Best use of AA miles for business class to Japan

Overview

When it comes to redeeming American Airlines miles for business class to Japan, partner carrier Japan Airlines (JAL) does a lot of the heavy lifting. American Airlines (AA) and Alaska Airlines (AS) also operate select nonstop routes to Tokyo, but JAL offers more routes to Japan than both AA and AS combined.

To boot, JAL offers what is widely considered a superior business class option compared to anything you can get from a U.S. carrier. Not to say AA and AS premium cabins aren't respectable, but if you want the best, opt for JAL.

When booking awards to Japan, focus mostly on Tokyo's two primary international gateways: Haneda (HND), closer to central Tokyo, and Narita (NRT), located farther east of the city. From there, you can hop all over the country.

Let's take a look at the best use of AA miles for business class flights to Japan.

West Coast to Tokyo on Japan Airlines

Flying between Vancouver (YVR) and Tokyo (NRT) is one of the shortest routes between the Continental U.S. and Japan. If your primary concern is spending as little time crossing the Pacific as possible, a business class seat aboard Japan Airlines is a (relatively) short hop compared to other West Coast cities like San Francisco and Los Angeles.

You'll pay just 60,000 American Airlines miles and $40 in taxes for the flight.

This flight routinely costs over $4,000, giving you a value north of 6.6 cents per American Airlines mile.

East Coast to Tokyo on Japan Airlines

If, on the other hand, you can't get enough fancy business class, you can expect to pay 80,000 American Airlines miles between the East Coast and Japan. JAL itself serves New York City (JFK) and Boston (BOS).

These are highly sought-after routes, so it can be difficult to find availability. In fact, for this exercise, I couldn't find a single available seat throughout the year for either city. But by searching nearby cities that aren't served by JAL, you may be able to manifest availability.

In the below example, you can see a flight from Washington, DC (DCA) to Tokyo (HND) via New York (JFK). You'll take a quick hop to New York and catch a glorious 14-hour ride on Japan Airlines business class.

Expect to shell out over $5,000 for this itinerary. If you can endure a layover, it could be well worth the miles.

West Coast to Osaka on Japan Airlines

One additional Japanese airport aside from Haneda (HND) and Narita (NRT) serves the U.S.: You can fly nonstop from Osaka (KIX) to both Los Angeles (LAX) and Honolulu (HNL) on Japan Airlines.

If you're not able to score a nonstop, you can still likely fly into Osaka with a quick connection in Tokyo, so your transpacific flight will be in top-tier premium JAL seats for the same price. Take a look at the below itinerary between Los Angeles (LAX) and Osaka (KIX) with a stop in Tokyo (HND) for 60,000 miles and $5.60 in taxes and fees.

The absolute lowest price you'll find for this seat is still north of $4,300. Expect a value of more than 7 cents per AAdvantage mile for the route.

Southern U.S. to Tokyo on American Airlines

Again, American Airlines operates a perfectly good business class product to Japan. If for some reason you'd prefer an American Airlines flight over JAL metal, consider a flight from AA fortress Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW) to Tokyo (NRT). It's nearly as long of a trip as booking from the East Coast.

Just note that American Airlines prices travel on its own planes dynamically; you'll pay what American Airlines decides to charge based on date, time, demand, and mood. The below 13+ hour trip currently costs 104,500 miles and $5.60 in taxes and fees.

This, too, is guaranteed to cost over $5,000 one-way.

Hawaii to Tokyo on Alaska Airlines

Yes, it's technically the cheapest way to get from the U.S. to Japan with American Airlines miles, but it's kind of cheating. Travel between Honolulu (HNL) and Tokyo (HND) costs just 52,500 miles and $5.60 aboard Alaska Airlines. This is one of the only routes on which Alaska Airlines operates lie-flat seats.

You've already crossed a significant portion of the ocean at this point, and you're far closer to Japan than anywhere on the Continental U.S. That said, the journey's duration ends up similar to a flight from some West Coast cities thanks to routing, winds, etc.

In terms of cash price, this flight is often more reasonable. You'll typically pay $2,500+ for the trip, but we've seen prices fall below $1,500.

If Alaska is your preferred airline, it is also worth reviewing the best use of Alaska Airlines points and how Alaska Airlines fare classes work before deciding which currency to spend.

How to use ExpertFlyer to monitor AA award space to Japan

ExpertFlyer doesn't currently monitor Japan Airlines seats, but it easily handles American Airlines and Alaska Airlines award space to help you lock down business class awards from seven U.S. cities.

Here are the fare buckets to keep an eye on:

• American Airlines business class - U, J
• Alaska Airlines business class - E

As an example, let’s look for travel between Japan and Dallas-Fort Worth on American Airlines. Enter your origin and destination and the operating carrier under “Airline.” Then check the “U” and/or “J” fare class and click “Search.”

AA’s “U” fare class typically represents the reasonably-priced award seats, and the inventory that can be found through American’s Oneworld programs. “J” inventory signifies the empty business class seats available for purchase, and which can also often be booked with miles (though the prices may be sky-high).

On the next page, you’ll see the list of available seats for your selected dates. The “Availability” column shows you the minimum number of “U” and “J” seats available. If the flight you want has no seats, you can use the bell icon to set a notification. When “U” or “J” availability appears, you’ll promptly get an email.

Bottom line

American Airlines miles are a great tool for reaching Japan in luxury while on a shoestring budget. Japan Airlines should be your goal, as their business class offering is famously better than U.S. airlines like American Airlines and Alaska Airlines, both of which offer nonstop travel to Tokyo.

ExpertFlyer doesn’t currently track Japan Airlines availability, but it does monitor Alaska’s “E” class and American’s “U” and “J” classes, all of which are fare buckets that can give you an idea as to the business class award space you’ll find.

Have questions or suggestions for this article? Please reach out to customercare@expertflyer.com