Originally Posted by
CMTinPHL
First, from PHL you are going to have to connect through other gateways which JAL serves - BOS, JFK, ORD, SAN, SFO, LAX, SEA. You may be able to find PHL-TYO awards (I booked PHL-SFO-HND-SGN for instance) but often you’ll need to book from one of the other gateways to TYO.
Second, you can search by a month at a time on AA.com. Do the search for a specific day, and then there is a link to the right of the day(s) where you can view a month at a time - it shows you the dates awards are available and the lowest amount of mileage needed for each day.
Finally, none of the major transferable points currencies transfer to JAL. Marriott points do, however it’s at a 3:1 rate.
I am based out of both PHL and LAX so can start my trip to Tokyo from either cities.
Thank you for your very useful tip of using the link to the right of the day(s) where I can view a month at a time! I can now see Business/First award for 60K one-way LAX-HND in Biz Class, although many are 1-stop to ORD as the non-stop LAX-HND is priced at ridiculous amount of points!
Interestingly enough, searches for PHL-HND seems to yield far better hits for 60K or 80K one-way in Biz Class, but it's through LAX
and on AA metal 788 and not on JAL metal!
I will continue to search and would of course welcome your suggestions and advice. In the meantime, I have compiled this list of JAL flights available through AA.com from LAX, ORD, DFW, and SFO, and includes NRT and KIX as destinations from LAX so that I can refine my search for 60K-80K Biz class award seats - please let me know if I am missing anything:
- LAX-HND: AA 8453 (JAL) L: 12:30PM, A: 5:30PM non-stop 789
- LAX-NRT: AA 8407 (JAL) L: 11:50AM, A: 4:40PM non-stop 788
- LAX-KIX: AA 8414 (JAL) L: 13:15PM, A: 6:50PM non-stop 789
- ORD-HND: AA 8404 (JAL) L: 10 :20AM, A: 2:55PM non-stop 789
- DFW-HND: AA 8481 (JAL) L: 10:45AM, A: 3:25PM non-stop 773
- SFO-HND: AA 8400 (JAL) L: 12 :55PM, A: 5:20PM non-stop 789
- SFO-NRT: AA 8410 (JAL) L: 12:10PM, A: 4:20PM non-stop 788
Thanks again