How To Explore Japan With Alaska Airlines Miles

Summary

  • Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan offers great options to book flights to Japan with Alaska Airlines and oneworld member airlines.
  • Award flights price dynamically with varying rates for different destinations and cabins, but good availability in lower cabins. Current experience shows that partner airline bookings tend to be at lower levels.
  • Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan allows one free international stopover, creating good value opportunities for travel to Japan and beyond.

Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan is a versatile and good value airline loyalty program. It certainly offers much more than just the core opportunities to earn and spend miles on flights with Alaska Airlines. Since Alaska Airlines joined the oneworld alliance, earning and spending are possible with all alliance member airlines. This includes great international flight options, including several to Japan.

Mileage Plan offers good options on several airlines to Japan. Japan Airlines is, of course, a great option, with many routes and excellent cabins and service. There is also an unusual benefit with Mileage Plan of being able to add a stopover for no additional miles.

Using Mileage Plan miles to book flights to Japan

Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan
miles can be used to book flights on any oneworld member airline (just as they can be earned from cash tickets with any member airline). For flights from the US to Japan, this includes options with Japan Airlines and American Airlines directly. And also with Cathay Pacific for longer routings via Hong Kong.

Japan Airlines Airbus A350-900 departing Tokyo shutterstock_1982244668

Photo: viper-zero | Shutterstock

Japan Airlines
serves 12 cities in North America with direct flights (this is according to their own data). Most cities are connected to Tokyo Haneda or Narita, some with Osaka Kansai.

Japan Airlines routes include:

  • Boston
  • New York
  • Chicago
  • Dallas
  • Seattle
  • Vancouver
  • San Francisco
  • San Jose
  • Los Angeles
  • San Diego
  • Honolulu, Hawaii
  • Kona, Hawaii

Japan Airlines is one of the few that still offer a real international first class cabin. This can be booked using miles for excellent value – although availability is hard to find. This is only offered on the Boeing 777-300ER aircraft with current routes, including Tokyo to New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Chicago, and London.

Japan Airlines Boeing 777-300ER

Photo: Markus Mainka | Shutterstock

American Airlines
also serves some routes, including New York JFK and Dallas DFW. These would price the same.

All award flights with Mileage Plan price dynamically. Since 2023, partner awards have also moved to dynamic pricing. Fixed starting rates are published depending on flight zone and total distance, but mileage rates can increase above this. At the moment, it appears that most direct flights with partner airlines price in line with these starting rates (if there is availability), but this could change.

Flights to Japan price using the Asia-Pacific chart. This includes flights from the US to Asia, within Asia, and between Asia and EMEA. The starting rates, depending on flight length and cabin, are shown below.

Alaska Mileage Plan chart

Photo: Alaska Airlines

This, therefore, gives the following starting rates for the main direct flights. Adding connections to this is possible, but the length and rate could change.

Route

Miles for economy

Miles for premium economy

Miles for business class

Miles for first class

All to Seattle, Vancouver

30,000

40,000

60,000

90,000

All other direct routes

37,500

50,000

75,000

110,000

It is hard to generalize with award availability, as things can change very quickly and be very dependent on dates and routes. But there is generally good availability with either Japan Airlines or American Airlines on many routes when booking in economy or premium economy. For premium cabins, it is much harder to find available flights, and being flexible here can help a great deal.

For some tips on finding award availability in general, see our guide

The examples below are for searches around two months in advance, showing good options for lower cabins. Note that these currently all price at the published minimum levels, and have very low tax additions.

Of course, travel is also possible from other regions. From Europe, flights are possible direct with Japan Airlines from several destinations, or with British Airways from London. There are also indirect options with Cathay Pacific and with Malaysian Airlines.

These would be priced using the same chart. The example below is likewise for around two months in advance, showing good options for lower cabins with Japan Airlines and Cathay Pacific.

Alaska Airlines booking

Photo: Alaska Airlines

Taking advantage of a stopover with Mileage Plan

All international awards with Mileage Plan allow one free international stopover. This is unusual among loyalty programs and can create some great value opportunities.

The basic limitations and rules for this are as follows:

  • One stopover is permitted each way on an international booking
  • This must be at the airline hub location (so Tokyo is likely here, or London Heathrow for a booking with British Airways).
  • Partner airlines cannot be combined in the same booking.
  • Additional taxes may be required,

These would be permitted on these US to Japan flights. Importantly, booking with Japan Airlines a stopover and later onward flight in Japan would be permitted. If booking an American Airlines flight, no onward stopover could be added in Japan – but one could be added at the US hub. The booking example below shows the case of booking from New York to Tokyo, then onwards after a short stopover to Osaka.

Flights within Japan

The possibilities for using miles for a Japan trip do not end there. It is also possible to use Mileage Plan to book domestic flights within Japan on Japan Airlines.

Japan Airlines aircraft at NRT shutterstock_2180891281

Photo: Wunlop_Worldpix_Exposure | Shutterstock

There are obviously extensive options here – and value can be excellent on longer or more expensive routes. These will again be priced using the Asia Pacific chart. Flights under 1,500 miles will all be priced the same, with starting rates of:

  • Economy: 7,500 miles
  • Premium economy: 10,000 miles
  • Business class: 15,000 miles
Alaska miles booking

Photo: Alaska Airlines

Other schemes can help with further travel within Japan.

  • The JAL Explorer pass is a great option for additional travel within Japan. This is promoted by Japan Airlines and allows international visitors to book packages of domestic flights for fixed prices. You would need to check prices for your plans, but this can offer good value.
  • A recent (September 2024) offer from Japan Airlines is offering international visitors the chance to get a free domestic flight with international booking. This is available for visitors from select countries – including the US and Canada, but not those from Europe (yet). See more in our guide below.

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