You’re not imagining things: Everyone you know—everyone, in general—is going to Japan. Obviously, given what I do for a living, this is something I’m very happy about.
This means, of course, that everyone is flying to Japan. And because of the typical profile of the typical Japan traveler, many of these people have hundreds of thousands (or even millions) of frequent flier miles at their disposal. Anecdotally, at least half of my custom Japan itinerary clients plan to travel using points.
Now, this doesn’t mean that it’s impossible to fly to Japan with points and miles. But it does mean you need to have a strategy, ideally well in advance of booking your tickets.
Why Flying to Japan With Points Can Feel Impossible
Want to fly to Japan with miles? For better or for worse, you’re not alone. I’m right there with you! In fact, I still use points for basically every trip I take to Japan, and almost always manage to do so in business class. In order to manage this, however, I’ve created a strict and somewhat complex system, which includes premium subscriptions to availability tracks, the flexibility to book instantly (and often at the last minute) and the fact that I usually travel by myself.
Even for someone like me, booking award travel to Japan in the late 2020s can be a difficult and tedious task, and sometimes an impossible one. If your situation is less optimal than mine—for example, if you’re booking for your whole family, are not flexible with dates and can’t book your flights at a literal moment’s notice if you’re notified when they become available—then you may struggle to book even a single flight to Japan using miles.
5 Truths to Know About Award Travel to Japan
Saver availability in first and business class is near-zero
Now, I realize that this probably sounds hypocritical. After all, I already told you that I fly to Japan almost exclusively in premium classes like first class on ANA and JAL. However, this is because I monitor availability obsessively, am flexible about specific dates that I can travel and am prepared to book at a moment’s notice. If these things aren’t true for you, you may get stuck in economy.
(But remains robust in coach)
I say “stuck in economy,” but this is actually the most reliable way to fly to Japan with points. Availability and pricing are decent on basically every airline, even if you need multiple seats on the same flight. Now, on the flip side, economy class does not represent a high-value use of miles—premium economy is even worse. But if you simply need to get to Japan and back, and have a stash of miles you’re sitting on, this is more of an ego issue than a practical one.
Booking at the last minute is an underrated hack
Earlier, when I was discussing using points for business class flights to Japan, I mentioned the fact that I was flexible. In that paragraph, I mean with regard to departure dates—I could just as easily leave on October 26 (pulling dates out of a hat) as I could October 27 or October 25. Another way I’m flexible, however, is that I’m happy to roll the dice right up until the last minute. In almost every case, I’ve been able to find a ticket days or even hours before flying, even in business and first.
(So is using third-party award travel tools)
In the past, the best way to fly to Japan with miles and points was to settle in advance on a points currency, and obsessively monitor the website you’d eventually use to book your tickets. These days, a number of automated tools exist, many of which can monitor dozens of potential booking options simultaneously. My personal favorite is Seats.aero (which, sadly, has not sponsored this or any other post of mine), though other options (such as Point.me and Roame) are available.
Thinking outside the box is key
I’ll now bring up “flexibility” in a third sense, although it’s really more of a catch-all here—throwing at the wall and seeing what sticks, if you will. For me, this has included connecting elsewhere in Asia en route to Japan (I like EVA Air via Taipei), buying points currencies on sale if I don’t think I’ll earn them but want to have a stash for booking and selectively holding airline co-branded credit cards (United, in my case) to unlock more robust availability. Necessity is the mother of invention; desperation is her grandmother.
Hire Me to Plan Your Trip to Japan—and (Maybe) to Secure Flights, Too
Now, I’ll be frank: I cannot guarantee you that I can find you a seat (let alone seats) on a specific flight to Japan, on a specific seat and/or in a specific class. In all likelihood, this simply isn’t possible. What I can do is deploy knowledge and resources you simply don’t have at your disposal, both to maximize your chances of getting the flight you want, and to provide you with multiple suitable alternatives.
To be sure, whether or not I’m able to help you find award tickets to Japan, I can certainly plan the ultimate trip to Japan for you. I’ve got more than a decade of experience traveling to every single one of Japan’s 47 prefectures, most of them in multiple seasons. And so whether you need a standard two-week jaunt along the tourist trail, or an adventure far off Japan’s beaten path, I hope you’ll consider hiring me.
Other FAQ About Flying to Japan with Points
How many miles does a ticket to Japan cost?
The cost of a ticket to Japan, using miles, can vary substantially. Economy class flights can sometimes be had for as little as ~30,000 miles one-way, while it’s normally to spend up to 100,000 miles for business class flights, and even more than that for first-class flights. Beware of price gouging, such as when Delta tries to charge you nearly half a million miles per ticket for one-way flights to Japan in its overrated Delta One business class cabin.
Can I fly to Japan for free with miles and points?
You can save serious cash flying to Japan with miles and points, presuming that you have a decent stash lying around. Even business and first class tickets booked using certain carriers’ frequent flyer currencies can require only a few dollars in tax and fee payments. Do keep in mind, however, that points and miles represent real value—spending 80,000 AAdvantage miles on a first-class flight to Japan isn’t “free.”
Should I use miles and points to fly to Japan?
You should use miles and points to fly to Japan if you have a large balance of frequent flyer currency, and if you find a fairly-priced flight that meets you needs in terms of comfort and convenience. In some cases, however, paying for a ticket outright will have the most positive overall impact on your trip to Japan, even if that means saving points and miles for another opportunity.
The Bottom Line
It both harder and easier than ever to fly to Japan with points and miles. It veers toward the “easy” side of the continuum if you devise and execute a strategy with plenty of runway (pun maybe intended) to put it into practice before you need to book your tickets. Are you targeting Japanese airlines, or are you open to foreign carriers and/or non-direct routings? Is sitting in business or first non-negotiable, or is the flight itself the most important component? Importantly, will you strategically spend on credit cards once you land in Japan to recoup part of the cost? If you still feel flummoxed, of course, I invite you to enlist my professional help.
