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)
Dec 17, 2018, 2:21 pm
#721
Join Date: Apr 2016
Location: San Diego
Programs: Plat Pro AAdvantage, but defected to BAEC
Posts: 1,222
I had booked the outbound flight about a week prior. I had checked around 8PM local time as I was unaware about the 10AM release time in Japan, so I was about 2hrs late, but availability was still there. I originally put SAN-NRT-SIN on hold as I really wanted the SAN-NRT, HND-SIN, but as the NRT-SIN departed at 00:05 the next day, the AA agent couldn’t see that availability. I called in just after 18:00 the day after (after getting stuck on hold, hence me dialing in early for the return flight) and switched to the HND-SIN flight and then confirmed the booking.
Dec 17, 2018, 4:52 pm
#722
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: PHL
Programs: AA Gold, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 480
Same experience here. I called in at 17:55 just to make sure I got through the menus and any holds and got through at 18:01 and they were able to see availability in J and book my return flights for me.
I had booked the outbound flight about a week prior. I had checked around 8PM local time as I was unaware about the 10AM release time in Japan, so I was about 2hrs late, but availability was still there. I originally put SAN-NRT-SIN on hold as I really wanted the SAN-NRT, HND-SIN, but as the NRT-SIN departed at 00:05 the next day, the AA agent couldn’t see that availability. I called in just after 18:00 the day after (after getting stuck on hold, hence me dialing in early for the return flight) and switched to the HND-SIN flight and then confirmed the booking.
Dec 17, 2018, 7:41 pm
#723
Join Date: Jan 2010
Programs: UA, AS
Posts: 2,393
I see HND-SFO in J on 2/19 on AS now. AS has cached availability so it might take a few hours extra to show up on AS.
Dec 19, 2018, 12:04 pm
#724
Join Date: Dec 2006
Programs: SPG Gold
Posts: 37
2nd release JL award availability
Hi,
Was booking LAX-NRT using AA miles and needed 2F or J (or mixed) tickets for mid March 2019. I ended up booking 1F ticket hoping that I snag another one if they release more. Unfortunately I snoozed on getting my Economy award ticket because I thought I might fall back to using BA avios to book PE.
?: Should I just keep waiting and hoping that more award availability is released for my March departure? Checking every day! The alternative is to book a cash economy seat cause prices will just go up, and you don't think they will open up any more award seats...
Thanks so much for your advice!
A
Was booking LAX-NRT using AA miles and needed 2F or J (or mixed) tickets for mid March 2019. I ended up booking 1F ticket hoping that I snag another one if they release more. Unfortunately I snoozed on getting my Economy award ticket because I thought I might fall back to using BA avios to book PE.
?: Should I just keep waiting and hoping that more award availability is released for my March departure? Checking every day! The alternative is to book a cash economy seat cause prices will just go up, and you don't think they will open up any more award seats...
Thanks so much for your advice!
A
Dec 19, 2018, 1:37 pm
#725
Join Date: Nov 2018
Posts: 41
Preface: I'm new to this and this is a rookie question. I'm trying to figure out how the 330 day calculation works. Has anyone used the timeanddate.com date calculator? When I calculated for December 25, 2019, it gave me January 29th. Is this correct? If my calculation is accurate, there are 330 in between the two dates. Or does it become available on day 330, so should it be January 30th?
Dec 19, 2018, 5:56 pm
#726
Join Date: Jan 2010
Programs: UA, AS
Posts: 2,393
Preface: I'm new to this and this is a rookie question. I'm trying to figure out how the 330 day calculation works. Has anyone used the timeanddate.com date calculator? When I calculated for December 25, 2019, it gave me January 29th. Is this correct? If my calculation is accurate, there are 330 in between the two dates. Or does it become available on day 330, so should it be January 30th?
Dec 20, 2018, 12:57 am
#727
Join Date: Nov 2012
Posts: 294
I am looking for a similar flight out of Narita, and I see 3 seats in business available using Qantas and Japan Airline search tool. However, I see no seat available using BA and Alaska search tool. I called AA and they don't see it. I think we are having the same issue. The AA rep told me that AA probably does not have access to the same number of award seats as Qantas. Does anyone know if this is true?
Dec 20, 2018, 8:25 am
#729
Join Date: Feb 2013
Posts: 90
Flying DFW-SFO-HND in J. A better flight opened up DFW-SFO so I'm taking it despite the voluntary downgrade for that segment. Do I still have access to check in the Business que or must I go through the economy line? I have priority with my CC but I think that only works for the security lines. Thanks.
Dec 21, 2018, 8:03 am
#730
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: New York
Programs: Marriott Gold, AA, United, Delta, Alaska
Posts: 144
Flying DFW-SFO-HND in J. A better flight opened up DFW-SFO so I'm taking it despite the voluntary downgrade for that segment. Do I still have access to check in the Business que or must I go through the economy line? I have priority with my CC but I think that only works for the security lines. Thanks.
Dec 27, 2018, 11:47 pm
#731
Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: WAS
Posts: 1,626
Hi. Is the wiki still accurate in that JL will never release the last F seat to award inventory? I am eyeing a flight within 10 days and it’s F1. Wondering whether I need to continue obsessively checking for Z inventory or if it’s pointless so long as the flight remains F1.
Thanks!
Thanks!
Dec 27, 2018, 11:54 pm
#732
Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: SNA
Programs: AA EXP, UA 1K (until it expires then never again), *wood Plat, Marriott Gold
Posts: 9,239
Hi. Is the wiki still accurate in that JL will never release the last F seat to award inventory? I am eyeing a flight within 10 days and it’s F1. Wondering whether I need to continue obsessively checking for Z inventory or if it’s pointless so long as the flight remains F1.
Thanks!
Thanks!
Dec 28, 2018, 12:00 am
#733
Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: WAS
Posts: 1,626
The wiki is form Oct 2018 so I'd guess not much has changed since then also I find that policy to be rather sensible as in Japan paying for F is standard for executives so giving away the last seat would seem unwise as last minute F buys can and do happen. If you're 10 days out and the flight is F1 I'd suggest you look for an alternate flight, even if it requires a domestic connection.
Dec 28, 2018, 6:36 am
#734
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 2001
Location: RDU <|> MMX
Programs: AA EXP 2MM, SK EBS
Posts: 12,466
Agree that the odds of an F award opening up at F1 are not good, however I wouldn't necessarily stop checking if you're within 10 days. The same big whig executive that might buy the last F seat also might be already booked on the flight and have plans change last minute and have to cancel, you never know.
Dec 28, 2018, 9:07 am
#735
Join Date: Jan 2010
Programs: UA, AS
Posts: 2,393
Hi. Is the wiki still accurate in that JL will never release the last F seat to award inventory? I am eyeing a flight within 10 days and it’s F1. Wondering whether I need to continue obsessively checking for Z inventory or if it’s pointless so long as the flight remains F1.
Thanks!
Thanks!
In my case the last F seat was released less than 48 hours from departure and I was frequently checking availability to catch it.