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Partnerships between airlines and hotels can be fantastic ways to earn bonus points and miles or get to the next tier of elite status faster. Today, Marriott Bonvoy announced a new strategic partnership with Japan Airlines Mileage Bank, giving members access to a status match and enhanced benefits when traveling.
Here's what you need to know about the new partnership and whether it's worth taking advantage of.
Marriott Bonvoy and Japan Airlines Launch Enhanced Partnership
On July 14, 2026, Marriott Bonvoy announced a strategic partnership with Japan Airlines. This new partnership allows members of these two loyalty programs to enjoy an elevated travel experience thanks to status matching.
You've long been able to convert Marriott Bonvoy points to JAL miles, and vice versa, but this is the first time elite members can enjoy reciprocal benefits when engaging with either partner.
Marriott has several strategic partnerships with airlines, including Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer, United MileagePlus, and Air Canada Aeroplan. However, it's always great if you can leverage your hotel elite status into airline elite status with a program you might not fly enough to reach organically.
JAL Benefits for Marriott Bonvoy Members
If you hold Marriott Bonvoy elite status, you can automatically receive FLY ON Points — what Japan Airlines uses to track progress toward elite status — before you ever take a flight. The number of points credited to your account will depend on your level of elite status:
| Marriott Bonvoy membership tier | JAL Mileage Bank Benefit |
|---|---|
| Member | 2,000 FLY ON Points each year |
| Silver Elite | 5,000 FLY ON Points each year |
| Gold Elite | 10,000 FLY ON Points each year |
| Platinum Elite | 20,000 FLY ON Points each year |
| Titanium Elite | 30,000 FLY ON Points each year |
| Ambassador Elite | 40,000 FLY ON Points each year |
As you'll see below, it takes 30,000 FLY ON Points to reach the first tier of Japan Airlines elite status: JMB Crystal. So, Marriott Titanium and Ambassador elites can essentially status match to JMB Crystal and work toward JMB Sapphire, which requires 50,000 FLY ON Points.
Since Japan Airlines is a member of the Oneworld alliance, you can reach Oneworld elite status through this partnership:
- JMB Crystal: Oneworld Ruby
- JMB Sapphire: Oneworld Sapphire
- JGC Premier and higher: Oneworld Emerald
How to get Marriott elite status
It is surprisingly easy to achieve Marriott elite status. If you prefer the old-fashioned way, here's how many elite nights you need for each tier:
- Marriott Silver Elite: 10 nights
- Marriott Gold Elite: 25 nights
- Marriott Platinum Elite: 50 nights
- Marriott Titanium Elite: 75 nights
- Marriott Ambassador Elite: 100 nights and $23,000 in spending
However, holding the right credit card can get you there much faster:
- Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card: Marriott Bonvoy Platinum Elite status.
- Marriott Bonvoy Bountiful™ Card: Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elite status.
- Marriott Bonvoy Bevy® American Express® Card: Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elite Status.
- Marriott Bonvoy Business® American Express® Card: Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elite Status.
- Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card (Rates & Fees): Marriott Bonvoy Silver Elite status.
- Marriott Bonvoy Bold® Credit Card (Rates & Fees): Marriott Bonvoy Silver Elite status.
- American Express Platinum Card®: Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elite status.
- The Business Platinum Card® from American Express: Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elite status.
- Enrollment is required for select Amex benefits.
$650Rates & Fees
(Terms Apply)
- 6X points on purchases at Marriott Properties
- 3X points at restaurants worldwide, including takeout and delivery
- 3X points on flights booked directly with airlines
- 2X points on all other eligible purchases
$95Rates & Fees
- 6X points for every $1 spent at over 7,000 hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy®
- 3X points for every $1 spent on the first $6,000 spent in combined purchases annually on grocery stores, gas stations, and dining
- 2X points on all other eligible purchases
$895Rates & Fees
(Terms apply)
- 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®.
- Earn 5X points on Fine Hotels + Resorts® and The Hotel Collection bookings.
Marriott Bonvoy Benefits for JAL Members
If you hold Japan Airlines Mileage Bank elite status, you'll receive either a fast track to Marriott elite status or an automatic status match. Top-tier elites will also be able to earn Marriott Bonvoy bonus points after a certain number of nights spent at Marriott properties:
| JAL Mileage Bank membership tier | Status Match | Challenge |
|---|---|---|
| Member | N/A | Earn Marriott Bonvoy Silver Elite by staying 6 nights in 6 months |
| Crystal | N/A | Earn Marriott Bonvoy Silver Elite by staying 4 nights in 6 months |
| Sapphire | Marriott Bonvoy Silver Elite. | Accelerate to Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elite by staying 10 nights in 6 months |
| JGC Premier | Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elite | Receive 10,000 Marriott Bonvoy points by staying 16 nights in 6 months |
| Diamond | Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elite | Receive 15,000 Marriott Bonvoy points by staying 16 nights in 6 months Accelerate to Marriott Bonvoy Platinum Elite in the first year by staying 10 nights in 6 months |
| Diamond Metal | Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elite | Receive 15,000 Marriott Bonvoy points by staying 16 nights in 6 months Accelerate to Marriott Bonvoy Platinum Elite by staying 10 nights in 6 months |
How to get JAL elite status
Japan Airlines Mileage Bank offers five tiers of elite status. You can either achieve status by earning FLY ON Points or through a combination of FLY ON Points and taking qualifying flights. Here's how to access each tier:
How To Link Your Accounts
Linking your accounts is simple. Go to the dedicated Marriott Bonvoy and Japan Airlines partnership webpage. Scroll down until you see the following widget where you can select your tier of Marriott Bonvoy or JAL elite status.
Once you click “Link Accounts,” you'll be prompted to log in to both your Marriott Bonvoy and JAL Mileage Bank accounts. When you do, you'll see the following message based on your elite status tier.
In my case, I hold Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elite status, so I receive 10,000 FLY ON Points. Once you click “I agree to the Preferred Partnership Terms and Conditions,” your accounts will be linked.
My FLY ON Points appeared in my account almost instantly. The whole process took under a minute, so there's really no reason not to link your accounts, even if you aren't actively working toward elite status.
Move Rewards Between Programs
Marriott and Japan Airlines give members the option to move rewards in both directions. You can transfer your JMB miles to Marriott Bonvoy at a 4:3 ratio. So, if you transfer 10,000 miles, you'll receive 7,500 points. However, your miles are likely worth far more when you redeem them for flights. If you really need Marriott Bonvoy points for your next redemption, consider transferring one of the following points or miles instead:
You can also transfer Marriott Bonvoy points to JMB miles at a 3:1 ratio. You'll get a 5,000 bonus miles for every 60,000 points you transfer. In other words, 60,000 Marriott Bonvoy points equate to 25,000 JMB miles. Depending on how much you value each currency, this could be worthwhile. You can also transfer the following points to Japan Airlines:
Bottom Line
The new partnership between Marriott Bonvoy and Japan Airlines Mileage Bank looks quite similar to Marriott's other airline partnerships.
However, it's great when lower-level elites get perks, too. For instance, I'm a Marriott Bonvoy Gold elite member, and although I don't receive complimentary Japan Airlines elite status, I'm a third of the way to the base tier. Now, I can either take 30 flights or earn another 20,000 FLY ON Points to reach JMB Crystal thanks to the complimentary Marriott status I get with my Platinum Card®.
All in all, the benefits and ease make this partnership a win for travelers.
For rates and fees of the cards mentioned in this post, please visit the following links: Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card (Rates & Fees), Marriott Bonvoy Bold® Credit Card (Rates & Fees), Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card (Rates & Fees), and American Express Platinum Card® (Rates & Fees)
