Choose an alliance that you value miles on and stick with it. It sounds like you're comparing similar prices within the same alliance already. Which ticket gets you the most miles in your chosen program? Answer solved.
Oh, BTW if you're really trying to get a cheap econony seat going westward from Japan and you're an active member of Flyertalk then you've already started at the wrong angle. (i.e., you should already have miles for a one way to a nearby country....)
Last edited by dvs7310; Apr 20, 2014 at 9:36 am