Summer 2021 is likely to look a lot different, a lot more normal, than the world looks today. It’s as far out as you can book a ticket on most airlines. And the great thing about using miles in most programs is how flexible they are. Worst case scenario a usually modest fee, but some programs like American AAdvantage are waiving award cancellation fees entirely right now. So it’s a great time to book your next adventure!

Cathay Pacific is currently making business class awards widely available between the U.S. and Hong Kong for up to four passengers, from several gateway cities. This allows you to connect beyond Hong Kong to much of Asia.

Spencer Howard has done a great job keeping up on frequent flyer award space as it becomes available while many of us aren’t searching awards as much as we once were (request volume for my award booking service has been down, naturally, since we help people find premium cabin international awards and most international travel is closed to Americans presently.)

Spencer runs a free email newsletter where he sends out award availability alerts, and this is a find he’s just flagged.

Where The Award Seats Are

June through August four business class award seats are wide open between New York JFK and Newark and Hong Kong. There’s good space from Seattle. Chicago O’Hare and Washington Dulles to Hong Kong has availability but is limited on the return.

You’ll find more flights with 2 or 3 business class seats than you will flights with 4 seats. And out of New York JFK there may be more than one flight a day that has 4, which is the availability I’m interested in for this exercise. New York, by the way, has plenty of availability for four passengers in business class on quite a few dates starting late fall 2020.

Here’s a sample of New York JFK:

Bear in mind that schedules that are published today could be different in the future, given the uncertainties of air travel demand. However it shouldn’t be hard to get American Airlines to move you to their own Hong Kong service (assuming they still have Hong Kong service..!), and any program to move you to a different Cathay Pacific flight if there’s a schedule change.

This can require your mileage program working with their partner liaison, or finding award space out of a different city if – for instance – Cathay Pacific no longer serves the city you’re flying in and out of (but then getting American or Alaska to put you on their own flight to your final destination should be possible as well).

How To Book

The best mileage deal is with Alaska Airlines. They charge just 50,000 miles each way between the U.S. and much of Asia on Cathay Pacific. You can include an Alaska Airlines flight as part of the award if needed, and you can even have a free stopover in Hong Kong.

American AAdvantage charges 70,000 miles each way for business class. That includes a connection to the Cathay Pacific flight, and flights beyond Hong Kong. You can use American or Alaska in the U.S., and you can use other partners beyond Hong Kong as well.

Cathay Pacific’s own Asia Miles program will charge 70,000 miles just for Los Angeles or Seattle to Hong Kong and 85,000 miles just for East Coast – Hong Kong non-stops. The program is distance-based so awards are potentially more miles based on destination if farther than Hong Kong

When flying to Hong Kong, even those programs that normally add fuel surcharges aren’t going to have those. Some programs (though not American AAdvantage or Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan) will add them depending on your final destination.

If you don’t have American or Alaska miles, then Cathay Pacific’s own program is your best bet. American Express, Citibank and Capital One all transfer to Cathay. (Using Chase points you’d likely transfer to British Airways to book.) Note that Alaska Airlines doesn’t always show every award seat Cathay Pacific is making available.