How can I best use the miles I have accumulated at JAL & ANA Corona?

A must-see for land-based milers to save money

JAL version

ANA

Pedometer Apps
The New Normal for “Land Miler

Airline frequent flyer programs are one of the most popular ways to save money. There are many “land-based frequent flyers” who use credit cards, T-Points, and other point systems to accumulate miles without having to repeat air travel.

The first step to accumulate miles is to create a credit card with a high redemption rate. Aviation and travel analyst Kotaro Toriumi says, “Choose a credit card with a high redemption rate.

Once I have chosen a credit card with a high redemption rate, I link it to various cashless payments and set it up so that no matter how trivial the payment, I can earn miles. I personally aim to save efficiently and reliably with a minimum of hassle.”

Let me introduce some cards that are popular among land-based milers for “earning”: For JAL, I recommend the “JAL Card TOKYU POINT ClubQ”. For ANA, “ANA To Me CARD PASMO” which can be used as PASMO is also relatively efficient to make full use of.

Recently, pedometer apps that allow users to earn points just by moving around have become a hot topic. ANA Pocket Pro” allows users to earn points based on the distance they travel on foot or by train. It also includes a “gacha” function that lets you win miles, making it a must-have for the next generation of land-based travelers.

Various ways to use surcharges and LCCs

Many people may not be able to use the miles they have accumulated because of Corona. Mr. Toriumi, the aforementioned airline company, says, “As a special measure, ANA and LCCs are offering a special program.

As a special measure, both ANA and JAL have repeatedly extended the expiration date of miles, but it is highly likely that this will end in March 2011. It is necessary to convert them to award tickets before then. With the depreciation of the yen, it can be said that miles are more profitable for international flights than domestic flights. Even on domestic flights, fuel surcharges are becoming more expensive due to high oil prices, and paying for these surcharges with award tickets is another way to save money.

Incidentally, JAL will be changing its rules regarding award tickets on April 12, 2011. Since there are noticeable “changes” such as changes in reservations and an increase in the number of miles required for popular routes, “rush boarding” while it is still possible may be worth considering.

Both JAL and ANA have periods when the number of miles required for domestic flights are discounted, and it is better to travel during these periods. ANA, on the other hand, offers “This Week’s Toku Tabi Miles. Every Tuesday, “Tokutabi routes” are announced, and the cheapest one-way trip is 3,000 miles.

I often use “This Week’s Toku Tabi Miles,” and I recommend using it between Tokyo and Osaka. The frequent lineups and distance make it perfect for weekend trips, and it’s a great value for money,” said Toriumi.

If your expiration date is approaching but you don’t have time to fly (……), try converting your miles into points: “eJAL Points” for JAL and “SKY Coins” for ANA will extend your expiration date by one year. In addition, e JAL Points can be converted to coins at 1.5 times the rate of 10,000 miles or more, and ANA’s SKY Coins can be converted to coins at up to 1.7 times the rate. The biggest advantage is that you can use the coins to pay for airline tickets, airport purchases, and fuel surcharges (note that the coins cannot be used in conjunction with award tickets).

Another feature of JAL is that miles can be used for one-way travel. If you are traveling overseas for an undetermined period of time, it is often less expensive to use miles for the outbound flight and make local arrangements for the return flight using an LCC. Mileage can also be accumulated and used on LCCs that have partnerships with ZIPAIR (JAL) and Peach (ANA). Now that you have a wider range of options, you should use up all of your miles without losing even a single mile.

How to Use Miles without Losing Out to the Weak Yen

JAL version
e JAL Points are secretly profitable!

JAL mileage rules changed for domestic flights from April 2011.
No change, mileage increase in some areas

The number of miles required will be subdivided into 7 zones instead of the current 3 zones, and will increase or decrease depending on the destination. Please note that changes to reservations will no longer be possible and will be in the form of a refund (1,000 yen handling fee). However, connecting flights of 6 hours or less are considered as one itinerary, so it is advantageous if you do not use connecting flights.

Example of routes with mileage increase (one-way)
Tokyo⇔Sapporo
7500 miles → 8000 miles

Tokyo⇔Okinawa (Naha)
7500 miles → 9000 miles

Tokyo⇔Fukuoka
7500 miles → 8000 miles

ANA version
Use of the most advantageous Tokutabi miles