Welcome to the JAL Mileage Bank (JMB) Unofficial Guide, to help answer your most frequently asked questions. Please note that JMB is slightly different outside Japan, and this guide is geared primarily toward Americas region members flying JAL internationally.

Other helpful discussions:

Business Class Seating Selection Strategies

Q1. Should I sign up for JAL Mileage Bank? How do I sign up?

A1. Maybe. There is no fee to sign up for JMB, and you can sign up online at http://www.ar.jal.com (Americas site). If you expect to fly Japan Airlines regularly then it may make sense to credit your travel to JMB to earn elite status points (called "FLY ON" points), periodic bonuses (such as double miles campaigns for select destinations), and recognition for your frequent travel. Otherwise, you can credit your JAL travel to other frequent flyer programs, such as American Airlines AAdvantage or Emirates Skywards.

JAL joined the oneworld alliance on April 1, 2007, so it is possible that another oneworld airline's frequent flyer program is more advantageous to you, depending on your personal circumstances. Factors you should consider include whether you can achieve top tier elite status in more than one program, upgrade policies, award availability and fees, mileage earning rates and bonuses, complementary hotel stay coupons, lounge access, etc.

Q2. Is there any way to get elite miles/points in another frequent flyer program when I fly JAL?

A2. Yes, there are at least two ways. The first is to credit your flying to a oneworld alliance carrier's frequent flyer program. The miles you earn will vary depending on the JAL fare class for your ticket, so check your airline's frequent flyer program rules for details.

The second way is to fly codeshare flights. For example, JAL Flight #950 departs Seoul and arrives in Tokyo and is operated by JAL. This flight is also sold as Korean Air Flight #5001, and if you buy a ticket with that flight number you can credit the flight to Korean Air's SKYPASS frequent flyer program to earn regular miles and elite-qualifying miles/points. You must have the Korean Air flight number printed on your boarding pass for proper credit.

Q3. What are FLY ON points? How do I earn them?

A3. FLY ON points are the elite qualifying points (EQPs) in JMB. If you earn a sufficient number of FLY ON points within a calendar year you can rise to a JMB elite level.

There's only one way to earn FLY ON points: fly! Your boarding pass must have a oneworld airline's flight number (including JAL and its subsidiaries), and the flight must be credited to your JMB account, in order to earn FLY ON points. Except for rare exceptions the flight must also be operated by a oneworld carrier.

JAL's domestic flights earn 2 FLY ON points per base mile earned. (Exceptions: flights between NGO and NRT, and any flights entirely within a single country outside Japan; such flights earn 1 FLY ON point per mile.) Flight segments between Japan and China (including Hong Kong) earn 1.5 FLY ON points per mile. All other international flights earn 1 FLY ON point per mile.

Base miles vary by fare class and carrier. For example, there are bonuses for business class and first class. For details, please visit http://www.ar.jal.com/world/en/jalmi..._on/guide.html.

Q4. When do I qualify for elite status?

A4. Your FLY ON point total within each calendar year determines your elite status. At New Year's (January 1) of each year JAL resets your FLY ON points to zero, and you have to start again to qualify or re-qualify for elite status.

If you earn at least 30,000 FLY ON points you qualify for JMB Crystal. With 50,000 FLY ON points you earn JMB Sapphire. And with 100,000 FLY ON points you earn JMB Diamond, the top-tier elite level. There are also possibilities for achieving each level based on flying a sufficient number of segments. See http://www.ar.jal.com for details. Unlike some other programs, such as AAdvantage, there is no concept of EQMs (elite qualifying miles): only FLY ON points (or segments combined with lower FLY ON point thresholds) count toward elite status.

JAL does not recognize your status immediately after reaching a sufficient number of FLY ON points. It may take up to two months' delay.

You will enjoy at least 13 months as an elite JMB member once earned. Elite status expires on March 31st in the year following the full calendar year after attaining elite status. For example, if you attain the Sapphire elite level on June 5, 2007 (two months after your qualifying flight), then you will remain a Sapphire member until March 31, 2009 (or longer if you re-qualify in 2008). There is no "soft landing": in the same example, if you do not re-qualify in 2008 for any elite level then you will revert to a regular JMB member (not Crystal) on April 1, 2009. However, JAL Global Club membership is a possible way to enjoy something like a "soft landing."

Q5. How will I know I am an elite JMB member?

A5. Besides receiving a new JMB elite card in the mail or asking, you will see a Crystal, Sapphire, or Diamond symbol after you log onto your JMB account at http://www.ar.jal.com. Also, when JAL recognizes you as a new Sapphire elite level member, your JAL economy class boarding pass will start to indicate lounge access at the lower left.

Another way to tell that you've reached Sapphire level is if a JAL flight attendant visits you at your seat soon after you board and personally welcomes you by name. However, there may be occasions when JAL is not able to greet you in this manner.

Q6. Does JAL grant elite status if I am elite with another airline ("status matching")? Is there a challenge available to accelerate elite recognition?

A6. No, there are no known shortcuts to JMB elite status. However, you may be able to take advantage of other programs' challenges or status matching in order to enjoy oneworld elite benefits when flying JAL.

Q7. What is JAL Global Club?

A7. JAL Global Club is another recognition program for JMB members. It is separate and parallel to JMB elite status. There are two levels: JGC and JGC Premier. First time JGC membership is available once you reach Sapphire elite level. It is optional, and it requires a deduction of 5,000 JMB miles from your account to join (although you will earn back a 3,000 mile bonus when you take your first flight each year after becoming a JGC member). You should receive a JGC membership application with (or at approximately the same time as) your Sapphire elite mailing. Return the completed application within two months of receiving it and you will receive JGC membership.

Alternatively, JGC membership is available to holders of certain JAL-branded Japanese domestic credit cards. You can retain your JGC membership indefinitely, regardless of JAL flight activity, with an annual deduction of miles, through continued payment of a qualifying JAL-branded credit card's annual fee, by accumulating at least 25,000 FLY ON points, or by flying at least 10 segments. There are non-flight ways to earn JMB miles, so theoretically you could retain JGC status without flying. In fact, with careful management of your JMB account, for the occasional JAL flyer JGC works quite well: you only need 5,000 miles per year to sustain membership. JGC members enjoy unique benefits that may be of interest to many JAL flyers, so most people join JGC when given the opportunity.

JGC Premier status is for JGC members who reach 70,000 FLY ON points within a calendar year. JGC Premier has some additional benefits, described in the JGC Membership Guide, including 100% mileage bonuses when flying JAL.

The fact that there are two somewhat overlapping elite programs can be a little confusing, but if you want some simple advice it's this: join JGC if you get the opportunity, and try to retain your membership if you think the benefits will be valuable.

Q8. Do JMB elites enjoy free business class or first class upgrades?

A8. Sometimes. There are at least four ways JMB elites (especially higher tier elites) enjoy class upgrades:

1. Elite flyers receive upgrade coupons (for "Class J" domestic upgrades and/or international upgrades), with more coupons for higher level elites.

2. Elite flyers enjoy "op ups" (operational upgrades) on those rare occasions when JAL must free seats for extra passengers or for overbooked flights.

3. Some flights use international 3-class (first/business/economy) aircraft but are sold as 2-class (business/economy). In such cases JAL may reseat JMB elites in the next higher cabin. (One example: certain NRT-ICN flights.)

4. Some flights (especially daytime short and medium haul international flights) have "too many" business class seats for market demand, so JAL will split the business class cabin and assign some of the business class seats to economy class. These seats are then available to elites who wish to select them through the Web site or, if still available, at airport check-in. Cabin service will be to economy class standards. If you're a JMB elite at a sufficient tier to select these seats, you'll see them at JAL's Web site when you access your economy class reservation and try to change your seat. This special reassigned section will be apparent where you see "X" marks indicating missing seats in particular rows. Normally this will be the forward section of the main deck or the entire upper deck: 7 seats per row on a 747 main deck or 4 seats per row on a 747 upper deck. If you see one of these seats offered, even a middle seat, you should probably take it.

In late 2007 JAL will start introducing premium economy class seating on certain aircraft, so these seats may be available to elites. JAL has not yet said how they intend to manage these seats.

Q9. What's the biggest benefit JMB elites receive?

A9. Aside from oneworld elite benefits (such as airport lounge access), JAL's own elites enjoy the best upgrade privileges, including upgrade coupons given to higher tier elites. Higher tier elites also receive coupons for complementary hotel stays, small gifts (passport holder, date book), and even can send complementary flowers to a loved one. Increased baggage allowances are also valuable.

Q10. When do JMB miles expire? Is there any way to extend their life?

A10. JMB miles expire at the end of the second full calendar year following the mileage activity. For example, if you earn miles for a hotel stay on January 5, 2007, then those miles will expire on December 31, 2009.

If you achieve JMB Diamond elite status then all the miles in your account will not expire unless and until you lose Diamond status. Once you drop down the normal rule starts anew, so you have two years to re-achieve Diamond status or use your miles before losing them.

JMB offers various non-flight mileage awards, including JALPAK (luxury food and other products) starting at 10,000 miles, so there are many opportunities to get at least some value from your miles before they expire. You can also buy yen-denominated coupons using miles, and these coupons are redeemable for various JAL products. The coupons expire in one year, so this option is worth considering near the end of the calendar year if you have miles due to expire. Please watch expiration dates and redemption deadlines carefully!

Booking a ticket then redepositing the miles doesn't work: JAL marks such miles with the original expiration date. You can get a slight "extension" by booking an award ticket then changing the date of travel, but be very careful that you understand the award ticket change rules.

Q11. Are there any JMB Diamonds in the Flyertalk community?

A11. Yes, a few, but it's a tough elite level to earn. (It got somewhat easier with JAL's entry to oneworld.) Post a message if you need some advice.

Q12. Does JAL allow mileage runs?

A12. Yes, but the mileage run opportunities, at least flying JAL itself, are fairly limited. JAL (and many other premium Asian carriers) tend to maintain higher minimum airfares, so there are not many reports of JAL mileage runs. In some cases you can seek alternate routing in order to boost JMB mileage accumulation, but these opportunities are also limited. For example, you can fly BKK-NGO-NRT instead of BKK-NRT, but the former earns very few extra miles.

"Mattress runs" may be more practical. JMB awards a fixed number of miles for each hotel stay (e.g. 500 miles), regardless of the number of nights, so ambitious travelers can alternate between JMB-earning hotels in order to maximize mileage accumulation. However, it's unlikely this strategy would be worth pursuing if you did not already need lodging, and unfortunately hotel stays do not earn FLY ON points. Also, many hotels will award points in their own frequent guest programs as an alternative to JMB mileage accumulation, so the savvy traveler should weigh these benefits against the JMB earning opportunities.

JMB has comprehensive mileage earning opportunities inside Japan. It's worth flashing your JMB card when you take a taxi, for example; some offer miles. But none of these mileage earning activities seem particularly profitable (i.e. worth doing only for the miles).

Q13. Is there a minimum mileage credit for JAL flights?

A13. No. Your JMB account is credited with actual flight mileage according to the table posted at JAL's Web site. The mileage figures in this table are slightly different than "great circle" distances, but there are no minimums. Your JAL NGO-NRT flight, for example, will earn a mere 193 miles each way in normal fare economy class (and 193 FLY ON points).

There may be minimum mileage levels awarded when flying other oneworld carriers.

Q14. Do all fares earn miles? Will I always get at least 100% mileage credit?

A14. All paid fares earn miles, but many fares earn less than 100% mileage credit. A normal economy class ticket (Y fare class) earns 100%. Business class earns 125% of published mileage, and first class, 150%. Discount economy class tickets usually earn 70%, although there are some deep discount fares that earn even less.

JAL's Web site explains how many miles you will earn when flying oneworld carriers and crediting the flights to JMB.

Q15. How reliable is JAL in posting miles to my JMB account?

A15. Very reliable. For JAL flights, miles should appear within 3 days or so. Your boarding pass should have your correct JMB number printed on the smaller stub half. If so, you can expect accurate posting after you complete your flight. Other oneworld carriers should post fairly quickly.

For other mileage-earning activity it may take longer, sometimes much longer. (JAL has little control over how quickly and faithfully its partners report miles.) Save all original receipts and boarding pass stubs in case you need to ask for mileage credit.

Q16. Can I order a special meal on JAL? Can I prereserve seats? Can I do so online?

A16. Yes, JAL has one of the best special meal selections, and you can order special meals online at the JAL Web site. You can also select seats online. If you know your JAL reservation number (which might be different than your full travel itinerary's reservation number, depending on your travel agent's booking system), or you included your JMB number in your reservation, you should be able to retrieve your booking from the Web site and choose your meal and seats.

Note that your online special meal choice will apply to all JAL flights listed in your itinerary, and you must telephone JAL if you change your mind. When you check in at the airport with JAL, the agent should verbally confirm that you ordered a special meal. Also, a JAL flight attendant will confirm your special meal request once on board and will place a special meal sticker on your seat. Some special meal descriptions are literally correct but may generate slightly surprising results. For example, the "Meal Without Beef/Pork" special meal is often interpreted as a "Hindu" meal, so you could enjoy a spicy Indian entree. If you don't like curry, choose something else. Conversely, if you do, that particular special meal is an excellent choice.

You can change your seats online as many times as you wish, but within 48 hours of flight time you won't be able to make any further changes except at the airport. The special meal request deadline is similar, but late changes are not possible.

Q17. Where do I find JAL seat maps?

A17. The best, quickest, and most reliable way is to use JAL's Web site to retrieve your reservation and select seats online. Online seat selection will indicate exit door, galley, and lavatory locations, among other features. JAL operates a wide variety of aircraft seating configurations which can vary even on the same route. Otherwise, you can telephone JAL and ask for the aircraft seating configuration code. It will be a major aircraft type (e.g. 747-400) with a three digit code consisting of one letter and two numbers (e.g. L17). Armed with that information you can usually retrieve JAL seating charts from the JAL Web site or from other Internet sites that specialize in seating charts. Here are two Web sites with seating charts:

http://hiro2s.com/AirCraft/jal/2006map/jal.htm
http://www.jal.co.jp/aircraft/conf/744.html

Q18. What's JAL's inflight entertainment like?

A18. It's generally quite good. With in-flight entertainment equipped aircraft (which includes all long haul international aircraft), there are three systems: MAGIC I, MAGIC II, and MAGIC III. Each system is progressively more sophisticated. MAGIC I and MAGIC II do not provide movies-on-demand in economy class; instead, each film repeats in a loop. MAGIC III has the most films available and is commonly found on 777 aircraft. JAL changes its film selections each calendar month. Every seat, including economy class, has a personal video screen with any MAGIC system. All three systems offer flight mapping details, including estimated time of arrival. All three feature multiple audio channels with a substantial variety of prerecorded music.

Most if not all films are shown uncensored, so please supervise your children if you have any concerns about salty dialog, the female breast or male buttocks, or realistic violence on the small screen. There's always at least one film suitable for children among the selections, and some MAGIC systems offer kid-friendly video games.

Many JAL aircraft have onboard satellite telephones at each seat. Prices are understandably high to use this service.

Standard three-prong North American/Japanese-style 110 volt electrical outlets are available at each seat in business class and first class on most long haul international aircraft. Business and first class passengers can also take advantage of JAL's in-flight notebook computer battery loaner program. Some aircraft have lavatories, in all classes, equipped with electric outlets for shavers.

Q19. What is JAL's aircraft seating like?

A19. Above average and consistent with a premium Asian airline's standard of service. You should expect an exceptionally neat and clean seat. Recaro designs many of JAL's seats in all classes. International economy seat pitch is generally 33 inches, and footrests are available in most long haul international aircraft. Long haul international business class features either Skyluxe or "Shell Flat" seating. Skyluxe is a traditional, reclining seat which is quite comfortable. The "Shell Flat" seats recline to a fully flat (but slightly inclined) position. First class is, of course, wonderful, especially with the Skysleeper Solo seats.

On domestic services you can expect economy class with good seats but possibly less seat pitch, depending on aircraft. "Class J" business class features a larger, mini-Skyluxe type of seat. Medium haul international flights are somewhere in the middle of the seating spectrum, with economy class the same as long haul but Skyluxe more typical in business class.

JAL's Web site has pictures of their seating.

In 2007, JAL will introduce premium economy seating aboard certain long haul international flights. Also, JAL plans to introduce first class service aboard select domestic flights, thereby launching Japan's first domestic three-class airline service. In 2008, JAL plans to upgrade most of its fleet's premium seating to continue competing well against other world class international airlines.

Q20. Does JAL serve alcohol in all classes?

A20. Yes. Reasonable French wines (red and white) are typically available along with high quality Japanese beer, sake (rice wine), shochu (made from sweet potato or certain grains, about twice the alcohol content of wine), and other alcoholic beverages. Business and first class offer even wider choices, including champagne.

JAL also has many other beverages: green tea (hot or cold), "English tea," coffee ("ko-hee"), Skytime (JAL's own citrus-flavored noncarbonated soft drink), soda water (Suntory brand and/or Perrier, depending on class and flight), orange juice, grapefruit juice (sometimes), tomato juice, apple juice, and various carbonated beverages. Flight attendants will serve tea and coffee frequently during long flights, but you can ask for any beverage at any time during normal cruise flight. Decaffeinated coffee is not usually available (and would be known as "mild-o ko-hee" if it exists). Miso soup, chicken broth, and beef broth are also often available. Beverage selections vary a bit according to route.

JAL typically serves a package of mixed crackers and nuts with the first beverage service. Dried natto is also available in business and first class. Both are worth trying if you have not previously had Japanese rice crackers or natto. JAL then generally serves meals if there's enough flight time to physically get the job done.

Q21. If I'm a JMB elite, which oneworld elite level am I?

A21. If you're JMB Crystal you're also oneworld Ruby. Sapphire is Sapphire, and Diamond is Emerald. In addition, JAL Global Club Premier members are Emerald. JAL Global Club members who attain Crystal are promoted to oneworld Sapphire. JGC members who accumulate at least 20,000 FLY ON points also receive oneworld Sapphire recognition, and other JGC members are Ruby. See http://www.jal.co.jp/en/jmb/oneworld/03.html for details.

Q22. How much carry on luggage can I bring aboard?

A22. A reasonable amount, which means one purse or briefcase and one 20 inch rollaboard, as an example. A duty free shopping bag, obtained after clearing security, does not seem to count.

JAL's checked baggage handling is exceptionally efficient and reliable, so it is not necessary to bring all luggage into the cabin. JAL can accept additional checked baggage at the gate if you change your mind.

Q23. What is the Century 21 Club? Are there any other "secret" benefits given to JMB elites?

A23. There are no "secret" benefits, but there are some lesser known elite benefits.

There are a few hotels in Japan that have JAL-sponsored lounges, called the "Century 21 Clubs." These clubs, which cater to businesspeople, are open to JAL's higher tier elites without admission charge. Drinks and food, however, are not free.

JGC Premier members can have one piece of luggage delivered free of charge in Japan, a nice perk if you are flying with lots of luggage. See the JGC Membership Guide for details.

Higher tier elites receive luggage tags, a passport case, calendar, etc. JAL will send flowers to a Diamond or JGC Premier's chosen recipient, once per year, free of charge.

Q24. What is JAL's safety record like?

A24. None of the Japanese airlines have had a fatal accident in over 20 years.

On August 12, 1985, JAL Flight #123, a 747, departed Tokyo Haneda Airport bound for Osaka Itami. The rear pressure bulkhead failed, causing loss of hydraulics in the entire tail section. The crew struggled to control the damaged 747, maintaining flight for 32 minutes before crashing into Osutaka Ridge. Of the 509 passengers and 15 crew there were 4 passengers who survived. (Some airline workers later committed suicide.) The official investigation blamed Boeing for improper repair of the aft bulkhead after a tailstrike incident years earlier, although JAL accepted partial responsibility for not responding to noises coming from this section.

This disaster was the third worst loss of life in airline history, ranking behind the Pan Am/KLM collision in Tenerife and the United Airlines/American Airlines hijackings on September 11, 2001. In 1989, Captain Alfred Haynes and crew successfully piloted United Airlines Flight #232, a DC-10, to a "controlled crash" at Sioux City, Iowa, after similar loss of hydraulics, in part due to his study of the JAL disaster. 194 of the 296 people aboard survived that accident.

Roughly 20 years after Flight #123, the Japanese government reprimanded JAL and conducted a special investigation due to reported safety incidents. The government took no action with respect to JAL's safety and maintenance procedures.

Q25. Are there JMB mileage-earning credit cards?

A25. If you have a Japanese bank account, see http://www.jal.co.jp/en/jalmile/how.html for details. JAL also has a U.S. affiliated MasterCard that earns points. See http://www.premio.com/e/jalpremio/index.html for details on that card.

Q26. How valuable are JMB miles? What are the "best" awards?

A26. JMB has its own pluses and minuses when redeeming awards. "Free" tickets really aren't. For example, a roundtrip economy class award ticket from New York to Tokyo costs 50,000 JMB miles (49,500 if booked online), but taxes and "fuel surcharges" add up to well over $250 per ticket in a recent check. On the other hand, class upgrade awards often represent a good value. JAL's recent low season promotion offered economy class to business class upgrades on Chicago-Tokyo flights for a mere 10,000 miles each way, for instance.

JMB awards may provide somewhat better seat availability on JAL's partner airlines, especially during "blackout dates." Technically there are no blackout dates on any of JAL's redemption partner airlines. Taxes and fuel surcharges will vary and may be substantially lower than such charges for JAL flights, so it is worth comparing partner flight awards if they are available for your planned travel.

It is always worth checking whether JAL COUPON awards make better sense for travel aboard JAL. You can purchase as little as 15,000 yen (about $130) worth of coupons for 10,000 miles. The coupons are good for several JAL products, including JAL airfares.

Hotel awards range from 10,000 to 35,000 miles per night. JALPAK (luxury food and beverage) awards are novel and may offer a reasonable alternative to travel awards.

Q27. What is Japan Asia Airways? Japan Transocen Air? ....?

A27. "Japan Airlines" is actually a group of now closely coordinated airlines under the JAL Group corporate umbrella. They share common branding and logos, service standards, catering, reservations staff, and other business functions. These airlines include Japan Airlines International (which now includes Japan Airlines Domestic ironically), Hokkaido Air System, JAL Express, JALways, J-Air, Japan Air Commuter, Japan Asia Airways, and Japan Transocean Air. (JAL Group also owns other travel-related companies, including hotels.)

The main reason these airlines still exist as separate legal entities is because some are partially owned by local Japanese governments. Japan Asia Airways is separate because it operates flights exclusively to and from Taiwan.

All JAL Group airlines except Hokkaido Air System and Japan Air Commuter are oneworld members. With these two exceptions, the fact that there are multiple companies within the JAL brand should not have any material impact on your travel experience.