In the case of JAL, it does matter a bit to go with JAL Mileage Bank. First, Life Status Points are JAL's version of "lifetime benefits" but broken into different milestones.. instead of making everyone wait until they hit 1 million of something (like AA, UA, etc). You earn 5 LSP for every 1000 BIS miles essentially, regardless of whether it's economy or business (as long as it's paid travel that accrues). with 4 long haul biz trips on JL, plus intra-Asia economy, 1500 LSP is not too far away. Second, JL Diamond get an annual gift each year -- IMHO the best choice for non-Japan residents is gifting JL Diamond to your partner or family member. JL treats Diamonds very well, in my experience - they will receive more attention than OW Emeralds on a flight.