The oneworld member is expanding its footprint in Australia, starting nonstop flights from Melbourne to its hub in Tokyo from September in addition to its existing daily flight from Sydney.
There are at least four Business Class seats open on most flights in January and March-April.
In this guide, we outline the routes, aircraft and cabins; do a comparison of points pricing; give award availability tips; and provide links to reviews and other guides.
Routes, aircraft and cabins
The Sydney to Tokyo flight is serviced by the larger Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner and the Melbourne flight by the smaller Boeing 787-8 aircraft (commences 1 September 2017). The only real difference is the number of seats.
Qantas also flies direct to Tokyo Narita from Melbourne and Brisbane. Both Qantas and ANA fly between Sydney and Tokyo Haneda, which is closer to the city.
The lie-flat ‘Sky Suites’ Business seats are in a 2-2-2 configuration but do offer direct aisle access to all passengers with its staggered layout:
The Premium Economy section is set up in 2-3-2 with a quite generous 42 inches of seat pitch between you and the person in front of you, plus a hard shell so you aren’t bothered by other passengers’ movements:
The Economy section is in 2-4-2 with 33 inches of seat pitch – try to snag a seat on the edges for more privacy if you can.
A comparison of points pricing
The five main points currencies Australia-based travellers can use on Japan Airlines flights are:
- Qantas Points
- Cathay Pacific Asia Miles
- American Airlines AAdvantage miles
- British Airways Avios
- Japan Airlines Mileage Bank
Mileage Bank offers the lowest redemption pricing across the board. You can transfer American Express Membership Rewards points to Starwood Preferred Guest, which can then be transferred to Mileage Bank or AAdvantage. You can also get hold of the latter through buy miles promotions.
Read the Point Hacks guide to the American Express Membership Rewards points program
Read the Guide →Asia Miles and British Airways Avios offer good value for Premium Economy and Economy redemptions. Avios are also a great option for domestic flights within Japan, which can tend to be quite expensive.
Qantas Points offer the poorest value of the five options.
Here is a comparison of one-way pricing:
| Route | Class | Japan Airlines Mileage Bank | AAdvantage | Asia Miles | British Airways Avios | Qantas Frequent Flyer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sydney - Tokyo Narita | Business | 30,000-40,000 | 40,000 | 45,000 (80,000 return) | 62,500-75,000 | 78,000 |
| Premium Economy | 25,000 | N/A | 30,000 (54,000 return) | 32,500-50,000 | 63,000 | |
| Economy | 20,000 | 30,000 | 25,000 (45,000 return) | 16,250-25,000 | 42,000 | |
| Melbourne - Tokyo Narita | Business | 30,000-40,000 | 40,000 | 70,000 (120,000 return) | 62,500-75,000 | 78,000 |
| Premium Economy | 25,000 | N/A | 48,000 (72,000 return) | 32,500-50,000 | 63,000 | |
| Economy | 20,000 | 30,000 | 40,000 (60,000 return) | 16,250-25,000 | 42,000 |
Important notes:
- Mileage Bank bizarrely discounts Business Class redemptions on certain days of the week
- AAdvantage does not allow Premium Economy redemptions
- Return flights using Asia Miles are cheaper than two separate one-ways
- British Airways Executive Club differentiates between off-peak and peak dates
- Alaska Mileage Plan does not allow routings from Australia to Japan
Award availability
To get started, learn how to search for frequent flyer award space most efficiently.
Japan Airlines award space is best searched through the British Airways website.
If you’re redeeming through a program other than Japan Airlines or British Airways, you’ll need to call them to book. You may be able to argue the point and avoid the booking fee given that it’s not showing online.
We found at least four Business Class seats open in both directions between Melbourne and Tokyo in January 2018, which is ski season in the northern hemisphere.
We also found at least four Business seats open for cherry blossom season, which runs from late March to mid-April (but no guarantees with climate change altering the timing of the flowerings):
Searches conducted at 8:30-10am AEST 30 May 2017.
Reward seats in Economy Class are generally easier to find than those in premium cabins.
Where to credit miles
If you are purchasing a cash ticket on one of these flights and want the most value out of the points you’ll get out of it, check out our guide on how to choose which program to credit your frequent flyer points to.
Links to related guides and reviews
- Japan Airlines First Class Review 1
- Japan Airlines First Class Review 2
- Japan Airlines Sakura First Class Lounge Tokyo Narita Review
Summing up
Japan Airlines is renowned for friendly, efficient customer service, and great onboard food.
This represents a great-value points redemption opportunity for flying in comfort to Japan and beyond.
This post first appeared on Point Hacks - The Best Frequent Flyer Deals & Offers In Australia., please read the originial post: here
