The BEST ways to fly to Japan with Points and Miles

So are you ready to use your hard-earned points and miles? Remember we want to maximize the value we get from every point redeemed. Some of the best redemptions are those that offer superior or outsized value when compared to using cash. We call these redemptions a Sweet Spot. Some of the best sweet spots can be found right here in our home airport of Honolulu. 🌈

• ANA to Japan for as little as 22,500 Chase points one way ➡️ using Virgin Atlantic Flying Club

• Japan Airlines to Japan for as little as 20,750 Chase points one way ➡️ using British Airways Avios

• Japan Airlines to Japan for as little as 35,000 Alaska points one way ➡️ using Alaska Mileage Plan

• Hawaiian Airlines to Japan for as little as 40,000 American Express points one way ➡️ using Hawaiian Miles

1. Fly ANA to Japan for as little as 22,500 Chase points one way ➡️ using Virgin Atlantic Flying Club

This redemption has long been one of the sweetest deals in all credit card award travel. You can fly one way from Hawaii to Japan for 22,500 points in economy, 35,000 points in business class, and 57,500 points in first class! Redemptions also cost about $200 in taxes and fee’s but it’s well worth the price of flying on Japan’s premiere airline. 

How to book - For the best value, we will book this flight with Virgin Atlantic points and take advantage of Chase’s points transfer feature. (*note you must have a Sapphire Preferred, Sapphire Reserve, or Ink Preferred card to transfer points to travel partners)

Search United.com for your flight date using miles. Once you see the available flight in your desired class of service and bookable with miles, call Virgin Atlantic (make sure you have your Virgin Atlantic flying club account number) and have them search for the same flight date and times. 

Once the agent confirms the flight is bookable with points, initiate a points transfer request from the Chase Ultimate Rewards Portal into your Virgin Atlantic account. The transfer is instant, and from there, you will be able to pay for the flight with your newly transferred miles. 

Some things to consider, Virgin Atlantic charges a $50 fee to change or cancel award bookings per passenger. They used to allow for holds on flight awards but no longer seem to be offering this. 

2. Fly Japan Airlines to Japan for as little as 20,750 Chase points one way ➡️ using British Airways Avios

If you would rather fly Japan Airlines, Chase transfer partner British Airways Avios lets you book directly on their website starting at 20,750 for economy, 41,250 in premium economy, and 62,000 for business class. 

Create a British Airways account and search directly on their website to book. 

3. Fly Japan Airlines to Japan for as little as 35,000 Alaska points one way ➡️ using Alaska Mileage Plan

If you have Alaska miles, you can get to Japan quite cheaply by flying on JAL. Book Economy for 30,000 in economy, 40,000 in premium economy, and 60,000 in business. 

4. Fly Hawaiian Airlines to Japan for as little as 40,000 American Express points one way ➡️ using Hawaiian Miles

A very popular program here in the islands, the Hawaiian Miles loyalty program is a great way to use Hawaiian miles earned from transferring American Express points directly to Hawaiian Airlines. 

Note that Hawaiian Airlines prices flights dynamically so only some flights are set at the base levels of 40,000 and 65,000 miles for economy and business class from the photo above. This saver availability comes and goes so make sure to check back often as the price may have dropped from when you first searched.

Our last trip to Japan 2024

This is a Points & Miles Breakdown of our last trip to Japan in May 2024.

If you want to earn points for your next Japan trip, please sign up for our ACCELERATED POINTS STRATEGY!