Aug 4, 2015, 1:37 pm

FlyerTalk Forums Expert How-Tos and Guides

Last edit by: Prospero

GUIDE to redeeming AA miles for Japan Air Lines awards:

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)

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Sep 2, 2018, 12:33 pm

#616

JJeffrey

FlyerTalk Evangelist

Join Date: Feb 2001

Location: RDU <|> MMX

Programs: AA EXP 2MM, SK EBS

Posts: 12,453

Quote:

Originally Posted by fr33b13

If I book JFK-HND/NRT-PUS as one award and then better award time comes up, jfk-nrt-pus on a different date, can I rebook for free since starting an destination is the same?

Yep, no fee for that change.

Sep 2, 2018, 7:40 pm

#617

fr33b13

Join Date: Aug 2011

Posts: 361

Quote:

Originally Posted by JJeffrey

Yep, no fee for that change.

Thanks!

Sep 2, 2018, 9:03 pm

#618

IamHungry

Join Date: Oct 2010

Location: Chicago, IL

Posts: 488

Quote:

Originally Posted by JJeffrey

Yes, you have to collect your bags and take them to HND.

Yikes.... I might try to get a better connection! Thanks!

Sep 3, 2018, 12:59 pm

#619

SpammersAreScum

Join Date: Jun 2014

Location: TPA

Programs: BA Silver; Hilton Gold; IHG Diamond Ambassador; Marriott Gold

Posts: 2,811

Quote:

Originally Posted by platbrownguy

Answer should be no.

If you're referring to this, https://www.aa.com/i18n/travel-info/...-airlines.jsp:

...I think it's just bad drafting, based on experience, and that you'll earn on a JL-numbered non-AA/non-JL-operated codeshare only when the operating carrier is some oneworld member or affiliate.

But I would love to be proved wrong!

Your link doesn't work because the posting software included the : so here's another try https://www.aa.com/i18n/travel-info/...n-airlines.jsp

And that page does list two JL affiliates. J-Air and Japan Transocean Air, so I guess I'm really hoping that the page is wrong. I seem to recall that that was the case for certain airlines (Qantas?).

Sep 20, 2018, 2:40 pm

#620

sethMCOflyer

Join Date: Jan 2017

Posts: 805

Is there anyway to search domestic JL award availability? BA award search shows the international segments but not the domestic ones as far as I can tell.

Sep 20, 2018, 3:30 pm

#621

Zinc_Saucier

Join Date: Feb 2015

Location: KBOS

Programs: AA EXP, HH Diamond, Global Entry

Posts: 78

Anyone else having some issues with JL availability? Trying to check out TYO-ICN J availability using both BA's search and Award Nexus. Cant seem to find anything in J or Y for any day in July or the beginning of August. Is this a difficult route to get OW awards? JL is showing availability for almost every day in July to JMB members (I know they hold back inventory for their own program)

Sep 21, 2018, 9:34 pm

#622

geclub1

Join Date: Apr 2010

Location: SFO

Programs: OZ *G; HH Diamond;

Posts: 1,644

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zinc_Saucier

JL does not fly to ICN any more. Search for HND-GMP instead.

Sep 22, 2018, 12:24 pm

#623

Zinc_Saucier

Join Date: Feb 2015

Location: KBOS

Programs: AA EXP, HH Diamond, Global Entry

Posts: 78

Quote:

Originally Posted by geclub1

JL does not fly to ICN any more. Search for HND-GMP instead.

Doh! well that would do it...

Sep 24, 2018, 4:23 pm

#624

JSSAUCE

Join Date: Nov 2003

Location: Chicago, IL

Programs: AA CK EXP 3MM, National EE, Hertz Plat

Posts: 320

Can anyone help me confirm?

I know the rules changed so domestic awards wholly in Japan are only available 60 days out, example OKA-HND. But if it's part of a International award it's still available 330 days out, example LAX-NRT-HND-OKA. Just called in to see if the domestic portion could be added and the agent insisted the 60 days apply even as part of a International award. She read me the wording and called her help desk, but I did not interpret it that way. I call weekly and was able to pick up some when available, but have had this push back before, but today she was adamant.

Thanks.

Sep 28, 2018, 9:40 am

#625

stephem

Join Date: Nov 2004

Location: Manhattan Beach, California

Programs: BMI Diamond Club Gold forever

Posts: 6,367

Good to see the JL annoucement about SEA-NRT (on a 787 w lie flats as well) to start Mar31. There also seems to be confirmarion that YVR-NRT and SAN-NRT will move to lie flats.

Also, somewhat OT on this thread, but CX is adding SEA-HKG too.

Great news for west coast availability on lie flat seats.

Sep 28, 2018, 10:48 am

#626

sethMCOflyer

Join Date: Jan 2017

Posts: 805

Quote:

Originally Posted by JSSAUCE

Also wondering about booking a domestic segment as part of an international itinerary. I'd like to book ITM-NRT-JFK 330 days out.

Sep 30, 2018, 8:38 pm

#627

JSSAUCE

Join Date: Nov 2003

Location: Chicago, IL

Programs: AA CK EXP 3MM, National EE, Hertz Plat

Posts: 320

Quote:

Originally Posted by sethMCOflyer

Also wondering about booking a domestic segment as part of an international itinerary. I'd like to book ITM-NRT-JFK 330 days out.

I was able to book a ticket tonight OKA-ITM-KIK-LAX at 35K miles. Originally the agent could not find anything then had a moment of clarity and figured it out. Did not have the return dates so when I finally figured it all out and called back, of course the new agent could not do it, ORD-NRT-HND-OKA. The question, is there really no availability or was she just not well versed in the way to do it. Very frustrating. I have 3 tickets with International segments only "waiting" for domestic availability to open, need to buy, or do a separate award for 12.5K 60 days prior to travel. I wish I had the proper way to explain to them how to do a full award.

Sep 30, 2018, 10:11 pm

#628

flyingeph12

Join Date: Jan 2012

Programs: AY+ Plat, Marriott Plat, Hyatt Discoverist

Posts: 2,846

Quote:

Originally Posted by JSSAUCE

My understanding is that the 60-day rule applies to "wholly within Japan" awards, so international awards that include a domestic leg should not be subject to the 60-day rule. I would make sure that the agent is searching both S (domestic) and T (international) fare buckets. You might find the following thread helpful.

JL Domestic Flight release for Oneworld seat

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