Using Virgin Atlantic Points on ANA Flights:
Virgin Atlantic uses a zone-based award chart to price out ANA tickets. Notably, the prices displayed are for round-trip, meaning a one-way ticket is just half the cost of the listed roundtrip price.
Looking at this award chart starts to tell an enticing story—mainly, this means you can fly from New York to Tokyo for just 47,500 points one way in ANA business class (this is an incredible deal). For context, ANA’s business class is ranked amongst one of the best in the world, offering a fantastic experience on a well-known airline.
The best way to fly ANA’s business or first class is by redeeming Virgin Atlantic points. Virgin Atlantic offers incredible value for ANA redemptions, but the process requires a bit of effort since it can only be done manually.
Here’s how you can book ANA flights with Virgin Atlantic points:
- Find availability: Use Roame to search for ANA award flights where saver award space is available on United, and set up alerts to be notified when saver space is available.
- Call Virgin Atlantic at 800.365.9500 to confirm availability for the ANA award booking.
- Transfer points: Once the agent confirms availability, transfer your points to Virgin Atlantic while still on the call.
- Book your flight: Redeem your ANA flight!
- Recently, ANA business class award availability has not been released to Virgin Atlantic within 14 days of departure, even if seats are available through United. First class, however, can still be booked last-minute.
- Within 14 days, you can still redeem United MileagePlus miles for ANA business class at 110k points one-way.
Virgin Atlantic points can be earned by transferring from the following programs:
- Chase Ultimate Rewards (e.g., Chase Sapphire Preferred® or Chase Sapphire Reserve®)
- American Express Membership Rewards (e.g., Amex Gold or Platinum Cards)
- Capital One Miles (e.g., Capital One Venture X)
How to Book:
Japan Airlines (JAL) offers exceptional business and first-class products, which you can book using American Airlines AAdvantage miles or Alaska Airlines MileagePlan miles.
- Business Class: 60k miles one-way
- First Class: 80k miles one-way
- Business Class: 85k miles one-way
- Search for award space on Roame to see available flights and set alerts to be notified of new availability.
- Note: Availability often drops randomly and is commonly released within the last 14 days before departure.
How to Earn Points for JAL Awards:
- Earn Alaska miles through the Bilt Rewards program, which transfers directly to Alaska Mileage Plan.
- For a limited time, you can transfer Amex Membership Rewards points to Alaska by going through Hawaiian Airlines: Amex → Hawaiian Airlines → Alaska. This option may not last long, so act fast!
- You can also apply for the Alaska Airlines Visa Signature® Card, which offers bonus miles and perks like companion fares.
- Earn AA miles directly with the Citi AAdvantage Platinum Select Card or AAdvantage Aviator Red Mastercard.
- Bilt Rewards Mastercard: Earn points that transfer directly to Alaska Airlines.
- American Express Gold Card (for the limited Amex → Hawaiian → Alaska transfer).
- Alaska or Hawaiian Airlines Cards: Both have a good set of cards you can use to earn points directly with the Airline, or miles that can be easily transferred from Hawaiian to Alaska.
- Barclay’s AAdvantage® Aviator® Red card: This card is an easy way to earn miles, requiring only one purchase and paying the annual fee. The card is also likely to no longer be offered at the end of the year as American Airlines becomes an exclusive partner with Citi.
Flying business or first class to Japan is within reach when you have the right points and tools. Start earning the miles you need with the recommended credit cards above, and set alerts on Roame to snag award space before it’s gone. Whether you’re traveling with ANA or JAL, these steps will help you land your dream flight.
Terms apply to American Express benefits and offers. Enrollment may be required for select American Express benefits and offers. Visit americanexpress.com to learn more.
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