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)
#151
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: SFO/OAK ex DCA ex ALB
Posts: 625
I just discovered a new wrinkle in JL awards. I have an F award ticket HAN-NRT in J, NRT-ORD in F, ORD-MCI in F. Travel date is Jan. 25, 2017 ticketed on March 13., used 67.5K miles. I have a second ticket on the same date and flights for my husband, a J award. I am going to try to change travel date to between Feb. 25-March 13, 2017. If I cannot find an F seat on any acceptable dates I would accept a voluntary downgrade to J. I want to take the trip and don't care if I 'm in J to go. I would willingly give up my F seat. Apparently that would cause a redeposit of the miles and $150 charge and then a reticket at the new higher rate of 70K for J on JL. You can change the date but you cannot change the class of service without a big payment.
In your case, you might consider changing your routing to go HAN-HKG-HND/NRT-ORD -- if you can manage to find HKG-HND or HKG-NRT on one of the handful of flights where CX offers F, the segment in CX F should mean the award would still be an F award even if you downgraded NRT-ORD, which *should* mean there would be no fee/repricing.
#152
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Kansas City, MO
Programs: AA Gold
Posts: 3,648
In your case, you might consider changing your routing to go HAN-HKG-HND/NRT-ORD -- if you can manage to find HKG-HND or HKG-NRT on one of the handful of flights where CX offers F, the segment in CX F should mean the award would still be an F award even if you downgraded NRT-ORD, which *should* mean there would be no fee/repricing.
I have to decide if I want to take a chance on finding one F seat on JL 10 sometime between Feb. 20 and March 13 and just change the dates or pay the $150 now to change to a J award for current ticket and change the flying dates. There seems to be plenty of J seats on JL 10 but I could always fly home on JL 12 NRT-DFW and then to MCI.
#153
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: SFO/OAK ex DCA ex ALB
Posts: 625
That would not work. It's even harder to get F seats on CX than on JL. I don't see any F award space on CX flights from Han-NRT at all for Jan.-Feb. 2017. And It doesn't look like the timing of the arrival would be in sync with the departure of JL 10.
I have to decide if I want to take a chance on finding one F seat on JL 10 sometime between Feb. 20 and March 13 and just change the dates or pay the $150 now to change to a J award for current ticket and change the flying dates. There seems to be plenty of J seats on JL 10 but I could always fly home on JL 12 NRT-DFW and then to MCI.
I have to decide if I want to take a chance on finding one F seat on JL 10 sometime between Feb. 20 and March 13 and just change the dates or pay the $150 now to change to a J award for current ticket and change the flying dates. There seems to be plenty of J seats on JL 10 but I could always fly home on JL 12 NRT-DFW and then to MCI.
Last edited by Captain Flush; Mar 20, 2016 at 6:12 pm Reason: the arrow always points to the smaller
#154
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Kansas City, MO
Programs: AA Gold
Posts: 3,648
It might not work in a single day, but it's absolutely possible to book HAN-HKG on KA (on those days the morning flight operates), connect to CX HKG-HND or HKG-NRT on the same day, overnight in TYO (>24 hours = still one award) and take JL10 the following morning. And IME CX F is not particularly difficult to come by on HKG-HND and HKG-NRT.
#155
Join Date: Nov 2014
Location: New York
Programs: MB-LTT , HH-Diam., HGP-Expl.
Posts: 778
That would not work. It's even harder to get F seats on CX than on JL. I don't see any F award space on CX flights from Han-NRT at all for Jan.-Feb. 2017. And It doesn't look like the timing of the arrival would be in sync with the departure of JL 10.
I have to decide if I want to take a chance on finding one F seat on JL 10 sometime between Feb. 20 and March 13 and just change the dates or pay the $150 now to change to a J award for current ticket and change the flying dates. There seems to be plenty of J seats on JL 10 but I could always fly home on JL 12 NRT-DFW and then to MCI.
I have to decide if I want to take a chance on finding one F seat on JL 10 sometime between Feb. 20 and March 13 and just change the dates or pay the $150 now to change to a J award for current ticket and change the flying dates. There seems to be plenty of J seats on JL 10 but I could always fly home on JL 12 NRT-DFW and then to MCI.
Last edited by rny321; Mar 20, 2016 at 6:09 pm
#156
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Kansas City, MO
Programs: AA Gold
Posts: 3,648
If you have enough miles in one family member's account, you could keep the F ticket and book a J ticket for 55K. If an F seat opens up on your preferred travel date, you could cancel the J ticket and pay $150. If there is no F availability, you could cancel the F ticket and use the J ticket. Unless there was a schedule change that would allow a free cancellation, you would lose $150 but you would have 12.5K more miles than you expected if there were no F awards was allowed.
#157
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: World
Posts: 1,647
How can you have 2 tickets for the same person on the same flight, just in different classes? I'm not traveling alone so I need 2 seats on the same day. I don't have enough miles to book 2 second tickets, only one. I don't want to travel on a different day than my husband.
#158
Join Date: Jun 2011
Posts: 794
How can you have 2 tickets for the same person on the same flight, just in different classes? I'm not traveling alone so I need 2 seats on the same day. I don't have enough miles to book 2 second tickets, only one. I don't want to travel on a different day than my husband.
Change the J reservation for your husband to the date you want
Book a new J reservation for yourself on the date you want
In the end, if F is available, you book into F, cancel the J ticket. If J is available, cancel the F ticket. Either way, you'll be paying 150 to redeposit.
#159
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Kansas City, MO
Programs: AA Gold
Posts: 3,648
Keep the F reservation you currently have
Change the J reservation for your husband to the date you want
Book a new J reservation for yourself on the date you want
In the end, if F is available, you book into F, cancel the J ticket. If J is available, cancel the F ticket. Either way, you'll be paying 150 to redeposit.
Change the J reservation for your husband to the date you want
Book a new J reservation for yourself on the date you want
In the end, if F is available, you book into F, cancel the J ticket. If J is available, cancel the F ticket. Either way, you'll be paying 150 to redeposit.
Add: I did get a placeholder J award for 55K miles ticketed for a different date than the F award. I'll keep whichever one allows me to travel on a desirable date and cancel the other . I consider this a $150 insurance policy for being able to take my vacation trip at a time that works for me.
Last edited by susiesan; Mar 21, 2016 at 7:17 pm
#160
Join Date: Mar 2014
Location: Atl, GA
Programs: AA EP, HH Diamond, Marriott Plat
Posts: 127
Keep the F reservation you currently have
Change the J reservation for your husband to the date you want
Book a new J reservation for yourself on the date you want
In the end, if F is available, you book into F, cancel the J ticket. If J is available, cancel the F ticket. Either way, you'll be paying 150 to redeposit.
Change the J reservation for your husband to the date you want
Book a new J reservation for yourself on the date you want
In the end, if F is available, you book into F, cancel the J ticket. If J is available, cancel the F ticket. Either way, you'll be paying 150 to redeposit.
#161
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: SFO
Programs: Marriott LT Plat; WoH Exp; AS Gold; AA Plat
Posts: 369
It might not work in a single day, but it's absolutely possible to book HAN-HKG on KA (on those days the morning flight operates), connect to CX HKG-HND or HKG-NRT on the same day, overnight in TYO (<24 hours = still one award) and take JL10 the following morning. And IME CX F is not particularly difficult to come by on HKG-HND and HKG-NRT.
#163
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: SFO
Programs: Marriott LT Plat; WoH Exp; AS Gold; AA Plat
Posts: 369
#164
Join Date: Mar 2016
Programs: United Gold, DL Silver, Hilton Gold
Posts: 9
Long time reader, first post.
Finally was able to book 2 NRT-BOS(JL) BOS-LGA (AA)tickets in J for November 2016 since the NRT-JFK route is basically nonexistent. NRT-BOS route will change from their angled seats to lie-flat (SS9) product starting June 11, so good alternative to the usual JL hubs. Great knowledgeable AA agent.
Finally was able to book 2 NRT-BOS(JL) BOS-LGA (AA)tickets in J for November 2016 since the NRT-JFK route is basically nonexistent. NRT-BOS route will change from their angled seats to lie-flat (SS9) product starting June 11, so good alternative to the usual JL hubs. Great knowledgeable AA agent.
#165
Join Date: Jan 2001
Location: Boston, MA
Programs: AA Lifetime Platinum (3MM), QF Lifetime Gold, Bonvoy Lifetime Platinum, Ex-Hyatt Diamond
Posts: 7,541
When does JL release F award seats? I can't find two F award seats JFK or ORD to NRT and/or back again...not this week, next week, or 11 months from now, or anything in between???