Cathay Pacific's Asia Miles program has stopped issuing award tickets on Japan Airlines flights until further notice. The suspension was reported on October 9, 2026, and it reaches further than new bookings: members can't change existing award tickets that include JAL flights. Tickets already issued can still be flown as booked.
That matters to U.S. points collectors because Amex, Capital One, Citi and Bilt points all transfer to Asia Miles. If you were planning to move points to Asia Miles for a JAL award to Japan, hold off; you can't book it right now.
What Happened
Members who try to book a JAL award, or change one that includes JAL flights, see this notice from Cathay, as published in reports on October 9:
"Currently, redemption of Japan Airlines (JL) award tickets has been temporarily suspended until further notice. Existing bookings for Japan Airlines award tickets can still be used for travel as normal. If there are any updates, further notice will be given."
The notice gives no reason and no end date. Cathay Pacific and Japan Airlines are both members of the oneworld alliance.
Why This Matters
The notice covers Japan Airlines award tickets as a whole, so it reaches JAL flights to Japan and JAL flights within Japan alike.
For U.S. readers, the exposure usually starts with a transfer. As of October 9, 2026, American Express Membership Rewards, Capital One, Citi ThankYou and Bilt each list Cathay Pacific as a transfer partner on their own pages. Amex's transfer page shows 1,000 points converting to 800 Asia Miles.
Our guide to earning Asia Miles without a Cathay card covers more ways to earn them, and we covered the change to Amex's Asia Miles transfer ratio earlier this year.
What You Should Do
- Don't transfer for a JAL award. Points that sit in Membership Rewards, Capital One, ThankYou or Bilt keep their options. Once they're Asia Miles, a JAL booking isn't one of them until Cathay lifts the suspension.
- If you already hold a JAL award booked with Asia Miles, fly it as planned. Cathay's notice says existing bookings can be used as normal, but you can't change them while the suspension lasts.
- If you want JAL specifically, Citi ThankYou and Capital One list JAL Mileage Bank as a transfer partner, and Bilt lists Japan Airlines, so you can book JAL through JAL's own program instead. Our Citi ThankYou to JAL coverage has the details.
- Watch for Cathay's update. The notice says further notice will be given if anything changes.
Conclusion
The decision is about where your points sit. If a JAL award to or within Japan was the plan, keep your Amex, Capital One, Citi or Bilt points in their own programs until Cathay posts an update; for Citi, Capital One and Bilt points, transferring to JAL itself is the other route. If you already hold a JAL award booked with Asia Miles, treat your dates as fixed, since changes aren't possible for now. Why Cathay made the change, and when it ends, is still unknown.
