Japan Airlines (JAL): Everything You Need To Know To Find and Book Award Flights To Japan

[@Jonathan-qz8pk]

easily the most comprehensive how-to I could find, and I read all the Awardwallet and TPG posts and still couldn't figure it out. Thank you.

[@MelsMilesandPoints]

I’m so glad you found it helpful!! :)

[@sandahildebrand2444]

You do a great job walking through and explaining the process. Thanks!

[@MelsMilesandPoints]

Thank you!! Glad it was helpful!

[@ozaernajim4315]

Seasoned miles/cards guy here, but your video was very educational and I learned already lots of stuff I was trying to figure out!!! THANK YOU and glad to be a subsriber!

[@MelsMilesandPoints]

I’m happy to hear that and glad to have you here!

[@bridget873]

Thank you so much for the comprehensive and easy to understand video. I just booked Japan Airlines this morning after watching your video!

[@MelsMilesandPoints]

It makes me so happy to hear that it helped you!! Congratulations and have a great trip! 😁

[@CraigNishihara]

I would love to see a video on “Japan Airlines (JAL): Everything You Need To Know To Book Award Flights To Japan using Hawaiian Airlines miles”. No one has a video that discusses this. Aloha!!

[@kellychambers7965]

I was waiting for this video, thank you! One additional thing I noticed when searching. BA opens up the award calendar earlier than AA. So if you’re trying to book a year or so out, BA can give you a leg up on securing that award space 😊

[@MelsMilesandPoints]

You’re absolutely right! British Airways releases space 355 days out, Cathay Pacific 360 days out, and American Airlines 331 days out. But that being said, I feel like it’s easier to get Japan Airline flights than ANA. For ANA, you definitely have to be ready to pounce.

[@TheMinecraftJRB]

Watched it twice in a row!!

[@MelsMilesandPoints]

So glad to hear this!! 😄

[@thedoctormh]

Great video! - subscriber that would love that American Airlines miles video.

[@MelsMilesandPoints]

Glad to have you here! And thanks for letting me know you'd be interested in that video!

[@therascals8237]

What a great video, thank you! And yes please at 5:01 !

[@MelsMilesandPoints]

Thanks!! And good to know you're interested in an AA video! :)

[@therascals8237]

@@MelsMilesandPoints yes I am always interested in going to Japan in general, including with AA/JL!

[@kellychambers7965]

Same for me! Trying to get a family of 4 there next year

[@mannysantoyo8198]

Thanks!

[@MelsMilesandPoints]

Hope it helped! 😁

[@crystalgiannone2683]

Great content 👍Thank you for sharing 🙏 ❤

[@MelsMilesandPoints]

Glad you enjoyed it! 😁

[@morselsthecat]

informative as usual!!

[@MelsMilesandPoints]

Glad it was helpful!❤️

[@michellekolb7559]

Thank you for all the information. Is it possible to upgrade from economy to business with cash if you booked the flight with award points? I am new to this !

[@MelsMilesandPoints]

I'm not entirely sure because I've never tried that myself on JAL and have read conflicting reports online. If you are booking through American, your best bet might be to book economy for now, but keep watching for business. If it pops up, you can cancel your economy flight and rebook in business.

[@pawsomepet365]

Can you give me a video on how to make more points from AA? Thanks

[@MelsMilesandPoints]

You’re in luck! Here’s the link: kzbin.info/www/bejne/nICtYpqtmJacn9Esi=1p_WdQvdb5oxPjUf

[@kelseyclarke9488]

I would love to see a video covering delta to Japan or do you think the same concept applies?

[@MelsMilesandPoints]

Most people don’t pursue that for two reasons. First, Delta to Japan award flights are not a good deal at all. And second, both ANA and JAL are much better flight experiences. Hope this helps!

[@kelseyclarke9488]

@@MelsMilesandPoints ok thank you for that! We went to Japan this past April and flew delta premium economy and had a pleasant experience but have since gotten a chase card and of course want to use the benefits of the card but are unfamiliar with the airlines but I feel like it makes so much sense to fly the airline of that country especially if the rewards good. We just need to navigate the booking process.

[@MelsMilesandPoints]

The booking process gets easier and more comfortable with time, and you’ll love some of the amazing international carriers! 😁

[@jiahangsu8316]

Want to go NOW!!

[@MelsMilesandPoints]

You should! 😊😊

[@adrianfernandez9336]

i managed to book a flight from Honolulu to tokyo for 63000 points and only had to pay 234 so excited

[@MelsMilesandPoints]

That’s a great redemption! Congratulations!!

[@theinternationalist1357]

How do you calculate the transfer bonuses? And where do I find the transfer bonuses? TIA.

[@MelsMilesandPoints]

I take the amount of points needed and divide by the decimal form of the amount that will transfer, taking the bonus into account (1 + bonus). So if the transfer bonus is 20%, I divide the required number of points by 1.2, and if the bonus is 30%, I divide by 1.3, etc. I hope that makes sense! To find transfer bonuses, you have to check directly with each of your travel rewards credit cards. For example, if you were to look at your Chase transfer partners right now in your Chase account, you would see that there is a 20% transfer bonus to Aeroplan right now, as well as a 25% bonus to JetBlue. I know that doesn't help for Japan, but I wanted to explain how to check.

[@theinternationalist1357]

Thanks Mels :) Love your channel!! Please make more videos like this :)

[@theinternationalist1357]

Is this correct, so 30% transfer bonus. 50,000 pts / 1.3 = 38,461

[@MelsMilesandPoints]

@@theinternationalist1357 yes, that's exactly right! :)

[@MelsMilesandPoints]

@@theinternationalist1357 so glad to hear that!

[@RagedContinuum]

if you're booking a one-way, how do you get back?

[@MelsMilesandPoints]

You book another one way ticket. This gives you a better chance at finding availability because you can book another class of service or even another airline if necessary. For example, I'm flying to Japan on ANA in November, but I'm going first class one way and business class the other way. If I hadn't been able to find a second ANA flight, I could have tried JAL too. So it just opens up additional options for you.

[@RagedContinuum]

@@MelsMilesandPoints are carriers ok with two one-ways? I was under the impression that they prohibited it, but it was maybe 10 years ago that I last looked up travel. I have 280k aadvantage and 230 URs

[@MelsMilesandPoints]

@@RagedContinuum most are totally fine with it, although ANA requires round-trip bookings if you book directly through their site. But if you book through a partner airline site, like I did, you can book one-way flights. Hopes this helps!

[@RagedContinuum]

@@MelsMilesandPoints yeah that helps - maybe I can pull off a trip next year, thanks a lot

[@MelsMilesandPoints]

@@RagedContinuum I hope so! Keep me posted! :)

[@Ads66]

🎉❤🎉🎉

[@isabellabrown8388]

Mel strikes again!

[@MelsMilesandPoints]

😅😂