Hope you're feeling better and will be out of it by CNY
Ugghh CX is terribly mean on Japan these days. Three of us were watching 23/12/18 HKG-NGO/KIX-TYO availability on 28/12/17 (we also trade iPhones). 08:00:01 comes around and we all explode into a a bunch of expletives - CX has released exactly 0 seats direct (some via TPE, Business for 50,000)
That kind of ticket I'd value at HK$3,000
So you're realising HK$0.06/AM
You earn:
$5/AM generally
$4/AM on food/overseas
$3/AM on supermarket/dept store/telecom/online/paywave
So that translates roughly to:
1.2%
1.5%
2%
JAL isn't much better on holidays in my experience
ANA releases afternoon Japan-bound flights/morning flights from Japan - obviously second pickings.
But they do release at least two seats in Economy for 23,000 miles for Christmas. $3,000/23,000 = $0.13/ANA mile
But ANA can only be earned in HK for $8/mile
1.6% - but to its credit this is for everything
I just done some 2017 updates for the other list I maintain
http://forum.hongkongcard.com/forumSE/show/4979?page=27 - what if you don't want miles. The comparative rates for obtaining cash rebate or supermarket coupon directly are:
1%
2.4%
2%
I don't see an obvious case for your accumulation of miles over cash rebate. Perhaps you value redemption tickets more favourably than me.