Akthr
Alinma Bank
VS
Asia Miles
Cathay Pacific
Akthr vs Asia Miles: which loyalty program wins?
We score Akthr 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
Akthr is best for Anyone wanting flexible redemption across airlines, hotels, and investment, while Asia Miles is best for Premium-cabin redemption seekers who travel to East.
Skip Akthr if Anyone seeking high earn rates without a premium card, and skip Asia Miles if Anyone wanting to earn through daily spend.
Overall rating
| Akthr | Asia Miles | |
|---|---|---|
| Overall rating | 3.6 / 5 | 3.9 / 5 |
| Earning | 3.0 / 5 | 3.0 / 5 |
| Redemption | 4.0 / 5 | 5.0 / 5 |
| Network | 4.0 / 5 | 5.0 / 5 |
| Ease of use | 4.0 / 5 | 3.0 / 5 |
| Expiry | 3.0 / 5 | 3.0 / 5 |
Earning structure
| Akthr | Cardholders earn Akthr points on every purchase, with rates varying significantly by card tier. Standard credit cards and the Traveler prepaid card earn 1 point per SAR. Intermediate tiers (Platinum, Signature) earn at higher rates. Infinite cards earn 6 points per SAR on domestic purchases and 7 per SAR on international - but Infinite cards are income-restricted and held by a small minority of customers. Members can also earn points through banking products and services beyond card spend. Welcome bonuses up to 10,000 points are offered to new members. Promotional doubling campaigns run periodically at supermarkets and partner merchants. Digital wallet top-ups do not earn points. | |
|---|---|---|
| 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
| Akthr | Points redeem through multiple channels via the alinma app: cash to AlinmaPay wallet, partner POS discount codes via registered mobile number plus OTP (from as few as 2 points per code), e-vouchers and selected products, transfer to Alfursan miles, transfer to flynas naSmiles miles (24 Akthr points = 1 naSmiles mile), transfer to ALL Accor hotel rewards (22,000 Akthr = 1,000 ALL Reward Points, 5,500+ hotels worldwide), conversion to Alinma Capital investment wallet, charitable donations, hotel and car bookings, and gifting points to other registered Akthr members. Most redemption options have low or no minimum thresholds. The mobile-number-plus-OTP mechanic at partner POS is among the simplest redemption flows in Saudi banking. | |
|---|---|---|
| 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
| Akthr | Asia Miles | |
|---|---|---|
| Number of partners | 0 | 0 |
| Partners | — | — |
| Number of tiers | 0 | 5 |
| Top tier | — | Diamond Exec |
| First-tier qualification | — | 300 points |
| Point expiry | 12 months | 18 months inactivity (reset on earn) |