JAL Rule Changes Lead to Increased Difficulty in Securing Reward Flight Tickets

The “training” boom in miles is fading, popularity is concentrating on ANA, which continues its rules.

As of January 2024, JAL’s mile “training” program has effectively ended. As a result, popularity has shifted to ANA, which continues its rules, leading to difficulties in booking reward flights and causing dissatisfaction among former users.

This “training” refers not strictly to gradually accumulating miles but rather to excessively flying to earn points for status upgrades, thereby building annual flight records to qualify for elite membership status. Specifically, with ANA, one can join the “Super Flyers Card (SFC),” while JAL offers the “JAL Global Club (JGC),” both providing significant benefits such as priority check-in, priority boarding, and access to airline lounges at airports.

To qualify for SFC or JGC membership, an annual flight record of about 50 flights has been required in the past. However, once this threshold is reached, individuals can maintain their membership benefits indefinitely by continuing to pay the annual fee for the card. Consequently, there are many who only go through the training once and then maintain their status indefinitely.

50 Flights to 300!? JAL’s New Rule Changes for “JGC Membership Requirements” Starting This Year

JAL has changed the rules for JGC membership requirements. They discontinued the previous criteria, which were based solely on annual flight records, and introduced the new JAL Life Status Program. According to this new program, membership qualification is now determined by the total number of Life Status (LS) points, which can be accumulated not only through flight records but also by using JAL-related services such as the JAL Card and JAL Mall.

The new requirement for JGC membership is 1,500 points. Since each domestic flight with the JAL Group equals 5 points, this means that, if relying solely on flight records, you would need to take 300 flights. Previously, members could qualify with 50 flights, but with the new rules, it would take six years at the same pace, and naturally, the cost has increased, making the bar significantly higher.

In fact, since the beginning of this year, the term “JGC pilgrimage” (referring to people trying to meet JGC criteria) has rarely been heard. The only people still striving are those aiming for Diamond or JGC Premier status under the FLY ON Program, where status is determined by annual performance and requires continuous effort each year. As a result, the number of people participating in this effort has become significantly lower compared to the former “JGC pilgrimage.”

 

ANA is currently facing issues such as “difficulty in booking award tickets” and “problems with getting through on the phone.”

On the other hand, ANA has maintained its membership rules for the Super Flyer Card (SFC), leading many people looking to earn elite status with airlines to concentrate on ANA this year.

Recently, there have been frequent complaints about the difficulty of booking award tickets with ANA. This issue is particularly pronounced during peak travel times, such as the year-end holidays and large national holidays, leading to fierce competition for reservations.

As members accumulate flight records through SFC training, they also earn ANA miles. Moreover, there is a limit on the redemption of miles accumulated during the COVID-19 pandemic (ANA miles expire after three years). With the inability to travel internationally during the pandemic, there has been a surge in popularity for long-haul international flights to Europe and the U.S., particularly in premium classes such as business class. Additionally, due to high demand for international flights, ticket prices have remained elevated, with business class fares for round trips to Europe and the U.S. sometimes reaching around 1 million yen.

Furthermore, the increase in elite members has led to chronic overcrowding in ANA lounges, and sometimes the priority lanes at security checkpoints are slower than the general lanes, causing long lines for priority boarding as well.

As someone who holds both SFC and JGC memberships and uses both airlines, I have consistently found that the ANA lounges are more crowded. It’s also well-known among frequent users that when trying to change reservations via phone with ANA, it has become increasingly difficult to get through.