AirRewards vs Asia Miles: which loyalty program wins?

We score AirRewards and Asia Miles on the same five factors — earning rate, redemption value, partner network, ease of use, and point expiry — to help you choose the right program for how you actually spend.

Verdict

AirRewards is best for Frequent economy flyers, while Asia Miles is best for Premium-cabin redemption seekers who travel to East.

Skip AirRewards if Anyone wanting to earn through daily spend, and skip Asia Miles if Anyone wanting to earn through daily spend.

Overall rating

	AirRewards	Asia Miles
Overall rating	3.4 / 5	3.9 / 5
Earning	3.0 / 5	3.0 / 5
Redemption	4.0 / 5	5.0 / 5
Network	3.0 / 5	5.0 / 5
Ease of use	4.0 / 5	3.0 / 5
Expiry	3.0 / 5	3.0 / 5

Earning structure

AirRewards	Members earn up to 10% cashback as AirRewards points on every Air Arabia flight booking (and ancillary services like meals, baggage, and seat selection). The exact earn rate varies by fare type and route. Earning also extends to partner activities: 200 points per 100 AED with Union Insurance, up to 40 points per 100 AED at Kalyan Jewellers, 3 points per 10 AED via Buzzpay mobile recharges (UAE-focused), up to 6 points per USD with Sixt car rentals, up to 10,000 points per Rocketmiles hotel stay, up to 15 points per USD with Kaligo hotel bookings, and 4 points per Euro at Land of Fashion. Family accounts pool points across multiple members.
Asia Miles	Members earn Asia Miles by flying Cathay Pacific (direct from Riyadh to Hong Kong) and on 15+ oneworld alliance partners including Qatar Airways, British Airways, American, JAL, Qantas, Iberia, Finnair, Cathay Pacific, and Royal Jordanian. Earning rate depends on flight distance, cabin class, and fare type (Economy: 25-100% of flown miles; premium cabins up to 200%). Status Points (separate from miles) are earned on Cathay/partner flights for tier qualification. Members can also transfer points to Asia Miles from Marriott Bonvoy (3:1 ratio, 5,000 bonus per 60,000 transfer), Hilton Honors, and Amex Membership Rewards (5:4 ratio, March 2026 update). No Saudi bank issues a Cathay co-branded credit card — the Standard Chartered Cathay Mastercard is Hong Kong-only.

Redemption structure

AirRewards	Points redeem at the fixed rate of 100 AirRewards points = 1 USD, with no variability based on fare type, date, or route — a uniquely transparent value in airline loyalty. Points can be used for flights (every seat on every flight available, no blackout dates), meals, baggage, and additional services. Cash + Points option allows partial payment when point balance is insufficient. Family account members can pool points to redeem together. AirRewards points can also be transferred to Etihad Guest Miles for redemption within the broader Etihad network. Redemption is processed entirely through www.airarabia.com or the mobile app.
Asia Miles	Asia Miles redeem according to three fixed award charts: Cathay Pacific-operated flights (distance-based), airline partners (zone/distance-based), and oneworld multi-carrier awards (for round-the-world tickets). Cathay's Economy short-haul Asia routes from 7,000 miles one-way; Business HKG-Sydney for 58,000; Business HKG-LHR for 88,000; First HKG-LHR for 125,000. Most premium-cabin partner awards deliver outsized value. Fuel surcharges apply on most redemptions and are priced by region. Online booking for Cathay and many oneworld partners; some partner awards require calling Asia Miles. Round-the-world award tickets uniquely available. Members can also redeem for cabin upgrades, extra legroom seats, baggage allowance, hotel stays, car rentals, and merchandise.

Partner network · Tiers & status · Point expiry policy

	AirRewards	Asia Miles
Number of partners	0	0
Partners	—	—
Number of tiers	0	5
Top tier	—	Diamond Exec
First-tier qualification	—	300 points
Point expiry	—	18 months inactivity (reset on earn)

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