Cathay Pacific has announced a comprehensive refresh of its membership programme that will fundamentally change how members earn and maintain elite status. The changes, effective from 1st January 2027, represent some of the most member-friendly adjustments we’ve seen from a major airline in recent years.

After years of member feedback, including recent surveys, Cathay is moving away from its complex rolling membership system to a standardised calendar-year approach, while simultaneously making it significantly easier to earn and retain status – though some Diamond members may worry about diluted benefits.

“We are evolving the Cathay membership programme with our current and future members in mind, offering them a smoother, simpler and better membership experience. By simplifying the path to higher status and providing greater flexibility for members in new ways, members can look forward to progressing with greater ease and enjoying a more rewarding journey that truly elevates their lives.”

Vivian Lo, Director Customer Lifestyle, Cathay

These aren’t minor tweaks – they’re structural changes that might help address long-standing pain points for frequent flyers.

The good news is that Cathay is not moving to spend-based status qualification as part of this revamp, like we’ve seen recently with the likes of British Airways and Delta, a definite win for members.

No more status point resets

This is perhaps the most significant change.

Currently, when you qualify for a higher tier, your Status Points reset to zero, meaning any excess points are essentially wasted.

Starting in 2027, Status Points will carry forward after an upgrade, allowing you to potentially climb multiple status tiers in a single year.

For example, if you’re a Green member who earns 800 Status Points in a year, you’ll hit Silver at 300 points, Gold at 600 points, and still have 200 Status Points counting toward Diamond.

Under the current system, those excess points would disappear, so this is a genuine improvement.

For example, a Green member currently needs 2,100 Status Points minimum and three years to reach Diamond (300 + 600 + 1,200), with inevitable wastage when overshooting thresholds. The new system will eliminate this completely.

This change will likely drive many members to shift loyalty, aiming for 2,400 points for the new Diamond Exec tier, up from the current 1,800.

Calendar year membership cycle

Cathay is abandoning its rolling 12-month membership period in favour of a standard 1st January to 31st December cycle for all members.

The fixed January – December cycle ensures consistency long-term, but may shorten status periods for those earning next year since membership year shortened or lengthened during the transition, raising potential fairness concerns.

However, those whose membership year ends late in 2026 will see their late-2026 activity count toward both their 2026 requalification and their 2027 status – a rare win during the transition.

Starting from 1st January 2026, Cathay will begin a one-year transition period to ease members into the new system, giving everyone ample time to adjust their earning strategies.

Here’s how it will work:

• Your current membership in 2025 and associated status benefits will remain unchanged until its current expiry date.
• When your membership renews or changes in 2026 under the existing membership programme rules, whatever status you hold at that point will be valid until 31st December 2026.
• On 1st January 2027, your membership status will be determined by the Status Points you have earned from 1st January – 31st December 2026, based on the new requirements of the membership programme.

Membership tiers will be valid for at least 13 months, ending on 31st January the following year. For example, your activity from 1st January 2026 to 31st December 2026 will determine your 2027 status, which remains active until 31st January 2028.

Status points rollover for Gold and above

From 1st January 2027, Cathay Pacific’s Gold, Diamond, and Diamond Exec members can roll over up to 50% of the Status Points required to renew their current tier into the next calendar year.

This applies to members who earn at least 600 Status Points in a calendar year (i.e. achieve Gold status or higher).

The maximum rollover is capped at:

• Gold (600 SP required): Up to 300 SP
• Diamond (1,200 SP required): Up to 600 SP
• Diamond Exec (2,400 SP required): Up to 1,200 SP

Rollover points are credited by the end of February each year, based on the Status Points earned from 1st January to 31st December of the previous year. The exact number of points rolled over depends on your excess points, up to the cap for your achieved tier.

How does that work in practice though?

The table below shows how many Status Points can be rolled over based on the points earned and the highest status achieved in a calendar year:

Cathay Status Points Rollover Examples
Status points earned	Highest status achieved	Status points rolled over
0 – 299	Green	0
300 – 599	Silver	0
600 – 899	Gold	0 – 299
900 – 1,199	Gold	300
1,200 – 1,799	Diamond	0  – 599
1,800 – 2,399	Diamond	600
2,400 – 3,599	Diamond Exec	0 – 1,199
3,600+	Diamond Exec	1,200

For example:

• If you earn 1,600 SP in a year, you achieve Diamond status (1,200 SP required) and can roll over 600 SP to the next year, as this is the maximum for Diamond.
• If you earn 800 SP, you achieve Gold status (600 SP required) and can roll over 200 SP (your excess points, which are below the 300 SP cap for Gold).
• If you earn 3,600 SP, you achieve Diamond Exec status (2,400 SP required) and can roll over 1,200 SP, the maximum for Diamond Exec.

This rollover system makes it easier to retain or upgrade your status, providing a buffer for years with less travel and those with fluctuating travel schedules, while still rewarding consistent flyers.

A new elite tier: Diamond Exec

Cathay is introducing a new super-elite tier at 2,400 Status Points annually – ‘Diamond Exec’. This will be positioned between Diamond and Diamond Plus, the latter being an invitation-only status, based on annual fare spending with Cathay Pacific flights.

Diamond Exec members will receive:

• Oneworld Emerald status (same as Diamond)
• A dedicated Relationship Manager for personalised service
• Four single-sector Upgrade Passes (for a single upgrade to the next immediate class up to First class) – currently referred as Bookable Upgrades, which can be used by the member, travel companions, or nominees
• One complimentary Gold Companion membership for a family member or a friend
• At the end of the year, Diamond Exec members can roll over up to 1,200 excess Status Points into the next year
• Access to Cathay’s First class and Business class lounges or partner airline lounges for the member and two guests when travelling together on Cathay Pacific or a Oneworld airline
• Departure buggy service at Hong Kong International Airport, a perk removed from Diamond status

This puts Cathay in line with other premium Asian carriers like Singapore Airlines (PPS Club at 25,000 PPS Value, Solitaire PPS Club at 50,000 PPS Value) and gives their highest spenders the white-glove treatment many have no doubt been seeking.

The lifetime benefit: Complimentary Diamond years

Here’s where things get really interesting for long-term loyalists.

Members who have held any Diamond status for a cumulative five years throughout their membership lifetime can earn complimentary Diamond membership years.

For every 6,000 lifetime Status Points earned after reaching the five-year Diamond threshold, members receive one free Diamond year that can be claimed whenever needed. There’s no expiry date and no limit to how many you can earn.

For the Diamond reserve calculation, Cathay will count Status Points earned since 2016, when Status Points were first introduced.

Members with at least one year of Diamond status will receive an email on the afternoon of 20th October 2025, with a link to view their personalised progression.

This is a significant retention tool to reward long-term loyalty. Members can bank these complimentary years and use them during periods of reduced travel (e.g. retirement, family obligations and travel sabbaticals) without losing their hard-earned status.

Mid-status benefits discontinuation

From 1st January 2027, mid-status benefits for Gold and Diamond members will be phased out, but key perks like Upgrade Passes (previously Bookable Upgrades) and complimentary Gold companion memberships will transition to standard status benefits upon achieving a tier.

Any mid-status benefits earned in 2026 will remain valid for 12 months from their issue date, giving members a relatively smooth shift to the new programme structure before these benefits are removed.

What the changes mean for members

Casual travellers (Green / Silver)

• The removal of Status Point resets makes the jump to Gold more attainable.
• If you take two or three long-haul Business Class trips annually, you might find yourself hitting Gold in a single year, rather than perpetually bouncing between Green and Silver.

Mid-tier flyers (Gold)

• The 300-point rollover cushion provides breathing room, and the clearer calendar-year structure makes it easier to plan mileage runs or strategically book flights to maintain status.

Elite members (Diamond)

• Between the 600-point rollover and the new lifetime Diamond year benefit, maintaining status should become less stressful.
• The path to Diamond Exec also provides a new aspirational goal.
• However, some members will worry that regular Diamond status may lose its lustre, with fears of diminished onboard experiences compared to Diamond Exec members.
• Also, companion gold membership will become exclusive to the Diamond Exec tier, as will buggy service at Hong Kong International Airport.
• Four bookable upgrades will be cut to two Upgrade Passes – and the remaining two won’t work for Business-to-First upgrades anymore. However, the two Upgrade Passes will be granted immediately upon achieving Diamond status, rather than at the mid-status milestone, so at least they’re available from day one.

Road warriors (Diamond Exec)

• Cathay’s most loyal customers finally get the dedicated service and recognition that high-spend customers deserve, with a Relationship Manager as the key differentiator.

Further details

Cathay has a dedicated page on its website relating to the upcoming membership programme changes, which you can access here.

These changes will position Cathay’s programme as one of the more generous in the Oneworld alliance.

The elimination of Status Point resets, introduction of rollovers, and lifetime benefits look like a genuine effort to reward loyalty rather than constantly forcing members to prove themselves anew each year.

The extended transition period (starting January 2026 for implementation in January 2027) is also good news – it gives members time to strategise and adjust without rushing to requalify under uncertain terms.

These changes are a rare case of an airline actually listening to member feedback and implementing changes that genuinely benefit frequent flyers. While we’ll need to see the full details on Diamond Exec privileges and how the transition period works in practice, on paper, this should a positive programme evolution.

Cathay members should start planning their 2026-2027 travel strategy now – especially those on the cusp of a status tier or those who have been long-time Diamond members and could benefit from those lifetime complimentary years!

(Cover Photo: Cathay Pacific)