Flights to Japan can be expensive, especially if you’re traveling as a family. Round-trip economy fares often exceed $1,200, and business class seats can run $4,000 or more. But here’s the good news: with the right strategy, you can travel to Japan on points and miles for a fraction of the cost.
In this guide, we’ll cover the best ways to book flights to Japan on points and miles. You’ll also learn which credit card points transfer to each airline, and step-by-step instructions for transferring points and booking.
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Book Japan Airlines (JAL) flight with Alaska Airlines Miles
Alaska Airlines has long been a sweet spot for booking Japan Airlines (JAL) award flights. JAL is highly regarded for its spacious economy seats, excellent legroom, and world-class business class cabins, making it one of the best ways to fly to Japan on points and miles.
With Alaska Airlines Atmos Rewards (formerly Mileage Plan), you can redeem points directly for JAL flights to Tokyo.
- How many points for the economy class flight with JAL: From 30,000–37,500 Atmos points one-way, depending on your U.S. departure city
- How many points for the Business class flight with JAL: From 60,000–75,000 Alaska Atmos points one-way
- Taxes/fees: less than the other programs, usually no more than $50
How to earn Alaska Airlines Atmos Points
- Credit cards: Bank of America issues the Alaska/Atmos co-branded Visa cards
- Bilt Rewards: Transfer 1:1 to Atmos rewards instantly
How to book a Japan Ailrines award flight with Atmos points
- Log in at alaskaair.com with your Atmos account
- Select “Use points” when searching
- Enter your U.S. city and Tokyo (HND/NRT) — or use multi-city to add a stopover
- Look for flights operated by Japan Airlines
- Review points + taxes and book online (most JAL awards ticket instantly)
- Use your JAL confirmation code to pick seats directly on JAL’s site
Book Japan Airlines flight with British Airways Avios
If you want to fly Japan Airlines (JAL) to Tokyo using points and miles, one of the options is to redeem British Airways Avios. JAL is an Oneworld partner so you can book award flights directly on the British Airways site.
- Cost in economy: From 25,750 Avios one-way from the U.S. West Coast
- Business class: Around 77,250 Avios one-way from Los Angeles or San Francisco
- Taxes/fees: ~$100–$200, depending on route
How to earn British Airways Avios
- Transfer partners: Avios are easy to collect, transfer at 1:1 from Chase Ultimate Rewards, Amex Membership Rewards, Capital One, Citi ThankYou Points, and Bilt Rewards
- British Airways Visa Signature® Card: Earn Avios directly from spend and welcome bonuses
- Household accounts: You can combine Avios across family accounts to book JAL tickets
Take advantage of credit card transfer bonuses to save even more on flights to Japan. For example, we transferred Amex Membership Rewards® points to British Airways during a bonus promotion and booked a Japan Airlines business class flight for just 59,500 points one-way.
How to book a Japan Airlines flight with British Airways Avios
- Log in at britishairways.com
- Select “Book a flight with Avios”
- Enter your U.S. city (try Los Angeles, San Francisco, or Dallas) and Tokyo (HND or NRT)
- Search for flights operated by Japan Airlines
- Pick your flight, review Avios + taxes, and book online
Transfers are generally 1:1 and instant, making it easy to jump on award space when you find it.
Book a Japan Airlines flight with American Airlines AAdvantage Miles
American Airlines is also an Oneworld partner, giving you access to Japan Airlines award flights directly on the AA site.
- Economy class: From 35,000 miles one-way
- Business class: From 60,000 miles one-way
- Taxes/fees: Around $5–$80
How to earn AAdvantage Miles
- Credit card bonuses: Citi® / AAdvantage® and Barclays AAdvantage Aviator® cards
- Earn by flying American or Oneworld partners
- Notable: No major bank transfer partners (Chase/Amex/CapOne/Citi TYP don’t transfer directly)
How to book JAL award flight with AAdvantage
- Go to aa.com
- Select “Redeem miles” when searching
- Enter your U.S. city and Tokyo (HND/NRT)
- Filter for JAL-operated flights
- Book with AAdvantage miles + taxes
Book a United Airlines flight to Japan on Points and Miles
Flying United Airlines to Japan is another way to use points and miles, thanks to United’s nonstop service from multiple U.S. cities to Tokyo Narita (NRT) and Tokyo Haneda (HND).
You can book you flight to Japan directly with United MileagePlus miles or through Air Canada Aeroplan points for extra flexibility.
How to book a United Airlines flight to Japan with United Miles
- Economy class: From 35,000 miles one-way
- Business class: From 70,000–80,000 miles one-way
- Taxes/fees: Very low, usually under $50
- Go to united.com
- Log in to your MileagePlus account
- Select “Book with miles”
- Enter your U.S. city and Tokyo (HND/NRT)
- Search the calendar for lowest mileage rates and book
How to earn United Miles
- You can transfer Chase Ultimate Rewards to United Airlines at a 1:1 ratio
- Earn with United credit cards like the United℠ Explorer Card or United Quest℠ Card
- Earn miles by flying United or shopping through the MileagePlus portal
How to book a United Airlines flight to Japan with Air Canada Aeroplan points
Sometimes it’s cheaper to book the same United flight using Aeroplan points instead of United miles. Aeroplan is part of Star Alliance, so you can access United flights.
- Economy class: From 35,000 Aeroplan points one-way
- Business class: From 75,000 points one-way
- Taxes/fees: Low, usually around $50–$100
Where to get Aeroplan Points
- Transfer 1:1 from Amex Membership Rewards, Chase Ultimate Rewards, Capital One Miles, and Bilt Rewards
- Earn with the Aeroplan® Credit Card
How to book a United Ailrines flight on Air Canada
- Go to aircanada.com/aeroplan
- Log in to your Aeroplan account
- Choose “Book with points”
- Enter departure city and Tokyo (HND/NRT)
- Look for flights operated by United Airlines and book
Pro tip: Compare United.com and Aeroplan side by side, sometimes Aeroplan charges fewer points for the exact same United flight.
You can read more about How to book a United Airlines flight using American Express Membership Rewards here.
Book an ANA flight to Japan with ANA Mileage Club
All Nippon Airways (ANA) is one of the most popular airlines for flights to Tokyo, offering excellent service in both economy and business class. The good news is that you can now book one-way ANA award tickets, making it easier to mix and match with other programs.
ANA Mileage Club Awards
- Economy class: From 25,000 ANA miles one-way
- Business class: From 75,000 ANA miles one-way
- Taxes/fees: Usually $100–$250, depending on route and class of service
How to get ANA Miles:
- Transfer 1:1 from Amex Membership Rewards (the only major U.S. transfer partner)
- Earn by flying ANA or other Star Alliance partners
- ANA also has a co-branded credit card, though Amex transfers are the main path for U.S. travelers
How to book ANA flights with Miles
- Go to ana.co.jp and log in to your ANA Mileage Club account
- Select “Award Reservation” under the booking menu
- Choose one-way or round-trip and enter your U.S. departure city + Tokyo (HND or NRT)
- Search for flights, ANA often releases the best availability about 10–12 months in advance
- Pick your flight and confirm using miles + taxes
Bottom line
Booking flights to Japan with points and miles is one of the best ways to save thousands of dollars on airfare while enjoying top-notch airlines like Japan Airlines (JAL), ANA, and United Airlines.
Whether you use Alaska Airlines Atmos Rewards, British Airways Avios, American Airlines AAdvantage, United MileagePlus, or Air Canada Aeroplan, there are multiple sweet spots to get to Tokyo for as little as 25,750 points one-way in economy or around 60,000–75,000 points in business class.
With the right credit card strategy, earning transferable points from Amex Membership Rewards, Chase Ultimate Rewards, Capital One Miles, Citi ThankYou Points, or Bilt Rewards, you can transfer instantly to airline partners and book award flights to Japan. Always check for transfer bonuses to stretch your points even further.
If Japan is on your bucket list, learning how to redeem points and miles is the smartest way to fly in comfort without breaking the bank.
