By hour 11, 12, or 13 of your long-haul flight to Asia, your legs and back are practically begging for a lie-flat seat, but most travelers don't have $5,000-plus to spend on seats like that.
That's why we spend hours every day searching for ways to use your points and miles instead. We run thousands of daily searches to make sure that when business class seats bookable with points and miles become available or go on sale, we notify our Thrifty Traveler Premium subscribers right away.
And while we've found seven different business class flight deals flying lie-flat to Asia in 2026 from the U.S. in the past 30 days (and you know we're cooking up some more, too!), it can be hard to know where to look for your next trip over the Pacific.
Sure, you want to fly Japan Airlines business class, ANA business class, or Vietnam Airlines business class to fly directly into Tokyo or Ho Chi Minh City for your trip to Japan or Vietnam. And we do find deals on those coveted routes a few times each year …
But if you can't luck into that availability, there are some more surefire routes and airlines to search for – no matter what your destination is. Let me explain.
Think Bigger: Fly Somewhere Other Than Your Final Destination
Here's the number one tip I can offer travelers looking to fly lie-flat to Bali, Phuket, Bangkok, Hong Kong, Singapore, Vietnam, Tokyo, or beyond: Don't limit your flight searches to your final destination – cast a bigger net in Asia.
The business class award availability to those most coveted destinations can be tough to find. But the most important thing is to get a lie-flat seat on the longest flight (the one from the U.S. to Asia), right?
Therefore, you should search for business class award availability on routes to all Asian cities … especially those where deals are more frequent.
The best example of this is Taipei (TPE), home to a glut of flights offering business class from the U.S. In the next section, I'll show you the seats and routes you should search, but first, let me explain why.
This is a map from Google Flights Explore search from Taipei to the rest of Asia for one-way flights. As you can see, you can fly almost anywhere in Asia (including Phuket and Bali) nonstop from TPE … and for some seriously cheap rates, too.
This allows you to book the comfy flight all the way to TPE, and then take the one to three-hour connecting flight in economy to save big … and still ensure your comfort when it matters most.
And even if you want to fly business class from TPE, the prices on those flights aren't terrible, either! Here's the same search for business class flights.
The bottom line: Find the business class availability to Asia (all of Asia) first, and then book your connecting flight to Bali, Ho Chi Minh, Cebu, Hanoi, or beyond!
Best Bet Overall: Taipei
You see how easy it is to fly from Taipei to the rest of Asia, but let's look at why it's so easy to fly to Taipei in business class using points and miles.
According to aviation analytics data from Cirium, there will be 26% more business class seats flying from the U.S. and Canada to Taipei this December than there were in 2019. It's a massive uptick, which can only mean more opportunities for award space.
This year, you can fly business class to Taipei in the following ways:
China Airlines: From New York (JFK), Los Angeles (LAX), Ontario (ONT), Phoenix (PHX), Seattle (SEA), San Francisco (SFO), Vancouver (YVR)
Delta Air Lines: From Seattle (SEA)
EVA Air: From Dallas (DFW), Houston (IAH), New York (JFK), Los Angeles (LAX), Chicago (ORD), Seattle (SEA), San Francisco (SFO), Vancouver (YVR), and Toronto (YYZ)
United Airlines: From San Francisco (SFO)
Starlux Airlines: From Los Angeles (LAX), Ontario (ONT), Seattle (SEA), San Francisco (SFO), and Phoenix (PHX), which starts Jan. 15.
Ultimately, that's a crazy amount of competition for a destination like Taipei! Especially from airports like Seattle (SEA), which serves TPE on four different airlines, Taipei should be your first search for business class flights to Asia each and every time.
And if I had my choice, I'd start by looking at Starlux.
Starlux Business Class looks incredible. And considering you can use your Alaska miles to book, I'm really excited to someday enjoy this product across the Pacific for just 75,000 Alaska miles each way.
But competition is king, and China Airlines also wants to be the one to take you to Taipei … and by the looks of their setup, you should probably let them!
Best of all, you can book these China Airlines flights with Air France/KLM Flying Blue miles – one of my favorite currencies! You can transfer your points to Flying Blue from American Express, Bilt Rewards, Capital One, Chase, Citi, or Wells Fargo.
And with frequent transfer bonuses, you can stretch as few as 52,000 points each way into the 62,000-73,000 miles you'll need to book these seats.
Part of the reason competition to Taipei is so fierce is because Delta Air Lines entered the fold a few years ago, flying nonstop from Seattle (SEA).
When Delta flies it, it's always ripe for a Delta SkyMiles flash sale, and no destination has been a more frequent target of these flash sales than Taipei.
With all that capacity, it's smart you start your business class flight search with Taipei, even if it's not your final destination.
Seoul, South Korea
Tapei is a clear leader in this category, but if you have Delta SkyMiles, it might be worth checking out Seoul (ICN), too.
For instance, last time we found a Taipei SkyMiles flash sale in Delta One, we also found that the Seoul nonstop flights were all on sale, too!
However, it doesn't have to be Delta, as its partner, Korean Air, also flies to Seoul, as do United and the lesser-known Asiana.
If Taipei doesn't give you the results you need, make sure to give South Korea a look, too.
Japan (But Not the Usual Suspects)
Japan is Asia's most desirable destination for North American travelers, and the airlines battle each other for your business. But the business class competition to Tokyo is cutthroat thanks to tons of genuine business travelers, so it can be hard to find ways to use your points and miles on these routes.
In the last year, it's been slightly easier, but not flying the airlines you're probably thinking of: Japan Airlines and ANA.
We love both airlines, and for good reason. But lately, their foreign competitors have been offering the best business class award availability to Tokyo. Delta, for example, ran such a good flash sale to Tokyo that we dubbed it a “Unicorn Fare” for our members.
This Delta sale touched nearly every Delta city in the U.S., too – which is really where Delta shines in its sales. While other airlines offer availability between two major cities, you can fly from Aberdeen, South Dakota (ABR) to Tokyo with one quick stop on Delta First Class and Delta One for 130,000 points each way in some cases!
Another example of the foreign airlines taking over Tokyo award space: Singapore Airlines.
Wait, what? Why does Singapore operate a nonstop flight from Los Angeles (LAX) to Tokyo-Narita (NRT)? Well, it's called a fifth-freedom route and we're all better off for it!
A newcomer to the Tokyo flight scene is Alaska/Hawaiian Airlines, offering its brand-new 787 business class suites.
When these seats become available, you can book them for just 95,000 Alaska miles each way, too!
And finally, I will show you some Japan Airlines Business Class award space … but it's not what you think.
This flight from Los Angeles (LAX) to Osaka (KIX) has been ripe for award space this year! While most flyers target Tokyo, getting on this nonstop to Osaka might be your ticket to a lie-flat ride to Japan still this year or next!
Cathay Pacific Through Hong Kong
One of the most reliable business class award bookings was a flight I took late last year: Cathay Pacific Business Class.
If you book way out ahead of time – like 10 months out – it's not impossible to find Cathay award space. The easiest way to book these flights is using Cathay's Asia Miles program – which can charge higher rates at close to 140,000 points each way in some cases, but the availability is good.
And Cathay's vast network throughout Asia-Pacific means you can get a one-stop flight to your final destination rather easily, too.
Qatar Airways QSuites
If you think flying Qatar Airways to Asia – through Doha (DOH) – is the wrong way around the world … you're right about that. But with how luxurious Qatar's business class experience is, it's probably worth it.
You can fly Qatar to destinations like Bangkok (BKK) and Hong Kong (HKG) with a stop in Doha … and I think you should!
The availability booking Qatar can only be found right at the end of the schedule – meaning a full 11 months from now. So you have to be on the ball to make this work for you next year.
Bottom Line
Booking a lie-flat seat across the Pacific is far from a slam dunk – but it can be done. It all depends on where you look.
Our top tip: Focus on finding availability to certain hot spots – especially Taipei – to secure yourself a comfy ride on the long flights across the Pacific.
