How To Book Japan Airlines First Class With Miles Updated
Intro
As I am heading back to Asia in a couple of days, I thought it would be a good idea to see if I could snag an award seat on JAL First Class from Bangkok to Tokyo Haneda. Guess what? I did, but I won't be flying it this time, sadly.
During my research period, I noticed that JAL opens up an award seat on this specific leg, and the ones to Chicago, exactly 6 days out from departure at 9 am local time in Tokyo.
The Method
It begins to get complicated when there is only one seat left. If you plan on flying First Class in JAL on a last-minute booking, head over to your laptop at 5 pm PST or 8 pm EST and take a look to see if they opened up award seats. Occasionally, it won't show right at 9 am Tokyo time, sometimes a little after.
Now, here is where it gets even more complicated. When I went ahead and made the booking, British Airways showed one seat left in First Class on this flight for redemption. I headed over to American Airlines and found that there were no seats available.
However, I changed the final destination to Osaka, and magically, the final seat appeared and was actually confirmed! Talk about some luck!
My Advice
If you want to fly on Japan Airlines, prepare to add patience to your repertoire. Oftentimes, if it is a simple leg with plenty of seats left, it will be easy. Other times, with more complicated itenaries, it can complicated with phantom award space showing up.
When it comes to booking, these are the two best options:
Bangkok-Tokyo & Vice Versa:
British Airways- 61,800 Miles+ 91 GBP
American Airlines- 40K Miles+ 23 USD
Chicago-Tokyo & Vice Versa
American Airlines- 80K Miles+ Minimal taxes and fees
I would not recommend BA for this one, as Avios' rates are astronomical.
Final Thoughts
Japan Airlines can sometimes be tricky regarding last-minute availability, with phantom space often being displayed. Confirm the space on British Airways, and then hope that it pops up on American Airlines. If it doesn't, try adding a different destination and see if that works!
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