Editor’s Note: TPG founder Brian Kelly is a built advisor and investor.
There are many foreign airlines with loyalty programs that offer great value. Japan Airlines Mileage Bank is one such program, but is often overlooked because it is not a transfer partner of American Express, Capital 1 mile, Track the ultimate reward or Thank you city Reward.
however, Bilt has been added recently Mileage Bank has become much easier to earn miles to redeem with Japan Airlines and its partner airlines as the latest 1:1 transfer partner.
Here are some reasons why you should pay attention to your mileage bank:
Related: New First Class, Business Class, remaining: Flying Japan Airlines A350-1000 with all four cabins
How to earn Japan Airlines Mileage Bank Miles
There are many ways to earn Japan Airlines miles, both in flight and spending.
Fly and earn mileage bank mileage
Japan Airlines is a member of the One World Alliance, including members of American Airlines, Alaska Airlines, Qantas, British Airways and others. The airline is also affiliated with other non-aligned airlines, including Air France, Emirates, Korean Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines.
You can earn miles by crediting revenues to your mileage bank accounts from Japan Airlines, OneWorld and other partner flights. Please check Partner Revenue Site Look at your airline and fare classes to see how many miles you earn. For example, most economy fares American Airlines Earn 30% to 50% of the plane.
If you’re flying at a cheap fare and don’t keep it Status with Americanscredit to Japan Airlines (even if the return rate drops) still makes sense.
Daily Newsletter
Reward your inbox with TPG Daily Newsletter
Join over 700,000 readers for breaking news from TPG experts, detailed guides and exclusive deals
Earn mileage bank miles with credit card
Bilt’s reward Members can transfer their build points to Japan Airlines’ mileage banks at a 1:1 ratio. Bilt expects most transfers to Japan Airlines will be completed within 10 minutes.
Japan Airlines’ Mileage Banks typically require that you have an account that is at least 60 days old to redeem your miles. However, BILT members may redeem miles within 7 days of transfer if their Japan Airlines Mileage Bank account is not 60 days old.
You can do it too Transfer Marriott Points To the Driving Bank at a 3:1 ratio. (Get 5,000 additional miles points for every 60,000 you transfer.) Marriott Point Pretty easy – your next credit card will earn you bonus points on your Marriott purchases, many of which will feature additional perks such as Elite Status and the annual Free Night Awards.
Marriott Bonvoy Bounty Full Card information is collected independently by Point Guy. The card details on this page are not reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
Earn mileage bank miles with shopping and other travel activities
You can also earn Japan Airlines miles through countless business partners (but not limited to):
- Book your IHG, Hyatt, Marriott, Melia and other hotels via the Mileage Bank Platform
- Book a car rental through Avis, Budget, Dollar, Hertz and more
- Tokyo Monorail Route
- Select a parking lot
- Onsen Ryokan
- Japan Airlines Airport Baggage Delivery Service
- Use WAON e-money as payments at Aeon, Family Mart, and other WAON member stores
I have a mileage bank Online Shopping Portalthis is just for redemption of miles, not earning them.
Related: The best time to visit Japan
Earn mileage bank mileage by pooling
Japan Airlines Family Club It allows you to pool miles for families of up to 8 people. These must all be close relatives and parents and in-laws. Family Club membership is valid for five years and must be renewed for the next five years.
How to redeem Japan Airlines Mileage Bank Mileage
Mileage Bank uses several different award charts depending on whether you have travel or not Japan Airlines onlya Single OneWorld or other partner airlinesor Multiple OneWorld Airlines.
Japan Airlines operates flights from the following US gateways to Tokyo:
- Boston Logan International Airport (BOS)
- O’Hare International Airport (ORD)
- Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW)
- Los Angeles International Airport (LAX)
- Daniel K. Inouye International Airport (HNL)
- Ellison Onitsuka Kona International Airport (KOA)
- John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK)
- San Diego International Airport (SAN)
- San Francisco International Airport (SFO)
- Seattle Tacoma International Airport (sea)
Below are some of the best ways to redeem your Japan Airlines miles.
- Flying to Japan for 25,000 miles in the economy, 32,500 miles in the premium economy and 50,000 miles in the business class, with reasonable fees, taxes and additional charges charged by the carrier, with no peak or off-peak prices
- Fly Japan Airlines’ amazing new A350 first class suite comes from the US, 70,000 miles in the low season, 85,000 miles in the regular season and 100,000 miles in the high season, 70,000 miles in one-way Check the seasonal dates here))
- Book a rap toddler with just 10% of the miles required by an adult on the same flight
- Please book domestic flights within Japan Starting from just 4,000 miles
- BookAmerican Airlines Domestic Economy Class Flights with only 12,000 miles long
- Book American Airlines or British Airways flights from the Northeast of the US to the UK for 23,000 miles in economy class, 30,000 miles in premium economy and 42,000 miles in business class
- Flyemirates’ business class from JFK to Dubai International Airport (DXB) is 80,000 miles each way.
- Book flights ranging from 6,001 to 8,000 miles long with one One World carrier like Cathay Pacific for 80,000 miles. It covers most of the US West Coast at Hong Kong International Airport (HKG)
You can also exchange miles for non-travel products like online shopping, but you don’t usually get a lot of value from miles this way.
Related: Cathay Pacific announces its fashionable new “Aria Suite” business class seating
For bookings made after June 10, 2025, the Mileage Bank Award Fee will increase if you fly Japan Airlines to Japan as follows:
- 27,000 miles in the economy
- 40,000 miles in Premium Economy
- 55,000 miles in business class
- 110,000/125,000/140,000 miles in first class (depending on low, normal, or high season dates)
There will be no change in partner repayment rates on this day.
Mileage Bank does not allow top-notch awards at Air France, Emirates, Korean Airlines or Malaysia Airlines.
It is worth noting that Mileage Bank has one of the most generous stopover policies of the airline’s loyalty program. One One World Airline Redemption allows for 3 stopovers with one One World Airline Redemption or other partner airline redemption, seven incredible stopovers.
Most mileage bank redemptions can be booked online.
Related: First look at Japan Airlines’ new premium economy for the Airbus A350-1000
Conclusion
If you are willing to sit down and award charts of various promotions, routing rules, and mileage bank programs, you can go quite far for a very few miles. The long-distance-based awards chart for partners has several ripe zones to help you create a generous awards chart and a itinerary that maximizes your suspension rules.
Now that Bilt Points can now be relocated to a mileage bank, this program is worth considering, especially if you are hoping to travel to Japan or later.
