JAL Business Class for 2+ (Summer/Fall 2023)
Business class space on Japan Airlines has tightened up but it does pop up here and there. This time I'm seeing award space on their San Francisco route for summer and fall travel. It's not a ton of space but there's plenty to book.
So, let's get into it!
Shout out to my friend Brian at Travel On Points for noticing this!
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Straight To The Points:
Routes: SFO-NRT
Operating airline: Japan Airlines
Class of service: Business class
Dates: July - October 2023
Seats available: 2+
Cabin layout: 2-2-2
Book with (per person, one-way):
- *Alaska Mileage Plan: 60,000 miles
- *American AAdvantage: 60,000 miles
- Asia Miles: 75,000 miles
- British Airways Executive Club: 77,250 Avios
- Emirates Skywards: 88,000 miles
- JAL Mileage Bank: 50,000 miles
- Qantas Frequent Flyer: 90,000 points
*No surcharges
Taxes/fees (per person):
- From US: $5.60
- From Tokyo: ~$48
- Surcharges:
- From US: ~$338
- From Tokyo: ~$370
Alaska adds a $12.50 partner award booking fee.
Bank transfer partners:
- Alaska: Marriott
- American: Bilt, Marriott
- Asia Miles: Amex, Bilt, Citi, Capital One
- British Airways: Amex, Capital One, Chase, Marriott
- You can transfer Citi to Qatar then move Avios to British Airways
- Emirates: Amex, Bilt, Chase, Citi, Capital One, Marriott
- Flying Blue: Amex, Bilt, Chase, Citi, Capital One, Marriott
- Japan Airlines: Marriott
- Qantas: Amex, Citi, Marriott
Don't forget to let me know if you book and how you did it!
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Flight Experience
Japan Airlines has a reputation for great service so a business class flight should be more than enjoyable. The biggest thing to keep in mind is that JAL operates different aircraft to/from North America.
On both the Boeing 787-9 and Boeing 787-8 that operate this route, you'll find a 2-2-2 layout. Each seat is lie-flat and has direct aisle access. The window seats provide a ton of privacy and are preferred by many.
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Available Dates
SFO-NRT
July: 4, 9, 14, 15, 19, 20, 23, 27-30
August: 4, 6, 22, 23, 25-28
September: 2, 5, 8, 17, 20, 22, 24, 29
October: 1, 9, 15, 20, 22, 27
NRT-SFO
July: 1, 2, 5-7, 11, 14, 22
August: 2, 17, 18, 30, 31
September: 3, 6, 8, 10, 13-15, 17-19, 21, 22, 24, 29
October: 1, 2, 4-6, 8, 9, 12-15, 20
November: 8, 12, 20, 22
December: 6, 7, 11-15, 17-23
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Best Ways To Book
Regardless of the program you use to book, remember that connections to other parts of Asia (particularly Southeast Asia) could increase the award rate.
American: Great Rate, No Surcharges, Transfer from Bilt
If you want to keep the cash cost of your ticket to a minimum, 60,000 AA miles is a great choice. Plus, you can transfer Bilt or Marriott points and put an award ticket on hold for up to 5 days.
You can include a domestic connection on American or Alaska if you don't live near one of these airports for no extra AA miles.
Alaska: Great Rate, No Surcharges, Free Stopover, Tough To Earn
You could also book with 60,000 Alaska miles one-way. On the plus side, you can include a stopover on a one-way award ticket. Alaska only allows you to include one partner on an award so you can only connect on Alaska.
Your only transfer option is Marriott so it's tough to earn the miles you need.
Asia Miles: Great Rate From SEA/YVR, Surcharges But Easier To Earn
If you're flying out of SEA or YVR, 61,000 miles is a great one-way rate, especially when you consider how easy it is to earn Asia Miles via Amex, Bilt, Capital One, and Citi transfers.
The rate of 75,000 miles one-way is solid when you consider how easier they are to earn via several transfer partners. Please keep in mind that Asia Miles uses a different award chart if you fly on more than one partner airline which means non-stops are likely your best bet.
JAL Mileage Bank: Great Rate, Very Tough To Earn
JAL Mileage Bank allows you to book a one-way award for 50,000 miles but they're just so hard to earn unless you have a ton of Marriott points lying around waiting to be transferred.
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How To Book
- Go to AA's site
- Select Advanced / Multi-city search (just click this link)
- Select Redeem miles
- Select One way or Round trip
- Enter From & To cities
- Select departure date(s)
- Choose the number of passengers
- Select Class as Business/First
- Click Search
- If you're searching for a nonstop, select Calendar then sort by nonstop.
- Once you know which dates have JAL space, you can run a search from your home airport if you're not booking nonstop
If you're not booking with American miles, you can run a search with the program you're using once you find a date you want to book.
If you want to use Asia Miles and include a connection on American, you'll need to call (866-892-2598) to complete the booking.
To book with Emirates, you can call 800-777-3999.
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Final Thoughts
It's hard not to love Japan. From the food to the bullet trains to the natural beauty, there's something for everyone. Whether it's a quick trip to try some great food or you want to spend a couple of weeks exploring, I think you'll have a great time.
I highly recommend going to a baseball game. It's a totally different experience than what you'll find in the states.
Happy booking!
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