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Japan Airlines is one of the best ways to fly to Japan, especially in premium cabins. But its loyalty program, JAL Mileage Bank, has long been hard to crack for U.S.-based travelers without a lot of tricks up their sleeve.
That changed in 2025, when two major credit card programs — Bilt Rewards and Capital One — added JAL as a transfer partner, making the program much more accessible. Here's everything you need to know about earning Mileage Bank miles and putting them to work.
On this page
How to earn Japan Airlines miles
Fly with JAL
Flying with Japan Airlines or one of its partners is one of the most straightforward ways to earn miles. Your earnings are based on sector mileage multiplied by an accumulation rate that depends on your fare class.
On JAL international flights, first class earns at 150% of miles flown, full-fare business class at 125%, premium economy and full-fare economy at 100%, and discounted economy fares as low as 30%. The deeper the discount, the lower the return.
Fly with partner airlines
You can also credit flights on Oneworld alliance partners and select non-alliance airlines. Partner earning rates vary by airline and fare class, so check JAL's partner earnings charts before deciding where to credit your miles.
JAL partner airlines
- Air France
- Alaska Airlines
- American Airlines
- Bangkok Airways
- British Airways
- Cathay Pacific
- China Eastern Airlines
- Emirates
- Fiji Airways
- Finnair
- Garuda Indonesia
- Hawaiian Airlines
- Iberia
- Jetstar Japan
- LATAM
- Korean Air
- Malaysia Airlines
- Oman Air
- Qantas
- Qatar Airways
- Royal Air Maroc
- Royal Jordanian
- SriLankan Airlines
Hotels and rental cars
JAL partners with hotels and car rental companies through its JMB World Marketplace platform. You can earn miles by booking hotel stays and car rentals through JAL's partner portal, which covers a wide range of global brands.
Everyday spending
You can also earn JAL miles through the airline's co-branded credit card or certain transferable point rewards programs.
Which programs offer JAL transfers?
Only two major credit card rewards programs offer transfers to the Japan Airlines Mileage Bank program, including Bilt Rewards and Capital One Miles. There are also a few hotel loyalty programs that offer transfers, but transfer ratios vary by program:
| Rewards program | Transfer ratio | Minimum transfer amount |
|---|---|---|
| 1:1. | 1,000 to 2,000 points. | |
| 2:1.5. | 1,000 miles. | |
| 10:1. | 10,000 points. | |
| 3:1. | 3,000 points. | |
| 2.5:1. | 5,000 points. |
JAL Mileage Bank typically requires accounts to be at least 60 days old before you can redeem miles. If you're planning a redemption but you're not yet a member, open your account early.
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Credit cards
The JAL USA Card is primarily aimed at expats living in the U.S. and travelers without an established U.S. credit history. It's issued by First National Bank of Omaha and comes as a Mastercard. There are two reward options, and you can switch between them at any time without getting a new card.
The Basic Rewards option carries a $35 annual fee and earns 1 mile per $2 spent. The Premium Rewards option costs $85 per year and earns 2 miles per dollar on eligible JAL purchases and 1 mile per dollar on everything else.
Both versions carry no foreign transaction fees, include a 5,000-mile bonus on your first eligible JAL international flight, and earn a 10% sector bonus on every JAL Group flight. Cardholders also get 10% off JAL in-flight shopping, 5% savings at duty-free shops at Haneda and Narita airports, and 10% off JAL international Wi-Fi service.
Other credit cards
For travelers who don't want a co-branded JAL card, the better path to JAL miles is earning through transferable points programs. Here's a look at some of your options:
Annual fee
$0.
$650.
$0.
$95.
New cardholder offer
Earn 30,000 Bonus Points after spending $1,000 on eligible purchases within 3 months of account opening with the Marriott Bonvoy Bold® Credit Card.
Earn 200,000 Marriott Bonvoy® bonus points after you use your new Card to make $6,000 in purchases within the first 6 months of Card Membership. Offer Ends 5/13/2026. Terms Apply.
Earn 70,000 Bonus Points plus a Free Night Reward after you spend $2,000 in purchases on the Card in the first 6 months of Card Membership. Offer Ends 4/15/2026. Terms Apply.
Earn up to 60,000 Bonus Points. Earn 30,000 Bonus Points after you spend $3,000 on purchases in your first 3 months from account opening. Plus, up to 30,000 more Bonus Points by earning 2 Bonus Points total per $1 spent in the first 6 months from account opening on purchases that normally earn 1 Bonus Point, on up to $15,000 spent.
Rewards
• 3 Marriott Bonvoy® points per $1 at participating Marriott Bonvoy hotels.
• 2 points per $1 on grocery stores, rideshare, select food delivery, select streaming and internet, cable and phone services.
• 1 point per $1 on all other eligible purchases.
• 6 Marriott Bonvoy® points per $1 at participating Marriott Bonvoy hotels.
• 3 points per $1 at restaurants worldwide and on flights booked directly with airlines.
• 2 points per $1 on all other eligible purchases.
Terms apply.
• 7 points per $1 on eligible purchases with a hotel or resort within the Hilton portfolio.
• 5 points per $1 at U.S. restaurants, U.S. supermarkets and U.S. gas stations.
• 3 points per $1 on all other eligible purchases.
Terms apply.
• 4 points per $1 at Hyatt hotels and resorts.
• 2 points per $1 on dining, airline tickets purchased directly from the airline, gym memberships, and local transit and commuting.
• 1 point per $1 on all other eligible purchases.
Still not sure?
Airline alliance and other partner airlines
Japan Airlines is a member of the Oneworld alliance, which includes American Airlines, British Airways, Cathay Pacific, Finnair, Iberia, Malaysia Airlines, Qantas, Qatar Airways and others. This matters for two reasons: You can earn JAL miles on Oneworld partner flights, and you can redeem JAL miles to book award seats on Oneworld carriers.
Beyond the alliance, JAL also maintains partnerships with several non-Oneworld airlines, including Alaska Airlines, Hawaiian Airlines, Korean Air, Emirates, Air France, LATAM and Bangkok Airways.
Where does JAL fly?
JAL operates nonstop flights from 10 U.S. cities:
- Boston.
- Chicago.
- Dallas.
- Los Angeles.
- Honolulu.
- Kona, Hawaii.
- New York.
- San Diego.
- San Francisco.
- Seattle.
Depending on the route, flights arrive at either Tokyo-Narita, Tokyo-Haneda or Osaka-Kansai.
JAL sweet spots
Despite a significant award chart devaluation that took effect in June 2025, the Mileage Bank program still offers strong value in several areas:
- Business class to Japan: Business class from any U.S. gateway to Japan starts at 55,000 miles one way — a flat rate that applies across all U.S. departure cities, including New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, Dallas and Seattle.
- First class to Japan: First class (JAL Suites) is available on select U.S. routes and starts at 110,000 miles one way in low season, rising to 125,000 miles in regular season and 140,000 miles in high season.
- Partner airline roundtrips: For awards on partner airlines, JAL uses a distance-based chart and prices your entire itinerary based on total miles flown rather than per segment. That means a roundtrip is calculated as one combined distance, not two separate one-way awards For example, a one-way flight from the U.S. to Japan in economy may fall within the 4,001 to 6,000-mile sector, costing you 37,000 miles. But a roundtrip fare that falls within the 10,001 to 12,000-mile sector would only cost you 50,000 miles.
- Alaska and American regional itineraries: Because partner award pricing is distance-based, short-haul and regional itineraries on Alaska Airlines and American Airlines can fall into low mileage brackets.
- The stopover play: JAL has one of the most generous stopover policies of any airline loyalty program. You can add up to three stopovers on a single-partner award and up to seven on Oneworld partner awards. This opens the door to near-around-the-world itineraries on a single ticket.
» Learn more: The best airlines for free stopovers
The bottom line
Japan Airlines Mileage Bank spent years as a program that was theoretically valuable but practically difficult to use. The addition of Bilt Rewards and Capital One as transfer partners in 2025 changed that.
While the June 2025 award chart devaluation reduced some of the program's best redemptions, the program still offers plenty of compelling options. The combination of competitive business class pricing, generous stopover rules, and distance-based partner award charts makes JAL Mileage Bank worth adding to your list of options, especially if you're planning a trip to Japan.
To view rates and fees of the Hilton Honors American Express Card, see this page.
To view rates and fees of the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card, see this page.
How to maximize your rewards
You want a travel credit card that prioritizes what’s important to you. Here are some of the best travel credit cards of 2026:
- Flexibility, point transfers and a large bonus: Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
- No annual fee: Wells Fargo Autograph® Card
- Flat-rate travel rewards: Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
- Bonus travel rewards and high-end perks: Chase Sapphire Reserve®
- Luxury perks: American Express Platinum Card®
- Business travelers: Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card
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