Best of Articles, Airfare, Asia
Updated on Wed, 28 Jan 2026
Asia is a massive continent with an incredible amount to offer. Getting there takes time and patience, and getting around once you’re there can feel just as daunting. If you’re only exploring a small region, paying cash for low-cost carriers can often make more sense than using points. But longer flights, like traveling from Southeast Asia to Japan or Korea, can be comparable to flying from the US to Europe. For those trips, flexibility matters, and we’ve chosen cards that offer the best value and options for flying around Asia.
Our Rankings
1 | Amex Platinum
Like getting to Asia, the Amex Platinum tops the list of cards to have once you’re there. With direct transfers to Singapore Airlines, Cathay Pacific, and ANA, you gain access to strong regional networks that make economy bookings for short hops easy. And since Asia is so large, those same programs also offer top-tier premium cabins for longer intra-region flights. You can also tap into other transfer partners like Air Canada, JetBlue, Qantas, and Qatar for additional partner redemption options. In some cases, programs like Air Canada even allow you to add stopovers for a small additional cost, which may let you cover multiple cities without booking separate flights. Lounge access matters here as well, as a bit of added comfort goes a long way when navigating multiple airports and connections.
2 | Capital One Venture X
The Capital One Venture X challenges the Amex Platinum for the top spot due to the breadth of its direct transfer partners. You can transfer points directly to Singapore Airlines, Cathay Pacific, Japan Airlines, and EVA Air, giving you excellent flexibility for getting around Asia once you’re there. Air Canada is also a partner of Capital One, which has a great partner network to utilize for intra-Asia flights. The Venture X also simplifies things with a strong signup bonus and easy points earning through 2x points on all purchases. Since Asia is a region where low-cost carriers often make sense, you can use the card’s $300 annual travel credit for paid flights when cash is the better option than booking with points. You can also use their points eraser function to cancel out any travel purchase, but you'll only get a 1:1 redemption.
Honorable Mentions
3 | Citi Strata Elite
Citi shares many of the same transfer partners as Amex for flights within Asia. Singapore Airlines, Cathay Pacific, JetBlue, Qantas, and Qatar are all shared partners, and the addition of EVA Air, a standout option for flights in the region, makes the Strata Elite a real competitor. American Airlines can also be useful for booking flights on Japan Airlines. For added comfort while transiting, the card includes Priority Pass access and four complimentary Admirals Club passes.
4 | Chase Sapphire Reserve
Chase only has one direct transfer partner for flights on its own metal within Asia: Singapore Airlines. If you’re comfortable finding partner bookings, the Sapphire Reserve provides a ton of value. You can access Air Canada’s massive partner network, ANA via Virgin Atlantic, Japan Airlines and Asiana via JetBlue, and the same Star Alliance partners United shares with Air Canada. Using the $300 annual travel credit and booking through the portal can also make sense for shorter hops where points values are lower. Lounge access also comes in handy on long trips like this. If you don’t want to take on the higher annual fee, the Chase Sapphire Preferred shares the same transfer partners and serves as a strong backup option.
5 | Chase Aeroplan
Air Canada’s massive partner network creates a lot of sweet spot opportunities for getting around Asia once you’re there. That breadth of partners gives you strong flexibility when searching for flights that fit your itinerary. Another standout feature is Aeroplan’s stopover program, which allows you to add a stopover in each direction for an additional 5,000 points. Depending on your routing, you may be able to incorporate intra-Asia flights into your trip to and from North America using stopovers, rather than booking separate flights. The Aeroplan card’s signup bonus and wide range of credit card transfer partners make it easy to top up your balance, and the complimentary Aeroplan 25K status that comes with the card can make travel a bit smoother.
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