How to Book Cheap Business Class Flights to Japan
Are you wanting to visit Japan but not looking forward to the 10+ hour flight to get there? Flying business class to Japan can feel out of reach unless you know how to play the points game. I flew Japan Airlines from the U.S. to Tokyo for only 60,000 American Airlines miles plus $5.60 in taxes. And yes, that was in lie-flat luxury with exceptional service, food, and comfort.
This is one of the best sweet spots for cheap business class flights to Japan, and it’s not as complicated as you might think. I am going to go over how to earn miles, how to find this redemption, and the step-by-step booking process. Let’s get started!
A Look Inside Japan Airlines Business Class
Japan Airlines business class is more than just a lie-flat seat. It’s a full premium experience that stands out among international carriers.
Your experience starts when you get to the airport with priority check-in. Once you get checked in, you will then get access to the lounge! Depending on which airport you are at, you will get access to a One World Alliance lounge that will be printed on your boarding pass.
When we flew out of SFO, we went to the British Airways lounge. When we flew out of KIX in Osaka, we went to Japan Airlines Sakura lounge.
Lounges are a great place to relax, grab a drink, enjoy some food, and maybe get some work done with the free fast wi-fi. A lot of lounges now will have a self-serve area, like you see below, so you can help yourself to food and drinks.
Seat and Cabin
On most U.S. routes, you’ll find the JAL Sky Suite configuration. Each seat offers:
- Fully lie-flat beds with ample legroom
- Privacy partitions for solo travelers
- Direct aisle access from every seat
- Large entertainment screens with noise-canceling headphones
- Generous storage for bags, shoes, and small items
The layout is usually 2-2-2 or 1-2-1 depending on the aircraft (typically 777-300ER, 787-9, or 787-8). I recommend checking SeatGuru before selecting your seat, some rows offer more privacy or space.
This seat below is from a Boeing 787-9 plane. All seats had direct aisle access, even the window seats. The window seats were more private. There was a little path from the aisle to get to it, whereas the seat below was right in the aisle. I would recommend reserving a window seat if any are open.
24/7 Dining and Drinks
The in-flight meals are a standout feature and Japan Airlines is known for having some of the best food of any airline. You’ll get to choose between Japanese and International menus, both of which include:
- A multi-course meal with appetizers, mains, and dessert
- Sake, wine, champagne, and premium spirits
- On-demand snacks like udon noodles, curry, and rice bowls
I’ve tried both menus and you can’t go wrong with either! It’s beautifully plated and genuinely delicious! We had simmered black cod, prime beef tenderloin, and seared tuna! You also get JAL engraved silverware and glasses, talk about detail!
JAL Japanese Cuisine
Irodori Gozen- Yogurt Mousse
Seared Tuna
How to Earn Enough Miles for Business Class
You don’t need to fly American to earn their miles. The fastest way is to get one of their co-branded credit cards. As you can see, one sign-up bonus on most of these cards will pay for a business class flight to Japan from the US!
Credit Cards That Earn AA Miles:
| Card | Annual Fee | Sign-Up Bonus | Earn Rate | Notable Benefits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® | $99 (waived first year) | Typically 50,000 miles | 2x on AA, gas stations, restaurants | Free first checked bag, preferred boarding |
| CitiBusiness® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® | $99 (waived first year) | Typically 65,000 miles | 2x on AA, gas, cable/internet, car rentals | Free checked bag, preferred boarding, business tools |
| Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive | $595 | Typically 70,000 miles | 4x on AA purchases | Admirals Club access, Global Entry or TSA PreCheck®, free bags |
| American Airlines AAdvantage® MileUp® | $0 | Typically 10,000 miles + $50 credit | 2x on AA and groceries | 25% savings when you use your card on American Airlines inflight food and beverage purchases |
| Barclays AAdvantage® Aviator® Red | $99 | Typically 60,000 miles after one purchase | 2x on AA purchases | Free checked bag, preferred boarding, anniversary companion certificate, travel insurance |
Other Easy Earning Options:
AAdvantage Dining – Earn miles for going out to eat! Simply add any credit card to the site, search restaurants, bars, or clubs nearby, and then pay with your linked card. That’s it!
AA eShopping Portal – Earn miles for making online purchases by clicking through the eshopping portal first. All you need to do is link it to your Aadvantage account and start shopping!
SimplyMiles – Earn miles by using linked cards at partner merchants. Most all Aadvantage cards will be added automatically, and only Mastercard cards can be added. Just log in to the website and activate offers. Make sure you use one of your linked cards and you will automatically receive the offer!
Marriott Bonvoy– The AAdvantage program is also a transfer partner of Marriott Bonvoy. Transfers from Marriott Bonvoy occur at a 3:1 ratio. This is not recommended, but if you have a slew of Marriott points, you have this option.
What Makes This a Great Redemption
In most cases, the best value to get out of American miles comes from partner awards, which are not subject to dynamic pricing, unlike American flights. American Airlines and Japan Airlines are both a part of the One World Alliance, which means you can book flights on either platform.
American Airlines still uses a region-based award chart for partners like JAL. This means no matter where in the US you depart from, a one-way business class flight to Japan on JAL costs 60K points. This is great because you can book this deal from a big hub like LAX, or a small airport like SGF. You will find more availability at bigger hubs.
How do you Search Award Space?
Finding business class award seats on Japan Airlines is not always easy, but if you’re flexible with your travel dates or can book last minute, you can find some open seats!
As soon as you have an idea of when you’d like to travel, start searching! You might be able to find space up to 330 days out, but Japan Airlines may not release award space until days before you want to depart.
I also really love to use pointsyeah.com to find award flights. You can sign up for their free account, which includes unlimited real-time flight searches! You can go to their Daydream Explorer option and type in United States in the from and then Tokyo and Osaka in the destination to see several 60K options!
What to Look For:
- Search for one-way flights from major U.S. hubs like:
- Los Angeles (LAX)
- San Francisco (SFO)
- Dallas (DFW)
- Chicago (ORD)
- New York (JFK)
- Look for flights that say “Operated by Japan Airlines”. That’s what you want.
- Flexibility helps. Some routes only release just a few business class seats months in advance. Others open closer to departure.
- Use Calendar View on aa.com to see the whole month
Step-by-Step Booking Process
- Go to AA.com
- Select “Redeem miles”
- Choose your route and date range
- Select Search
- Select Calendar
- Select Business/First Class
- Pick any 60K business class option (if you don’t see any, there are no seats available for that month)
- When you find a date that works, select it in the Calendar and click Apply Changes
- Then sort by Business Class to find the 60K
- Pay the $5.60 and complete your booking! Make sure you are using a credit card like this one that has great travel protection and insurance.
Final Thoughts
When you fly with Japan Airlines, you can expect an exceptional business class flight experience! When you’re flying out of Japan, you also get the chance to experience Japan Airlines’ incredible business class lounge, and once on board, it only gets better!
Japan Airlines award space can be hard to come by, but it is worth taking the time to look. You may need to be flexible and book well in advance, or last minute to score cheap business class flights to Japan.
I hope this has been helpful to you in booking your next trip to Japan! Soon enough, you will be in Japan ready to explore! Please let me know if you have any questions in the comments!
Next: Check out my Ultimate 10 Day Japan Itinerary to start planning for your trip!
