When it comes to miles and points, many in this space assign a lot higher value to transferable points, given the amount of flexibility it gives you to plan your travel. Out of all the major transferable points currencies, American Express Membership Rewards continues to be my favorite, given the diversity of points transfer partners they have.
Points Transfer Ratio Decreasing By 20%
Out of the many airline partners that American Express has, Cathay Pacific Asia Miles program is an airline partner that continues to be very popular with many travelers. Over the years, the standard transfer ratio from Amex to Asia Miles has been 1:1. However, that is about to change soon. Starting March 1, 2026, the new transfer ratio will be much lower. Essentially, due to this devaluation, you will only earn 800 Asia Miles for every batch of 1,000 American Express Membership Rewards points you transfer over to the program.
The notice appears on the Amex website once you log in and head over to the section to transfer points.
Effective March 1, 2026, the ratio for transferring Membership Rewards points to Cathay Pacific Asia Miles™ will be changed from “1 Membership Rewards point = 1 Asia Mile” to “5 Membership Rewards points = 4 Asia Miles”
The Pundit’s Mantra
Recently, I wrote this post outlining how I got outsized value from a recent redemption when I converted my American Express Membership Rewards points into Cathay Pacific Asia Miles. Cathay Pacific’s Asia Miles programs offers some great redemption options on their own metal, in addition to multiple sweet spots with their OneWorld partners.
If you’re looking to book an upcoming trip using Asia Miles, then now would be a great time to transfer your points. With just five days left, you have very little time to lock in this higher transfer ratio before the devaluation kicks in from March 1, 2026.
If you’re wondering how long it takes to transfer points over, then you’d be happy to know that my transfer a few weeks back was instant as my miles posted immediately to my Asia Miles account.
What’s your favorite way to redeem Cathay Pacific Asia Miles? Tell us in the comments section.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Subscribe to my channel for the latest in miles, points & travel..
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Credit Card Offers
American Express Business Credit Cards
- Earn 200,000 Membership Rewards points with the Business Platinum Card
- Earn 100,000 Membership Rewards points with the Business Gold Card by American Express
Chase Sapphire Cards
- 75,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards points up for grabs with the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card!
- Earn 125,000 bonus points with the Chase Sapphire Reserve Card
- Earn 155,000 bonus points with the Chase Sapphire Reserve Card for Business Card
- Chase Ink Business Preferred Card offering a limited time welcome bonus of 100,000 points
Marriott Bonvoy
