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Redeeming awards out of Hong Kong? Here’s some sweet spots to consider

ByTroy

If you’re based in Hong Kong, you may be wondering which frequent flyer programs offer the best value for your miles. The truth is, there is no the”best” program, only the best program for you

In this post I want to lay out some of the best value options for Hong Kong based travelers (and how to earn them)

British Airways Avios for flights within 1,151 miles

Alt text: A map showing flight routes from Hong Kong (HKG) to various destinations in East Asia. The destinations include Shanghai Pudong (PVG), Changsha (CSX), Taipei (TPE), Manila (MNL), and Hanoi (HAN). Each destination is connected to Hong Kong by a red line indicating the flight path. The map highlights the geographical locations of these cities in relation to Hong Kong.

Avios is well-known for offering great value on short haul awards. In particular, it is possible to redeem an economy flight for destinations 650 miles and below for 4,500 miles one-way, and 1,151 miles and below for 7,500 miles one-way.

Here is a sample of destinations that are close to Hong Kong- you could easily hop to Taipei or Hanoi for only 4,500 miles, with Manila, Shanghai and Changsha just 7,500 miles away.

From To Initial
Heading		 Magnetic
Heading		 Distance
Total: 2,924 mi
Average: 585 mi
HKG TPE 066° (NE) 069° (E) 501 mi
HKG PVG 037° (NE) 040° (NE) 779 mi
HKG HAN 263° (W) 266° (W) 526 mi
HKG MNL 138° (SE) 141° (SE) 711 mi
HKG CSX 354° (N) 357° (N) 407 mi

 

Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer to Micronesia and Guam

A map showing a flight route in the Pacific region. The route starts from Hong Kong (HKG), goes to Guam (GUM), then to Chuuk (TKK), and finally to Pohnpei (PNI). The map highlights the path with red lines connecting these locations. The surrounding areas include parts of East Asia and Southeast Asia, with the Philippines visible to the south of the route.

KrisFlyer classifies Hong Kong under the North Asia 1 zone, whereas Guam and Micronesia are part of North Asia 2. One-way tickets are 12,500 and 22,500 miles respectively for Economy and Business, which can be very good value considering the flight can be upwards of 5 hours.

If you’re looking to get to Micronesia from Hong Kong, United Airlines operates a flight from Guam that stops in TKK and PNI, however you’ll have a long connection in Guam which you can spend exploring the island.

As for PNI, well, I would say, enjoy your silence time there. On the than hand, TKK is a great place for wreck diving

United MileagePlus to Australia/New Zealand

Although the United program underwent a change late last year, there is still good value to be had flying from Hong Kong to Australia/New Zealand.

Alt text: A webpage interface for selecting an award flight. The page has two sections: "What is your origin?" and "What is your destination?" Each section lists regions including North America, Latin America and Caribbean, Europe and Middle East, Africa, Asia and Pacific, North Asia, Central Asia, South Asia, Japan, Oceania, and Australia & New Zealand. A world map on the right highlights regions in yellow for departing and blue for arriving. There is a link at the bottom right that says "View list of countries and regions."

That’s because United classifies Hong Kong as part of “South Asia”, along with Bangladesh, Bhutan, Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Macau, Malaysia, Myanmar (Burma), Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam.

The image is a screenshot of a flight booking page. It shows details for a flight from Hong Kong (HKG) to Auckland (AKL) with a stopover in Bangkok (BKK). The flight is operated by Thai Airways. - Departure from Hong Kong is on Monday, June 3 at 14:10, arriving in Bangkok at 15:50 on the same day. The flight number is TG 629, operated by a Boeing 777-300. It is a red-eye flight. - There is a 2 hour and 55 minute connection in Bangkok. - The next leg departs from Bangkok on Monday, June 3 at 18:45 and arrives in Auckland on Tuesday, June 4 at 10:45. The flight number is TG 491, operated by a Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner. This is also a red-eye flight. The page shows three fare options: Economy (lowest) for 25k miles plus $77.30, Business Saver Award for 50k miles plus $89.50, and Business Everyday Award for 50k miles plus $89.50. Each fare option has a "Select" button. The fare classes include Economy (X) and Business (I), and meals are provided in all classes.

As the example below shows, a flight from Hong Kong to Auckland via Thai Airways would only cost 25K miles in economy and 50K miles in business. Considering the flight time is close to 14 hours, this is a very good deal. As a business class passenger, you will also be able to enjoy a 30-minute spa treatment in the Thai Airways spa in Bangkok.

Make sure to include your excursionist award for a free segment

Lufthansa Miles & More to Hawaii

A map showing a flight route from Hong Kong (HKG) to Honolulu (HNL) with a stopover in Tokyo Narita (NRT). The route is depicted with a red line connecting the three locations across the Pacific Ocean.

One-way awards between Hong Kong and Hawaii cost 20k/35k miles for economy/business class. This flight is about 11.5 hours of flying with a transit in Japan or South Korea, so it represents very good value once again. If you go with the Japan option, you will be able to fly on ANA’s 767-300 and 787-9 aircraft. The 787-9 will have full flat seats.

Emirates Skywards to Bangkok

Emirates operates a fifth freedom route between Hong Kong and Bangkok that uses their A380 aircraft. If you’ve always wanted to experience the over-the-top bling of Emirates cabins, here is one of the cheapest ways of doing so.

The image shows the interior of a luxurious airplane cabin, likely a business or first-class section. The seats are spacious and arranged in a 1-2-1 configuration, allowing each passenger direct aisle access. Each seat is equipped with a large personal entertainment screen, a table, and ample storage space. The seats are upholstered in a combination of beige and brown tones, with white headrest covers and pillows. The cabin has a modern and elegant design, with wood accents and soft lighting, creating a comfortable and upscale atmosphere.

You can get a full flat seat with an inflight bar- not bad for a 3 hour flight!

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Emirates Skywards charges 40,000 miles for a round trip business class flight between these two cities.

ANA Mileage Club to Europe and USA and Canada

a map of the world with different countries/regions

ANA Mileage Club offers very good value redemptions out of Hong Kong to Europe and North America at just 93,000 and 95,000 miles for round trip business class (58,000 and 60,000 miles for round trip economy).

This image is a table displaying the number of points required for flights from Asia 1 (Zone 3) to various destinations, categorized by class of service. The table has the following columns: Departure Point, Class of Service, South Korea (Zone 2), Asia 1 (Zone 3), Asia 2 (Zone 4), Hawaii (Zone 5), North America (Zone 6), Europe (Zone 7), Africa and the Middle East (Zone 8), Central and South America (Zone 9), and Oceania and Micronesia (Zone 10). The rows under Class of Service are labeled Y, C, and F, with corresponding point values for each destination.

Remember that ANA Mileage Club does not allow one-way redemptions for partner flights.

How to earn these miles?

Alt text: The image shows a list of airline partners where you can credit your miles to frequent flyer programs. The airlines displayed are ANA, British Airways Executive Club, China Eastern, China Southern, Emirates Skywards, EVA Air, Hainan Airlines, Iberia Plus, Lufthansa Miles & More, PhoenixMiles, Qatar Airways Privilege Club, Sichuan Airlines, Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer, United MileagePlus, and XiamenAir.

You can earn some of these miles through your bank credit cards, but for the widest selection of frequent flyer programs, you should use Mileslife. Mileslife has 16 different frequent flyer partners, all of which have direct credit agreements. You can use Mileslife and earn miles at over 20,000 selections around the world, from high end dining and retail, to luxury hotels and spas, to activities and attraction tickets, even from your daily walking and health activities.

Download Mileslife here and start earning miles for your next vacation!

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