Balances
My routes
↯ Tap a route to load it into the checker — then just add today's cash fare.
HKG ⇄ LAX · Cathay54k RT
Economy Standard, May-2026 chart (27k each way) + ~$355 taxes & surcharges (CX long-haul fuel ~$149/sector ×2 after the 2026 hikes). Now needs ~$1,200+ cash to clear 1.5¢/mile. Business: 91k AM or 70k AA each way.
HKG ⇄ Tokyo26k RT
Short type 2 (13k each way) + ~$110 fees. Business 32k/way.
HKG ⇄ Seoul18k RT
Short type 1 (9k each way) + ~$100 fees. Business 27k/way.
HKG ⇄ Taipei14k RT
Shortest band (7k each way) + ~$80 fees — and business is only 16k/way, the cheapest J on your list.
LAX ⇄ Taipei~38k/way
No oneworld nonstop (EVA / Starlux / China Airlines territory). One Cathay award via HKG prices on total distance — ~38k one-way is an estimate; verify when booking. Cash fares often win here.
Taipei ⇄ Macaupay cash
$70–150 hop on non-oneworld carriers — points rarely beat cash.
San Diego → Asiavia LAX
No Asia nonstop bookable with your five programs. Position SAN → LAX on AA (cheap cash, or ~7.5k-mile web special) and start the long-haul award at LAX.
⚠ Cathay fuel surcharges spiked in 2026 (long-haul ~$149/sector from Jul, up from ~$70) — prefilled fees are estimates; the booking page shows the real number.
rates verified 06·11·26
Worth it?
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Sweet spots
AA miles → JAL business · US ⇄ Japan60k
The crown jewel — fixed partner chart, often worth 5–7¢/mile.
AA miles → Cathay business · US ⇄ Hong Kong70k
Fixed price; availability is the catch — check 331 days out. New SEA ⇄ HKG route (Mar 2026) is showing wide-open award space through summer.
AA miles → JAL intra-Asia (Tokyo ⇄ Shanghai)30k J
Regional business-class sweet spot — perfect side trip while you're in Japan.
Asia Miles → intra-Asia hops (HKG ⇄ TPE/NRT)7–13k
Clean 2–3¢/mile, and Cathay shows its members the most award space (360-day window).
Asia Miles → CX economy long-haul (HKG ⇄ LAX)27k
The quiet winner of the May-2026 chart — beats baseline whenever cash is $1k+ round trip.
Chase UR → Hyatt · "Lowest"-tier nights (Reserve 1:1 / Preferred 4:3)3–35k
Date flexibility is the whole game on the new 5-tier chart.
Hyatt → Park Hyatt Kyoto · off-season35k/night
Cat 8 (35–75k). Cash runs $1,200–2,000+, so even 60k nights clear 2¢+. Aim late Nov–Feb; cherry-blossom April = 75k. Fund via UR — 1:1 on Sapphire Reserve, but 4:3 on Preferred/Ink (new applicants Jun 15 2026, existing Oct 1 2026), so a 35k night then needs ~47k UR.
Hyatt cheap finds on the new chart8–15k
The Standard, Singapore dropped to Cat 4; Hyatt Place London City East from 8k — the chart change created bargains, not just hikes.
Capital One → Asia Miles / Avios / Qatar 1:1flex
The feeder currency — hold uncommitted, transfer to whichever program the award needs.
⚠ Asia Miles rates rose again May 1, 2026 (long-haul J +3–4k), and a full overhaul is still slated for 2027 — burn the sweet spots early.
rates verified 06·11·26