21 Best Ways to Earn Lots of Japan Airlines (JAL) Mileage Bank Miles
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In 1951, Japan Airlines (JAL) became the first international airline in Japan. Now the largest commercial carrier in the country, it has hubs at Haneda and Narita airports.
As a member of the Oneworld alliance, JAL serves more than 305 airports in 51 countries.
Members of its airline loyalty program, JAL Mileage Bank (JMB), can earn miles for flights on JAL and partner airlines, as well as by making purchases with JAL’s travel and non-travel partners.
Let’s take a look at the myriad ways you can earn JMB Miles to redeem for award flights, e-money, and other awards. Plus, you can read our post on the best ways to fly to Japan using points.
Table of contents
Table of Contents
JAL Mileage Bank (JMB)
1. Join JMB to Earn Miles
Sign up for JAL Mileage Bank (JMB) and start earning miles for JAL flights, partner flights, hotel stays, car rentals, and more!
2. Take Flights on JAL
Earn miles for flights on JAL Group Domestic and JAL International Airlines: Japan Airlines, Japan Transocean Air, Japan Air Commuter, and Ryukyu Air Commuter.
Flight mileage is determined by the sector mileage and the class/fare. Below is a table showing the JAL accumulation rates on international flights from Japan. Find accumulation rates for other international and domestic fares here.
3. Book Flights on JAL Partner Airlines
JAL partners with the Oneworld alliance and several additional carriers
The following table shows the percentage of miles earned (depending on fare) for flights on each airline. Click an airline for more details.
Oneworld Airline Partners
| Airline | Miles Earned | Airline | Miles Earned |
| American Airlines | 30%-150% | British Airways | 25%-150% |
| Finnair | 25%-125% | Iberia | 25%-125% |
| Qatar Airways | 30%-150% | Royal Jordanian | 50%-125% |
| S7 Airlines | 25%-125% | SriLankan Airlines | 30%-125% |
| Cathay Pacific | 50%-150% | LATAM | 30%-125% |
| Qantas | 50%-150% | Malaysia Airlines | 25%-150% |
Other Partners
| Airline | Miles Earned | Airline | Miles Earned |
| Emirates | 50%-150% | Air France | 50%-150% |
| Jetstar Japan* | 25% | China Eastern Airlines | 30%-150% |
| Bangkok Airways | 50%-150% | Alaska Airlines | 30%-150% |
| Hawaiian Airlines | 30%-125% |
*on Plus Bundle and Max Bundle (not Starter Fare)
Hot Tip: For more information, check out this in depth guide to help you know where to credit your airline miles.
4. Elite Status Bonus Points
In addition to earning miles for flights on JAL and its partner airlines, JMB members earn FLY ON points, which are calculated based on mileage. Collect FLY ON points (or qualifying segments) to reach different membership levels and earn bonus miles:
| Membership Level | Qualifying Points | Qualifying Segments | Mileage Bonus |
| Crystal | 30,000 FLY ON points | 30 segments | N/A |
| Sapphire | 50,000 FLY ON points | 50 segments | 105% |
| JGC Premier | 80,000 FLY ON points | 80 segments | 105% |
| Diamond | 100,000 FLY ON points | 120 segments | 130% |
>JMB Miles Calculation: Flight mileage x FLY ON point conversion rate
5. Bonus FLY ON Points
JAL is running a promotion for bonus points through December 2017. Add up to 400 points according to the purchased fare as follows:
It really is possible to earn a TON of points and qualify for the bonuses that come with elite status!
One of the great things about the JAL status program is you don’t have to wait a full calendar year if you qualify for the next tier earlier. About 1 week after qualifying for a higher FLY ON tier, you’ll receive a new membership card to activate some of the service benefits!
Hot Tip: If you qualify for JMB Sapphire or JMB Diamond, you will receive an invitation to join JAL Global Club (JGC). Membership costs 5,000 miles and includes lounge access, annual gifts, and even bonus miles!
Earn JMB Miles With Credit Cards
6. American Express Membership Rewards Credit Cards
While JAL is not a direct airline partner of Membership Rewards, it is a partner of the Asia Miles program. If you want to use your miles with JAL through Asia Miles (1:1 ratio), you can use any of the Membership Rewards credit cards:
Recommended Amex Cards (Personal)
| The Platinum Card® from American Express - There's currently a welcome bonus of 60,000 points after spending $5,000 in your first 3 months. This is our favorite card for getting into 1,200+ airport lounges worldwide (including Priority Pass) and we get about $1,500+ in value from the card every year. Plus, get up to $200 in Uber credits annually ($15 per month and a $20 bonus in December) — and up to $200 in annual credit for airline incidental charges (e.g. baggage fees). For rates and fees of the Platinum Card, click here. |
| American Express® Gold Card - We love using this card as it earns 4x points at restaurants worldwide and 4x points at US supermarkets (up to $25,000; then 1x). With a welcome bonus of 35,000 points after you spend $2,000 in your first 3 months and a $100 airfare credit per year, for many this is an easy addition to your wallet. For rates and fees of the Gold Card, click here. |
Recommended Amex Cards (Business)
| The Business Platinum Card® from American Express - Even though this card carries a hefty annual fee, we get ~$1,250+ in value per year by leveraging as many of the benefits/perks card. Get access to 1,200+ airport lounges worldwide, $200 in airline fee credits for incidentals (e.g. baggage fees) and a lot more. Also, earn a welcome bonus of up to 75,000 points (terms apply). For rates and fees of the Business Platinum, click here. |
| American Express® Business Gold Card - probably our favorite Amex business card because we earn 4x points across the top 2 select categories that we spend the most money in each month. The 4x points applies to the first $150,000 in combined purchases from these 2 categories each calendar year. This means you'll max out at a (whopping) 600,000 points per year. After that, you earn 1x. For rates and fees of the Business Gold Card, click here. |
| The Blue Business℠ Plus Credit Card from American Express - This is a real simple card that earns you 2x points on business purchases up to $50,000 annually (then 1x). There's no annual fee. For rates and fees of The Blue Business Plus, click here. |
7. Citi ThankYou Rewards Credit Cards
Similar to Membership Rewards, Citi ThankYou Rewards has Asia Miles as a transfer partner. Collect Citi ThankYou Points and transfer them to Asia Miles to use with JAL:
| CREDIT CARD | CARD INFO |
|---|---|
| Citi ThankYou® Premier Card |
|
| Citi Prestige® Card |
|
8. JAL USA Card
With the JAL USA MasterCard, you earn miles and receive discounts on in-flight purchases. Pay a $20 annual fee to get 1 point per every $2 spent.
Add a $50 upgrade fee (for a total of $70 per year) and you can earn 1 point for every $1 spent.
Click here to find the current sign-up bonus as well as terms and conditions.
9. Marriott Credit Cards
You can earn Marriott points and transfer those to Japan Airlines at a transfer rate of 3:1. Plus, for every 60,000 Marriott points that you transfer, you’ll receive an extra 5,000 Japan Airlines miles bonus.
Recommended Marriott Cards
| Marriott Bonvoy Boundless™ Card - earn 75,000 bonus points after spending $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. Get automatic silver elite status each account anniversary year; and a free night award (valued up to 35,000 points) every year after account anniversary. |
| Marriott Bonvoy Business™ American Express® Card - earn 75,000 bonus points (terms apply). A solid card for business owners who will get complimentary Marriott Bonvoy silver elite status. Annual fee is $125. For rates and fees of the Bonvoy Business Card, click here. |
Collect Miles With JMB Partners
10. Partner Hotel Miles
With more than 15,000 participating hotels around the world, it’s easy to earn miles in your JMB account. Browse hotels with the partner hotel search engine.
11. Transfer Hotel Loyalty Points
You can transfer points from the IHG Rewards Club loyalty program.
To increase your IHG Rewards, try using the IHG® Rewards Club Premier Credit Card!
12. Hotel Special Offers
JMB provides plenty of opportunities to earn extra miles. For instance, earn double miles at Langham Hotels and Resorts through February 28, 2017, or earn up to 1,500 miles with Outrigger Resorts. Look for new deals on the Hotel Special Offers page.
Earn Miles Through Other Partner Travel
13. Book a Rental Car
Check out the variety of per-mile, per-day, and per-rental offers from JMB car rental partners. Click on a car rental agency below for terms and conditions.
| Car Rental Agency | Mileage Offer | Car Rental Agency | Mileage Offer |
| Avis | 100 miles/day | Alamo | 300 miles/rental |
| Hertz | 50 miles/day | Budget | 50 miles/day |
| Dollar | 300 miles/rental | Smile (Japan) | 100 yen/mile |
14. More Transportation Partners
If you don’t want to book a rental car but still need a ride, JMB has 2 partners that can help: MK Taxi Group Los Angeles and Japan Executive Limousine, INC.
Provide your JMB membership number when making a reservation with MK Taxi Group (Los Angeles) and show it to the driver. You’ll earn 1 mile per $1 approximately 1-2 months after completing travel.
Also, earn 1 mile per $1 with Japan Executive Limousine, INC.
Shop for Miles
15. Japan Airlines Partner Mall
Use your JAL USA MasterCard at any partner stores and get extra miles! Here are some of the retailers that ship to the U.S.:
| Retailer | Offer | Retailer | Offer |
| Bargain Japan | 1 mile/$2 spent | Bloomingdale’s | 1 mile/$2 spent |
| Fujisan.com | 1 mile/$2 spent | Hanna Andersson | 1 mile/$2 spent |
| Lane Bryant | 1 mile/$1 spent | Macy’s | 1 mile/$2 spent |
| Saks Fifth Avenue | 1 mile/$1 spent |
16. JAL Shopping Americas
Purchase items at JAL Shopping Americas and earn miles. JLB members earn 1 mile per every $2 spent, while holders of the JAL USA MasterCard get 1 mile per $1 or enjoy a 5% discount.
To receive miles, provide your JMB membership number and look for miles to be credited about 2 months after purchase.
17. THE SHILLA DUTY-FREE
Just because you’re traveling doesn’t mean you can’t catch up on some shopping! THE SHILLA DUTY-FREE has 3 locations to shop with your JMB membership card: Seoul, Incheon Airport, and Gimpo International Airport.
Earn 2 miles for every $3 spent here. JMB members can earn miles for shopping even without boarding a flight!
Special Offers & Services
18. JAL Family Club
Whether Japan is your former home or you just travel there frequently, the JAL Family Club can be useful. There’s no fee to join, and you get a variety of benefits such as the ability to pool miles for award redemptions and bonus miles.
First, choose a JLB member over the age of 12 to serve as the Primary Member of the JAL Family Club Account. Members must live in an eligible region outside of Japan (America, Europe/Middle East/Africa, Asia/Oceana).
Up to 9 people (including the Primary Member) may join the account, including the Primary Member’s spouse, children, parents, and spouse’s parents.
While there is no annual fee for the JAL Family Account, a registration fee of 1,000 miles is required.
Don’t have 1,000 miles in your account? You can agree to have them deducted as soon as you do! A renewal fee of 1,000 miles will be deducted every 5 years.
With a family account, you can earn bonus miles for your first JAL flight and other promotions. See the below example of how quickly miles can add up:
The application and bonus mile terms and conditions are available here.
19. Book Moving Services
Moving to Japan? Need to ship items overseas to friends and family? The following U.S. to Japan shipping services will earn you JMB Miles!
| Company | Miles Earned |
| Nippon Express | 1 mile/$1 |
| Endo Freight Forwarders | 1 mile/$1 |
| Nissin International Transport U.S.A. | Up to 15,000 miles |
20. Sign up for Media Deals
Take advantage of 2 offers to stay in touch with Japanese media in the U.S.
Order TV Japan for 24-hour Japanese language programming and earn 1,000 miles. You can also subscribe to Nikkei Business magazine and earn up to 750 miles.
21. Local Area Services
| Company | Service | Miles Offered | Location |
| AI Klean | Maid services by Japanese professionals | 1 mile/$1 | Los Angeles, CA |
| Starts Pacific Inc. | Real estate | Up to 5,000 miles | Los Angeles, CA |
| SkinCeuticals | Skincare | 1 mile/$1 | Honolulu, HA |
| JAL ABC Mobile Phone Rental | Mobile phone and Wi-Fi router rentals | Up to 200 miles | Narita/Nagoya/Chubu Airports |
| JAL ABC Coat Storage | Coat storage | 50 miles/ piece | Narita/Haneda/ Kansai Airports |
| JAL Airport Baggage Delivery Service | Baggage delivery | Up to 100 miles | Narita/Haneda/Kansai/Chubu Airports |
Conclusion
Earning JMB miles is as easy as flying JAL and booking travel with its partners. Plus, JMB provides plenty of opportunities to earn miles with non-travel partners.
Rack up miles even faster with the JAL USA MasterCard!
Need some inspiration as to how you’d use those miles? Check out this Japan Airlines, 777 FC review (Tokyo—LA)!
Photo Credits:
Japan Airlines Featured Photo: Fasttailwind/Shutterstock.com
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How do I transfer Asia Miles over to JMB? I’ve never heard of or seen this option. It’s not on their website (at least, I didn’t see it) – has it been discontinued, or do you have to call to transfer Asia Miles? Thanks!
Hi Ben. Unfortunately you cannot transfer Asia Miles to JMB.