Business class award fares to Bangkok from New York clustered at 102,500 to 115,000 points one way (8 of 10 finds) in PointsGPT's recorded finds, September and October 2026. From Los Angeles they spread wider, from 85,000 to 360,000 points (7 finds). In economy, the two recorded finds from Los Angeles were 35,000 and 37,500 points. These are recorded finds for one traveler, one way, as of 20 October 2026. They were available when someone searched and may not be by the time you do. Award availability changes frequently.
What the recorded finds show
A recorded find is the cheapest award fare a PointsGPT search returned in the cabin and on the dates the person asked for. The figures below are airline miles, one way, for one traveler, to either of Bangkok's airports, Suvarnabhumi or Don Mueang. When your card points transfer at 1:1, the miles and the card points are the same number.
From New York (JFK, Newark and LaGuardia):
- Business (10 finds, from 10 different people): half were at or below 103,750 points, five were exactly 102,500, and the highest was 174,000.
- Premium economy: two recorded finds, at 130,800 and 143,500 points.
- Economy: one recorded find, at 17,500 points.
From Los Angeles (LAX and the nearby airports):
- Business (7 finds): 85,000, 102,500, 110,000, 174,000, 193,000, 193,000 and 360,000 points.
- Economy: two recorded finds, at 35,000 and 37,500 points.
From every departure city we recorded, including San Francisco, Miami and Seattle:
- Business (38 finds): half were at or below 115,000 points and a quarter at or below 102,500.
- Economy (13 finds): half were at or below 37,500 points and a quarter at or below 28,200.
Of the Bangkok searches that reached our award data, 81% found at least one award fare in the cabin asked for (55 of 68). The samples are small, so read them as a range. Premium economy was not a bargain in what we recorded: both New York finds cost more than most business finds.
Which programs priced these fares
Each search shows a board of fares, and we recorded the airline program behind each one. Across the Bangkok business boards, Flying Blue, Air Canada Aeroplan, United MileagePlus and Emirates Skywards appeared most often. Flying Blue was most often the fare shown first. When we could trace a search's cheapest business find to a program, it was most often Skywards, and nearly every one of those finds included a connection.
These are the card points that reach each program, from the transfer grid PointsGPT uses:
- Flying Blue: Amex Membership Rewards, Bilt Points, Capital One miles, Chase Ultimate Rewards and Citi ThankYou Points, all at 1:1.
- Aeroplan: Amex, Bilt, Capital One and Chase at 1:1.
- United MileagePlus: Bilt and Chase at 1:1.
- Emirates Skywards: Bilt at 1:1, Amex and Citi at 5 points to 4 miles, and Capital One at 4 to 3.
- Etihad Guest and Qantas, which also priced some finds: Etihad Guest from Bilt, Capital One and Citi; Qantas from Amex, Capital One and Citi, all at 1:1.
The ratio matters on a six-figure fare. As a hypothetical example, a 100,000-mile Skywards fare takes 100,000 Bilt Points but about 125,000 Amex points. Partner lists and ratios change, so check your card's current partner list before you transfer, and remember that a transfer cannot be undone.
The cash part can be bigger than the points suggest
Every award fare carries taxes and fees paid in cash, and some programs add carrier surcharges. On the recorded Bangkok business finds, the cash part ranged from single figures to four figures depending on the program:
- Skywards: a four-figure cash charge on most of its business finds.
- Flying Blue: a high three-figure charge.
- Etihad Guest: a three-figure charge.
- United MileagePlus: a two-figure charge.
- Qantas: single figures.
So the cheapest business fare in points was often not the cheapest in total. Before you transfer, add the cash part to the points price and compare the full cost. The surcharge trap explains why programs differ so much on the same flight.
Plan your search
- Holiday dates: widen your dates. A week either side of your target gives the search more fares to compare.
- Two or more travelers: search for everyone at once. One award fare on a flight does not mean the same price is open for your whole party.
- Connections: most of the fares we recorded connected through a hub on the way, so compare total travel time as well as points.
If you find a fare but it is gone when you try to book, why award availability vanishes explains what happened and what to do next.
Points or cash?
Before you transfer, compare the award fare's full cost, the points plus the cash part, with the cash fare for the same flight. When the cash fare is already low, paying cash can keep your points for a trip where they cover more. Our guide to points versus cash covers the questions to ask.
How to search it in PointsGPT
Type the trip the way you would say it, for example:
Business class from Los Angeles to Bangkok, any day in January, 1 traveler
- Tell PointsGPT which card points you hold, so it can mark the fares those points reach.
- Compare the points and the cash part on each fare, and note the connection.
- Confirm the fare with the airline program before you transfer, because the transfer cannot be reversed.
Our guide to booking a connecting award flight covers what to check when the route has a stop, including the time you need between flights.
Ask PointsGPT what your points can reach