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

“Making several round trips every weekend.” Is there any benefit to training for the Japanese JGC/SFC system?

Training by excessively flying on airplanes is generally hard for most people to understand. For example, making multiple round trips between Haneda and Sapporo or Naha in one day, or flying around the Amami Islands in Kagoshima to rack up flight numbers during JGC training until last year, was referred to as “island-hopping training.” The Itami to Tajima route is famous for JGC training; as the end of the year approaches—the limit for annual flight records, flights that operate two round trips a day, especially on weekends, often see most passengers exiting at Tajima and heading straight to the security checkpoint.

So, is there any benefit to obtaining JGC or SFC? For those who fly regularly, the answer is definitely “yes.” Specifically, having a higher priority for standby seats in case of sudden cancellations and being able to quickly retrieve checked luggage on nearly full flights makes a significant difference. In the lounges of JAL and ANA, passengers can enjoy unlimited free drinks, including beer and other alcoholic beverages.

“Establishment of exclusive lounges”: Foreign airlines are moving towards differentiation. What will happen to Japanese airlines?

Recently, foreign airlines have begun to differentiate their airport lounge offerings. For example, Singapore Airlines has separate lounges: the “KrisFlyer Gold Lounge” for Star Alliance Gold members flying in Economy Class, including SFC members, and the “SilverKris Lounge” for Business Class passengers. The SilverKris Lounge, which features amenities like a noodle bar and enhanced dining options, is generally considered superior.

Qatar Airways limits access to its lounge at Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi International Airport to those flying in Business Class or higher, and different lounges are available based on travel class at its hub, Hamad International Airport. While ANA has not changed its lounge access conditions, it has made pre-selected seats with extra legroom free only for those with “Diamond” and “Platinum” status, charging others, including SFC members, a fee.

In general, upper-class services can be enjoyed without specific status if travelers fly JAL’s First Class or ANA’s Premium Class domestically, or Business Class or higher internationally.

Moreover, regularly flying upper-class allows travelers to earn more miles and flight credits than if they were flying in standard Economy Class. Many business travelers who frequently use upper-class services find themselves becoming elite members without needing to undergo training.

In contrast, membership programs like JGC and SFC do not exist abroad, where maintaining status requires accumulating flight records each year. This aligns more with the original concept of a mileage membership system. By raising the entry requirements for JGC, JAL has put a stop to the recent training boom. It remains to be seen how ANA will respond and what their future actions will be.