How to Fly Lie-Flat to Japan for 80K Points (Or Less!)

Think a lie-flat seat on the way to Japan isn't in the cards? It can be done … and it doesn't have to break the bank. 

The secret is knowing where to look – and we definitely do. Just ask our Thrifty Traveler Premium members, who have received a dozen-plus business class flight deal alerts to Japan in just the past few months. So while you might see rates of 200,000 miles or more when you search, the right redemptions and points can put you in those seats for less than 80,000 points apiece.

So what's the difference? Our team of a dozen flight deal analysts is searching 24/7 to find the best lie-flat Japan deals for our Thrifty Traveler Premium flight deal alert subscribers. And even with flight prices on the rise and travel demand to Tokyo sky-high, we're finding more and more every week.

Still don't believe us? Take a look at just how good the deals to Japan can get.

Delta One to Tokyo … for under 80K SkyMiles!

Just a few weeks ago, we found the cheapest Delta One redemption to Tokyo-Haneda (HND) we've seen in more than six years. At just 79,900 SkyMiles each way, it was cheaper than what Delta charges for many of these flights in economy! 

And this wasn't just a one-off from one or two major Delta hubs: It was bookable at dirt-cheap rates from 100-plus airports nationwide, whether you flew nonstop or made a connection en route to Japan!

That sure beats forking over the 400,000-plus SkyMiles Delta usually charges, right? 

Japan Airlines Biz Class from 55K JAL Miles

Japan Airlines (JAL) has long offered one of the most comfortable ways to fly to Japan, but booking business class with points used to mean relying on the airline to open award availability to partners like American Airlines – and that was no sure thing.

But now, you can also book JAL using its own Mileage Bank miles, which you can transfer from banks like Capital One and Bilt as well as Rove Miles. Best of all, Japan Airlines might sell you those seats at even cheaper rates.

For as low as just 55,000 JAL miles, you can fly nonstop from any of Japan Airlines' North American destinations to Tokyo – both Tokyo-Haneda (HND) and Tokyo-Narita (NRT) as well as Osaka (KIX).

Those 55,000-mile rates have become harder to find, but we always tip off Thrifty Traveler Premium members whenever it's bookable. Plus, JAL also offers much wider availability at higher prices: 75,000 to 105,000 miles each way, for example.

… Or 60K AAdvantage Miles

Don't have JAL Mileage Bank miles or the points to transfer there? No problem. 

You can sometimes book those exact same flights through American Airlines for just 60,000 AAdvantage miles in each direction – with low taxes and fees, to boot!

The kicker here is that, to use American Airlines miles to book, JAL has to actually release that award space to its partners like AA. While that's happening less and less these days, every so often the floodgates open … and when they do, we always send our Thrifty Traveler Premium members an alert with step-by-step instructions for booking.

The screenshots above are from an alert we sent just last week … and it was gone in a matter of hours (if not minutes). 

Alaska Airlines Biz Class from 60K AA Miles

JAL isn't the only airline you can fly to Japan using American AAdvantage miles, though. Alaska Airlines launched nonstop flights from Seattle (SEA) to Tokyo-Narita (NRT) just last year. 

The price? Again, just 60,000 AA miles and the same meager taxes and fees: as low as $5.60 each way.

You can also use Alaska Atmos Rewards to book these business class seats for 95,000 points (and the same low fees) in each direction. Otherwise, check out Qantas Frequent Flyer miles (which are transferable from banks like Capital One and American Express) at  just 90,000 Qantas Frequent Flyer miles, though you'll pay a few hundred bucks in taxes and fees.

EVA Air Biz Class from 75K Miles

Taiwan's EVA Air can't fly you directly from North America to Japan … but it could be worth a quick pitstop in Taipei (TPE) for these swanky business class seats at low rates: Just 75,000 EVA miles one-way.

A quick word of caution: EVA's website isn't for the faint of heart, making these seats more complicated to book. But don't worry, we spell it all out for you in the “How to Book” section in each and every one of our deals. 

While it's not the easiest deal to book on this list, the experience more than makes up for the hassle.

ANA's “The Room” from 52.5K Virgin Points

We saved the best for last: You can fly ANA business class from North America to Tokyo for as little as 52,500 points from the West Coast or just 60,000 points from the rest of the country. Frequent transfer bonuses from banks such as American Express, Chase, and Capital One to Virgin can drop the price even lower.

Now, for the bad news: This deal has gotten incredibly hard – darn near impossible, really – to book through partners like Virgin Atlantic … and it requires a phone call to get it done.

That said, you can still find seats available here and there. And when we do, you can bet our Thrifty Traveler Premium members will be the first to know about it. 

How Thrifty Traveler Premium Works

So, how do we find these deals? And, most importantly, how do we let you know about them? 

• First, our team of flight deal analysts and experts search from more than 200 U.S. and Canadian airports for the best Delta SkyMiles deals around the clock.
• Second, when we find something good, we vet the deal – making sure that it's bookable, that there's no “catch” or “trap,” and that it's a fare that we would book ourselves.
• Third, we put together a flight deal alert and send it to your inbox – and for the rarest deals, you'll get a “Unicorn Alert” text message, too! You can also log in to your account to view the deal info and any other deals we've sent you. 
• Fourth: You book the deal! This is what you've been hoarding points and miles for – a sizzling redemption that might otherwise cost you $4,000 or more. 

And that's it! We're not travel agents, and we don't work with the airlines. We just find the deals airlines don't want you to know about and alert you to them, so you can get the most value from your stash of miles. 

Plus, we offer a 100-day money-back guarantee for first-time subscribers. If you're not loving the deals you get, you can cancel for a full refund – no questions asked!

Bottom Line

Flying lie-flat to Japan doesn't have to mean forking over thousands of dollars … or hundreds of thousands of points. Just ask our Thrifty Traveler Premium members, who have gotten all these alerts and countless more.

Start getting flight deal alerts, and remember: Our 100-day money-back guarantee means you can try our alerts risk-free!

Get Thrifty Traveler Premium now!