When it comes to booking award flights to Asia, Star Alliance offers plenty of options. Airlines including ANA, EVA Air, Singapore Airlines, Air China and Thai Airways provide extensive service throughout the region, including some very appealing premium cabin options.
The challenge is that no single frequent flyer program is best for every trip. Some programs offer lower award rates, some are easier to use with transferable points, and others provide better access to seats on their own flights.
So rather than ranking them, here are several Star Alliance programs worth checking when looking for award flights to Asia.
Why Star Alliance For Asia?
Star Alliance has a particularly strong presence in Asia. ANA serves Japan, EVA Air connects travelers through Taipei, Singapore Airlines provides access throughout Southeast Asia and beyond, while carriers including Air China and Thai Airways add even more possibilities.
For travelers using points and miles, another advantage is that several Star Alliance frequent flyer programs partner with major transferable points currencies. That means you may have multiple ways to book the same flight, depending on which program offers the best combination of mileage cost, taxes, fees and availability.
Here are some of the programs worth checking before transferring your points.
Air Canada Aeroplan
Why it may be useful:
- No carrier-imposed fuel surcharges on partner awards
- Easy to earn points through several major transferable points programs
- Stopovers on international awards are available for an additional 5,000 points
- One-way awards make it easy to combine Aeroplan with another program for the return trip
Aeroplan has long been one of the easiest Star Alliance programs to use for trips to Asia. Points can be transferred from American Express Membership Rewards, Chase Ultimate Rewards, Capital One Miles and Bilt Rewards, making it accessible to many travelers.
The ability to add a stopover for 5,000 additional points can also be especially valuable if you want to visit more than one destination on the same trip. For example, it may be possible to stop in one Asian city before continuing onward to another destination without having to book two completely separate awards.
However, Aeroplan is not necessarily the bargain it once was. Effective June 1, 2026, Air Canada is increasing the number of Aeroplan points required for many awards between North America and the Pacific region. For example, a partner business class award covering 7,501 to 11,000 miles increases from 87,500 points to 102,500 points each way.
Aeroplan also charges a partner booking fee on awards involving partner airlines. Even with those drawbacks, it remains one of the most flexible options for travelers who value easy-to-earn points, one-way bookings and stopovers.
ANA Mileage Club
Why it may be useful:
- Potentially excellent award rates, particularly for ANA-operated flights to Japan
- One-way awards are now available
- Transfer partner of American Express Membership Rewards
ANA Mileage Club used to come with a major restriction: award flights generally had to be booked as round trips. That changed in June 2025, when ANA began allowing one-way awards on both ANA-operated flights and Star Alliance partner flights.
That makes ANA much easier to consider, especially when booking flights to Japan. On ANA-operated flights between North America and Japan, one-way business class awards can cost as little as 50,000 miles during low season, although pricing is higher during regular and high-season travel dates.
The downside: ANA miles are not as easy to earn as Aeroplan points, since American Express is the main U.S. transferable points option. Transfers are also not instant, which creates the risk that an award seat could disappear before the miles arrive. Depending on the award, ANA may also add carrier-imposed surcharges, which can significantly affect the value of a redemption.
Avianca LifeMiles
Why it may be useful:
- Access to Star Alliance award flights without carrier-imposed fuel surcharges
- One-way awards are available
- Points can be transferred from several major transferable points programs
- Frequent opportunities to buy miles or transfer points during promotional bonuses
LifeMiles has long been a useful option for booking Star Alliance awards because it generally avoids the high surcharges that can make otherwise attractive premium cabin awards much less appealing.
That can be especially helpful when booking flights on airlines where another program might charge hundreds of dollars in additional fees. LifeMiles also periodically sells miles or offers transfer bonuses, which can reduce the effective cost of an award if the seats you want are available.
The downside: LifeMiles is not a program where I would transfer points speculatively. Award pricing has become less predictable, online Star Alliance award tickets include a redemption fee, and dealing with a cancellation, schedule change or ticketing issue can be more frustrating than with some other programs.
For a simple booking where the itinerary is available and the savings are significant, LifeMiles can still make sense. For a complicated trip or one where plans may change, I would be more cautious.
Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer
Why it may be useful:
- Often provides better access to Singapore Airlines award seats than partner programs
- Easy to earn miles through several transferable points programs
- Useful when Singapore Airlines is the airline you specifically want to fly
KrisFlyer is usually most interesting when you want to book Singapore Airlines flights, particularly in premium cabins. While some Singapore Airlines awards can be booked through Star Alliance partners, KrisFlyer members generally have access to more Singapore-operated award availability.
Singapore Airlines updated many award rates effective November 1, 2025. It also introduced Access Redemption, which allows members to use miles for available Singapore Airlines seats even when regular Saver or Advantage award availability is not available.
That may sound helpful, and it can be if you absolutely need a particular flight. However, Access Redemption pricing varies with demand and may require far more miles than a standard award.
The downside: KrisFlyer miles generally expire after three years, whether or not there has been recent activity in your account. That makes KrisFlyer a program where it is usually better to transfer points only when you are ready to book.
EVA Air Infinity MileageLands
Why it may be useful:
- Useful for travelers specifically looking to book EVA Air flights through Taipei
- EVA Air offers extensive service between North America and Asia
- Transfer option for travelers with Citi ThankYou Points
EVA Air may not be as convenient for everyone because it does not have the same broad group of transfer partners as Aeroplan or KrisFlyer. However, for travelers with Citi ThankYou Points who want to fly EVA Air, Infinity MileageLands is worth checking.
EVA has a strong route network between North America and Taipei, with connections onward throughout Asia. Since airlines do not always release the same award availability to partners that they make available through their own programs, it can make sense to look at Infinity MileageLands before assuming EVA seats are unavailable.
What About United MileagePlus?
United MileagePlus has historically been my default program for many Star Alliance redemptions. It is familiar, easy to search and simple to use, especially if you already have United miles or Chase Ultimate Rewards points.
But easy does not necessarily mean the best value. United no longer has a published award chart, and its award pricing to Asia is often higher than what may be available through foreign Star Alliance programs. That does not mean United should be ignored, particularly if you find availability at a price you are comfortable with. It just means it should not automatically be the only program you check.
Final Thought
There is no single Star Alliance loyalty program that will always be the best choice for award flights to Asia. Aeroplan may be the easiest all-around option, especially if you want a stopover. ANA can offer excellent value for flights to Japan and is now much more useful because one-way awards are allowed. LifeMiles can help avoid surcharges, while KrisFlyer is often the program to check when Singapore Airlines is the goal. EVA Air is also worth considering for travelers with Citi ThankYou Points.
The important lesson is not to assume that the frequent flyer program connected to the airline you usually fly is automatically the best place to book. Before transferring points, compare the mileage cost, taxes and fees and availability and cancellation rules across several programs. The difference can be substantial.
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