Wells Fargo Just Added Cathay Pacific Transfers — While Amex Made Asia Miles Worse

Just two weeks after adding its last transfer partner Wells Fargo has added Cathay Pacific Asia Miles as a 1:1 transfer partner. This comes right after American Express devalued transfers to Cathay Pacific by 20%. (And, notably, American Express has yet to run a single transfer bonus to any partner this year.)

Wells Fargo Autograph Journey is becoming quite a bit more valuable, and has a great role as a travel card now that Sapphire no longer bonuses ‘all/other travel’ like Airbnb and cruises purchased outside Chase Travel.

• Intro bonus: 60,000 bonus points after $4,000 spend within 3 months
  
• Earning: 5x on hotels; 4x on airlines; 3x on other travel; 3x on dining; 1x other purchases
  
• Statement credit: $50 annual statement credit for airfare purchase
  
• Other benefits: No foreign transaction fees; trip cancellation; lost luggage; cell phone protection
  
• Annual fee: $95

This makes Wells Fargo transfer partners:

• Star Alliance: Avianca LifeMiles
  
• oneworld: British Airways Executive Club, Iberia Plus, Cathay Pacific Asia Miles
  
• SkyTeam: Air France KLM Flying Blue, Virgin Atlantic Flying Club
  
• Non-alliance: Aer Lingus Aer Club, JetBlue TrueBlue
  
• Hotel: Choice Privileges, Wyndham Rewards

Transfer partners still aren’t great. I’d like to see at least Air Canada Aeroplan added.

And Cathay Pacific is only moderately useful – you’ll pay lower fuel surcharges on many redemptions, but partner redemptions are pricey. So are redemptions on Cathay Pacific. However, they make far more premium cabin award space to members of the Asia Miles program than to partners, so this can be useful opening up greater availability.