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)
Sep 7, 2019, 11:58 am
#1291
Join Date: Jan 2010
Programs: UA, AS
Posts: 2,393
In the past when I have had trouble, before I looked up the help message on the error code and found to restore my advanced internet settings, I used a workaround. If you type "ie" in the windows search box you can find and start Internet Explorer (not Edge). You then go to qantas.com, login with the same credentials you entered into KVS, and do a manual award search using IE. Once you get this to work leave the IE window open and open KVSTool and do the QF search. If it works on IE and IE is still open it should work on KVS if you have the QF credentials entered properly.
Last edited by skimthetrees; Sep 7, 2019 at 12:03 pm
Sep 8, 2019, 11:30 am
#1292
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: Chicago, IL
Posts: 488
Wow after JAL is bookable online. It took about 10 minutes for tickets to be ticketed no more on request limbo.
Sep 8, 2019, 7:04 pm
#1293
Join Date: Aug 2017
Posts: 26
When KVS pops up an error there is an error code which you can lookup on the KVSTool website. What is the error code and what does the description of the code say on the KVSTool Site? My guess is either you do not have Java installed on your system (www.java.com) or you need to use the procedure to restore your advanced internet settings. This will be described in the description of the error code you lookup on the kvstool website. If you have trouble PM KVSTool here or email him. He will help you.
In the past when I have had trouble, before I looked up the help message on the error code and found to restore my advanced internet settings, I used a workaround. If you type "ie" in the windows search box you can find and start Internet Explorer (not Edge). You then go to qantas.com, login with the same credentials you entered into KVS, and do a manual award search using IE. Once you get this to work leave the IE window open and open KVSTool and do the QF search. If it works on IE and IE is still open it should work on KVS if you have the QF credentials entered properly.
In the past when I have had trouble, before I looked up the help message on the error code and found to restore my advanced internet settings, I used a workaround. If you type "ie" in the windows search box you can find and start Internet Explorer (not Edge). You then go to qantas.com, login with the same credentials you entered into KVS, and do a manual award search using IE. Once you get this to work leave the IE window open and open KVSTool and do the QF search. If it works on IE and IE is still open it should work on KVS if you have the QF credentials entered properly.
Sep 15, 2019, 5:16 pm
#1294
Join Date: Aug 2010
Posts: 191
I just put an award on hold for SFO-HND on JAL. I really want to go to SE Asia. If i find something before the first hold expires, can I put, for example, NRT-BKK on hold and call in to have them combine into one award?
Sep 15, 2019, 8:35 pm
#1295
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: 1,928
Yes, if during hold period. However, I would think finding that within the 5 day window would be unlikely if it hasn’t appeared already. Some intra-Asia flights only appear as married segments. If you are EXP, then you can add the segments whenever you want for no charge. Everyone else has to pay redeposit/change fee.
Sep 21, 2019, 3:25 pm
#1296
Join Date: Aug 2010
Posts: 191
Well....that didn't work. I had on hold 1/3 SFO-HND (arrive 6:45pm+1) and 1/5 NRT-HAN (depart 6:30pm). Called 3 different agents to have them combined and couldn't do it. Was told that there needed to be space in the JAL reservation system for SFO-HAN and there wasn't. Currently holding SFO-HND (C) and NRT-HAN (Y). Not hopeful that space will open.
Sep 21, 2019, 8:17 pm
#1297
Join Date: Jan 2010
Programs: UA, AS
Posts: 2,393
Well....that didn't work. I had on hold 1/3 SFO-HND (arrive 6:45pm+1) and 1/5 NRT-HAN (depart 6:30pm). Called 3 different agents to have them combined and couldn't do it. Was told that there needed to be space in the JAL reservation system for SFO-HAN and there wasn't. Currently holding SFO-HND (C) and NRT-HAN (Y). Not hopeful that space will open.
NRT-HAN is Available in Biz on 1/5 right now. If you are able to ticket your held SFO-HND you *should* be able to add the 1/5 NRT-HAN to it. If you can do it within 24 hours there should be no change fee. Not sure how long AA takes to ticket though.
Sep 21, 2019, 11:26 pm
#1298
Join Date: Aug 2010
Posts: 191
I HUCAed 3 times with same answer. Must be the HOLD. I will ticket and then try to change NRT-HAN to business. As a datapoint, when I called to figure this out and changed it to SAN-HND(c)-NRT-HAN(y) the hold was extended for another 5 days, so there's that.
Sep 21, 2019, 11:57 pm
#1299
Join Date: Jan 2010
Programs: UA, AS
Posts: 2,393
I would not ticket NRT-HAN since that might marry to xxx-HND and cause problems. I would only ticket xxx-HND and once that is ticketed add NRT-HAN.
Sep 22, 2019, 7:59 am
#1300
Join Date: Jan 2012
Programs: AY+ Plat, Marriott Plat, Hyatt Discoverist
Posts: 2,846
I agree with skimthetrees that it might be easier to have tried to add NRT-HAN to SFO-HND, rather than to merge two records on hold into one.
Sep 24, 2019, 4:50 pm
#1301
Join Date: Aug 2019
Posts: 53
Has close-in availability for JL been scarce recently? I'm booked in J on CX for BKK-HKG-EWR (original HKG-JFK was cancelled) but looking to switch to JL for BKK-TYO-JFK/LGA and nothing is coming up for the next week or two unless the routing is something crazy or with an overnight layover in DC or something.
Sep 24, 2019, 5:38 pm
#1302
Join Date: Jan 2010
Programs: UA, AS
Posts: 2,393
Has close-in availability for JL been scarce recently? I'm booked in J on CX for BKK-HKG-EWR (original HKG-JFK was cancelled) but looking to switch to JL for BKK-TYO-JFK/LGA and nothing is coming up for the next week or two unless the routing is something crazy or with an overnight layover in DC or something.
Quite a bit of F available from TYO-NYC.
Sep 24, 2019, 6:08 pm
#1303
Join Date: Aug 2019
Posts: 53
That was the only day I found for J. Unfortunately, short 40k points to upgrade to F for the both of us or I'd do it.
Sep 26, 2019, 3:35 pm
#1304
Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: TYO
Programs: Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 1,744
Can anyone weigh in on my chances of getting one J/F seat for a flight 2 weeks out with inventory current looking as follows: F3 A3 J9 C9
Thanks in advance
Thanks in advance
Sep 26, 2019, 5:56 pm
#1305
Join Date: Jan 2010
Programs: UA, AS
Posts: 2,393
Tomorrow's SFO-HND for example:
F2 A2 J3 C3 D3 I1 X3 W3 E3
has 2F awards available.
You should check frequently daily.
ETA:
Wow, AA sure makes it hard to find these seats on their website. After you search (for a non-stop) click to sort by number of stops or you may never find it because it is burried so many pages down the search results. I guess they prefer you book horrible AA connections instead.
Last edited by skimthetrees; Sep 26, 2019 at 6:07 pm