How to Maximize the JAL Mileage Bank Rewards Program

JAL Mileage Bank is a rewards program operated by Japan Airlines. It's a free program that makes it easy to accumulate reward miles, though redeeming them for flights can be tricky.

With basic status tiers and an elite status program, trying to understand the JAL program can be overwhelming.

Hopefully, this article will help. Below, we walk you through the program's main benefits and drawbacks, including how to earn points, step-by-step breakdowns of redemption options, and more.

What is JAL Mileage Bank?

JAL Mileage Bank is the official reward program of Japan Airlines. It's free to join, and members earn JAL miles for taking eligible flights, booking other travel, and transferring points from other reward programs.

Miles expire 36 months after you've earned them.

You can redeem your JAL miles whenever you like for reward travel with Japan Airlines or its partners. If you prefer, you can cash them in for merchandise, e-gift cards, or other travel, or donate them to JAL's featured charity project.

Currency: Miles

Redemption options: Flights, hotels, rental cars, merchandise, e-gift cards, charitable donations

Pros:

• Free to join at any time
• Wide variety of redemption options
• Elite status opportunities to earn perks and benefits
• Partners with oneworld alliance
• Extra earning/redemption options for Japanese residents
• Reward flights can include up to 3 stopovers
• Ability to transfer points from other reward programs

Cons:

• Limited earning options outside of Japan
• Complicated earning structure for flights
• Can't see reward options in CAD
• Several redemption options only available in Japanese
• Points expire after 3 years

Japan Airlines status tiers

As a JAL Mileage Bank member, taking eligible flights with Japan Airlines earns elite status points, called FLY ON points – these are in addition to any JAL miles earned.

You can't cash in your FLY ON points for rewards, but as you gain these status points, you'll move up within the Mileage Bank Life Status program.

Tiers are called Star Grades. As you move up, you keep all the benefits from lower tiers plus new ones. Every tier earns miles faster, but the exact rate depends on your flight.

This table lays out the requirements and benefits for each FLY ON Membership level:

Star Grade eligibility can be met with either FLY ON points or flights + a lesser number of FLY ON points.

Global Club membership

Once you've reached the Sapphire or Diamond tier, you'll gain access to Global Club membership. At these elite levels, you'll get exclusive rewards or benefits along with airport lounge access.

These are the Global Club eligibility requirements:

• Earn a minimum of 1,500 Life Status Points
• Hold a JALCARD CLUB-A Card, CLUB-A Gold Card, JAL Diners Card, Platinum Card, or Platinum Pro Card
• Comply with JAL Global Club Membership Rules

If you qualify for this elite program, any spouse, parents, and/or children who live with you may also join. They don't need to meet the eligibility requirements themselves.

Global Club benefits include:

• Bonus points on eligible flights
• Dedicated reservation and boarding services
• Priority waitlist and/or standby services
• Priority check-in and baggage services
• Extra weight allowance for checked bags
• Airport lounge access
• Exclusive luggage tag
• Special oneworld status
• Miles expiration extended to 5 years (60 months)

What are JAL Mileage Bank miles worth?

Miles earned with JAL Mileage Bank don't have a fixed value, which means their worth depends on how you redeem them. That said, it's possible to get as much as 1.8 cents per mile (CPM) in value from your points.

Before you use thousands of miles, take a look at which options provide the best value. To help you weigh your options, we analyzed point values down to the individual mile.

Here's the formula we use to make these calculations:

Value of reward in CAD / cost of reward in points x 100 = value in cents per mile (CPM)

How to earn JAL Mileage Bank points

You'll see there are several ways to accumulate JAL miles, but you'll have to pay close attention to some options, as they may only be available in Japan.

Take a look at these earning opportunities:

• Flights with Japan Airlines
• Flights with Japan Airlines partners
• Other travel booked with Japan Airlines
• Using a co-branded or partner credit card
• Converting Marriott Bonvoy reward points

Earn by booking flights with Japan Airlines

Of course, one of the best ways to earn reward miles is by flying within the Japan Airlines Group. Instead of earning a flat rate for your flights, JAL calculates mileage based on whether you're flying domestically or internationally, the distance, and your fare class.

Specifically, the airline uses this calculation:

Sector mileage (distance) x accumulation rate = miles earned

Here are the accumulation rates for the flight type and fare class:

Be aware that you won't earn miles if the booking wasn't in your name or if you're travelling on a reward flight.

Earn by booking flights with Japan Airlines partners

You aren't limited to earning miles only from flying with JAL – flights with oneworld alliance partners and other JAL airline partners also earn JAL miles, at varying rates.

To earn miles from a qualifying trip, enter your JAL membership number when booking the flight or checking in.

Generally, the miles you earn are calculated by multiplying sector mileage by the partner's accumulation rate.

Here are the partners and accumulation rates you can expect:

• Alaska Airlines/Hawaiian Airlines: 30% – 150%
• Air France: 20% – 150%
• American Airlines: 30% – 150%
• British Airways: 25% – 150%
• Finnair: 25% – 125%
• Emirates: 15% – 150%
• Iberia: 25% – 125%
• LATAM Airlines: 30% – 125%
• Oman Air: 30% – 150%
• Jetstar Japan: 30%
• Korean Air: 30% – 150%
• Qatar Airways: 30% – 150%
• Royal Air Maroc: 30% – 125%
• Royal Jordanian: 25% – 125%
• Cathay Pacific: 50% – 150%
• Fiji Airways: 30% – 125%
• Malaysia Airlines: 30% – 150%
• Qantas: 30% – 150%
• SriLankan Airlines: 30% – 125%
• Bangkok Airways: 50% – 125%
• China Eastern Airlines: 30% – 150%
• Garuda Indonesia: 30% – 150%

Earn by booking other travel through Japan Airlines

Flights might be the fastest way to accumulate JAL miles, but you can earn consistent rewards by booking car rentals and hotels through the JAL Mileage Bank World Marketplace travel platform.

You can expect to earn between 1 and 3 miles per ¥100 JPY spent on accommodations around the world. Rental bookings through the site earn you 3 miles per ¥100 JPY.

Heading to an onsen for some relaxation time? Present your JAL membership number at check-in, and you'll get 2 miles per ¥100 JPY spent on onsen accommodations.

Earn by using the right credit cards

Before you get excited about racking up JAL miles by making everyday purchases with a credit card, be aware that you can only earn with a Japanese JAL Visa credit card.

Unfortunately – and unsurprisingly – only Japanese residents are eligible.

Earn by converting loyalty points

If you participate in a partnering rewards program, you can move points from another one to JAL Mileage Bank. Points don't transfer at a flat rate, though. Here are the travel points you can convert and their conversion rates:

• ALL Accor: 4,000 points to 2,000 JAL miles
• Marriott Bonvoy: 3,000 points to 1,000 JAL miles
• Hilton Honors: 10,000 points to 1,000 JAL miles
• World of Hyatt: 5,000 points to 2,000 JAL miles
• IHG Rewards: 10,000 points to 2,000 miles

How to redeem JAL Mileage Bank points

Flights are possibly the most-used JAL redemption option because you can play around with flight details to find the best value. We especially love that you can book connecting flights with up to 3 stopovers – unheard of for reward flights in other airline programs.

Take a look at the ways you can use your JAL miles:

• Flights
• Rental cars
• e-Gift cards
• Merchandise
• Charitable donations

Redeem for flights with JAL: 1.8 CPM

As long as you have at least 4,500 miles, you can book domestic flights operated by Japan Airlines and codeshare flights operated by:

• Fuji Dream Airlines
• Amakusa Airlines
• Jetstar Japan
• Oriental Air Bridge

Like many other airline programs, your reward miles only cover the base cost, so you'll have to pay airline fees.

When you're ready to book, make a flight reservation online or over the phone. You can book a reward flight up to 365 days before your travel date.

We should note that JAL uses a fixed-rate chart for determining the required mileage, but if base-level seats are sold out, you may have the option to pay extra miles for an available seat.

However, the mileage required for your flight depends on whether you have a direct or connecting flight, what zone your fare is in, and your fare class within that zone.

Unlike some programs that allow you to see reward flight requirements after you join, JAL doesn't let you see reward flight details until you've been a member for at least 60 days.

Redeem for rental cars with JAL: 0.76 CPM

On the JAL Mileage Bank World Market, select the "Car rental" tab. Fill out your destination, travel dates, country of residence and age, and you'll see all your rental car options, from mini vehicles to hefty SUVs.

You can see the cost of a rental in JAL miles, or toggle to "Earn Miles" to see how much it costs in JPY, EUR, or USD. When we analyzed prices, we found pretty consistent value across rental car types and regions: 0.76 cents per mile.

Redeem for hotel accommodations with JAL: 0.72 CPM

Select the "Hotel" tab on the Mileage Bank World Market page to see hotel options. Enter your destination and travel dates, specifying whether you'd like to book with miles or JPY.

Although there's a little fluctuation in reward value based on when you book, you can expect a fairly consistent return of 0.72 cents per mile.

Redeem for e-gift cards: 0.59 CPM

Check out the nearly 50 retail options you have to cash in miles for gift cards. Although retail options are updated regularly, here are some of the more popular retailers you can choose from:

• Amazon
• American Eagle
• Ardene
• Cineplex
• East Side Mario's
• eBay
• Indigo
• XBOX

Redeem for merchandise: 0.54 CPM

If you don't have travel plans and aren't interested in an e-gift card, take a look at your merchandise options. The JAL World Marketplace makes it easy to shop for home goods, electronics, pet supplies, and more.

Just be aware that merchandise is your least valuable redemption option.

You'll see a red notice on the marketplace page alerting members that people residing in Japan can no longer make purchases through the marketplace.

Donate your miles to charity

JAL promotes its Charity Mile project as a way to support disaster and conservation efforts. Here's how it works: JAL Charity Mile launches a campaign to support people affected by a recent disaster or to fund targeted conservation efforts over a short period.

During that time, any mileage donations received are contributed to the charity at a rate of 1 mile to ¥1 JPY. You typically have to donate a minimum of 500 miles at a time (for a ¥500 JPY donation).

Is JAL Mileage Bank worth it?

Before you sign up for any loyalty reward program, it's always a good idea to see what actual members have to say.

We checked out Reddit and were happy to see that one user pointed out one of the best features of JAL Mileage Bank Rewards: the 3-stopover policy:

Otherwise, Redditors seem content to share JAL flight deals or offers. Since it's 1 of just 2 Japanese-based airline reward programs, it seems people don't mind joining a membership if they're regularly flying Japan Airlines or a oneworld alliance partner.

FAQ

What is the Japan Airlines JAL Mileage Bank?

JAL Mileage Bank is a free rewards program operated by Japan Airlines, one of the country's major airline providers. After joining, you can earn reward miles for travel that you can redeem for future flights, hotels, rental cars, or merchandise.

What's the difference between the JAL Global Club and the JAL Mileage Bank?

JAL Mileage Bank is the rewards program operated by Japan Airlines, while the JAL Global Club is a status within its elite-tier program. If you gain Global Club access through frequent flying, you'll earn benefits of your choosing and get access to airport lounges in Japan and with oneworld alliance partners.

Is there a JAL Mileage Bank award chart?

There are actually several JAL Mileage Bank award charts. The one you'll use will depend on what region you reside in, whether you're requesting a domestic or international reward flight, or whether you're travelling with a oneworld alliance airline partner.

Is JAL Mileage Bank worth it?

If you frequently fly with Japan Airlines or another oneworld alliance airline, it's probably worth joining the JAL Mileage Bank program. It's free to become a member, and the program makes it easy to quickly rack up miles on flights to and from Japan.

How do I register for JAL Mileage Bank?

To join, head to the JAL Mileage Bank main membership page and click "Join now." You'll have to indicate whether or not you live in Japan to access the right form. Then, specify which country you live in and follow the prompts.