatar Privilege Club Avios take 48 hours.

It’s therefore better to transfer to BA initially, then once they credit the following day make the instant 1:1 transfer across to Qatar Airways in order to then complete the request form for your desired Cathay Pacific redemption.

Since you may be keeping your fingers crossed that the award you want to book remains available by the time the Avios are in your account, every little time saving you can achieve is essential!

Malaysia Airlines also bookable online

Another Oneworld airline that we noticed has made its way onto Qatar Privilege Club’s online search and booking function is Malaysia Airlines.

This allows you to redeem 12,500 Avios + S$79 for a Business Class award seat from Singapore to Kuala Lumpur, in order to experience the popular ‘Oneworld lounge safari’ at Changi Airport – an all-day eating and drinking experience for minimal outlay compared to most Business Class tickets.

However, do note that in this case Qatar Airways is passing on the fuel surcharge with award tickets, making it the same Avios and cash rate as an online booking using British Airways Avios, which was always available in this case.

Qatar Airways is rolling out online booking for more of its Oneworld and partner airlines, which is great news as it avoids following a slightly lengthy manual process to secure a booking.

That’s especially good news for intra-Asia Cathay Pacific flights, because British Airways has specifically targeted those for devaluation (twice!), while Qatar Airways retains the baseline 2019 partner award chart pricing, which is much more competitive.

It’s also interesting that Qatar Airways is not collecting a fuel surcharge with its Cathay Pacific award tickets booked online, which saves over S$30 each way for our readers locking in those “sweet spot” Business Class redemptions to and from Bangkok and Hong Kong.

Remember you can link your British Airways and Qatar Airways Avios accounts and transfer 1:1 instantly and free between them, to make the best of both programmes’ “sweet spots” (now including 62,500 miles Business Class awards from Singapore to Europe!).

(Cover Photo: Cathay Pacific)