Cathay Pacific launches Dublin – a new low-tax Avios route to Hong Kong
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Cathay Pacific announced three new European routes to Hong Kong yesterday, including Dublin.
As Cathay Pacific is a member of the oneworld alliance, you can earn and spend Avios points on its flights. This means that you now have far more opportunities to get to Asia. These new routes will also save you substantial amounts in taxes and charges.
The new routes are:
Brussels – launching 25th March, 4 x weekly
Dublin – launching 2nd June, 4 x weekly
Copenhagen – launching 2nd May, Summer only, 3 x weekly
All of these routes will be served by new Airbus A350-900 aircraft. The airline currently has 18 of these aircraft with another four on the way this year. Next year, 26 of the larger A350-1000 planes will begin to arrive.
In Business Class, you will get an updated version of the current Cathay Pacific seat. It is a 1-2-1 layout with additional storage, additional knee room, a concealed water bottle holder and a second video screen (a 4 inch screen is built into the remote control). The planes also have wi-fi.
In terms of Avios redemption, this is how it prices up in Business Class return:
Brussels – 180,000 Avios + £95.80
Dublin – 180,000 Avios + £81.80
Copenhagen – 150,000 Avios + £91.40
Note that Copenhagen is 30,000 Avios cheaper because it falls into a different pricing band, being nearer to Hong Kong than Brussels and Dublin.
Cathay Pacific appears to be releasing three Business Class seats per flight for Avios. Availability is currently wide open.
Remember that Cathay Pacific also flies to Hong Kong from Heathrow, Gatwick and Manchester if you don’t want to start outside the UK, although taxes are higher and you may not get the new A350 seat.
It is about time we did a Cathay Pacific business class review on Head for Points …. let’s see what can be arranged.
You can find out more about timings etc on the Cathay Pacific website. There is a special section discussing the new A350 aircraft which is here.
How to earn Avios from UK credit cards (April 2024)
As a reminder, there are various ways of earning Avios points from UK credit cards. Many cards also have generous sign-up bonuses!
In February 2022, Barclaycard launched two exciting new Barclaycard Avios Mastercard cards with a bonus of up to 25,000 Avios. You can apply here.
You qualify for the bonus on these cards even if you have a British Airways American Express card:
Barclaycard Avios Plus Mastercard
Get 25,000 Avios for signing up and an upgrade voucher at £10,000 Read our full review
Barclaycard Avios Mastercard
5,000 Avios for signing up and an upgrade voucher at £20,000 Read our full review
There are two official British Airways American Express cards with attractive sign-up bonuses:
British Airways American Express Premium Plus
25,000 Avios and the famous annual 2-4-1 voucher Read our full review
British Airways American Express
5,000 Avios for signing up and an Economy 2-4-1 voucher for spending £15,000 Read our full review
You can also get generous sign-up bonuses by applying for American Express cards which earn Membership Rewards points. These points convert at 1:1 into Avios.
American Express Preferred Rewards Gold
Your best beginner’s card – 20,000 points, FREE for a year & four airport lounge passes Read our full review
The Platinum Card from American Express
40,000 bonus points and a huge range of valuable benefits – for a fee Read our full review
Run your own business?
We recommend Capital on Tap for limited companies. You earn 1 Avios per £1 which is impressive for a Visa card, along with a sign-up bonus worth 10,500 Avios.
SPECIAL OFFER: Until 12th May 2024, the Capital on Tap Business Rewards Visa card is offering a bonus of 30,000 points, convertible into 30,000 Avios. You must have a Limited Company to apply. Click here to learn more and click here to apply.
Capital on Tap Business Rewards Visa
Huge 30,000 points bonus until 12th May 2024 Read our full review
You should also consider the British Airways Accelerating Business credit card. This is open to sole traders as well as limited companies and has a 30,000 Avios sign-up bonus.
British Airways Accelerating Business American Express
30,000 Avios sign-up bonus – plus annual bonuses of up to 30,000 Avios Read our full review
There are also generous bonuses on the two American Express Business cards, with the points converting at 1:1 into Avios. These cards are open to sole traders as well as limited companies.
American Express Business Platinum
40,000 points sign-up bonus and an annual £200 Amex Travel credit Read our full review
American Express Business Gold
20,000 points sign-up bonus and FREE for a year Read our full review
Click here to read our detailed summary of all UK credit cards which earn Avios. This includes both personal and small business cards.
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