Cathay Pacific loyalty overhaul sparks backlash as new Diamond Exec tier arrives in 2027

What changed and why flyers are reacting

Cathay Pacific is reshaping its Cathay membership program, with a transition during 2026 and full rollout on 1 January 2027. The airline is ending status point resets after upgrades, aligning every member to a calendar year cycle, allowing rollover of excess status points for Gold and above, and introducing a new elite tier called Diamond Exec. The announcement has drawn strong reactions. Many travelers praised the clarity of a single calendar cycle and the end of point resets, while others criticized the removal of some mid status benefits and the perception that the program now favors very frequent travelers.

In the announcement, the airline framed the changes as a member-first upgrade. Vivian Lo, Cathay director of customer lifestyle, described the overhaul as an effort to make progress easier and more flexible for members.

Cathay is evolving the Cathay membership programme with our current and future members in mind, offering them a smoother, simpler and better membership experience. By simplifying the path to higher status and providing greater flexibility for members in new ways, members can look forward to progressing with greater ease and enjoying a more rewarding journey that truly elevates their lives.

The result is a program that simplifies how status is earned and maintained, while trimming some of the milestone rewards that used to sit between tiers. That trade-off sits at the heart of the mixed response from loyal flyers.

What is new in brief

From 2027, status points will not reset to zero when you move up a tier. Everyone’s membership year will run from 1 January to 31 December. Gold members and above can roll over up to 50 percent of the points required to renew their tier into the following year. A new Diamond Exec tier will sit above Diamond, offering a dedicated relationship manager, four single sector upgrade passes, and added recognition. Mid status benefits for Gold and Diamond will be discontinued, while key perks like upgrade passes and a complimentary Gold companion membership move into the standard benefits of higher tiers.

How the new status structure works

The revised ladder sets clear annual targets. Silver requires 300 status points, Gold 600, Diamond 1,200, and the new Diamond Exec 2,400 within a single calendar year. Diamond Plus remains invitation only. The new Diamond Exec tier is positioned between Diamond and Diamond Plus and is designed for very frequent travelers who want more hands-on support and recognition.

Diamond Exec benefits include a dedicated relationship manager, four single sector upgrade passes, the ability to gift Gold status to a companion, and enhanced service touchpoints such as priority access and premium lounge access. Oneworld mapping remains intact, with Gold aligned to Oneworld Sapphire and Diamond and Diamond Exec aligned to Oneworld Emerald for alliance perks like first class or business class lounge access, priority check-in, and extra baggage on partner airlines, subject to each carrier’s rules.

For many members, those structural changes will matter as much as the headline perks. The program is staying status point based rather than shifting to a pure spend model, which may appeal to international travelers who rely more on flight activity than on cobranded credit card spending.

No more status point resets

Under the current system, when a member qualifies for a higher tier, their status points reset to zero. That can feel punishing if you overshoot a threshold late in the year and then lose the surplus. The 2027 design ends that reset. Points continue to accumulate in the same year even after you move up a tier, which allows multiple upgrades within a single calendar year.

Consider a traveler who earns 650 points by May. In the new model, they reach Gold at 600 and still have 50 points counting toward Diamond in the same year, rather than starting over. If that traveler pushes on to 1,200 points later in the year, they would reach Diamond without wasting progress. Members who qualify mid year enjoy the higher tier from the next day through to the end of the following year.

Calendar year cycle and rollover explained

From 2027, everyone’s membership year runs from 1 January to 31 December. The status points you earn in that period determine your status for the next year. When you cross a tier threshold, you receive that status immediately and keep it through 31 December of the following year. This makes planning easier, especially for those who cluster travel into particular months.

Gold members and above can roll over excess status points into the next year, up to half of the renewal requirement for their current tier. The caps are 300 for Gold, 600 for Diamond, and 1,200 for Diamond Exec. For example, a Gold member who finishes 2027 with 900 points would roll 300 into 2028, giving a head start on renewal. Rollover credits are scheduled after the year closes, with program timelines based on Hong Kong time.

Rollover helps smooth uneven travel patterns between years. It reduces the end of year scramble that frequent flyers often face and rewards those who overshoot their targets by giving them a meaningful cushion for the next cycle.

Timeline and the 2026 transition

The new rules take effect on 1 January 2027, with a one year transition beginning on 1 January 2026. Your current 2025 status and benefits continue until their normal expiry. From 2026, renewed or changed status will be valid until 31 December 2026, aligning everyone to the new calendar cycle. Status for 2027 will be based on status points earned during 2026 under the revised rules.

Members who have held Diamond status for at least five cumulative years will be able to bank a complimentary year of Diamond for every 6,000 status points earned since 2016. There is no limit to the number of reserve years you can collect, and you can activate one in a year when travel slows. This is designed to give long term loyalists more control over when they enjoy top tier perks.

During the transition, Cathay states that the shift will be seamless on the back end, but members should still review their activity postings and partner accruals to ensure the right number of points are credited under the new rules.

What improves for members

Simplification is the clearest win. A calendar year makes status planning straightforward, especially for those who prefer to book trips around holidays. Ending point resets removes the penalty for earning a tier mid year, which historically caused many members to delay travel or hold back on booking to avoid waste.

Rollover cushions members who overshoot the threshold, reducing risk that a strong year is followed by an expensive renewal crunch. For frequent travelers, Diamond Exec creates a new recognition layer with service touches, personalized help, and more upgrade opportunities via single sector upgrade passes. Long term Diamond members gain flexibility by banking reserve years that can be deployed during sabbaticals or life events.

What is being removed or reduced

The biggest giveback is the removal of mid status benefits for Gold and Diamond from 1 January 2027. Those milestone rewards, which previously dropped at certain point thresholds within a tier, will no longer be offered. Cathay says upgrade passes and a complimentary Gold companion membership will be provided as part of standard status benefits rather than as mid status milestones. Diamond Exec’s four single sector upgrade passes sit at the top of that structure.

For some travelers, losing those mid tier milestone boosts lowers the feeling of progress after they secure renewal. Members who typically stop flying once they clear their annual target may feel less incentive to continue flying the airline or its partners after requalification.

Why some loyal flyers are upset

The backlash centers on two perceptions. First, removing mid status benefits takes away small but meaningful rewards that used to break up the journey between tiers. Second, the introduction of Diamond Exec appears to increase stratification at the top, with the most valuable new perks concentrated among very frequent travelers. Several frequent flyers have said they plan to shift some trips to other alliances after hitting their renewal threshold, because they no longer see incremental rewards between renewal and the next tier.

At the same time, many members welcome the shift to a simple calendar year and the end of resets, saying the new structure removes confusion and reduces wasted progress. The early reaction shows a split between road warriors who appreciate deeper top tier recognition and those who valued the previous milestone perks during the climb.

Cathay is betting that clarity, rollover, and the ability to bank Diamond reserve years will drive loyalty over the full cycle, even if some interim goodies disappear. The next two years will reveal how members adapt their travel to the new rules.

How Cathay compares to other airlines

Across the industry, many big carriers have tightened loyalty rules, raised elite thresholds, and leaned harder into revenue based qualification. Several have adopted dynamic pricing for award tickets and cut back on lounge guesting. Against that backdrop, Cathay’s choice to keep status point qualification and introduce rollover stands out. It avoids a straight shift to spend based status, which can be difficult in markets where cobranded card earn is less prevalent.

The trade is familiar. Simplification and top tier recognition rise, while some intermediate perks fade. For travelers who spread flying across airlines or who only occasionally cross a threshold, the loss of mid status milestones will sting. For frequent long haul flyers with concentrated travel, the new system is likely more rewarding because it preserves surplus progress within the year and carries some of it into the next.

Strategies to get the most from the new rules

Plan your year with the calendar cycle in mind. Earning a new tier early in the year gives the longest runway, because you keep that status through the end of the following year. If you are near a threshold as December approaches, consider whether pushing past it will help with rollover. A Gold member who reaches 900 points by year end would start the next year with 300 already banked.

Time upgrade pass use carefully. Single sector upgrade passes typically yield the most value on long flights or on routes where premium cabins often sell out. If you earn Diamond Exec, think about gifting Gold to a companion who travels frequently with you, since that stabilizes your airport experience together. If you are a long term Diamond, bank reserve years during strong periods and activate one in a year when travel drops so you do not lose lounge access and priority benefits.

Finally, review partner earn charts and booking classes before purchase, since status points vary by fare and cabin. The program will still reward meaningful flight activity, but smart planning can stretch those points further across the new calendar cycle.

Key Points

• Changes take effect on 1 January 2027, with a one year transition beginning on 1 January 2026
• New Diamond Exec tier at 2,400 points adds a relationship manager and four single sector upgrade passes, while Diamond Plus remains invitation only
• Status points will no longer reset to zero after you upgrade, which allows multiple tier jumps in the same year
• All members move to a 1 January to 31 December membership year
• Rollover of excess status points up to 50 percent for Gold and above, capped at 300 for Gold, 600 for Diamond, and 1,200 for Diamond Exec
• Long term Diamond members earn one reserve year of Diamond for every 6,000 status points since 2016, with no cap and flexible activation
• Mid status milestone benefits for Gold and Diamond will be discontinued from 2027, with upgrade passes and a Gold companion membership shifting into core status benefits
• Customer reaction is mixed, with praise for simplification and rollover, and criticism of lost milestones and a perceived focus on very frequent travelers