The best ways to travel to Japan with points and miles

Editor’s note: This article has been updated.

Japan seems to be on everyone’s travel wish list this year. The country is home to some of the world’s best hotels and restaurants, fascinating cultural experiences and famous natural phenomena, including the annual cherry blossom season. And though it requires a long and often expensive flight (or two) to get there from the U.S., you can travel to Japan in comfort by taking advantage of your points and miles.

Here’s a look at the best options on major American and Japanese airlines and how to book them using points and miles at saver levels.

American Airlines

American Airlines flies to Tokyo’s major airports: Haneda Airport (HND) and Narita International Airport (NRT). The airline flies to HND from:

• Los Angeles International Airport (LAX)
• New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK)

It flies to NRT from Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW).

It won’t be the most luxurious way to get to Tokyo, but American’s economy, premium economy and business-class cabins provide a comfortable way to cross the Pacific. Plus, if you’re flying in business class — or have select Oneworld elite status tiers — you can access American’s Flagship Lounges before you depart.

If you have American Airlines AAdvantage miles, expect to redeem at least 35,000, 45,000 or 60,000 miles for economy, premium economy and business-class flights, respectively, each way. Taxes and fees are minimal — $5.60 departing from the U.S. and about $50 in the opposite direction. That said, mileage costs can increase substantially during peak travel dates when saver award space isn’t available.

You can also book these flights with Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan for 37,500 miles in economy, 50,000 miles in premium economy and 75,000 miles in business class. However, you’ll pay more miles for longer flights now that Alaska prices partner awards on a distance-based award chart. Taxes and fees are slightly higher due to partner booking fees.

If you want to use Capital One miles, American Express Membership Rewards points or Citi ThankYou Rewards points for your flights, consider booking via Qantas Frequent Flyer, which is a transfer partner of all three programs. You’ll pay 37,600 miles in economy, 71,100 miles in premium economy and 94,900 miles in business class on the DFW-NRT route, which seems to have the most availability. Taxes and fees are higher than when using American or Alaska miles at just under $200 each way.

Here’s a quick rundown of how many miles you need from each program for each class of service.

The type of miles you should use depends on what you have available to you. You’ll get the best deal with AAdvantage, but this program doesn’t have credit card transfer partners. Meanwhile, you can transfer Bilt Rewards Points to Alaska Airlines or American Express Membership Rewards points to Hawaiian Airlines and then transfer your Hawaiian miles to Alaska. Amex, Capital One and Citi all transfer to Qantas. So, the best program for you will depend on the type of points or miles you have. Award availability can also vary from program to program, so be sure to check the award calendar using your preferred mileage currency before making any points transfers.

Delta Air Lines

Delta Air Lines has an extensive route network to HND, with flights from:

• Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL)
• Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport (DTW)
• Honolulu’s Daniel K. Inouye International Airport (HNL)
• Los Angeles International Airport (LAX)
• Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport (MSP)
• Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA)

Delta SkyMiles utilizes dynamic award pricing for all Delta-operated flights, and prices can be exorbitant in premium cabins. For example, this flight from LAX to HND costs 28,000 SkyMiles plus $5.60 in taxes and fees in basic economy. However, this increases to 300,000 SkyMiles in Delta One business class. And that was the lowest price we could find over the next year!

Unfortunately, Delta rarely offers partner-bookable award space on international flights to Asia, so this is often your only option for flying Delta to Japan. However, you can lower your mileage cost if you have an eligible Delta cobranded credit card with Delta’s TakeOff 15 benefit, which offers a 15% discount on award tickets. If you’re a Delta elite with a Global Upgrade Certificate, you might consider booking Main Cabin or Premium Select and applying an upgrade.

United Airlines

United Airlines has the largest Tokyo presence of all major U.S. airlines, with flights to both Haneda and Narita. You can fly from the following airports to HND:

• Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport (ORD)
• Guam’s Antonio B. Won Pat International Airport (GUM)
• Los Angeles International Airport (LAX)
• Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR)
• San Francisco International Airport (SFO)
• Dulles International Airport (IAD) near Washington, D.C.

Meanwhile, you can fly United to NRT from:

• Denver International Airport (DEN)
• Guam’s Antonio B. Won Pat International Airport (GUM)
• Houston’s George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH)
• Los Angeles International Airport (LAX)
• Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR)
• San Francisco International Airport (SFO)

The airline also offers a handful of flights from NRT to major airports in other countries, including Mactan-Cebu International Airport (CEB) in the Philippines and Chinggis Khaan International Airport (UBN) in Mongolia starting May 2025, among others.

United MileagePlus prices awards dynamically, but you can often find economy flights from 50,000 miles, premium economy flights for 60,000 miles and business-class flights for 100,000 miles each way, all with minimal taxes and fees of under $6 from the U.S. and around $50 departing Japan. Prices could be higher or lower depending on when you travel. You can transfer Chase Ultimate Rewards and Bilt Rewards points to United.

You can get a better deal on business-class tickets if you book United flights to Tokyo with Air Canada Aeroplan. This program has a distance-based award chart, so pricing varies based on the length of your flight. However, a one-way flight from EWR to NRT costs just 50,000 points in economy and 75,000 points in business class plus 80 Canadian dollars ($56) departing the U.S. and just over $100 departing Japan. You can transfer Amex, Bilt, Capital One and Chase points to Aeroplan.

ANA Mileage Club is another interesting option. It can yield the best deal on United flights to Japan — round-trip economy awards cost 50,000 miles, and business-class awards cost 110,000 miles — but you must book a round-trip ticket if you don’t want to perform through some stopover and open-jaw acrobatics. You’ll also pay roughly $355 in taxes and fees. You can transfer Amex points to All Nippon Airways, but these transfers can take 48 hours to process.

ANA Mileage Club offers the best deal on United awards to Tokyo, but earning miles with the program can be more challenging than with Air Canada Aeroplan. Likewise, awards are more restrictive since you need to book a round-trip ticket. However, both offer a significantly better deal than booking directly with United MileagePlus.

Here’s a snapshot of the best options to book awards on United flights to Japan.

Hawaiian Airlines

Hawaiin Airlines runs flights from HND and NRT to HNL and will launch service from SEA to NRT later this year now that it has officially merged with Alaska Airlines. Your best bet for booking these flights is with Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan or HawaiianMiles.

Alaska prices Hawaiian flights dynamically, and you’ll often see business-class tickets go for over 200,000 miles one-way on all of Hawaiian’s routes. However, we found the upcoming Seattle-Tokyo route for as low as 30,000 miles in economy and 95,000 miles in business class, with taxes and fees of $5.60 to $50 or so depending on the direction of travel.

Meanwhile, you can book Honolulu-Tokyo for as low as 30,000 miles in economy or 60,000 miles in business class, also with minimal taxes and fees.

You can transfer Bilt Rewards points directly to Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan. Further, you can transfer American Express Membership Rewards points to Hawaiian Airlines and then transfer those miles to Alaska. These transfers all occur at a 1:1 transfer ratio.

If you want to save yourself a step, you can transfer American Express points to Hawaiian and then just book an award directly through the airline’s own HawaiianMiles program. The new SEA-NRT route, which starts in May 2025, requires at least 34,300 miles each way in economy (it’s usually 40,000 to 50,000 miles) or 95,000 miles in business class, though award availability is tight, and some days require as many as 250,000 miles each way.

All Nippon Airways

ANA — short for All Nippon Airways — is one of the two major long-haul airlines in Japan. It’s a Star Alliance member with nonstop flights from both Haneda and Narita to a handful of U.S. cities. From the U.S., you can fly from HND to:

• Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport (ORD)
• Honolulu’s Daniel K. Inouye International Airport (HNL)
• Houston’s George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH)
• Los Angeles International Airport (LAX)
• New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK)
• San Francisco International Airport (SFO)
• Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA)
• Dulles International Airport (IAD) near Washington, D.C.

Plus, you can fly ANA to NRT from:

• Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport (ORD)
• Honolulu’s Daniel K. Inouye International Airport (HNL)
• Los Angeles International Airport (LAX)
• San Francisco International Airport (SFO)

ANA offers some of the best business- and first-class seats in the sky. Newer long-haul planes are configured with The Suite first class (pictured below), while older planes are configured with older ANA First Square seats. Likewise, newer planes have The Room business class (pictured above), while older planes are configured with a staggered business-class seat. Regardless of which you book, expect top-notch hospitality and a comfortable ride.

One great way to book ANA award tickets is through the airline’s own loyalty program, ANA Mileage Club. As mentioned for United bookings, booking with ANA Mileage Club means you can only book round-trip award tickets. Pricing depends on the airline’s zone- and season-based award chart.

Round-trip off-peak awards from North America cost 40,000 miles in economy, 62,000 miles in premium economy, 100,000 miles in business class and 150,000 miles in first class, plus moderate taxes and fees. Flights to Hawaii cost 35,000 miles, 53,000 miles, 80,000 miles and 120,000 miles in economy, premium economy, business class and first class, respectively. You can transfer Amex points to ANA, but again, transfers can take up to 48 hours to process.

The best deal, however, is booking with Virgin Atlantic Flying Club. Although Virgin Atlantic is a SkyTeam member, the airline still has individual partnerships with other airlines, including ANA (a Star Alliance member). Here is the one-way award chart for flights on ANA booked through Virgin Atlantic Flying Club.

You must call to book these tickets after you find award space with your favorite Star Alliance search tool, like those offered by United and Air Canada. Then, call Virgin Atlantic to confirm that award space is available and ask the representative to put the ticket on hold. After this, transfer points from Amex, Bilt, Capital One, Chase or Citi to Virgin Atlantic and call again to finalize your ticket.

Japan Airlines

Japan Airlines is another Japanese airline that offers top-notch service and flights to many major U.S. cities. Unlike ANA, JAL is a Oneworld member, so you can use miles from American Airlines AAdvantage, Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan and other Oneworld loyalty programs to book award tickets on the airline.

From HND, you can fly to:

• Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport (ORD)
• Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW)
• Honolulu’s Daniel K. Inouye International Airport (HNL)
• Los Angeles International Airport (LAX)
• New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK)

Meanwhile, from NRT, you can fly to:

• Boston Logan International Airport (BOS)
• Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport (ORD)
• Guam’s Antonio B. Won Pat International Airport (GUM)
• Honolulu’s Daniel K. Inouye International Airport (HNL)
• Los Angeles International Airport (LAX)
• San Diego International Airport (SAN)
• San Francisco International Airport (SFO)
• Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA)

Generally, your best bet value is booking with Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan, where tickets from the U.S. to Japan start at 30,000, 40,000 or 60,000 miles in economy, premium economy or business class, respectively. Again, you can transfer Bilt points or Hawaiian miles to Alaska.

American Airlines AAdvantage has similar award pricing, with economy, premium economy and business-class flights from the U.S. to Japan starting at 35,000 miles, 45,000 miles and 60,000 miles in economy, business and premium economy, respectively.

If you have Amex, Capital One or Citi points, you can transfer them to Qantas Frequent Flyer to book Japan Airlines tickets. You’ll pay 37,800 miles for economy or 75,000 miles for business class each way on Japan Airlines from the U.S. to Japan, though taxes and fees are around $200 in each direction.

As with all the bookings mentioned in this article, the best redemption depends on your available points and miles. If you have Bilt or Hawaiian points — or Amex points that transfer to Hawaiian — your best bet is booking with Alaska. Meanwhile, AAdvantage is a good option if you already have American miles, and Qantas Frequent Flyer works well if you have Capital One or Citi rewards.

Singapore Airlines

Singapore Airlines runs daily nonstop service from LAX to NRT on its Boeing 777-300ER aircraft (the one pictured above is an Airbus A350-900, but the seats are similar). Your best bet for booking this award successfully is with Singapore KrisFlyer miles, which transfer from Amex, Chase, Capital One and Citi.

You’ll pay 38,500, 73,000, 103,500 or 120,500 Singapore miles for economy, premium economy, business-class or first-class awards, respectively, plus taxes and fees of around $5.60 to $50 depending on the direction of travel. This pricing is for Saver rewards, which are cheaper than booking Singapore’s Advantage rewards.

Best points hotels in Japan

Major cities in Japan, including tourist favorites like Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka, are chock-full of point hotels. We’ve listed some of our favorites below, alongside award pricing.

• Andaz Tokyo Toranomon Hills: 25,000 to 35,000 World of Hyatt points per night
• Conrad Tokyo: From 100,000 Hilton Honors points per night
• The Tokyo Edition, Ginza: From 95,500 Marriott Bonvoy points per night
• W Osaka: From 45,000 Marriott Bonvoy points per night
• Conrad Osaka: From 100,000 Hilton Honors points per night
• Park Hyatt Kyoto: 35,000 to 45,000 World of Hyatt points per night

Related: The 11 best hotels in Tokyo for your next Japan getaway

Credit cards to bring to Japan

Traveling to Japan means paying in Japanese yen, so you should travel with a credit that doesn’t charge foreign transaction fees. This will help you save money on your trip and earn rewards toward your next trip.

Some cards to consider include:

• Bilt Mastercard® (see rates and fees)
• Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card (see rates and fees)
• Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
• Citi Strata Premier℠ Card (see rates and fees)

Related: 9 types of cards you should pack for your next trip abroad

Bottom line

Japan has been a hot destination for U.S. tourists over the past couple of years, partially due to the excellent exchange rate of the U.S. dollar compared to the Japanese yen, making it more affordable for Americans to visit. Unfortunately, cash airfares to Japan remain high, but you may save money using points and miles.

That said, you may need to be flexible and book either well in advance or at the last minute to score premium cabin award seats, but the search is well worth it to fly in comfort before or after your visit to this fascinating destination.

For rates and fees of the Bilt Mastercard, click here.
For rewards and benefits of the Bilt Mastercard, click here.