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We could list several reasons to support the claim that Japan is an incredible place to visit. But to save you the time and provide the encouragement necessary to see it and create experiences for yourself, we'll jump right to the best ways to get to the country's most accessible metropolis: Tokyo.
Here are the five best points and miles currencies to get to Tokyo, Japan.
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The Best Points and Miles for Free (or Nearly Free) Flights to Tokyo
Tokyo is home to two major international airports: Narita (NRT) and Haneda (HND). The main difference between the two is that Haneda is closer to all the action — the city center — and Narita is a hop, skip, and jump away.
Major airlines like ANA, Japan Airlines, American Airlines, and more serve both airports, so you'll want to pay attention to the three-letter code attached to your itinerary. Otherwise, you might be in for a surprise when you touch down in Tokyo and have to hop on a long-ish train ride to Tokyo proper.
For simplicity, booking engines will often let you search “TYO” for “all Tokyo airports,” which is a helpful tidbit to keep in your back pocket the next time you look for a flight to Tokyo.
And before we trek further, we'll set the stage by saying that the five points and miles we're about to mention aren't the only currencies you can use to get to Tokyo. You can surely use other programs, but the following five sit at the cross-section of being easy to accrue and offering a great deal on the transpacific flight.
Air Canada Aeroplan
One of our favorite aspects of Air Canada Aeroplan is the sheer number of airlines you can book with Aeroplan points: 50, to be exact! Among that list is a trio of Star Alliance partners offering a widely available one-stop-or-less option from the United States to Tokyo. Those carriers are Singapore Airlines, United Airlines, and Asiana Airlines.
There's technically a fourth, ANA, but Aeroplan isn't currently reflecting ANA space on its website. If that changes, we'll update this section.
Air Canada utilizes a region- and distance-based award chart for partner flights (warning: PDF). On itineraries from the mainland United States to Japan, all possible points of origin fall within the 5,001-7,500-mile distance band. In other words, you'll pay these fixed rates (plus taxes and fees) on one-way flights to Japan:
- Economy: 50,000 points
- Business: 75,000 points
- First: 110,000 points
Even on itineraries that connect in cities like San Francisco (SFO) or Seoul (ICN), you'll pay the same price if the entire itinerary remains in the same distance band.
If ANA returns to Aeroplan as a bookable option, you can fly nonstop to Tokyo for the following amount of points:
- Economy: 35,000 points
- Business: 55,000 points
- First: 90,000 points
The second-best aspect of Air Canada's frequent flyer program is the number of reward programs that offer transfers to Aeroplan. Thus, it's easy to stock up on Aeroplan points to book that trip to Tokyo.
Travelers residing in the United States also can take advantage of a big sign-up bonus on the Aeroplan® Credit Card. As a new applicant, you can bank 75,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months your account is open.
- Earn 75,000 bonus points
- Earn 75K bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months your account is open.
- $95 Annual Fee
- Redeem points for both international and domestic flights with the Aeroplan® Credit Card.
- Fly to another continent and travel the world with the Aeroplan® Credit Card.
- Earn 3X points for each dollar spent at grocery stores, on dining at restaurants, and Air Canada directly. Earn 1X point for each dollar spent on all other purchases.
- 500 bonus points for every $2,000 you spend in a calendar month - up to 1,500 points per month.
- Member FDIC
- Rates & Fees
- 3x points directly with Air Canada
- 3x points on dining, including takeout and eligible delivery services
- 3x points at grocery stores
- 1x point on all other purchases
Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan
Despite a recent award chart shakeup, Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan miles are still one of our favorite currencies for booking flights to Tokyo. But to maximize your miles, you'll have to get creative with your point of origin.
Mileage Plan publishes a specific chart for flights from North America to the Asia Pacific region. Unfortunately, one distance band separates the Pacific Northwestern part of the United States from the rest of the country, and that's where you'll see the best award prices. You can find a truncated version of the Asia Pacific award chart below.
| Distance (miles) | Economy (starting at) | Premium Economy (starting at) | Business (starting at) | First (starting at) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3,001–5,000 | 30,000 | 40,000 | 60,000 | 90,000 |
| 5,001–7,000 | 37,500 | 50,000 | 75,000 | 110,000 |
| 7,001–10,000 | 42,500 | 55,000 | 85,000 | 130,000 |
| 10,000 and above | 65,000 | 85,000 | 130,000 | 195,000 |
A nonstop flight to Tokyo from Seattle (SEA), Vancouver (YVR), or from Hawaii will cover less than 5,000 miles, while a flight from anywhere else served by Alaska's partners will put you over the threshold for the next distance band. For example, flying Japan Airlines in business class from Seattle (SEA) to Narita (NRT) costs 60,000 Mileage Plan miles, and a flight out of Los Angeles (LAX) will ring up at 75,000 miles. That's a big difference!
However, a perk of flying Alaska's fellow Oneworld member, Japan Airlines, out of Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW), Chicago (ORD), or New York (JFK) — and possibly other airports, depending on scheduling — is that JAL offers first class on these routes. These aspirational awards cost 110,000 Mileage Plan miles plus taxes and fees.
Historically, Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan miles have been rather difficult to earn. This has recently improved, with Bilt Rewards adding Alaska Airlines as a transfer partner. And yes, you can still transfer Marriott Bonvoy points to Mileage Plan at a 3:1 ratio, including a 5,000-mile bonus for every 60,000 points transferred at once.
You also can earn the Mileage Plan miles sufficient for a trip to Tokyo after earning a signup bonus on the Alaska Airlines Visa Signature® credit card. As a new applicant, you can earn 60,000 bonus miles + Alaska's Famous Companion Fare™ (from $122) after spending $3,000 or more in purchases within the first 90 days of opening your account.
- LIMITED TIME ONLINE OFFER-60,000 Bonus Miles + a 30% Flight Discount Code!
- Receive a 30% flight discount code for a qualifying future flight after opening your new account. Additionally, earn 60,000 bonus miles plus Alaska's Famous Companion Fare™ ($99 fare plus taxes and fees from $23) after making $3,000 or more in purchases within the first 90 days of opening your account.
- Get Alaska's Famous Companion Fare™ ($99 fare plus taxes and fees from $23) each account anniversary after you spend $6,000 or more on purchases within the prior anniversary year. Valid on all Alaska Airlines flights booked on alaskaair.com.
- Earn unlimited 3 miles for every $1 spent on eligible Alaska Airlines purchases. Earn unlimited 2 miles for every $1 spent on eligible gas, EV charging station, cable, streaming services and local transit (including ride share) purchases. And earn unlimited 1 mile per $1 spent on all other purchases. And, your miles don't expire on active accounts.
- Earn a 10% rewards bonus on all miles earned from card purchases if you have an eligible Bank of America® account.
- Free checked bag and enjoy priority boarding for you and up to 6 guests on the same reservation, when you pay for your flight with your card - Also available for authorized users when they book a reservation too!
- With oneworld® Alliance member airlines and Alaska's Global Partners, Alaska has expanded their global reach to over 1,000 destinations worldwide bringing more airline partners and more ways to earn and redeem miles.
- Plus, no foreign transaction fees and a low $95 annual fee.
- This online only offer may not be available elsewhere if you leave this page. You can take advantage of this offer when you apply now.
- Earn unlimited 3 miles for every $1 spent on eligible Alaska Airlines purchases
- Earn unlimited 2 miles for every $1 spent on eligible gas, EV charging stations, cable, streaming services and local transit (including ride share) purchases
- Earn unlimited 1 mile for every $1 spent on all other eligible purchases
American Airlines AAdvantage®
American Airlines AAdvantage miles are one of the most versatile airline currencies you can earn. And for flights from the U.S. to Japan in particular, AA miles can help you secure a great deal.
American belongs to the Oneworld alliance alongside Japan Airlines. So, you can use AAdvantage miles to book flights to Tokyo on either AA or JAL. And while you can occasionally find a reasonable deal on an American-operated flight, the best use of AA miles to Japan is on JAL. That's because AA awards start at the following prices (although the airline has been known to ignore its award chart completely):
- Economy: 35,000 miles
- Premium Economy: 60,000 miles
- Business: 95,000 miles
And JAL awards price at fixed rates — no matter where you depart from in the lower 48:
- Economy: 35,000 miles
- Premium Economy: 50,000 miles
- Business: 60,000 miles
- First: 80,000 miles
Based on the “starting at” versus fixed rates alone, Japan Airlines is the far more preferable option for using these miles to Japan in all classes above economy. Sure, premium cabin availability on JAL is harder to come by, but it is still prevalent enough that you can find a bookable seat or two with a little digging. Keeping a tool like Seats.aero in your back pocket is another way to scout these awards without perusing all of American Airlines' award calendar.
Flying from Hawaii to Tokyo on JAL will give you a marginally better deal. You'll pay the following rates for JAL awards from the islands to Tokyo:
- Economy: 32,500 miles
- Premium Economy: 42,500 miles
- Business: 52,500 miles
American Airlines has several co-branded credit cards offering big sign-up bonuses for new applicants. On several products, you can secure the miles necessary to book a trip to Tokyo after meeting the minimum spending requirement.
You can also transfer Marriott Bonvoy points to AA 3:1, but these transfers don't carry the 5,000-mile bonus for every 60,000 points you transfer like you'll find with other airlines.
With these perks, it's easy to justify the annual fee of $99, waived for first 12 months.
- Free checked bags for you and up to 4 companions on domestic itineraries
- Priority boarding to help you win the race for overhead bin space
- A 25% discount on inflight food, beverage, and Wi-Fi purchases
- Earn 2X miles for every $1 spent at restaurants
- Earn 2X miles for every $1 spent at gas stations
- Earn 2X miles for every $1 spent on eligible American Airlines purchases
- Earn 1X mile for every $1 spent on all other purchases
ANA Mileage Club
ANA Mileage Club is quirky and sometimes hard to use, but it's a great option for using miles for flights to Tokyo. One of the biggest quirks is that you can't book one-way awards — only round-trips. However, the prices are more than favorable if you have the miles to swing a round-trip award.
You'll have to deal with seasonality, fuel surcharges, and recently inflated pricing, but ANA awards are still highly competitive. For example, you can book a round-trip business-class award from Seattle (SEA) to Tokyo (HND) for 105,000 Mileage Club miles during the regular season or as little as 100,000 miles during the low season. That said, availability on ANA metal from the lower 48 can be hit or miss.
Flying from Hawaii presents a better deal; you'll pay the following rates for ANA travel between Hawaii and Tokyo:
Star Alliance partners like United Airlines will generally have better availability through ANA. There's no seasonality with partner awards, as you'll pay 50,000 miles for a round-trip economy award, 110,000 for business class, or 170,000 miles for first class. These rates are a steal compared to what you'd otherwise pay through United MileagePlus — think 100,000 miles each way.
ANA Mileage Club is accessible through two transferable point programs: American Express Membership Rewards and Marriott Bonvoy. Despite the short list of partner programs, several ways exist to earn both Membership Rewards and Bonvoy points. The best place to start is signing up for a Membership Rewards-earning credit card or one of the many Marriott credit cards.
ANA has a credit card for U.S. applicants — the ANA Card U.S.A. — but the sign-up bonus is undoubtedly weak. To stockpile the ANA Mileage Club miles necessary to book a round-trip award, you're almost better off earning a welcome bonus on a product like The Platinum Card® from American Express.
Presently, the Amex Platinum offers new applicants 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..
- 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.
- 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 through American Express Travel using 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.
- With American Express Global Lounge Collection® eligible Card Members can enjoy access to over 1,400 airport lounges globally, including The Centurion® Lounge, Unlimited Delta Sky Club® Access when flying an eligible Delta flight, Escape Lounges, Lufthansa Lounges when flying Lufthansa Group, Plaza Premium, Priority Pass™ Select Lounges, & Additional Global Lounge Collection Partner Lounges subject to visit limitations. Lounges may have their own rules, like additional access rules and guest fees, and for Priority Pass Select, you need to enroll and there are unlimited airport lounge visits for Card Members. With Delta Sky Club Access, Card Members will receive 10 Visits to the Delta Sky Club to be used from February 1 until January 31 of the next calendar year and can unlock Unlimited Delta Sky Club Access by spending $75,000 in eligible purchases on their Card in a calendar year. To find a lounge, visit the membership section in the American Express® App or visit http://www.americanexpress.com/findalounge#/loungefinder.
- A Walmart+ membership can get you free shipping with no order minimum on eligible items shipped by Walmart. Use your Platinum Card® to pay for a monthly Walmart+ membership (subject to auto-renewal) and receive one statement credit for up to $12.95 (plus applicable taxes. Plus Ups not eligible) each month. Free Shipping excludes most Marketplace items, freight & certain location surcharges. Paramount+ Essential plan only, separate registration required.
- $200 Airline Fee Credit: Select one qualifying airline and then receive up to $200 in statement credits per calendar year when incidental fees, such as checked bags and in-flight refreshments, are charged by the airline to your Platinum Card® Account. American Express relies on airlines to submit the correct information on airline transactions to identify incidental fee purchases. If you do not see a credit for a qualifying incidental purchase on your eligible Card after 8 weeks, simply call the number on the back of your Card. Qualifying airlines are subject to change. See terms & conditions for more details.
- $200 Uber Cash: Platinum Card® Members can ride or dine in style with $15 in Uber Cash each month, plus a bonus $20 in December after adding their Card to their Uber account. Use your Uber Cash on rides and orders in the U.S. when you select an Amex Card for your transaction.
- $199 CLEAR® Plus Credit: CLEAR® Plus helps get you to your gate faster by using unique facial attributes to verify you are you at 50+ airports nationwide. Use the dedicated CLEAR Lane to confirm your identity without taking out your passport or ID - this can mean shorter lines, less waiting. Receive up to $199 in statement credits per calendar year after you pay for your CLEAR Plus Membership (subject to auto-renewal) with the Platinum Card®.
- Receive either a $120 statement credit every 4 years for a Global Entry application fee or a statement credit up to $85 every 4.5 years for a TSA PreCheck® (through a TSA official enrollment provider) application fee, 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.
- Use Global Dining Access by Resy to access premium dining experiences. Receive Priority Notify and unlock insider access to some of the world's most sought-after restaurants with Global Dining Access by Resy. Download the Resy iOS app or log into Resy.com and add your Platinum Card® to your Resy profile to take advantage of your special benefits and discover restaurants near you.
- $695 annual fee.¤
- Apply with confidence. Know if you're approved for a Card with no impact to your credit score. If you're approved and you choose to accept this Card, your credit score may be impacted.
- Terms Apply.
- Rates & Fees
- Earn 5X points for flights booked directly with airlines or with American Express Travel® (up to $500,000 in purchases per calendar year).
- Earn 5X points on prepaid hotels booked with American Express Travel®.
Virgin Atlantic Flying Club
England-based Virgin Atlantic isn't a Star Alliance member, but Flying Club members can still redeem points on ANA flights from the U.S. to Japan. That's a big deal for a few reasons. Virgin Atlantic has fantastic rates for ANA flights (despite the May 2024 devaluation) — including in business and first class — and Flying Club points are easy to earn.
However, these awards aren't bookable online; you'll have to call Virgin Atlantic Flying Club at 800-365-9500 after identifying award space. But there lies one challenge: identifying award space.
United's award search calendar is the most rudimentary way to find ANA award space. Seats.aero is perhaps a better alternative, even featuring a dedicated “ANA First Class Finder” tool to help you quickly locate the airline's best seats. And after you find a seat for sale with points, call Virgin and confirm the space before initiating your transfer.
After everything checks out, Virgin Atlantic will charge you one of the following prices for round-trip travel (divide by two for one-way itineraries):
Booking a one-way ANA business-class ticket from the West Coast for 52,500 Virgin Atlantic Flying Club points, or Hawaii for 37,500 points plus taxes and fees is undoubtedly hard to beat. Even better, Virgin points are some of the easiest to earn, courtesy of its bevy of transferable rewards program partners.
With this extensive list of partner programs, you can choose the best ways to earn Virgin points. Signup bonuses (and, by extension, the number of Virgin points you'll get after transferring) may vary over time, but one consistently good way to rack up Flying Club points is with the Citi Strata Premier℠ Card.
As a new applicant for the Citi Strata Premier, you'll bank 60,000 bonus ThankYou® Points after spending $4,000 in the first 3 months of account opening, redeemable for $600 in gift cards or travel rewards at thankyou.com.
- 3X points per $1 on airfare and hotels and at gas stations, restaurants, and supermarkets
- Annual Hotel Benefit: Save $100 off a single hotel stay of $500 or more (excluding taxes and fees) when you book through CitiTravel.com
- No foreign transaction fees
- $95 annual fee
- 10X points per $1 on hotels, car rentals, and attractions booked through CitiTravel.com
- 3X points per $1 spent on airfare, and other hotel purchases
- 3X points per $1 spent at gas and EV charging stations
- 3X points per $1 spent on dining at restaurants, including cafes, bars and lounges
- 3X points per $1 spent at supermarkets
- 1X points per $1 spent on all other purchases
Final Thoughts
Tokyo, Japan, is a fascinating place. And while this might be a biased opinion, it's more than worth visiting and exploring. While cash rates to get to Tokyo (especially in premium cabins) are surely expensive, points and miles allow you to get there for free or nearly free. Even better, most of the programs offering the best deals to Tokyo are widely accessible from several transfer partners. In other words, that trip to Tokyo might be closer than you think.
For rates and fees of the cards mentioned in this post, please visit the following links: Aeroplan® Credit Card (Rates & Fees), and The Platinum Card® from American Express (Rates & Fees)
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