Best Ways To Book Japan Airlines Business Class With Points

Japan Airlines’ business class product is a great option when you have a long trans-Pacific journey ahead of you. You can expect a great meal, a nice lounge, and fantastic service all the way through.

Let’s dig into what the business class experience is like and how you can book this flight using points.

A Look Inside Japan Airlines Business Class

Japan Airlines Business Class Lounge Narita — Relax in one of Japan Airlines’ Sakura Lounges before your flight across the Pacific. Image Credit: Japan Airlines

As a business class passenger with Japan Airlines, you will have access to the Sakura Lounge at Tokyo-Narita (NRT) and Tokyo-Haneda (HND) before flying to the U.S. The Sakura Lounge provides a nice selection of food and drink and a place to relax before your flight.

If you enjoy plane-spotting, the views of the tarmac from the lounge at Narita are particularly nice.

Japan Airlines also has a very nice business class seat that it calls the Sky Suite. While the business class cabin on Japan Airlines’ Boeing 787-9 features a 2-2-2 layout and its Boeing 777-300ER has a 2-3-2 layout, all seats have direct aisle access and are lie-flat.

Aisle seats have a decent amount of privacy, while the middle seat in the middle section of the Boeing 777-300ER has tons of privacy thanks to partitions on each side. However, the middle seat can feel a bit tight with both partitions raised.

Japan Airlines Business Class Sky Suite — Pick a window seat to have the best business class experience on Japan Airlines. Image Credit: Japan Airlines

For the best experience on either aircraft, try to book a window seat. While the space to get to your seat is narrow, you won’t have to step over anyone, and these seats have a ton of room — with the partition raised, they are very private without the cramped feeling of a middle seat on the 777-300ER.

Hot Tip: Try to book in row 5 in the 777-300ER — it’s essentially a mini-cabin and feels like you’re on a private jet! Don’t miss our review of business class on a JAL 777-300ER flight from LA to Tokyo!

JAL 777-300ER Business Class Seat Map — Row 5 on Japan Airlines’ 777-300ER business class is extremely private because it’s a 1-row mini-cabin with a true private jet feel to it. Image Credit: SeatGuru

Japan Airlines has new business class seats on the Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner, which features reverse herringbone seats in a 1-2-1 cabin layout. However, these are typically deployed on regional flights instead of long-haul flights.

Just as you will find in first class on Japan Airlines, the service in the business class cabin is excellent. The cabin crews are always friendly and happy to help make your flight as enjoyable as possible.

How To Fly Japan Airlines Business Class Using Points

You can book Japan Airlines business class through one of its Oneworld partners or one of its non-alliance partners, such as Emirates. Let’s take a look at some great ways to book business class.

Availability is usually best either 1 to 2 days before departure or 2 to 3 weeks before departure.

Japan Airlines releases all unoccupied seats available for award redemption 1 to 2 days before departure, so if there are vacant seats, you’ll have a great chance of finding close-in award availability.

Occasionally, you’ll notice award availability very far in advance, but your best bet will always be closer to the departure date.

Japan Airlines Mileage Bank

Japan Airlines Mileage Bank uses a region-based award chart for its own flights. This is a different award chart than the distance-based award chart it uses for booking award flights with its partners.

SCROLL FOR MORE

Region	Class	Miles
North America	Economy Class	50,000
	Premium Economy Class	65,000
	Business Class	100,000
	First Class	140,000

Follow the simple steps below to book your next business class flight on Japan Airlines:

Go to the Japan Airlines website.
Log in to your JAL Mileage Bank account.
Toggle to Redeem award flights, choose Book International Award Tickets, then select JAL International Award Tickets.
Choose round-trip or one-way, your travel dates, and departure and destination airports, then select Business Class under Destination Class. Click Search.
Confirm the Mileage Bank miles and taxes/fees required.
Choose your desired flights and hit Continue so that you can select your seat and complete the booking process.

Make sure there is award space — Japan Airlines will also show you waitlist space, which does not guarantee you a seat.

Japan Airlines Mileage Bank legend — Japan Airlines will show more information about your flight via icons indicated by the legend. Image Credit: Japan Airlines

Hot Tip: Keep the image above with you while booking so you know what to look for under the Seat Availability column to ensure you get a seat.

Here’s an example of what you’ll see:

Japan Airlines business class — This flight has 3 business class seats available, plus Sky Suites on the 777-300ER. Image Credit: Japan Airlines Mileage Bank

In this example, the flight from New York (JFK) to Tokyo-Haneda (HND) has award space for 3 seats.

If you need to connect on American Airlines (or another partner airline) to get to your flight on Japan Airlines, you will need to use the partner award chart to determine the number of miles required.

SCROLL FOR MORE

Total Trip Distance	Economy	Premium Economy	Business	First
1 to 1,000	12,000	17,000	24,000	36,000
1,001 to 2,000	15,000	21,000	30,000	45,000
2,001 to 4,000	23,000	30,000	42,000	65,000
4,001 to 6,000	37,000	46,000	60,000	90,000
6,001 to 8,000	45,000	59,000	80,000	120,000
8,001 to 10,000	47,000	62,000	85,000	135,000
10,001 to 12,000	50,000	70,000	100,000	145,000
12,001 to 14,000	55,000	77,000	110,000	165,000
14,001 to 20,000	70,000	94,000	130,000	190,000
20,001 to 25,000	90,000	112,000	145,000	220,000
25,001 to 29,000	110,000	135,000	160,000	250,000
29,001 to 34,000	130,000	160,000	190,000	290,000
34,001 to 50,000	150,000	180,000	210,000	330,000

Additionally, a booking that involves a partner will mean that you have to call Japan Airlines to complete it.

If you want to fly on American Airlines from Philadelphia (PHL) to Chicago (ORD) and then connect on Japan Airlines to Tokyo-Narita (NRT), this will require you to use the partner award chart.

If you need some travel inspiration, take a look at the best ways to redeem Japan Airlines miles.

Earning Japan Airlines Mileage Bank Miles

Japan Airlines has just 1 transfer partner: Marriott Bonvoy.

You can transfer points at a 3:1 ratio with a bonus of 5,000 JAL miles when you transfer 60,000 Marriott Bonvoy points at a time to Japan Airlines. Transfers take around 2 business days to process.

For more fun ways to earn miles, check out the best ways to earn Mileage Bank miles.

Recommended Marriott Bonvoy Cards

We discuss several Marriott credit cards in our comprehensive guide.

Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan

The Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan program is another great way to book business class on Japan Airlines. For 60,000 Alaska miles, you can fly between North America and Japan in business class.

Hot Tip: Keep in mind that Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan intra-Asia awards on Japan Airlines must be booked at least 72 hours in advance. Other routings are not affected and can still be booked last minute.

To book, go to Alaska’s website and follow these simple steps:

Go to the Alaska Airlines website.
Sign in to your account.
Search for your desired route (make sure you select Use Miles).
Choose your desired flight and click Add To Cart.
Pay the necessary taxes/fees and complete your booking.

You can even book a stopover on one-way awards when booking with Alaska Airlines.

For some more ways to use your miles, you can check out the best ways to redeem Alaska miles.

Earning Alaska Airlines Miles

Alaska Airlines, just like Japan Airlines, has just 1 transfer partner: Marriott Bonvoy. You’ll transfer points at a 3:1 ratio in around 4 business days. And for every 60,000 Marriott Bonvoy points transferred in 1 transaction, you will get an additional 5,000 Alaska Airlines miles.

Additionally, Alaska Airlines has partnered with Bank of America to offer co-branded credit cards that earn miles directly!

Cathay Pacific Asia Miles

For Cathay Pacific’s Asia Miles program, you’ll need to check mileage by partner airline using Asia Miles’ calculator. As an example, New York (JFK) to Tokyo-Haneda (HND) business-class round-trip is 150,000 miles.

Asia Miles calculator Japan Airlines flight — Image Credit: Asia Miles

Here are the steps to search for award space and book over the phone:

Go to British Airways.
Log in to your Executive Club account.
Select Spend Avios.
Click Book A Reward Flight.
Hover over Redeem Miles.
Enter your travel dates, city pairing, and select business class.
Find your desired flight.
Note the flight numbers, departure dates, and flight times.
Call Cathay Pacific Asia Miles at 866-892-2598.
Provide the flight details and complete the booking process.

Earning Cathay Pacific Asia Miles

Cathay Pacific has several credit card transfer partnerships that can be used to earn Asia Miles.

American Express Membership Rewards, Bilt Rewards, Brex Rewards, Capital One Miles, and Citi ThankYou Rewards, and can all be transferred at a solid 1:1 rate. Amex usually takes just a few hours but can take up to 1 week to complete. Bilt and Citi are almost instant transfers, Capital One takes up to 36 hours, and Brex takes 1 business day.

You can also transfer Marriott Bonvoy points at a 3:1 ratio in around 5 business days. For every 60,000 Marriott Bonvoy points you transfer at a time to Asia Miles, you will get an additional bonus of 5,000 Asia Miles.

Recommended American Express Cards (Personal)

BEST LOUNGE ACCESS

Terms Apply / Rates & Fees

The Platinum Card^® from American Express

U.P. Rating

The Amex Platinum reigns supreme for luxury travel, offering the best airport lounge access plus generous statement credits, and complimentary elite status.

Learn More(at Amex's secure site)

Apply With Confidence

Know if you're approved with no credit score impact

If you're approved and accept this Card, your credit score may be impacted.

The Platinum Card^® from American Express

The Amex Platinum reigns supreme for luxury travel, offering the best airport lounge access plus generous statement credits, and complimentary elite status.

Welcome OfferEarn 80,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $8,000 on eligible purchases on the Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership.
80,000 points

UP's Bonus Valuation*:
$1,760

Annual Fee

$695

APR

See Pay Over Time APR

Credit Recommended

Good to Excellent (670-850)

When it comes to cards that offer top-notch benefits, you’d be hard-pressed to find a better card out there than The Platinum Card^® from American Express.

Make no mistake — the Amex Platinum card is a premium card with a premium price tag. With amazing benefits like best-in-class airport lounge access, hotel elite status, and tremendous value in annual statement credits, it can easily prove to be one of the most lucrative cards in your wallet year after year.

Pros

The best airport lounge access out of any card (by far) — enjoy access to over 1,400 worldwide lounges, including the luxurious Amex Centurion Lounges, Priority Pass lounges, Plaza Premium Lounges, and many more!
5x points per dollar spent on flights purchased directly with the airline or with AmexTravel.com (up to $500,000 per year)
5x points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels booked with AmexTravel.com

Cons

$695 annual fee (rates and fees)
Airline credit does not cover airfare (only incidentals like checked bags)

Read Full Review

Earn 80,000 Membership Rewards^® Points after you spend $8,000 on eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Apply and select your preferred metal Card design: classic Platinum, Platinum x Kehinde Wiley, or Platinum x Julie Mehretu.
Earn 5X Membership Rewards^® Points for flights booked directly with airlines or with American Express Travel up to $500,000 on these purchases per calendar year and earn 5X Membership Rewards^® Points on prepaid hotels booked with American Express Travel.
$200 Hotel Credit: Get up to $200 back in statement credits each year on prepaid Fine Hotels + Resorts^® or The Hotel Collection bookings with American Express Travel when you pay with your Platinum Card^®. The Hotel Collection requires a minimum two-night stay.
$240 Digital Entertainment Credit: Get up to $20 back in statement credits each month on eligible purchases made with your Platinum Card^® on one or more of the following: Disney+, a Disney Bundle, ESPN+, Hulu, The New York Times, Peacock, and The Wall Street Journal. Enrollment required.
The American Express Global Lounge Collection^® can provide an escape at the airport. With complimentary access to more than 1,400 airport lounges across 140 countries and counting, you have more airport lounge options than any other credit card issuer on the market. As of 03/2023.
$155 Walmart+ Credit: Save on eligible delivery fees, shipping, and more with a Walmart+ membership. Use your Platinum Card^® to pay for a monthly Walmart+ membership and get up to $12.95 plus applicable taxes back on one membership (excluding Plus Ups) each month.
$200 Airline Fee Credit: Select one qualifying airline and then receive up to $200 in statement credits per calendar year when incidental fees are charged by the airline to your Platinum Card^®.
$200 Uber Cash: Enjoy Uber VIP status and up to $200 in Uber savings on rides or eats orders in the US annually. Uber Cash and Uber VIP status is available to Basic Card Member only. Terms Apply.
$189 CLEAR^® Plus Credit: CLEAR^® Plus helps to get you to your gate faster at 50+ airports nationwide and get up to $189 back per calendar year on your Membership (subject to auto-renewal) when you use your Card. CLEARLanes are available at 100+ airports, stadiums, and entertainment venues.
Receive either a $100 statement credit every 4 years for a Global Entry application fee or a statement credit up to $85 every 4.5 year period for TSA PreCheck^® application fee for a 5-year plan only (through a TSA PreCheck^® official enrollment provider), when charged to your Platinum Card^®. Card Members approved for Global Entry will also receive access to TSA PreCheck at no additional cost.
Shop Saks with Platinum: Get up to $100 in statement credits annually for purchases in Saks Fifth Avenue stores or at saks.com on your Platinum Card^®. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
Unlock access to exclusive reservations and special dining experiences with Global Dining Access by Resy when you add your Platinum Card^® to your Resy profile.
$695 annual fee.
Terms Apply.

Financial Snapshot

APR: See Pay Over Time APR
Foreign Transaction Fees: None

Rewards Center

American Express Membership Rewards

NEW OFFER

Terms Apply / Rates & Fees

American Express^® Gold Card

U.P. Rating

This is the best card for food lovers who dine out at restaurants (worldwide), order take-out and want big rewards at U.S. supermarkets!

Learn More(at Amex's secure site)

Apply With Confidence

Know if you're approved with no credit score impact

If you're approved and accept this Card, your credit score may be impacted.

American Express^® Gold Card

This is the best card for food lovers who dine out at restaurants (worldwide), order take-out and want big rewards at U.S. supermarkets!

Welcome OfferEarn 60,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 on eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Plus, receive 20% back in statement credits on eligible purchases made at restaurants worldwide within the first 6 months of Card Membership, up to $100 back. Limited time offer. Offer ends 11/6/24.
60,000 points + up to $100 back

UP's Bonus Valuation*:
$1,420

Annual Fee

$325

APR

See Pay Over Time APR

Credit Recommended

Good to Excellent (670-850)

The American Express^® Gold Card is a game-changer.

With this card, you can earn 4x Membership Rewards points at restaurants, up to $50,000 per calendar year, and you’ll also earn 4x Membership Rewards points at U.S. supermarkets on up to $25,000 per calendar year, then 1x.

There isn’t another card on the market that offers a 1-2 punch like this. Of course, there are several other benefits of the Gold Card as well, including extra monthly dining rewards and more.

Pros

4x points per dollar at restaurants worldwide, up to $50,000 per calendar year; then 1x thereafter
4x points per dollar at U.S. supermarkets, up to $25,000 per calendar year; then 1x thereafter
3x points per dollar on flights purchased directly from airlines or at AmexTravel.com

Cons

$325 annual fee (rates and fees)
No lounge access

Read Full Review

Earn 60,000 Membership Rewards^® Points after you spend $6,000 on eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Plus, receive 20% back in statement credits on eligible purchases made at restaurants worldwide within the first 6 months of Card Membership, up to $100 back. Limited time offer. Offer ends 11/6/24.
Get the American Express^® Gold Card in either the Gold, Rose Gold or Limited-Edition White Gold metal design. White Gold design is only available while supplies last.
Earn 4X Membership Rewards^® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
Earn 4X Membership Rewards^® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
Earn 3X Membership Rewards^® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
Earn 2X Membership Rewards^® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
Earn 1X Membership Rewards^® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
$120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and each month automatically get $10 in Uber Cash for Uber Eats orders or Uber rides in the U.S., totaling up to $120 per year.
$84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express^® Gold Card at Dunkin' locations.
$100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express^® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
$120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express^® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Enrollment required.
Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit to use towards eligible charges, which may include food and beverage, spa, or other on-property charges with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. Credit use varies by property.
No Foreign Transaction Fees.
Annual Fee is $325.
Terms Apply.

Financial Snapshot

APR: See Pay Over Time APR
Foreign Transaction Fees: None

Rewards Center

American Express Membership Rewards

Business Owner? Check out our article on the best Amex business credit cards that earn Membership Rewards.

Hot Tip: Check out our Transfer Partner Tool to easily calculate how many miles you’ll need to transfer for your award.

American Airlines AAdvantage

American’s AAdvantage program is one of the most popular ways to book awards on Japan Airlines.

SCROLL FOR MORE

Route	Main Cabin	Business/First	First
U.S. to Asia Region 1	35,000	60,000	80,000

Here are the simple steps to book:

Go to British Airways.
Log in to your account.
Select Spend Avios.
Click Book A Reward Flight.
Scroll over Redeem Miles.
Enter your travel dates, city pairing, and select business class.
Find your desired flight.
Note the flight numbers, departure dates, and flight times.
Call American Airlines at 800-882-8880.
Provide the flight details and complete the booking process.

If Japan Airlines isn’t your thing right now, there are other great options for redeeming your American AAdvantage miles, too.

Hot Tip: The ability to put award seats on hold for 5 days makes using American miles one of the easiest ways to book Japan Airlines business class.

Earning American Airlines AAdvantage Miles

Currently, American Airlines AAdvantage is a transfer partner with just 1 partner: Marriott Bonvoy. Marriott Bonvoy transfers to AAdvantage at a 3:1 ratio in around 2 business days.

However, one of the best ways to get AAdvantage miles is to make purchases on American Airlines co-branded credit cards from Barclays or Citi.

Other Options for Booking Japan Airlines

Any of Japan Airlines’ Oneworld partners, including British Airways, can be used to book award flights. Unfortunately, the redemption rates on these other carriers are often quite poor.

Great Japan Airlines Business Class Redemptions

Japan Airlines 777 — Japan Airlines business class flights are easy to book with points. Image Credit: rebius / Adobe Stock

Let’s start with some typical awards and then move on to some interesting options between the U.S. and Japan.

You can use 100,000 Japan Airlines to fly from New York (JFK), Chicago (ORD), or Los Angeles (LAX) to Japan. These routes can also be booked for 120,000 Alaska Mileage Plan miles, 120,000 American AAdvantage miles, or 150,000 Asia Miles.

Here are the top U.S. routes, along with each frequent flyer program’s redemption prices:

SCROLL FOR MORE

Route (One-way)	Japan Airlines Mileage Bank Cost	Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan Cost	Cathay Pacific Asia Miles Cost	American Airlines AAdvantage Miles Cost
Boston (BOS) – Tokyo-Narita (NRT)	50,000 miles	60,000 miles	75,000 miles	60,000 miles
Chicago (ORD) – Tokyo-Haneda (HND)	50,000 miles	60,000 miles	75,000 miles	60,000 miles
Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW) – Tokyo-Haneda (HND)	50,000 miles	60,000 miles	75,000 miles	60,000 miles
Los Angeles (LAX) – Osaka (KIX)	50,000 miles	60,000 miles	75,000 miles	60,000 miles
Los Angeles (LAX) – Tokyo-Narita/Haneda (NRT/HND)	50,000 miles	60,000 miles	75,000 miles	60,000 miles
New York (JFK) – Tokyo-Narita/Haneda (NRT/HND)	50,000 miles	60,000 miles	75,000 miles	60,000 miles
San Francisco (SFO) – Tokyo-Narita/Haneda (NRT/HND)	50,000 miles	60,000 miles	75,000 miles	60,000 miles
Seattle (SEA) – Tokyo-Narita (NRT)	50,000 miles	60,000 miles	61,000 miles	60,000 miles

If you want to fly Japan Airlines as part of a broader, “round-the-world” award trip, Asia Miles has the following award chart for Oneworld multi-carrier awards. These complex itineraries could provide huge value!

SCROLL FOR MORE

Award Zone	Distance in Actual Miles	Economy	Business	First
01	1 to 1,000	35,000	55,000	70,000
02	1,001 to 1,500	30,000	60,000	80,000
03	1,501 to 2,000	35,000	65,000	90,000
04	2,001 to 4,000	35,000	70,000	95,000
05	4,001 to 7,500	60,000	90,000	140,000
06	7,501 to 9,000	65,000	100,000	150,000
07	9,001 to 10,000	70,000	110,000	160,000
08	10,001 to 14,000	90,000	135,000	220,000
09	14,001 to 18,000	100,000	155,000	250,000
10	18,001 to 20,000	105,000	165,000	260,000
11	20,001 to 25,000	115,000	185,000	280,000
12	25,001 to 35,000	130,000	210,000	300,000
13	35,001 to 50,000	150,000	240,000	345,000

Here are some wild multi-carrier/round-the-world award trips you can book with Japan Airlines as a long-haul carrier:

San Francisco (SFO) – Tokyo-Haneda/Narita (HND/NRT) on Japan Airlines business class
Tokyo-Haneda/Narita (HND/NRT) – Hong Kong (HKG) on Cathay Pacific business class
Hong Kong (HKG) – Doha (DOH) on Qatar Airways Qsuites
Doha (DOH) – London (LHR) on Qatar Airways Qsuites
London (LHR) – San Francisco (SFO) on British Airways business class

This itinerary would cost around 165,000 Asia miles, which represents a huge discount compared to if the segments were booked separately.

Here’s another RTW award ticket you can book:

Chicago (ORD) – Madrid (MAD) on Iberia business class
Madrid (MAD) – Helsinki (HEL) on Finnair business class
Helsinki (HEL) – Bangkok (BKK) on Finnair business class
Bangkok (BKK) – Tokyo-Haneda/Narita (HND/NRT) on Japan Airlines business class
Tokyo-Haneda (HND) – Los Angeles (LAX) on Japan Airlines business class

This itinerary would also be priced at 165,000 Asia Miles!

Hot Tip: If Tokyo is a bucket list destination for you, check out our in-depth Tokyo travel guide for great ideas on things to do, see, eat, etc.

How To Earn Enough Miles for Japan Airlines Business Class

Ready to book a flight in Japan Airlines business class, but don’t have enough miles for the itinerary you want? Here is the summary of transfer partnerships for the major frequent flyer programs we discussed:

American Express Membership Rewards transfers at a 1:1 ratio to Cathay Pacific Asia Miles usually in around a few hours, but sometimes up to 1 week.
Bilt Rewards transfers at a 1:1 ratio to Cathay Pacific Asia Miles almost instantly.
Brex Rewards transfers at a 1:1 ratio to Cathay Pacific Asia Miles in 1 business day.
Capital One Miles transfers at a 1:1 ratio to Cathay Pacific Asia Miles in up to 36 hours.
Citi ThankYou Rewards transfers at a 1:1 ratio to Cathay Pacific Asia Miles in 1 business day.
Marriott Bonvoy transfers at a 3:1 ratio to Japan Airlines Mileage Bank, Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan, Cathay Pacific Asia Miles, and American Airlines AAdvantage in around 2 business days, 4 business days, 5 business days, and 3 business days, respectively.

In the past, we’ve seen transfer bonuses to Cathay Pacific Asia Miles from Brex Rewards, Amex Membership Rewards, and Citi ThankYou Rewards of anywhere from 15% to 25%. We haven’t seen any transfer bonuses for Japan Airlines, Alaska Airlines, or American Airlines.

Simply put, if you have any credit card that earns points from a major transferrable currency, you can book Japan Airlines business class with points. Even Chase Ultimate Rewards (not discussed in this guide) has transfer partnerships with British Airways Executive Club, although we wouldn’t recommend this due to high redemption prices.

When Should You Search for Award Space

Flexible travel dates will make your award search easier, as business class award space on Japan Airlines is not always easy to find.

Once you know when you’d like to travel, start your search. Space is not always available months in advance, but keep checking — Japan Airlines might release award availability closer to the date of departure.

What Makes Japan Airlines a Great Redemption

For long transpacific flights, comfort is always a top priority. When you book business class on Japan Airlines, you can expect a comfortable flight and so much more.

Business Class Sky Suite

Every seat has direct aisle access, so you won’t have anyone climbing over you. If you’re in a window seat, you don’t have to crawl over anyone either!

A window seat should be your first choice (especially if you’re traveling alone) since it has the most privacy without feeling cramped. You might even feel like you’re flying in first class!

You will also enjoy a fully lie-flat bed, which makes it so much easier to sleep on the long journey across the Pacific.

Business Class Service

Japan Airlines has cultivated a reputation for having absolutely amazing cabin crews in both first and business class. They seem to take so much pride in their jobs, and you can tell by how they treat every aspect of the flight. Not only are they attentive to your needs during the flight, but they do their jobs with a refreshing friendliness.

Final Thoughts

Business class on Japan Airlines really is a wonderful way to fly. From the moment you set foot on board, you can relax and enjoy yourself. Enjoy a glass of Champagne and a great meal knowing that you’re going to have fun on this flight!

If you happen to be flying out of Tokyo, visit the Sakura Lounge to make this an even more memorable trip.

With several great ways to book a business class flight on Japan Airlines, all you have to do is figure out when you can jump on the opportunity!

The information regarding the Marriott Bonvoy Bold^® Credit Card was independently collected by Upgraded Points and not provided nor reviewed by the issuer.
The information regarding the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless^® Credit Card was independently collected by Upgraded Points and not provided nor reviewed by the issuer.

For rates and fees of the Marriott Bonvoy Bevy™ American Express^® Card, click here.
For rates and fees of the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant^® American Express^® card, click here.
For rates and fees of The Platinum Card^® from American Express, click here.
For rates and fees of the American Express^® Gold Card, click here.

Featured Image Credit: ahsing888 from Pixabay

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best way to book Japan Airlines business class?

If you are booking business class on Japan Airlines, check Japan Airlines Mileage Bank, Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan, American Airlines AAdvantage, or Cathay Pacific Asia Miles.

Japan Airlines and Alaska Airlines will have the best redemption rates, but booking with American Airlines can be much easier since you can put awards on hold. It’s also much easier to earn Asia Miles to book with Cathay Pacific through credit card transfer partnerships.

What credit cards can help me fly Japan Airlines business class?

You can transfer Amex Membership Rewards points, Bilt Rewards points, Brex Rewards points, Capital One miles, Citi ThankYou Points, and Marriott Bonvoy points to Cathay Pacific Asia Miles. Synchrony Bank provides a co-branded credit card that earns Asia Miles, as well.

Bank of America also provides co-branded cards that earn Alaska miles if you need to top off your Mileage Plan account, while Citi and Barclays provide co-branded American Airlines credit cards.

What do I get when flying Japan Airlines business class?

Japan Airlines has a great business class Sky Suite and an amazing cabin crew. If you depart from Tokyo-Haneda (HND) or Tokyo-Narita (NRT), make sure you enjoy the Sakura Lounge before your flight to the U.S.

Does Japan Airlines have lie-flat seats?

On long-haul flights from the U.S. to Japan, you will probably get lie-flat seats in business class! Depending on which exact type of aircraft you’re flying, it can either be Sky Suites (which are Apex suites with direct aisle access), the reverse herringbone Sky Suites III product, or even the Thompson Vantage XL lie-flat seats on select 767-300 aircraft.

On rare occasions, you may find the older, angled-flat business class seat aboard the 787-8. These are almost lie-flat but not quite lie-flat.

Was this page helpful?

About Stephen Au

Stephen is an established voice in the credit card space, with over 70 to his name. His work has been in publications like The Washington Post, and his Au Points and Awards Consulting Services is used by hundreds of clients.

The Ultimate Lounge Playbook!

Discover the exact steps we use to get into 1,400+ airport lounges worldwide, for free (even if you’re flying economy!).