AwardWallet receives compensation from advertising partners for links on the blog. The opinions expressed here are our own and have not been reviewed, provided, or approved by any bank advertiser. Here's our complete list of Advertisers.
As fixed award charts disappear in favor of dynamic pricing, it's rather refreshing to see some airlines still offering predictable redemptions. Interestingly, these charts often survive not for the airline’s own flights but for redemptions on partners. One such example is Virgin Atlantic’s award chart for flying All Nippon Airways (ANA) to and from Japan.
This guide will walk you through how to use Virgin Atlantic points to book ANA flights, where to find outsized value, and how to navigate the (sometimes complicated) booking process.
Page Contents
Virgin Atlantic’s ANA Award Chart
Virgin Atlantic uses a zone-based award chart for ANA flights, covering all routes from Japan to the rest of the world. It offers straightforward one-way pricing in economy, business, and first class.
In comparison, ANA only allows round-trip bookings with its Mileage Club miles. That’s one big advantage of booking ANA flights through Virgin Atlantic Flying Club.
Below, you'll find the award chart Virgin Atlantic posts for ANA award flights:
How to Redeem Virgin Atlantic Points for ANA Award Flights
Despite Virgin Atlantic devaluing business and first class award pricing in 2024, ANA awards booked with Virgin points remain one of the best-value ways to fly to Japan, especially compared to other Star Alliance partners.
Virgin Atlantic’s chart breaks the U.S. into three regions, with the following one-way pricing from Tokyo Haneda (HND) or Narita (NRT):
- Hawaii — Honolulu (HNL)
- Economy: 22,500
- Business: 37,500
- First: 57,500
- Western USA/Canada — Vancouver (YVR), Seattle (SEA), San Francisco (SFO), Los Angeles (LAX)
- Economy: 30,000
- Business: 52,500
- First: 72,500
- Central/Eastern USA — Chicago (ORD), Houston (IAH), Washington Dulles (IAD), New York (JFK)
- Economy: 32,500
- Business: 60,000
- First: 85,000
Step 1: Finding ANA award availability
Searching for ANA award space through Virgin Atlantic’s website won’t work. Instead, you’ll need to use external search tools to confirm award space and then call to book.
One of the best options for starting your award search is Seats.aero, where you can explore United MileagePlus award availability and filter for direct ANA flights from North America to Asia. Seats.aero even has a dedicated ANA First Class Finder.
Once you find a flight that works for you, it's worth confirming that award space exists on United's website. In the past, you could use Air Canada's website to do the same, but ANA premium cabin awards have been pulled from Air Canada channels.
Related: How to Find Partner Award Availability
Step 2: Booking ANA flights with Virgin points
Once you've found availability and verified it through United or another Star Alliance partner, call Virgin Atlantic at 1-800-365-9500.
Virgin's agents will attempt to confirm and book the flight with ANA. This process can take time, but you don’t need to transfer your points until availability is confirmed — and most transfers are instant.
Just be aware of potential issues you may run into when booking. Award space that appears available online through other loyalty programs may not always be bookable through Virgin Atlantic. In addition, reports suggest Virgin cannot book ANA flights departing from the U.S. within 14 days of travel. This is particularly frustrating because ANA often releases last-minute premium cabin award space.
Surcharges on ANA awards
Virgin Atlantic passes along carrier-imposed surcharges when booking ANA flights. The amount varies based on fuel costs, cabin class, and direction of travel.
To estimate these fees, we recommend using ITA Matrix and adding up all the taxes. For example, on a Chicago to Tokyo itinerary, taxes and fees are approximately $169 across all cabins.
While these surcharges are higher than what some other programs charge, the significant point savings more than compensate.
What It's Like to Fly ANA’s Business and First Class
ANA has one of the best premium products in the sky. In 2019, ANA began rolling out their new business class seats (The Room) and first class suites (The Suite) on select Boeing 777-300ER routes, and these cabins have since become some of the most sought-after award redemptions.
I had the chance to fly ANA’s new first class on a recent trip back from Japan, and it lived up to the hype. The fully enclosed space felt more like a private hotel room in the sky than a typical first-class seat, and the level of service was fantastic.
Currently, ANA's most premium seats (The Room and The Suite) are most commonly found on flights to:
- London (LHR)
- New York (JFK)
- Chicago (ORD)
- San Francisco (SFO)
ANA’s website is the best way to confirm if a specific route features these premium seats. To check, search for a cash ticket on ANA’s website and look for labels like “The Room” or “The Suite” on the booking page.
Best Ways to Earn Virgin Points
Before you can take advantage of these awards, you need to earn Virgin Atlantic points. Fortunately, it’s easy. Virgin Atlantic has several transfer partners:
This long list of partners means that no matter which major transferable points you’re earning, you’ll likely have the flexibility to book ANA flights through Virgin Atlantic with the points you've earned. In addition, waiting for a transfer bonus from any of these programs can help stretch your points even further.
Related: Do Virgin Points Expire?
Bottom Line
With demand for Japan travel at an all-time high, Virgin Atlantic’s ANA award chart offers some of the best rates to fly to Japan using points. If you can find availability, you’ll get exceptional value — especially in business and first class.
Just be prepared to search for award space through United or other Star Alliance partners — or even Seats.aero — and call Virgin Atlantic to book. The process takes extra effort, but the savings on ANA’s premium cabins make it well worth it.
The comments on this page are not provided, reviewed, or otherwise approved by the bank advertiser. It is not the bank advertiser's responsibility to ensure all posts and/or questions are answered.