There are multiple different Oneworld frequent flyer programs that use distance-based award charts, such as British Airways, Cathay Pacific, Japanese Airlines, and Iberia. When you are flying on Oneworld airlines, you can use any of these programs to book your award ticket.
Because each program has different rules for calculating distances, award costs, and surcharges, there is no single program that is better than the others. Instead, your best option depends on the trip you want to take (and the types of points that you have). Nevertheless, there are still some useful rules of thumb for which program to choose.
In most cases, you'll want to take advantage of British Airways, Iberia, Cathay Pacific, and JAL. Malaysia, Qantas, and Qatar's award prices tend to be higher cost options.
As long as you are flying a simple round trip, with a nonstop flight in each direction, all of the programs are reasonable options. However, if your flight is within a single region, such as a flight from one part of Europe to the other, make sure to check for the lowest priced option among the region-based programs. Sometimes flights that don’t cross a region boundary can be less expensive with a region-based program, than even the lowest-cost distance-based program.
Economy class tickets
Travel distances up to 4,000 miles
British Airways
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generally requires the fewest miles for coach flights up to 4,000 miles each way.
Travel distances under 500 miles in the US
British Airways charges a minimum of 15,000 miles round trip for flights that fly to, from, or within the United States (ignoring their normal bottom tier). For these flights, Iberia
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is the cheaper option for travel distance up to 500 miles.
Travelling American Airlines to Europe. or making a connection
On these flights, British Airways adds expensive fuel surcharges, and the other programs don’t. And, if you need to make a connection, British Airways will make you pay for each flight separately, and the other three major distance-based programs won’t. In either case, you are better off using Cathay Pacific
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, or sometimes Iberia, rather than British Airways.
Travel distances longer than 4,000 miles
For most people, Cathay Pacific is the best option for flights longer than 4,000 miles. But, if you have Starpoints, JAL
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is often the cheaper option for flights longer than 3000 miles. Even after JAL's devaluation in November 2018, they will still require fewer miles than Cathay for most longer flights.
More than two partner airlines for your trip
British Airways, Cathay Pacific and JAL switch to more expensive multi-carrier award charts. If you don’t have Starpoints, Iberia will generally be the cheaper option for distances up to 7,000 miles, and Cathay Pacific the cheaper option for longer flights. If you do have Starpoints, JAL is the cheapest option for most flights longer than 2,500 miles.
If you only have Ultimate Reward Points
Your only choices are British Airways and Iberia. Unless you are flying American Airlines to Europe, or need to make a connection, British Airways is the cheaper option.
If you only have ThankYou points
You’ll want to use Cathay Pacific, even for the shortest flights.
Economy Class Ticket Chart
Distance each way
Economy
BA
Iberia
Cathay
JAL
Up to 300
12
11
15
12
300 - 500
12
12
15
12
500 - ≈600
12
17
15
15
≈600 - 750
18
17
15
15
751 - 1000
18
17
20
15
1,000 – ≈1200
18
23
20
23
≈1,200 – 2,000
22
23
20
23
2,001 – 2,500
26
28
20
37
2,501 – 2,750
26
42
20
37
2,751 – 3,000
26
42
44
37
3,001 – 4,000
42
42
44
45
4,001 – 5,000
52
65
44
47
5,000 – 5,501
52
65
60
50
5,501 – 6,200
62
65
60
50
6,201 – 6,500
62
75
60
55
6,501 – 7,000
73
75
60
55
7,001 – 7,500
103
100
60
70
7,501 – 9,000
103
100
84
70
9,001 – 10,000
103
120
84
70
10,001 – 12,500
103
120
84
90
Business and first class tickets
Shorter flights
For business class, British Airways
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or LATAM
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generally require the fewest miles for flights of up 2,000 miles each way. But, LATAM is not a partner for the big credit card reward programs, so it won't be an option for most people.
For first class, LATAM is much cheaper than the the other options for flights up to 1,300 miles. But, if you can't get LATAM points, British Airways is usually the best option.
Travelling American Airlines to Europe, or making a connection
British Airways adds expensive fuel surcharges and the other programs don’t. And, if you need to make a connection, British Airways will make you pay for each flight separately, and the other three major distance-based programs won’t. In either case, you are better off using Iberia or Cathay Pacific
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, rather than British Airways, for these shorter flights.
Longer flights
For most people, Cathay Pacific is the best option for distances longer than 2,500 miles in business, and 2,000 miles in first. But, if you have Starpoints, JAL
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requires fewer miles.
More than two partner airlines for your trip
British Airways, Cathay Pacific and JAL will switch to more expensive multi-carrier award charts. If you don’t have Starpoints, Iberia will generally be the cheaper option for destinations up to 2,500 miles in business and first, and Cathay Pacific the cheaper option for longer flights. If you do have Starpoints, JAL is the cheapest option for flights longer than 2,500 miles.
If you only have Ultimate Reward Points
Your only choices are BA and Iberia. Unless you are flying AA to Europe, or need to make a connection, BA is the cheaper option for business class flights of less than 3,000 miles, for almost all first class tickets.
If you only have ThankYou points
You’ll want to use Cathay Pacific, even for the shortest flights. However, sometimes Malyasia requires slightly fewer miles (but is harder to work with).
Business Class Award Chart
Distance each way
Business
BA
Iberia
Cathay
JAL
Up to 300
25
22
32
24
300 - 500
25
24
32
24
500 - ≈600
25
34
32
30
≈600 - 750
33
34
32
30
751 - 1000
33
34
50
30
1,000 – ≈1200
33
46
50
42
≈1,200 – 2,000
44
46
50
42
2,001 – 2,500
78
46
50
60
2,501 – 2,750
78
100
50
60
2,751 – 3,000
78
100
90
60
3,001 – 4,000
124
100
90
80
4,001 – 5,000
155
150
90
85
5,000 – 5,501
155
150
130
100
5,501 – 6,200
186
150
130
100
6,201 – 6,500
186
175
130
110
6,501 – 7,000
217
175
130
110
7,001 – 7,500
309
250
130
130
7,501 – 9,000
309
250
170
130
9,001 – 10,000
309
270
170
130
10,001 – 12,500
309
270
170
145
First Class Award Chart
Distance each way
First
BA
Iberia
Cathay
JAL
Up to 300
48
50
40
36
300 - 500
48
50
40
36
500 - ≈600
48
50
40
60
≈600 - 760
66
51
50
45
751 - 1000
66
51
80
45
1,000 – ≈1200
66
69
80
65
≈1,200 – 2,000
88
69
80
65
2,001 – 2,500
103
96
80
90
2,501 – 2,750
103
150
80
90
2,751 – 3,000
103
150
140
90
3,001 – 4,000
165
150
100
120
4,001 – 5,000
206
225
140
135
5,000 – 5,501
206
225
200
145
5,501 – 6,200
248
225
200
145
6,201 – 6,500
248
262.5
200
165
6,501 – 7,000
289
262.5
200
165
7,001 – 7,500
412
375
200
190
7,501 – 9,000
412
375
250
190
9,001 – 10,000
412
405
250
190
10,001 – 12,500
412
405
250
220
Best programs for one-way flights
If you only need to fly one-way, Iberia, Cathay Pacific, and JAL become less attractive options. Iberia and JAL charge based on the total distance traveled, but longer trips have a lower cost per mile than shorter trips. You'll need to pay far more than half the number of points for a one-way trip that is only half the number of miles. Cathay Pacific charges based on the air distance between destinations, but their one-way awards require considerably more than half the number of points of round trip flights.
Coach flights
British Airways
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and Cathay Pacific
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are the best options for coach flights, depending on the exact distance you are flying. If you need to make a connection, or you are flying American Airlines to Europe, you'll want to stick to Cathay.
Shorter business Class flights
British Airways and LATAM
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are the best options for business class flights of up to 2,000 miles.
Longer business class flights
For most people, Cathay Pacific is the best option for longer business class flights. But, if you are able to get JAL points
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, they are sometimes a less expensive option.
First class flights
LATAM is by far the cheapest option for shorter first class flights, is is the cheapest option for almost all first class flights up to 6,250 miles. JAL is the cheapest option for very long flights. Unfortunately, neither program participates in the Ultimate Rewards, Membership Rewards, or ThankYou Rewards programs. If you can't get the points, Cathay Pacific and British Airways will be your best options.
If you need to make a connection
You’ll usually want to choose between Iberia and Cathay, instead of BA, even for shorter flights. But for some flights, it may be worthwhile to pay for each leg individually using British Airlines.
One Way Tables
Distance each way
Economy
BA
Iberia
Cathay
JAL
New JAL
Up to ≈300
4.5
11
7.5
15
12
≈300 - 500
4.5
11
7.5
15
12
500 - ≈600
4.5
11
7.5
15
12
≈600 - 750
7.5
12
7.5
15
12
751 - 1000
7.5
12
10
15
12
1,000 – ≈1200
7.5
17
10
20
15
≈1,200 – 2,000
10
17
10
20
15
2,001 – 2,500
12.5
23
10
21
23
2,501 – 3,000
12.5
23
10
21
23
2,501 – 2,750
12.5
23
10
21
23
2,751 – 3,000
12.5
23
22
21
23
3,001 – 4,000
20
23
22
21
23
4,001 – 5,000
25
28
22
37
37
5,000 – 5,501
25
42
30
37
37
5,501 – 6,200
30
42
30
37
37
6,201 – 6,500
30
42
30
39
45
6,501 – 7,000
35
42
30
39
45
7,001 – 7,500
50
42
38
39
45
7,501 – 8,000
50
42
42
39
45
8,001 – 9,000
50
65
42
40
47
9,001 – 10,000
50
65
42
40
47
10,001 – 12,500
50
65
42
50
50
Distance each way
Business
BA
Iberia
Cathay
JAL
New JAL
Up to 300
9
22
16
32
24
300 - 500
9
22
16
32
24
500 - ≈600
9
22
16
32
24
≈600 - 750
15
24
16
32
24
751 - 1000
15
24
25
32
24
1,000 – ≈1200
15
34
25
35
30
≈1,200 – 2,000
20
34
25
35
30
2,001 – 2,500
37.5
46
25
42
42
2,501 – 2,750
37.5
46
25
42
42
2,751 – 3,000
37.5
46
45
42
42
3,001 – 4,000
60
46
45
42
42
4,001 – 5,000
75
64
45
60
60
5,000 – 5,501
75
100
65
60
60
5,501 – 6,200
90
100
65
60
60
6,201 – 6,500
90
100
65
63
80
6,501 – 7,000
105
100
65
63
80
7,001 – 7,500
150
100
65
63
80
7,501 – 8,000
150
100
85
63
80
8,001 – 9,000
150
150
85
65
85
9,001 – 10,000
150
150
85
65
85
10,001 – 12,500
150
150
85
80
100
Distance each way
First
BA
Iberia
Cathay
JAL
New JAL
Up to 300
18
33
25
55
36
300 - 500
18
33
25
55
36
500 - ≈600
18
33
25
55
36
≈600 - 750
30
36
25
55
36
751 - 1000
30
36
40
55
36
1,000 – ≈1200
30
51
40
60
45
≈1,200 – 2,000
40
51
40
60
45
2,001 – 2,500
50
69
40
65
65
2,501 – 2,750
50
69
40
65
65
2,751 – 3,000
50
69
70
65
65
3,001 – 4,000
80
69
70
65
65
4,001 – 5,000
100
96
70
90
90
5,000 – 5,501
100
150
100
90
90
5,501 – 6,200
120
150
100
90
90
6,201 – 6,500
120
150
100
100
120
6,501 – 7,000
140
150
100
100
120
7,001 – 7,500
200
150
100
100
120
7,501 – 8,000
200
150
125
100
120
8,001 – 9,000
200
225
125
105
135
9,001 – 10,000
200
225
125
105
135
10,001 – 12,500
200
225
125
115
145
Leveraging LATAM
LANPASS is often the cheapest distance-based award program, but they use different cut-offs for the different mileage tiers, so it can be tricky to understand the exact mileage ranges where they are cheaper than the other options.
This following table shows one-way award costs based on mileage flown.
Economy
Business
First
1 – 350
3.75
7.5
9.25
351 - 500
5.0
10.0
12.5
501 - 650
5.5
11.25
13.75
651 - 850
6.25
12.5
15.5
851 - 950
7.5
15.0
18.75
951 – 1,200
8.75
17.50
21.75
1,201 – 1,300
10.5
18.75
23.0
1,301 – 3,150
16.75
33.75
41.75
3,151 – 6,300
21.75
62.5
78.0
6,301 - 9,400
43.75
87.5
109.25
9,401+
62.6
125
156.25
For economy class fares:
LATAM is the cheapest option for flights of less than 350 miles.
For flights originating or ending in the US, LATAM is the cheapest option for flights less than 851 miles, because British Airways requires a minimum of 7,500 miles for these flights. Both programs require the same number of miles for flights between 851 and 950 miles.
LATAM is the cheapest option for flights between 3,001 and 3,150 miles.
LATAM is the cheapest option for flights between 5,001 and 6,300 miles (rather than JAL).
For flights less than 3,151 miles, LATAM is always cheaper than all options other than British Airways, so is the better option when it can save fuel surcharges.
For business class fares:
LATAM is the cheapest option for flights of less than 350 miles.
For flights originating or ending in the US, LATAM is the cheapest option for flights of less than 851 miles, because British Airways requires a minimum of 15,000 miles for these flights. Both programs require the same number of miles between 851 and 950 miles.
LATAM is the the cheapest option for flights between 1,201 and 1,300 miles.
After that, LATAM flights are significantly more expensive than several of the other options.
For first class fares: LATAM is much cheaper than the other options for one way flights og up to 1,300 miles, flights between 2,750 an 3,150 miles, and fights between 5,000 and 6,250 miles. Likewise, they are much cheaper than the other options for round trip flights of up to 1,300 miles each way.
