Flying Japan Airways top notch for 80K American Airways AAdvantage miles

It is probably the most best possible candy spots on this planet of issues and miles: You’ll e book Japan Airways enterprise or top notch the use of miles from the common flyer methods of its U.S. companions, like American Airways and Alaska Airways.

It is a redemption that has quite a few nostalgia for me, too.

Japan Airways used to be my first main mileage redemption again in 2016. I booked a one-way price tag to Tokyo in top notch for simply 80,000 American Airways AAdvantage miles. I will by no means disregard the sense of victory I felt once I scored that travel.

Remarkably, after heaps of loyalty shake-ups and devaluations around the international airline business, that very same deal stays in position just about a decade later. In truth, I latterly recreated it to go back to the “Land of the Emerging Solar” — and you’ll, too.

Here is the best way to e book Japan Airways top notch the use of miles and what it is love to fly.

How one can e book Japan Airways top notch with American Airways AAdvantage miles (or Atmos Rewards issues)

I flew from Chicago’s O’Hare World Airport (ORD) to Tokyo’s Narita World Airport (NRT) for simply 80,000 AAdvantage miles one-way. You’ll additionally redeem Alaska Airways Atmos Rewards for JAL flights, even though the similar top quality price tag would have required 110,000 Atmos Rewards issues.

Pointers for locating JAL top quality awards

Whilst JAL top quality awards are somewhat uncommon, listed here are a couple of of my most sensible tips to land those redemptions:

• Be versatile: Your best possible wager to attain this sort of redemptions is as a way to shuttle each time seats occur to be to be had — together with on the ultimate minute.
• Seek the calendar as quickly because the agenda opens: JAL opens up seats to its companions about 11 months prematurely, and that’s the reason when you’ll be able to most likely to find the most productive availability.
• Use award seek equipment: Choices like Seats.aero and ExpertFlyer (owned through TPG father or mother corporate Pink Ventures) have a tendency to be my go-to selections for locating award availability.
• Use American Airways’ seek calendar serve as: I used this serve as to snag this actual seat.
• Take a look at more than one departure towns: I typically seek for flights from New York Town, Chicago, San Francisco and Los Angeles, although I will wish to e book an reasonably priced positioning flight to get there.

On the lookout for JAL top quality awards

To place the ones journeys into follow, let’s check out a few examples. My travel came about in September, however to show the best way to to find extra JAL top quality awards, I carried out a few fresh searches on different dates from more than a few towns to peer what I may just flip up.

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I have a tendency to start out through looking flights from 3 of JAL’s U.S. locations: New York Town, Chicago and San Francisco. A contemporary calendar seek for January 2026 published connecting itineraries from San Francisco to Chicago after which onto Tokyo for 80,000 AAdvantage miles (in comparison to the 100,000 AAdvantage miles American would have charged me for a business-class seat by itself flights).

That used to be a close-in instance. But if looking for extra award stock, I discovered a price tag from New York Town to San Francisco after which onto Tokyo for 80,000 miles subsequent September.

I would possibly also be fortunate sufficient to fly American’s new Airbus A321XLR if the ones airplane are in carrier from New York Town’s John F. Kennedy World Airport (JFK) to San Francisco World Airport (SFO) to Tokyo Haneda Airport (HND) in Japan Airways’ top notch. Any other nice redemption.

Whilst I discovered my flights through looking for awards without delay at the American Airways web page, I like to recommend the use of an award seek instrument like PointsYeah or Seats.aero to peer if you’ll to find area on the lowest award ranges.

Comparable: Go back and forth to Japan with issues and miles: Very best techniques to redeem your rewards for flights and inns

You’ll merely input your town pairs after which set some filters to seek for explicit airways, corresponding to Japan Airways, to generate effects that display which miles you’ll use to e book the direction.

A handy guide a rough seek of Seats.aero did not flip up any dates for me, however I set an alert. You’ll see the alert affirmation under. I will get an e mail when stock turns into to be had.

I additionally searched PointsYeah, any other up-and-coming award seek instrument. I have set an alert for a go back travel to New York from Japan in early October subsequent 12 months. If the previous is any information, I be expecting to obtain a number of indicators within the coming months despatched proper to my inbox.

Comparable: Those 12 apps and internet sites make award redemptions more straightforward to seek out

There are many techniques to earn American Airways AAdvantage miles, together with opening one in all Citi‘s American Airways-branded playing cards with a excessive welcome be offering.

At this time, as an example, Citi and American Airways simply introduced the brand new Citi® / AAdvantage® Globe™ Mastercard® (see charges and costs). The Citi / AAdvantage Globe has a limited-time welcome bonus of 90,000 bonus miles after spending $5,000 on purchases within the first 4 months from account opening. That is sufficient miles to e book this redemption.

Take into account, Citi additionally just lately introduced the release of transfers from its Citi ThankYou Rewards program to American’s AAdvantage loyalty program for the ones with specific Citi playing cards, in order that’s any other doable strategy to pad your AAdvantage account.

What it used to be like flying Japan Airways top notch at the Boeing 777-300

Japan Airways provides older top quality seats aboard its Boeing 777-300ERs and far more moderen suites aboard its Airbus A350-1000s. I flew the previous, which has been in carrier for plenty of years, however continues to be somewhat spacious and relaxed.

After I booked my flight, I used to be ready to make a choice my seat at the Japan Airways web page the use of the JL file locator quantity (proven on my American Airways account). I selected seat 1K for the trip to Tokyo. As you’ll see, there are most effective 8 top quality seats at the 777-300ER organized in a 1-2-1 configuration.

Ahead of my flight, I used the Flagship First check-in space at Chicago, however most effective since the Japan Airways check-in counters weren’t open but (and the pleasant brokers there took pity on me). Flagship First is typically reserved for the ones flying on American Airways-operated flights. This allowed me to leap forward to the entrance of the TSA PreCheck line, too.

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CLINT HENDERSON/THE POINTS GUY

As soon as within, I used to be ready to consult with the American Airways Flagship First front room at ORD. It is all the time just a little crowded, however there are a ton of significant seating spaces, excellent meals and luxurious perspectives of the American Airways jets parked at within sight gates.

My Japan Airways jet, send quantity JA743J, used to be 16 years outdated.

The primary-class cabin has simply 8 seats organized in two rows of 4 seats every.

Each and every seat could be very roomy, and even though some passengers would possibly dislike the loss of sliding privateness doorways, which can be turning into extra prevalent at the present time, it did not trouble me. There have been massive privateness shields to make every seat really feel extra secluded anyway.

My seat had 3 complete home windows, which used to be supreme for planespotting.

There used to be a plethora of facilities — together with a bottle of water, an amenity package, a field of skincare merchandise, slippers and Panasonic headphones — ready at every seat. I favored the partiality folio that held knowledge like arrival paperwork and menus. It used to be a distinct deal with to obtain a “rapid lane” go to hurry thru customs in Tokyo.

Throughout the Heralbony amenity package, I discovered loads of sweets, together with a dental package, a watch masks, earplugs, a broom and comb combo, tissues, mouthwash, a USB-A twine and hand cream. The most productive factor, even though, used to be the fabulous skin care package from Shiseido Males; it incorporated a face cleanser, a hydrating tonic and a revitalizing cream.

Whilst some passengers whinge about those dated top quality seats, I nonetheless like them, most commonly since the seat itself is mainly constructed like my father’s outdated BarcaLounger. It measures about 23 inches throughout. As you’ll see, the suites are spacious and larger than maximum seats within the entrance of any airplane.

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CLINT HENDERSON/THE POINTS GUY

Each and every seat additionally includes a well-padded ottoman. You need to probably be offering it as a seat to a touring significant other for a (very tight) operating lunch or dinner because it comes with its personal seat belt. There’s a massive tray desk that pops out from the aspect, which is excellent for operating as a result of you’ll slide it backward and forward.

There also are quite a few nooks and crannies for garage within the suite. Two compartments open for within garage, and there’s a smaller compartment with a conceit and an inflight leisure controller. That is additionally the place you’ll be able to to find seat controls, a headphone jack, an AC energy outlet and a USB-A port.

The mattress folds right down to lie totally flat and measures about 79 inches in duration. I discovered it extraordinarily relaxed all over my flight, and I favored that the flight attendants grew to become down the seat for me with a high-end Airweave pad, pillows and a quilt.

I used to be ready to get a number of hours of high quality leisure, even though there have been no overhead air nozzles, and the cabin were given just a little heat.

There is not any overhead bin within the middle, both, which makes the cabin glance higher. Then again, which means area for carry-ons is extra restricted than you may to find on different airplane.

First class passengers can preorder their major meal prematurely, and I selected the Jap menu. Regardless that I am not an enormous fan of seafood, I love to immerse myself within the Jap tradition even prior to I arrive, so I typically make a selection that choice when flying an Asian provider.

Team of workers introduced passengers a predeparture selection of glowing wine, orange juice or water simply prior to takeoff, at the side of a scorching towel.

An hour after takeoff, I used to be served an amuse bouche of sturgeon on toast and prosciutto and cream cheese encased in a date. That got here at the side of a nonalcoholic Alan Milliat glowing pinot noir grape juice.

The appetizer path used to be a chain of small Jap bites. A number of the choices have been sea eel with eggplant and lobster in a highly spiced sauce, adopted through a soup path and the principle I might decided on, pork with greens and rice.

For dessert, I had a scrumptious Jap gelatin-like soup that tasted much better than it appeared.

A couple of hours prior to we landed, I asked a bowl of ramen, which is all the time a deal with on Japan Airways and used to be my favourite meal of the entire flight.

For a prearrival meal, I selected to have a scrumptious asparagus soup and a cheese sandwich, plus many cappuccinos.

Provider used to be very good all the way through the flight, particularly from the purser Narumi, who even introduced me a small Japan Airways-themed toy (you realize, for the youngsters).

One different notice: I additionally did somewhat nonalcoholic tasting of that glowing juice and the airline’s signature Royal Blue Tea, which have been offered and poured with nice fanfare. It added a pleasing contact to the delicate carrier (and retails for round $35 consistent with bottle).

Any other flight attendant snapped a photograph of me perusing the collection of midflight snacks.

I liked the little touches from the group, corresponding to this notice in the toilet.

The restrooms have been stored tidy and blank all the way through the adventure, they usually had fancy Cle de Peau facilities.

The inflight leisure, at the 22.5-inch display screen, wasn’t very complete, however there used to be sufficient to stay me amused when I used to be wakeful, together with some 22 new-release motion pictures. I watched an enchanting documentary on ramen in Japan.

First class passengers obtain complimentary Wi-Fi by way of a voucher quantity that you just input when logging in. Another way, Wi-Fi prices $18.80. I used to be ready to perform a little emailing and texting, however the speeds weren’t nice. So, I am satisfied I did not pay for it.

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JAPAN AIRLINES

We ended up arriving in Tokyo about 13 mins early. I used to be well-rested, well-fed and comfortable.

Total, the flight used to be very good … particularly bearing in mind I redeemed simply 80,000 AAdvantage miles. The similar flight booked for subsequent 12 months used to be priced at $17,484 once I checked in November. For me, no top quality seat is value that ticket, which is why I like the use of issues and miles.

Base line

Even supposing those seats are beginning to display their age, they continue to be a very good strategy to shuttle the arena. Japan Airways plans to interchange its 777-300ER fleet with Airbus A350-1000s that function the airline’s more moderen top quality suites, which my colleague Eric Rosen had the excitement of attempting just lately.

I am hoping to take a look at them myself since Japan Airways lately flies its A350-1000s on 3 U.S. routes from HND to JFK, Los Angeles World Airport (LAX) and Dallas Castle Price World Airport (DFW).

I nonetheless love the 777 and its older seats, even though, and I have already got any other award flight bobbing up subsequent September. I will be able to’t wait to fly it once more, even though I would not thoughts if the provider swapped the airplane for a brand new A350-1000 by the point the flight rolls round.

Both means, reserving a firstclass seat on Japan Airways for as few as 80,000 American AAdvantage miles or 110,000 Atmos Rewards issues, respectively, is among the best possible lately to be had redemptions on this planet of issues and miles.

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