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Bilt Rewards has continued to evolve into a program that shouldn’t be ignored. The ability to earn Bilt Points on rent and with other neighborhood partners and transfer them to several airline and hotel partners can unlock serious value.
As has been speculated for weeks, Bilt has finally added Japan Airlines as its newest transfer partner. JAL has officially become Bilt's 15th airline transfer partner — and 20th overall — unlocking the ability to transfer Bilt Points at a 1:1 ratio.
Here's what you need to know about Bilt's newest transfer partner.
Japan Airlines Becomes Bilt’s 20th Points Transfer Partner
With today's announcement, the ability to transfer points from Bilt Rewards to Japan Airlines Mileage Bank is live. You can transfer Bilt Points at 1:1 in increments of 1,000 Points.
For those interested in transferring Bilt Points to JAL, you will first need to set up a Mileage Bank account. Once you do so, you can then link your JAL account through the Bilt app and begin transferring Points. Transfers are estimated to be completed within 10 minutes.
Importantly, JAL typically requires new accounts to be open 60 days before the account holder can redeem miles for flights. This would be less than ideal if you have your eye on a booking in the near term. However, Bilt has secured the ability for its members to redeem miles only 7 days after transferring if the account is less than 60 days old. It's important to enroll with Japan Airlines to get the clock ticking, even if you don't have imminent plans to book.
Once you've created your new loyalty program account, make sure to link it to your AwardWallet account. Don't have an AwardWallet account yet? Sign up for free and track unlimited rewards programs and travel plans.
Related: Complete Guide to the Bilt Rewards Transfer Partners
Why JAL Becoming a Bilt Transfer Partner Is a Big Deal
Historically, JAL Mileage Bank miles have not been easy to earn. Sure, you can convert Marriott points to JAL at a 3:1 ratio, but it’s only worth considering in very limited situations. And those opportunities will be even more limited once Japan Airlines devalues its award chart on June 10, 2025.
For these reasons, Japan Airlines Mileage Bank has been largely ignored as a relevant loyalty program. That's why the news of Bilt becoming the first transferable credit card rewards currency to partner with JAL is so encouraging. It now opens up Mileage Bank as a much more accessible and useful program.
Examples of Japan Airlines Flights Bookable With Bilt Points
When the new JAL award chart drops on June 10, 2025, First Class tickets will be hit the hardest — and require as much as 57% more miles. Other classes are only seeing a slight increase, so booking First class tickets before June 10 — or other classes at any time — will be a great use of your newly-transferred Bilt Points.
| North America To/From Japan | Until June 10, 2025 | After June 10, 2025 |
|---|---|---|
| Economy | 25,000 | 27,000 |
| Premium Economy | 32,500 | 40,000 |
| Business Class | 50,000 | 55,000 |
| First Class | 70,000-100,000 | 110,000-140,000 |
For example, you could book this First Class flight from Dallas (DFW) to Tokyo (HND) on the A350-1000 airplane featuring JAL's newest premium cabins as low as 100,000 Bilt Points and $228 in taxes and fees. This will be 140,000 miles after June 10th.
Or perhaps you want to fly from Tokyo to Paris (CDG) as part of an around-the-world itinerary. This business class flight would set you back 55,000 Bilt Points and $259 (or 57,000 after June 10th).
Here's a 7-hour economy flight from Tokyo to Singapore (SIN) for only 12,000 Bilt Points and $155 when transferred to Japan Airlines:
It should be pretty obvious that the ability to connect Japan to the rest of the world at solid rates with points transferred from Bilt is a huge win. Having this option at the traveler's disposal will make flying to and from Asia easier.
The ability to book JAL flights further out than with Oneworld alliance partners such as British Airways and American Airlines is another advantage. Plus, it should be easier to access multiple seats, whereas partners typically can only book one or two seats. However, please be aware that Japan Airlines miles do expire 36 months after they're earned or transferred.
Our Take
Japan Airlines becoming a 1:1 transfer partner from a flexible points currency is exciting news. The chance to use Bilt Points for premium cabin flights to and from Japan and beyond will give award travelers another option for booking the airline's most coveted seats. And now might be the perfect time to consider The Bilt Mastercard® (Rates & Fees) to start building your stash of Bilt Points in order to book that Japan Airlines flight when you are ready.
- 3x points on dining
- 2x points on travel
- 1x points on rent payments without the transaction fee (up to 100,000 points each calendar year)
- 1x points on other purchases
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