Were it just 100,000 miles this would indeed be a bargain, but in common with other programs which impose the same threshold, we're talking 1m miles. Still not bad for those who travel frequently in premium classes.

Surprised nobody has mentioned BMI (BD), which offers lifetime *A Gold status in its Diamond Club scheme after 10 years of continuous renewal of its gold tier (very easy to achieve at 38K miles per year renewal).

Even so, the airline is likely to be sold of LH soon, so don't get too excited.

I wrote in previous thread that JAL Global Club member is almost lifetime with JAL Credit Card.

Now, I found that you don't need to have JAL Credit Card.

http://www.ar.jal.com/world/en/jalmile/jgc/
-----------------------------
ANNUAL FEE
5,000 miles will be deducted from the JGC member's JMB account at initial registration.
As a JGC member you can renew your membership with the payment of the renewal fee of 5,000 miles from your JMB account around the beginning of March.This renewal fee will be waived for :
(1)
JGC members who hold a JALCARD CLUB-A, JAL CLUB-A GOLD or JAL DINERS CARD.
(2)
JGC members who earn 25,000 FLY ON Points or fly 10 eligible flights with JAL/JALways international flights during the calendar year.

* *For JAL Family Club members, 5,000 miles may be deducted using family pooling.
-----------------------------

They don't say that you can renew One Wolrd Sapphire. But JGC membership, Yes. JGC membership is better than One World Sapphire when you fly with JAL, but it is Ruby with other One World carrier.

If you want to keep JGC & OW Sapphire, you need to fly only 20.000miles(One World) and four flights with JAL.

Don't you think it is easy ?

I also wrote that ANA-Star Aliance has simlar program, and ANA SFC membership is Star Aliance Gold. It means ANA is better than JAL.

If there is a simlar program in Sky Team, please let me know. I'd like to challenge.

I hope you understand my poor english.

Regards

ANA/Star Alliance is of more interest to me than JAL/OW. Unfortunately, unlike the relevant JAL webpages you provided a link to, I can't find an English language page which describes this program.

You state "If you want to keep JGC & OW Sapphire, you need to fly only 20.000miles(One World) and four flights with JAL." Would you happen to know if the cost of keeping the SFC membership is equally minimal?

DoubleJ, please wait for a while. I'll find ANA infomation in English.

ANA Mileage Club

http://www.ana.co.jp/amc_e/

ANA Super Flyer Card (Star Aliance Gold)

http://www.ana.co.jp/amc_e/plabro/sfc_hd.html

ANA SFC is with ANA Credit Card which is almost impossible for foreign resident to get. I will seek more info about this.

I found that English information is less than in Japanese. So, if you need more information, just tell me.

Regards

There are four companies offering ANA credit card.

Mitsui Sumitomo Card
Sony Finance International
JCB
Citicard Japan

If you have Citibank account and creidt card in your country, you may have chance to transfer your Credit Info to Citicard Japan and get it.

To keep Star alliance gold status, you need to pay annual fee of the card only.

Regards

dabo_gc, thank you for providing that info on obtaining Star Alliance status through a Japanese credit card. That is good to know. A while back I wanted to get a card in Japan, but it was only for residents of the country. Perhaps one of the ones you mention will allow foreigners to sign up.

But first, in order to *apply*, you would have to be a Diamond or a Platinum, correct??

Thanks for finding this information, dabo_gc!

Do you happen to know how much the annual fee is? I didn't find it mentioned on the site.

That's how it reads to me. 50,000 "Premium Points" are necessary to qualify for ANA "Platinum Service." If all one needs to do is pay the annual fee to maintain Star Alliance Gold, it may be worth switching my mileage earning to ANA (at least for one year). The problem is the uncertainty involved in qualifying for the card.

Yes, thanks from me as well!

Can we verify this from someone else 's experience as well? This would be great...

However, if, after all the effort of qualifying and receiving the card, it is not valid after you lose *actual* NH*G status, then we have 50k ANA miles sitting unused...

This is similar to my situation - I transferred 40k AmEx into ANA a couple of years ago to upgrade a SQ flight SIN-EWR, but was never able to do so, and have been trying to trade them on CC...

Wouldn't want to be stuck with another 50k miles there!

Yes.

ANA SFC is JY 10.762
ANA SFC Gold is JY15,750

Yes,that's the point.

Anytime you can apply ANA-Credit card. It's open and you don't have to be Plat nor Dia. So, try to get the card first. And if you can get it, fly and get 50,000points to become ANA-Plat and renew Credit Card with Plat and *Gold status which is called Super Flyers Card.

I'm a Japanese living abroad and am trying to get this credit card. I have a few bank accounts in Japan and other credit cards issued while in Japan. And I believe my credit status & history is good enough but I cannot get NEW credit card.

I don't want to give up 'cause this system is too sweet and easy. I guess only hope left for us is Citicard. Japanese megabank is

Thanks. This may be a workable idea. If one can't get even the basic ANA CC initially, then there's no wasted time chasing 50k ANA Premium Points.

LOL. My parents were lifetime members of I Club and PanAm's Clipper Club.