Cathay Pacific Expands Amex 2-for-1 Deal

March 2008
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The carrier has expanded the number of destinations from five to eleven: Bangkok, Cebu Mactan, Denpasar, Hong Kong, Jakarta, Kuala Lumpur, Manila, Penang, Singapore, Surabaya, and Taipei. At first glance, this seems like a big improvement. However, the applicable fares can be higher than the cost of just buying a second ticket.

Here’s a survey that shows the routes where the deal is worth it and where it isn’t from Cathay’s three US gateways: Los Angeles, New York, and San Francisco. The program works best from New York with an average savings of 48%. From Los Angeles and San Francisco, savings are only 3-32%, but with no savings at all to Taipei. Keep in mind that with the 2-for-1 program, only the paying passenger earns miles.

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The carrier has expanded the number of destinations from five to eleven: Bangkok, Cebu Mactan, Denpasar, Hong Kong, Jakarta, Kuala Lumpur, Manila, Penang, Singapore, Surabaya, and Taipei. At first glance, this seems like a big improvement. However, the applicable fares can be higher than the cost of just buying a second ticket.

Here’s a survey that shows the routes where the deal is worth it and where it isn’t from Cathay’s three US gateways: Los Angeles, New York, and San Francisco. The program works best from New York with an average savings of 48%. From Los Angeles and San Francisco, savings are only 3-32%, but with no savings at all to Taipei. Keep in mind that with the 2-for-1 program, only the paying passenger earns miles.

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[["<strong>Route<\/strong>","<strong>2-for-1 Fare (for two)<\/strong>","<strong>Published Fare (for two)<\/strong>","<strong>Savings<\/strong>"],["Los Angeles-Bangkok","$10,305 ","$10,610 ","$305\/3%"],["Los Angeles-Hong Kong","$10,305 ","$15,092 ","$4,787\/32%"],["Los Angeles-Kuala Lumpur","$10,305 ","$13,844 ","$3,539\/26%"],["Los Angeles-Manila","$10,305 ","$12,164 ","$1,859\/15%"],["Los Angeles-Singapore","$10,305 ","$13,280 ","$2,975\/22%"],["Los Angeles-Taipei","$10,305 ","$8,892 ","None"],["New York-Bangkok","$10,593 ","$20,464 ","$9,871\/48%"],["New York-Hong Kong","$11,011 ","$18,202 ","$7,191\/40%"],["New York-Kuala Lumpur","$10,593 ","$20,464 ","$9,871\/48%"],["New York-Manila","$10,593 ","$20,464 ","$9,871\/48%"],["New York-Singapore","$10,593 ","$20,464 ","$9,871\/48%"],["New York-Taipei","$10,593 ","$20,464 ","$9,871\/48%"],["San Francisco-Bangkok","$10,305 ","$10,610 ","$305\/3%"],["San Francisco-Hong Kong","$10,305 ","$11,900 ","$1,595\/13%"],["San Francisco-Kuala Lumpur","$10,305 ","$12,206 ","$1,901\/16%"],["San Francisco-Manila","$10,305 ","$12,164 ","$1,859\/15%"],["San Francisco-Singapore","$10,305 ","$11,900 ","$1,595\/13%"],["San Francisco-Taipei","$10,305 ","$8,892 ","None"]]
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