Alaska Airlines earning rates on JAL Airlines and JAL earning rates on Alaska Airlines take effect today, June 29, 2016, as the two airlines work together to transfer passengers between Alaska Airlines’ West Coast flights and JAL’s West Coast gateways in Vancouver, Los Angeles, San Diego and San Francisco. The agreement was announced in May, and will likely expand overtime, especially with the Virgin America and Alaska merger taking place, implicating Virgin’s major hubs in Los Angeles and San Francisco.
The earning rates for Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan members flying on JAL flights are actually extremely low, especially compared to other Mileage Plan partners such as Cathay Pacific and Korean Air. Several fare classes earn 50% or less miles and even discounted business class does not earn 100% of miles flown. The same is true for JAL Mileage Bank customers flying Alaska coded flights with low earning rates for discounted economy but high earning rates for first class.
Earning rates on JAL for Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan members
Earning rates on Alaska for JAL Mileage Bank members
Alaska Airlines Awards on JAL
Currently Alaska Airlines has not announced what the Japan Airlines Award chart will look like for Mileage Plan members. Alaska Airlines released their JAL Award Chart on December 6, 2016. We can assume it will look similar to Cathay Pacific and Hainan with Economy class, business class, and first class awards to Asia costing 30,000, 50,000, and 70,000 miles each way. The award chart should be released by the end of 2016.
JAL Mileage Bank awards on Alaska Airlines
JAL has already announced award rates for Alaska Airlines flights with their distance based award chart that is somewhat generous. Some awards are cheaper than Alaska Airlines on award prices. Remember that prices on based on total distance traveled of all flight segments combined. In additional JAL allows up to 3 stopovers on Alaska Airlines flights meaning someone could fly Seattle to Portland to San Diego to Hawaii all as one trip! The best value trip will be found on flights to Central America and Hawaii which fall in the 2001-4000 mileage range and 4001-6000 total mileage range which will price out cheaper than Alaska’s own award chart.
The JAL and Alaska Airlines partnership is a fantastic new way to earn and burn miles and I look forward to the growing partner profile as an Alaska Airline Mileage Plan member. And remember, JAL is a Starwood SPG transfer partner allowing points to be transferred from SPG to JAL for Alaska Airlines free trips!
If you need help booking your award ticket on JAL, Alaska Airlines or any other airline, check out my Award Booking Service.
