I am an international student based in Hong Kong and I travel between the US (mainly Boston) and Hong Kong about 3–4 times a year. I am having difficulty maintaining Cathay Pacific Gold status.
My usual route is the direct Cathay Pacific flight between BOS and HKG, but prices have increased significantly during peak periods like Christmas. Even when I do fly it, I only earn around 120 status points and 12,000 miles per round trip, meaning I would need about five round trips per year to retain Gold, which is not realistic for me.
I recently found better pricing on British Airways, including options where I can book premium economy for part of the journey at a lower overall cost. Sometimes BA premium economy round trips are priced similarly to Cathay economy during peak travel periods.
However, Cathay’s partner earning rates are quite poor, so I am considering switching my loyalty strategy to Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan. Since I fly long-haul routes frequently, I think Alaska could offer better mileage accumulation, especially for partner flights. It seems to reward distance-based earning more effectively, particularly in premium economy, compared to Cathay.
With Alaska Airlines, it might be possible for me to achieve Oneworld Sapphire status by combining flights on BA premium economy and other partners, rather than relying solely on Cathay flights.
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