The most effective methods to journey to Japan with factors and miles

After an extended pandemic border closure, Japan opened again up to vacationers final fall.

Japan is my favourite nation, with its well-known cherry blossoms, cutting-edge know-how and top-notch hospitality.

The nation additionally has unbelievable delicacies and a service business that completely embodies the cultural significance positioned on respect and politeness.

All of this to say, I’m unbelievably excited to get again to Japan. Fortunately, there are quite a few loyalty applications to get vacationers there — let’s take a look at a few of the greatest choices.

Virgin Atlantic Flying Membership

I’ll begin with essentially the most aspirational method to get to Japan: All Nippon Airways first and enterprise class. Whereas the price of first-class awards suffered a devaluation in early 2023, it is nonetheless nice worth. Enterprise-class redemptions escaped the devaluation and stay top-of-the-line candy spots within the business.

Though Virgin Atlantic is now a member of the SkyTeam alliance, the airline nonetheless has particular person partnerships with different airways, together with ANA (a member of Star Alliance). The Flying Membership program is quirky however has some extremely precious redemption choices.

Right here is the round-trip award chart for flights on ANA booked by way of Virgin Atlantic Flying Membership:

In lots of circumstances, these costs are decrease than most different carriers cost for a one-way award — 90,000 factors round-trip in one of many world’s greatest business-class merchandise is an absolute steal.

Word that costs are marginally increased for flights from the U.S. East Coast and central states than from the West Coast, however the small distinction should not be sufficient to sway you. You possibly can e-book one-way journeys for half the round-trip ticket price.

Sadly, there are two main downsides to reserving ANA tickets with Virgin Atlantic Flying Membership. One is that ANA is stingy with award availability. The opposite main draw back is that you simply can’t e-book tickets on-line. As a substitute, you should discover award area utilizing a Star Alliance search device. I like to make use of United Airways’ or Air Canada’s web sites, as each present all Star Alliance award availability on-line.

After you have famous award availability, you could name Virgin Atlantic and provides the consultant the precise flights and sophistication of service you need. The agent will lookup and ensure the area. You possibly can then switch factors over to Flying Membership. Most transfers course of immediately, so you do not have to fret about dropping award area.

Fortunately, Virgin Atlantic Flying Membership factors are extremely straightforward to earn. Flying Membership is a switch accomplice of all the key transferable currencies, together with:

Once you switch Marriott factors to Flying Membership in increments of 60,000, you obtain 5,000 bonus miles. In different phrases, 60,000 Marriott factors equal 25,000 Virgin factors.

It is also value noting that we generally see switch bonuses from applications corresponding to Chase and American Specific to Virgin Atlantic Flying Membership.

ANA Mileage Membership

One other nice method to get to Japan on ANA is thru its personal loyalty program: ANA Mileage Membership.

ANA Mileage Membership might not be essentially the most well-known loyalty program, nevertheless it does have some nice makes use of.

Among the best methods to make use of your ANA Mileage Membership miles is for enterprise class. ANA business-class tickets from the U.S. to Asia might be booked for as little as 75,000 miles on low-season dates. That is lower than many airways cost for a one-way business-class ticket from the U.S. to Asia. This system additionally permits for stopovers and open-jaw journeys.

ANA costs its personal tickets based mostly on the area you are flying to and from, in addition to the season through which you are flying. At the moment, the airline has three totally different seasons: low, excessive and common.

As soon as you have chosen your journey season, you could discover the area your flight is departing from and arriving in. You’ll find that by scrolling down the web page.

It’s value noting that you could solely e-book round-trip tickets with ANA Mileage Membership — no one-way awards are allowed. You may as well solely e-book off-peak costs on ANA-operated flights.

The best method to earn ANA Mileage Membership miles is by transferring American Specific Membership Rewards at a 1:1 ratio. You may as well switch Marriott Bonvoy factors to ANA Mileage Membership at a 3:1 switch ratio. You may earn a 5,000-mile bonus for each 60,000 Marriott factors transferred, so 60,000 factors are value 25,000 ANA miles.

Associated: 10 methods to redeem ANA Mileage Membership miles for max worth

Alaska Mileage Plan

The Alaska Airways’ Mileage Plan program is among the most extremely regarded loyalty applications.

This is because of its beneficiant award charts for accomplice airways. Alaska Airways has totally different award charts for its flights and every of its companions which opens up quite a few award redemption alternatives.

In March 2021, Alaska Airways joined the Oneworld alliance. This opened up partnerships with main airways together with American Airways, British Airways, Cathay Pacific and Japan Airways.

Learn extra: Your full information to Alaska Airways companions

Flying firstclass on Japan Airways is extensively thought-about top-of-the-line methods to get to Japan. From the good seats to the improbable onboard delicacies to the unimaginable service and hospitality, Japan Airways’ firstclass is actually a once-in-a-lifetime expertise.

Flying between North America and Japan will price 85,000 Alaska miles from the West Coast and 100,000 miles from the remainder of america for a one-way first-class ticket. Enterprise class redemptions price 60,000 or 80,000 miles relying in your departure level.

Utilizing Alaska’s search characteristic is comparatively easy. There’s an award calendar, and you’ll e-book JAL-operated awards on-line. Availability in premium cabins is not improbable, however if you happen to’re versatile in your departure date or open to last-minute award area, you could possibly discover a good itinerary.

If you could high up your Alaska stability, the Alaska Airways Visa® Enterprise card affords 50,000 bonus miles plus a $100 assertion credit score and Alaska’s Well-known Companion Fare from $122 ($99 fare plus taxes and costs from $23) while you make $3,000 or extra in purchases throughout the first 90 days of opening your account.

Sadly, Alaska Mileage Plan is not a accomplice of any main transferable bank card applications like American Specific Membership Rewards or Chase Final Rewards.

Due to its enormous checklist of airline companions within the Oneworld alliance and non-alliance companions, you’ll be able to earn miles by flying many alternative airways and crediting these accomplice flights to Mileage Plan. Plus, you’ll be able to earn miles while you fly with Alaska Airways.

Additionally, Alaska typically has buy-miles promotions that assist you to fill up on miles at an inexpensive worth. There’s additionally an on-line procuring portal that may enable you to earn miles on on-line procuring.

American AAdvantage

One other Oneworld choice to get to Japan is along with your American Airways AAdvantage miles.

Though this system misplaced some worth over the previous couple of years, you’ll be able to nonetheless get a ton out of this system, particularly as accomplice awards will not be topic to dynamic pricing. One of the simplest ways to get actual worth is thru the airline’s worldwide companions within the Oneworld Alliance.

American publishes award charts for every area. On AA’s accomplice award chart, Asia is split into 4 areas: Asia Area 1, Asia Area 2, the Center East and the Indian Subcontinent. Japan is taken into account to be in Asia Area 1.

This implies you’ll be able to e-book Japan Airways enterprise class for simply 60,000 AAdvantage miles every manner. It prices 20,000 further miles to fly in firstclass. This gives another method to fly on Japan Airways if incomes Alaska miles is simply too tough.

One of many best methods to earn American AAdvantage miles is thru American Airways bank cards. Here is a listing of present affords:

• Citi® / AAdvantage® Govt World Elite Mastercard®: Earn 100,000 miles after you spend $10,000 on purchases within the first three months of account opening. 4 miles per greenback on eligible American Airways purchases. Then, if you happen to spend $150,000 on purchases in a calendar yr, you will earn a boosted fee of 5 miles per greenback spent on American purchases for the rest of the calendar yr. Earn 10 miles per greenback spent on eligible automobile leases and lodges booked by way of American’s automobile rental and lodge reserving websites, respectively. Earn 1 mile per greenback spent on different purchases (see charges and costs).
• Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Choose® World Elite Mastercard®: Earn 50,000 bonus miles after spending $2,500 on purchases within the first three months of account opening. Earn 2 AAdvantage miles per greenback on gasoline station, restaurant and eligible American Airways purchases and 1 mile per greenback on different purchases (see charges and costs).
• CitiBusiness® / AAdvantage® Platinum Choose® Mastercard®: Earn 65,000 American Airways AAdvantage bonus miles after spending $4,000 on purchases throughout the first 4 months of account opening. Earn 2 AAdvantage miles per greenback on eligible American Airways purchases plus telecom retailers, cable and satellite tv for pc suppliers, automobile leases and gasoline stations. Earn 1 mile per greenback on different purchases.
• AAdvantage® Aviator® Pink World Elite Mastercard®: Earn 50,000 bonus miles after making your first buy within the first 90 days and paying the annual charge. Earn 2 AAdvantage miles per greenback on American Airways purchases and 1 mile per greenback on different purchases.

The data for the CitiBusiness AAdvantage Platinum Choose and AAdvantage Aviator Pink playing cards has been collected independently by The Factors Man. The cardboard particulars on this web page haven’t been reviewed or supplied by the cardboard issuers.

As well as, you’ll be able to switch Bilt Rewards factors on to American AAdvantage at a 1:1 ratio. This is usually a nice choice for these with the Bilt Mastercard® (see charges and costs) who’re incomes factors on hire.

You may as well earn AAdvantage miles by flying on American and accomplice airways, making on-line purchases by way of the AAdvantage eShopping portal, and consuming out by way of the AAdvantage Eating program.

Associated: Your final information to American Airways AAdvantage

Singapore KrisFlyer

One remaining choice to get to Japan is through a fifth-freedom flight operated by Singapore Airways. Though this feature is proscribed to Los Angeles Worldwide Airport (LAX), I assumed it will be value mentioning for our West Coast readers.

Singapore Airways is known for its top-notch service, particularly in its premium cabins. Plus, this route is operated on a 777-300ER, which permits the potential for flying Singapore’s first-class product.

The service usually blocks premium-cabin award area from its companions, so you will must e-book by way of Singapore’s KrisFlyer program. You will have 103,500 miles in enterprise class, or 120,500 miles in firstclass on the lowest Saver stage.

Award availability is often scarce. Nonetheless, it’s value noting that KrisFlyer permits you to waitlist for awards if your required flight or class of service is not accessible when reserving.

Fortuitously, these miles are straightforward to earn since KrisFlyer is a accomplice of most main transferable factors currencies, together with Chase Final Rewards, American Specific Membership Rewards, Citi ThankYou Rewards and Capital One. Transfers from all of those applications happen at a 1:1 fee.

For charges and costs of the Bilt Mastercard, click on right here.
For rewards and advantages of the Bilt Mastercard, click on right here.