Aug 4, 2015, 1:37 pm
Last edit by: Prospero
GUIDE to redeeming AA miles for Japan Air Lines awards:
For 2012-2015 posts, please see
ARCHIVE: AA Award on JL / JAL / Japan Airlines (master thd)
For further information, see:
HELP DESK: MileSAAver / SAAver award questions, assistance
oneworld and Other Airline (Partner) Awards info, rules 2014 on
- JL awards are now shown show and can be booked on aa.com
- AwardNexus (free to FlyerTalk members for basic searches) will also reveal, and (for a fee) alert, on JL award seats
- AA awards on JL must be MileSAAver (AAnytime awards are only available on AA marketed and AA operated flights)
- There are no onerous fuel or carrier-imposed surcharges using AAdvantage miles for awards using JL
- JL initially releases awards to AAvantage members 330 days out at 10:00 am JST time (18:00 PDT, 17:00 PST). Note, JL award inventory is released to members of other FFPs 360 day out and updates award and revenue seat award availability once daily ~09:30-12:00 Pacific time
- JL may release 0-2 F and 0-4 J award seats initially; until taken they remain available up to three months from release
- No further seats are likely to be released until shortly (~14 days) prior to scheduled departure - but the last F seat will be retained for sale, not released into award inventory
- No stopovers are allowed on AA awards. Connections may be as long as 23:59.
- Only JAL Mileage Bank members can waitlist awards
- All awards for domestic Japan will default to Economy (including international F or J award with domestic segments); these can often be upgraded at reasonable cost at the ticket counter in the Japan connecting airport
- If JL & QF are showing availability, but AA can't see it, try calling the Australia AA center as it may be a point-of-sale issue
For 2012-2015 posts, please see
ARCHIVE: AA Award on JL / JAL / Japan Airlines (master thd)
For further information, see:
HELP DESK: MileSAAver / SAAver award questions, assistance
oneworld and Other Airline (Partner) Awards info, rules 2014 on
AAdvantage Award on JL / JAL / Japan Airlines (2016-2023)
Jan 6, 2016, 4:38 pm
#16
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: NYC
Programs: DL DM
Posts: 80
and JAL releases award seats at 10 AM Japan time? best time to look for award is then?
Jan 14, 2016, 11:19 am
#17
Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: yyz
Posts: 1,611
Reward availability 330 days out not appearing
Hi,
I am just wondering if anyone has noticed JAL availability 330 days out disappearing. Haven't looked in a couple weeks, but it used to be very reliable for at least 2 J seats and the odd 1-2 2 F seats 330 days out (pretty reliable out of ORD, spottier out of JFK).
Just started looking again and there's nothing. Not out of ORD, JFK or LAX. Did a sample search one week out and it appeared pretty normal (i.e. lots of seats available).
Just wondering if this is a recent change that people have observed. Want to use some AA miles pre-deval for next Christmas (I realize that this timing might have something to do with it). Thanks.
EDIT: I'm using the BA search engine. Wasn't able to access my JAL account to search as it looks to be under maintenance until APRIL 2016?!?!?
I am just wondering if anyone has noticed JAL availability 330 days out disappearing. Haven't looked in a couple weeks, but it used to be very reliable for at least 2 J seats and the odd 1-2 2 F seats 330 days out (pretty reliable out of ORD, spottier out of JFK).
Just started looking again and there's nothing. Not out of ORD, JFK or LAX. Did a sample search one week out and it appeared pretty normal (i.e. lots of seats available).
Just wondering if this is a recent change that people have observed. Want to use some AA miles pre-deval for next Christmas (I realize that this timing might have something to do with it). Thanks.
EDIT: I'm using the BA search engine. Wasn't able to access my JAL account to search as it looks to be under maintenance until APRIL 2016?!?!?
Last edited by grandgourmand; Jan 14, 2016 at 11:25 am
Jan 14, 2016, 11:34 am
#18
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: DCA
Posts: 7,769
Just searched ORD-NRT on 12/9/16 (330 days out) on BA.com and seeing a couple J and Y seats. Nothing odd to me. Now what they might do around Christmas in terms of zeroing out award availability, we'll have to wait and see.
Jan 14, 2016, 11:42 am
#19
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Kansas City, MO
Programs: AA Gold
Posts: 3,648
I suspect that as soon as award seats are released at 330 days they are snapped up by people trying to get one last award trip at the lower levels. If you look at returns NRT-ORD 330 days out there are plenty.
There is also the new DFW-NRT route on JL.
There is also the new DFW-NRT route on JL.
Jan 14, 2016, 3:42 pm
#20
Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: yyz
Posts: 1,611
Gotta agree with you there....though I think the J and F awards on CX are likely the most competitive right now. Japan awards didn't go up THAT much.
Jan 15, 2016, 9:21 am
#21
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Kansas City, MO
Programs: AA Gold
Posts: 3,648
It's not the Japan awards it's the connecting flights on JL and CX that go on to Asia 2 destinations that are going up substantially. F awards to Asia 2 are going from 135K RT to 220K RT. That's the huge jump, 63% more. J awards are going from 125K RT to 160K RT, 28% more.
Jan 20, 2016, 8:39 pm
#22
Join Date: Dec 2013
Location: PDX & PHX
Programs: AA,AS,HH,HY,IB,LH,IHG,MAR,WN
Posts: 199
I'm a newbie to this thread, but I'm wondering:
Why would one AA CSR see award availability that I see on BA website, but another CSR say that class award is not available?
Could it be some know where to look while others are looking in wrong place?
For example on BA website, JAL from SFO to HND showed 2 seats 1st class for a date in December. First CSR said "main cabin" only while second CSR said 2 seats in 1st. I don't mind HUCA, but I'm curious why they would see different info...
Why would one AA CSR see award availability that I see on BA website, but another CSR say that class award is not available?
Could it be some know where to look while others are looking in wrong place?
For example on BA website, JAL from SFO to HND showed 2 seats 1st class for a date in December. First CSR said "main cabin" only while second CSR said 2 seats in 1st. I don't mind HUCA, but I'm curious why they would see different info...
Feb 8, 2016, 12:13 am
#23
Join Date: Nov 2006
Programs: AA MM PP, MR LT Plat, Globalist
Posts: 1,000
Is this situation possible:
- AA can book award AND
- BA.com doesn't show space.
Just want to stop hassling the AAgents.
- AA can book award AND
- BA.com doesn't show space.
Just want to stop hassling the AAgents.
Feb 8, 2016, 12:53 am
#24
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: ORD (formerly SAN)
Programs: Hilton Diamond; IHG Platinum; Bonvoy Gold; AA Platinum Pro and United Premier Silver (DH = AA EXP)
Posts: 1,929
That's typically NOT possible, but sometimes there are glitches on the BA site showing availability when there are none - so maybe the opposite may happen as a result of a glitch as well. But it is definitely not the norm.
Feb 8, 2016, 2:05 am
#25
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 2000
Location: Little dot in Asia
Programs: AA-EP, TK-*G, HL-DM, HY-GLO, MR-LTP
Posts: 25,932
Sort of OT
Can I book EU - SYDNEY on JL?
Looking to redeem EU to Australia in F ...
Looking to redeem EU to Australia in F ...
Last edited by Guy Betsy; Feb 8, 2016 at 2:19 am
Feb 8, 2016, 8:14 am
#26
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Manhattan Beach, California
Programs: BMI Diamond Club Gold forever
Posts: 6,367
Actually, as of late, JL availability on BA has been intermittently broken. So there are times when BA.com shows nothing at all for JL and the AA Agents can actually see some space. But if you see only 1 Y on a JL flight showing, it's unlikely that an AA agent will see a second seat (or a seat in F for that matter). A good way to test is to look at J for a route like NRT-YVR or KIX-LAX, since those have the crappy J product and so tend to show J seats available at least one day a week. If you see zero results for day after day on BA, the connection may be down.
Feb 8, 2016, 8:39 am
#27
Join Date: Dec 2015
Posts: 60
I have been looking for J or F for either way for ORD<->TPE for Christmas holidays, but haven't seen any at all of any kind whether it be economy or better. I wasnt sure why BA never showed any. Is award nexus any more dependable? Seems like JAL is more more stingy with the Ja dn F class seats than CX. 
Feb 8, 2016, 8:55 am
#28
Join Date: Sep 2015
Posts: 476
I am planning a trip to BKK in nov. wife is already booked on 10th BOS-NRT-BKK. We preferred SFO flight becaz that will give us all day in Japan and than take 12:05 am flight to BKK.
Now the problem is I am not on the flight. I have been searching BA site for 2 weeks now. Usually check multiple times during the day. JAL inventory on BA is unchanged for 2 weeks I.e no open J seats on available flights are same for 2 weeks. For ex there's 1 seat from DFW on 9th and 4 seats from SFO on 8th remains unchanged.
Do u think it can be system issue or its constant for JAL availability?
Note- I have never booked JAL before. First timer 😀 Help and comments will be highly appreciated.
Now the problem is I am not on the flight. I have been searching BA site for 2 weeks now. Usually check multiple times during the day. JAL inventory on BA is unchanged for 2 weeks I.e no open J seats on available flights are same for 2 weeks. For ex there's 1 seat from DFW on 9th and 4 seats from SFO on 8th remains unchanged.
Do u think it can be system issue or its constant for JAL availability?
Note- I have never booked JAL before. First timer 😀 Help and comments will be highly appreciated.
Feb 8, 2016, 9:37 am
#29
Join Date: Nov 2006
Programs: AA MM PP, MR LT Plat, Globalist
Posts: 1,000
Thanks for the expertise. Some of this stuff is more confusing than my job, and that's saying something!
Would it be fair to say that if we see any JAL international awards on a given date on BA, then JAL has released what award space they can release for that day?
Also, I see several (non exit row) seats already taken on flights 330 days out. Is that a good indicator someone else got the awards?
Would it be fair to say that if we see any JAL international awards on a given date on BA, then JAL has released what award space they can release for that day?
Also, I see several (non exit row) seats already taken on flights 330 days out. Is that a good indicator someone else got the awards?
Actually, as of late, JL availability on BA has been intermittently broken. So there are times when BA.com shows nothing at all for JL and the AA Agents can actually see some space. But if you see only 1 Y on a JL flight showing, it's unlikely that an AA agent will see a second seat (or a seat in F for that matter). A good way to test is to look at J for a route like NRT-YVR or KIX-LAX, since those have the crappy J product and so tend to show J seats available at least one day a week. If you see zero results for day after day on BA, the connection may be down.
Last edited by eethan; Feb 8, 2016 at 1:48 pm
Feb 10, 2016, 8:30 am
#30
Join Date: Aug 2013
Posts: 224
Looking to book a return flight from Hanoi to DCA/IAD/BWI for January 11, 2017. I'd prefer to fly CX through HKG, but I wanted to see if HAN-NRT-(US)-DCA would be a back up possibility.
Looks like the same rules apply for JAL as CX, is that right? (330 days out, connecting flights are allowed as long as the stop over is less than 23h59m)?
Does JAL fly east (saving a day on the return trip)?
Looks like the same rules apply for JAL as CX, is that right? (330 days out, connecting flights are allowed as long as the stop over is less than 23h59m)?
Does JAL fly east (saving a day on the return trip)?