Definitive "Booking Japan Airlines (JL) Using AS Miles" Thread (2023-24)
Jan 11, 2023, 5:30 am
#16
Join Date: Feb 2020
Location: West coast, USA
Programs: AS MVPG, Aeroplan 50k, Hyatt Globalist, Hilton Diamond, Marriott Titanium, UA Silver
Posts: 39
Not sure if this is common knowledge (apologies if redundant), just a random JAL contribution-for anyone wishing to go to Korea...you'll notice that SEA (or any west coast city) to ICN is super difficult to book because of KL flights that pop up that are super duper expensive.
Assuming you don't mind a small stop, I usually book my JAL tickets not to ICN, but rather to GMP (Gimpo) which was the international airport prior to ICN. GMP is closer to Seoul too on the AREX line. If necessary, you can force the stopover in japan. Usually it'll be SEA-NRT/HND-GMP. Just gotta find the award ticket to get you over the water. Cheers!
Assuming you don't mind a small stop, I usually book my JAL tickets not to ICN, but rather to GMP (Gimpo) which was the international airport prior to ICN. GMP is closer to Seoul too on the AREX line. If necessary, you can force the stopover in japan. Usually it'll be SEA-NRT/HND-GMP. Just gotta find the award ticket to get you over the water. Cheers!
Jan 11, 2023, 8:18 am
#17
Join Date: Jan 2010
Programs: UA, AS
Posts: 2,393
It may or may not be married but simply calling in to book both segments is unlikely to result in success because of the bug,. You can start with a call although I would probably start with an online booking and call to change it. If the KIX flight is available separately your best bet is to book the HND-LAX F flight online and call in to add the KIX-HND flight. If the KIX flight is not available separately then it is married and the strategy would be to book the J all the way through and call to switch the HND-LAX from J to F (if it can be married to a J flight it can also be married to an F flight).
Jan 12, 2023, 8:09 am
#19
Join Date: Jan 2010
Programs: UA, AS
Posts: 2,393
Many have added segments to create a stopover. There should be no issues. Call in. Stress that you want to keep SEA-NRT but add HND-GMP to create a stopover in TYO. There, of course, has to be award availability for the segment to be added.
Jan 12, 2023, 9:43 am
#20
Join Date: Feb 2020
Location: West coast, USA
Programs: AS MVPG, Aeroplan 50k, Hyatt Globalist, Hilton Diamond, Marriott Titanium, UA Silver
Posts: 39
literally just did it yesterday. lol-i've added segments multiple times, no issues. you will probably need your cc number to for taxes (like 20 bucks)
Jan 12, 2023, 2:13 pm
#21
Join Date: Feb 2012
Posts: 194
Thanks for the above answers, I came to ask the same question. I just booked 2 seats on NRT-YVR for next November. Was hoping to get HKG-NRT-YVR with a 3 day stopover in Tokyo, but seems like the JAL flights HKG-TYO just don't exist at all in the AS or BA award engines, only CX flights show up. Maybe they'll show up later on? Would be perfectly happy even in Y for the extra 5000 miles.
Jan 12, 2023, 10:20 pm
#22
Join Date: Jan 2010
Programs: UA, AS
Posts: 2,393
Thanks for the above answers, I came to ask the same question. I just booked 2 seats on NRT-YVR for next November. Was hoping to get HKG-NRT-YVR with a 3 day stopover in Tokyo, but seems like the JAL flights HKG-TYO just don't exist at all in the AS or BA award engines, only CX flights show up. Maybe they'll show up later on? Would be perfectly happy even in Y for the extra 5000 miles.
Jan 17, 2023, 9:21 am
#23
Join Date: May 2009
Location: LAX
Programs: AS MVPG100, Hyatt Globalist, MGM Gold, Caesars Diamond
Posts: 636
I have some F on JAL bought with AS miles from JFK to HND and was looking at my various options to continue on. I see J availability to DEL but not to BKK. Is this normal?
Also any reccomendations for other possible add on trips besides those two? THX
Also any reccomendations for other possible add on trips besides those two? THX
Jan 17, 2023, 3:55 pm
#26
Join Date: Aug 2001
Posts: 1,053
Actually I think this is one of the strengths of the AS booking engine... it found a SFO to HND flight for you the following day and allowed a connection to it. If you tried this on e.g. AA then I am sure it would not have offered such a routing. What are the results if you search the following day? The JL flight will still be available. Maybe a BART train from OAK to SFO arriving in time to connect with JL :-). Joking aside, Swiss Airlines has a partnership with Swiss Railways and you can get the Swiss website booking engine to include a Swiss Rail connection to ZRH from a number of cities in Switzerland (not all, only cities covered by their partnership agreement). For example search for GVA to JFK returns flights from Geneva airport, but search ZHT to JFK and it offers codeshare "flight" on Swiss Rail from Geneva city railway station to ZRH, connecting to flight to JFK.
Jan 17, 2023, 5:02 pm
#27
Join Date: Mar 2007
Posts: 4,975
Actually I think this is one of the strengths of the AS booking engine... it found a SFO to HND flight for you the following day and allowed a connection to it. If you tried this on e.g. AA then I am sure it would not have offered such a routing. What are the results if you search the following day? The JL flight will still be available. Maybe a BART train from OAK to SFO arriving in time to connect with JL :-). Joking aside, Swiss Airlines has a partnership with Swiss Railways and you can get the Swiss website booking engine to include a Swiss Rail connection to ZRH from a number of cities in Switzerland (not all, only cities covered by their partnership agreement). For example search for GVA to JFK returns flights from Geneva airport, but search ZHT to JFK and it offers codeshare "flight" on Swiss Rail from Geneva city railway station to ZRH, connecting to flight to JFK.
Jan 18, 2023, 6:47 pm
#28
Join Date: Feb 2020
Location: West coast, USA
Programs: AS MVPG, Aeroplan 50k, Hyatt Globalist, Hilton Diamond, Marriott Titanium, UA Silver
Posts: 39
Yeah, I think the super re-routed ones are definitely phantom awards. Saw a F class ticket from NRT to LA (through burbank, causing multiple connections in US), but then i looked on AA.com and there was no seats.
Sandeep1 , theres no availability, but I think over the past...two years or so? unless you're booking JAL or CX like a year in advance, its hard to find biz seats (granted I'm on west coast, but still)
Sandeep1 , theres no availability, but I think over the past...two years or so? unless you're booking JAL or CX like a year in advance, its hard to find biz seats (granted I'm on west coast, but still)
Jan 18, 2023, 6:49 pm
#29
Join Date: Feb 2019
Posts: 5,867
Yeah, I think the super re-routed ones are definitely phantom awards. Saw a F class ticket from NRT to LA (through burbank, causing multiple connections in US), but then i looked on AA.com and there was no seats.
Sandeep1 , theres no availability, but I think over the past...two years or so? unless you're booking JAL or CX like a year in advance, its hard to find biz seats (granted I'm on west coast, but still)
Sandeep1 , theres no availability, but I think over the past...two years or so? unless you're booking JAL or CX like a year in advance, its hard to find biz seats (granted I'm on west coast, but still)