How to Save Up to 87% on Japan Airline’s NEW First Class Suite—for One or Two Travelers

March 2015
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The Suites: Eight semi-enclosed compartments with retractable privacy partitions configured 1-2-1. Each has a 78.5-inch-long flat-bed and a 23-inch-wide monitor.

Experience the suite in detail.

Routes to/from U.S. and Asia with NEW First Class Suites

To/From Tokyo: Chicago, Los Angele's, New York, and San Francisco. Also, find up-to-date routes with the new First Class suite.

Your North American Departure City Not Listed Above?

You can easily connect from all over the U.S. and Canada.

Not Flying To/From Tokyo? Remember that JAL serves cities all over Asia, Africa, and Europe. More miles required; cost depends on region. Check out the JAL destinations.

High Fares Equal Great Mileage Opportunity

Normal Lowest Airfare: $18,391 round-trip to Tokyo from New York with a 14-day advance purchase. Up to $27,321+ with no-advance-purchase.

Lowest Conventional Award Cost: JAL’s Mileage Bank charges 110,000 miles.

Survey of NEW First Class Suite Award Availability on Japan Airlines to Tokyo

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No JAL Miles? No Problem

Transfer Starwood Points to JAL: 90,000. Our last transfer took seven days to post.

Maybe Even Better: US Airways Partner Award Opportunity

US Airways Miles: Book the Suite through US Airways loyalty program, which uses a “Zone Chart”, and is also accessible to Starwood points, and you can fly from many U.S. and Canadian cities for 120,000 miles. A good deal if you’re departing from any U.S. or Canadian city other than those listed to the left, and traveling beyond Tokyo to destinations like Shanghai, Beijing, Hong Kong, South Korea, and Taiwan, as no extra miles are required. Inventory through US Airways is often similar to JAL’s own.

Transfer Starwood Points to US Airways: 100,000 round-trips. That’s only 10,000 more miles than JAL charges from many U.S. and Canadian cities—but with US Airways, you get the benefits above. Our last transfer took two days.

Purchase US Airways Miles: Cost ranges from 1.9¢ when on sale to 2.95¢ each. 100,000 point limit per transaction but unlimited transactions are allowed. So a First Class award costs $2,884 round-trip (plus taxes, at about $433) for a ticket that otherwise goes for as much as $27,000+, a savings of 87%.

Cost With Other oneworld Partner Mileage Programs

American: 125,000 miles round-trip from U.S. and Canadian departure cities to Japan, Korea, and Mongolia. Transfer miles via Starwood; or

British Airways: 150,000 to 210,000 miles round-trip from departure cities listed to the left. Transfer miles from Amex Rewards, Chase Ultimate Rewards, or Starwood; or

Amex Rewards Point Purchase: They cost 2.5¢ each, and you can buy up to 500,000 points annually. Transfer them to BA and a First Class award costs $3,750 to $5,250 round-trip (plus taxes, at about $433), a ticket that otherwise goes for as much as $27,000+.

[["U.S.\nDeparture\nCity","Availability <strong>From <\/strong>U.S.","#colspan#","#colspan#","Availability <strong>To <\/strong>U.S.","#colspan#","#colspan#"],["#rowspan#","<strong>Handful<\/strong>","<strong>Hopeful<\/strong>","<strong>Hooray<\/strong>","<strong>Handful<\/strong>","<strong>Hopeful<\/strong>","<strong>Hooray<\/strong>"],["Chicago","Aug. to\nOct.","July,\n<span style=\"color: #6699cc;\"><strong>Nov.<\/strong><\/span>,\nDec.","Nov.","","Aug. to\nOct.,\n<span style=\"color: #6699cc;\"><strong>Nov.<\/strong><\/span>","Nov.,\nDec."],["Los Angeles","Sept.,\nOct.,\n<span style=\"color: #6699cc;\"><strong>Dec.<\/strong><\/span>","July,\n<span style=\"color: #6699cc;\"><strong>Nov.<\/strong><\/span>","Nov.,\nDec.","Sept.,\nOct.","<span style=\"color: #6699cc;\"><strong>Nov.,\nDec.<\/strong><\/span>","Nov.,\nDec."],["New York","<span style=\"color: #6699cc;\"><strong>Dec.<\/strong><\/span>","Nov.","Dec.","Nov.","","<span style=\"color: #6699cc;\"><strong>Dec.<\/strong><\/span>"],["San\nFrancisco\n**","April","<span style=\"color: #6699cc;\"><strong>July<\/strong><\/span>,\nAug. to\nOct.","July,\n<span style=\"color: #6699cc;\"><strong>Nov.,\nDec.<\/strong><\/span>","May to\nAug.","Sept.","Oct.,\n<span style=\"color: #6699cc;\"><strong>Nov.,\nDec.<\/strong><\/span>"]]
<small><span style="color: #6699cc;"><strong><em>Handful:</em></strong></span> Our most recent research shows that award space is available for at least one person about 4 to 8 days during the months indicated in the chart. Worth pursuing if you’re flexible. <span style="color: #6699cc;"><strong><em>Hopeful:</em></strong></span> Our most recent research shows that award space is available for at least one person about 9 to 12 days during the months indicated. <span style="color: #6699cc;"><strong><em>Hooray:</em></strong></span> Our most recent research shows that award space is available for at least one person about 13 days or more during the months indicated. <em>Months in <u>black</u> at least one seat available;</em> <strong><span style="color: #6699cc;">in <u>blue</u> at least two seats.</span></strong><em> **Haneda airport in Tokyo.</em></small>