New JAL Japan Explorer Pass
#106
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: Tokyo
Programs: JAL Metal Card (OWE), SAS Eurobonus Gold (*G), Marriott Titanium (LTP), Tokyu Hotels Platinum
Posts: 21,169
With regards to online check in and seating, I have two JAL Explorer Pass legs booked for next month. I am travelling with the whole family and I am a little worried about being separated from the kids. Will I be able to use OLCI to reserve seats and then go to the gate agent with the passports etc for my boarding pass? Also how hard is it to score the 1000JPY J Upgrade at check in?
The class J upgrade depends a lot on route, time of day, and whether you want to find seats for everyone. And how many that everyone is.
#107
Join Date: Oct 2017
Programs: Velocity Krisflyer Qantas
Posts: 22
#108
Ambassador: Japan Airlines
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: LAX
Programs: JAL Mileage Bank, JMB Diamond, oneworld Emerald, Bonvoy Platinum
Posts: 16,398
#110
Ambassador: Japan Airlines
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: LAX
Programs: JAL Mileage Bank, JMB Diamond, oneworld Emerald, Bonvoy Platinum
Posts: 16,398
it doesn’t always work out that way. Even if you are put on standby and someone cancels their Class J booking, the seat won’t automatically go to you. Someone who checks in later can just grab it when it’s available
#111
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: Tokyo
Programs: Marriott Plat, HH G,Hyatt E,*A Gold, OW Emerald.
Posts: 3,023
for lack of better wording, explorer pass tickets are at the lowest level of the ranking for JAL services. No OLCI, no seat selection, no changes, no standby to earlier flight, no online upgrades, all other fares get priority for class J and F upgrades etc.
You only get saphire and emerald benefits if you are actually an elite member.
So, expect nothing but the explorer pass flight you booked, and you will be fine!
You only get saphire and emerald benefits if you are actually an elite member.
So, expect nothing but the explorer pass flight you booked, and you will be fine!
#112
Join Date: Jul 2011
Programs: AA EXP, DL FO, UA Silver, SPG Plat, Hyatt Diamond, Avis Pres Club
Posts: 403
Hi all,
Question on the Explorer Pass - does it earn FLY ON points (I assume yes), and does it earn the 2x domestic (I assume yes), and does it earn the 400 JAL bonus? Last part I'm unsure about.
I'm looking to do this on a mileage run from the US to Hong Kong so this would be a stopover in Japan.
Question on the Explorer Pass - does it earn FLY ON points (I assume yes), and does it earn the 2x domestic (I assume yes), and does it earn the 400 JAL bonus? Last part I'm unsure about.
I'm looking to do this on a mileage run from the US to Hong Kong so this would be a stopover in Japan.
#113
Ambassador: Japan Airlines
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: LAX
Programs: JAL Mileage Bank, JMB Diamond, oneworld Emerald, Bonvoy Platinum
Posts: 16,398
for lack of better wording, explorer pass tickets are at the lowest level of the ranking for JAL services. No OLCI, no seat selection, no changes, no standby to earlier flight, no online upgrades, all other fares get priority for class J and F upgrades etc.
You only get saphire and emerald benefits if you are actually an elite member.
So, expect nothing but the explorer pass flight you booked, and you will be fine!
You only get saphire and emerald benefits if you are actually an elite member.
So, expect nothing but the explorer pass flight you booked, and you will be fine!
#114
Ambassador: Japan Airlines
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: LAX
Programs: JAL Mileage Bank, JMB Diamond, oneworld Emerald, Bonvoy Platinum
Posts: 16,398
I assume those blocked seats aren’t really ones I would prefer? Like back of the cabin? LOL and it also depends on aircrafts. Not that much JL can block if it’s on a 73H
#115
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: London, UK
Programs: BAGGL, A3G, Accor Gold, Hilton Diamond, IHG Diamond, LHW Sterling
Posts: 1,308
Is the website not working at the moment?
I'm getting the following returned for any search I do.Thanks
I'm getting the following returned for any search I do.Thanks
Please confirm the following.
- Error: We apologize for the inconvenience. Please go to JAL HOME and try again.
#116
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Madrid spain
Programs: UA 1K, Hilton Gold, SPG PLT
Posts: 574
Single PNR
One of the eligibility requirement for international ticket is that the itinerary must be on a single PNR. This is clearly stated in the Taiwan JAL website. Although it is not the case for at least the US website, has anyone run into issue for using multiple one way ticket to meet the JEP purchase requirement?
#117
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: SFO
Programs: AA Plat, IHG Plat, HH Diamond, Hyatt Plat, Hertz Gold
Posts: 1,933
I'm looking into using this for the first time for travel around Obon and don't want to risk waiting until ~60 days out to be able to book domestic award segments with Avios since availability is already slim, and the new JR Rail Pass rules make it so it can't be used anymore as a backup.
Am I right that you can still use the Explorer Pass even if you are in Japan as a Japanese national as long as you satisfy the round-trip ticket requirement from outside of Japan and have a foreign passport to prove residency there? You don't have to have entered Japan using the other passport, from what I can read from the T&Cs. At booking, should you enter the foreign passport info even if you will be in Japan with a Japanese passport, or should the Japanese passport info be entered and then show foreign identification at check-in?
Am I right that you can still use the Explorer Pass even if you are in Japan as a Japanese national as long as you satisfy the round-trip ticket requirement from outside of Japan and have a foreign passport to prove residency there? You don't have to have entered Japan using the other passport, from what I can read from the T&Cs. At booking, should you enter the foreign passport info even if you will be in Japan with a Japanese passport, or should the Japanese passport info be entered and then show foreign identification at check-in?
#118
Both the JR Rail Pass and the JL Explorer pass are intended to facilitate tourism in Japan by non-Japanese nationals.
The rules for the rail pass allow non-resident Japanese nationals without dual nationality after ten years abroad with appropriate certification.
If you have dual nationality and book all travel under your foreign citizenship I'm not quite sure how they would class you as anything other than a foreign citizen, so both would presumably be available to you.
If you still keep Japanese citizenship then it is possibly against the spirit of the rules even if it is achievable.
The rules for the rail pass allow non-resident Japanese nationals without dual nationality after ten years abroad with appropriate certification.
If you have dual nationality and book all travel under your foreign citizenship I'm not quite sure how they would class you as anything other than a foreign citizen, so both would presumably be available to you.
If you still keep Japanese citizenship then it is possibly against the spirit of the rules even if it is achievable.
#119
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: SFO
Programs: AA Plat, IHG Plat, HH Diamond, Hyatt Plat, Hertz Gold
Posts: 1,933
The rules for the Japan Explorer Pass clearly have the same intentions. Eligibility rule #1 is:
Residence must be outside Japan. Passenger must hold a passport issued by a country other than Japan, or a Japanese passport holder with the right of permanent residence of a country other than Japan.
#120
Join Date: Oct 2015
Location: Pacific Wonderland
Programs: ʙᴏɴᴠo̱ʏ Au, IHG Au, HH Dia, Nexus, Pilot FlyingJ Preferred
Posts: 5,336
The question is what is acceptable as proof of residency outside of Japan. Does a foreign passport suffice, as it used to for the JR Rail Pass prior to the recent rule changes? I've e-mailed JAL but haven't received a response yet... and if there's a clear answer anywhere else, I'd like to book what I can (some of the flights I was looking at are already unavailable now).
4. Passenger's passport (or identification of residence outside Japan for Japanese passport holders) and international ticket must be presented at the time of check-in.
If it were me, I'd buy the domestic ticket with my foreign passport information, show that at domestic check in with the international ticket, and leave the Japanese passport out of the domestic check-in unless asked for it or proof of legal entry (because your foreign passport doesn't have it).