Bilt Rewards just won't stop adding travel partners to its growing portfolio of airline and hotel programs. As of Tuesday, you can now send Bilt Rewards points to Japan Airlines (JAL) Mileage Bank – its 20th transfer partner, cementing Bilt as the first (and only) major transferable points program to partner with the Japanese carrier.
After launching this morning, Bilt members can now transfer their points to JAL Mileage Bank at a 1:1 ratio – meaning 2,000 Bilt points get you 2,000 JAL miles.
But there's one big hitch: JAL Mileage Bank typically requires accounts to be 60 days old in order to be able to redeem miles. With this announcement, Bilt has made it possible for members to redeem their miles within seven days after transferring if their JAL account isn't already 60 days old.
Even if you don't have a redemption to make right away, it makes sense to enroll in JAL Mileage Bank now in order to speed up the process and avoid any delays when it comes time to transfer points to JAL. Any Bilt points transferred to JAL will still be deposited within 10 minutes, whether or not you're eligible to redeem them instantly.
So why go through all the hassle? Japan Airlines Mileage Bank has flown under the radar because those miles have been so difficult to earn – it hasn't partnered with any of the major banks like Chase, Amex, or Capital One. That's changed – it's time to study up on JAL's incredibly reasonable redemption rates.
No matter if you're in the back of the bus or way up front in first class, Japan Airlines offers some of the cheapest ways to get to Japan using points. Economy class redemptions start at just 25,000 miles one-way, while premium economy can be had for 32,500 miles, and business class prices out at 50,000 miles in each direction. Amazingly, these rates are the same regardless of whether you start your trip from San Francisco (SFO) or all the way out in New York City (JFK).
Unfortunately, these rates are set to tick up slightly next month. Starting June 10, one-way flights will cost 27,000 miles in economy, 40,000 miles in premium economy, and 55,000 in business class. While paying more points is never fun, it's a relatively mild increase in all cabins and still provides some of the absolute lowest prices for getting to Asia.
If you're feeling really fancy, Japan Airlines First Class is among the best in the world … especially if you can hitch a ride on one of the carrier's new Airbus A350-1000 aircraft. With just six incredibly spacious first class suites, equipped with a double bed, personal wardrobe space, and other bells and whistles all enclosed within five-foot-high walls (and yes, there's a door), you'll be hard-pressed to find a cooler way to fly than this.
JAL currently flies its latest and greatest Airbus A350s between Tokyo and New York City (JFK), Dallas Fort-Worth (DFW), London-Heathrow (LHR), and Paris-Charles de Gaulle (CDG). Beginning June 30, you'll also find these planes on the route to Los Angeles (LAX).
The number of miles you'll need for first class varies depending on the season: Japan Airlines divides the calendar up into low, regular, and high season. Rates currently start at 70,000 miles each way in the low season and climb as high as 100,000 miles in the high season.
But these prices are set to go up on June 10, too. If you're booking on or after that date, you can expect to pay anywhere from 110,000 miles to 140,000 miles in each direction for JAL First Class flights between North America and Japan. If you've got a big stash of Bilt points and dreams of using them to fly to Japan, you'd be wise to get booking these flights sooner rather than later.
No matter the cabin you're booking, you can expect JAL to tack on around $200 in fuel surcharges and taxes. That's certainly not nothing, but when you combine it with these rock-bottom award rates, it's a relatively small price to pay … especially if you're flying up front.
The Current State of Bilt's Transfer Partners
While it might not be the most useful program for everyone, JAL's addition to the fold of Bilt transfer partners puts it above virtually every other transferable points program out there. And it's not just quantity but quality that sets Bilt Rewards apart.
The roster of Bilt transfer partners includes popular airline and hotel loyalty programs like Air Canada Aeroplan, World of Hyatt, Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles, and many more. There are multiple U.S. airline programs – including the recent addition of Southwest Airlines – and major hotel chains.
With JAL now in the mix, Bilt members have even more options for putting their points to use. Here's a look at where you can transfer your Bilt points, as of publication:
| Program | Type | Transfer Ratio | Transfer Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aer Lingus Avios | Airline | 1:1 | Within 10 Minutes |
| Air France/KLM Flying Blue | Airline | 1:1 | Within 10 Minutes |
| Air Canada Aeroplan | Airline | 1:1 | Within 10 Minutes |
| Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan | Airline | 1:1 | Within 10 Minutes |
| Avianca LifeMiles | Airline | 1:1 | Within 10 Minutes |
| British Airways Avios | Airline | 1:1 | Within 10 Minutes |
| Cathay Pacific Asia Miles | Airline | 1:1 | Within 10 Minutes |
| Emirates Skywards | Airline | 1:1 | Within 10 Minutes |
| Iberia Avios | Airline | 1:1 | Within 10 Minutes |
| Japan Airlines (JAL) | Airline | 1:1 | Within 10 Minutes (new accounts must wait 7 days to redeem) |
| Southwest Rapid Rewards | Airline | 1:1 | Twice per day |
| TAP Air Portugal Miles&Go | Airline | 1:1 | Within 10 Minutes |
| Turkish Miles & Smiles | Airline | 1:1 | Within 10 Minutes |
| United MileagePlus | Airline | 1:1 | Within 10 Minutes |
| Virgin Red | Airline | 1:1 | Within 10 Minutes |
| Accor | Hotel | 3:2 | Within 10 Minutes |
| World of Hyatt | Hotel | 1:1 | Within 10 Minutes |
| IHG Hotels | Hotel | 1:1 | Within 10 Minutes |
| Marriott Bonvoy | Hotel | 1:1 | Within 10 Minutes |
| Hilton Honors | Hotel | 1:1 | Within 10 Minutes |
Unless you've earned Bilt status, you'll have to transfer Bilt points in increments of at least 2,000.
How Bilt Rewards Works
Bilt Rewards is a relatively new – but fast-growing – loyalty program that allows renters to earn points by paying rent through the Bilt app while also racking up additional points on other, everyday expenses.
Thanks to a recent change, members who pay their rent via Bilt on Mastercard, Discover, and Visa credit cards will now earn 1x Bilt points per dollar spent on rent (up to 100,000 points per calendar year) … plus however many credit card points they'd earn for the transaction! American Express cards, meanwhile, will earn 1 Bilt point for every $2 spent on rent via Bilt. Non-Bilt cards will still get charged a 3% transaction fee when paying rent.
You can rack up even more points by using the *Bilt Mastercard*, which has no annual fee. Just make at least five purchases in a billing cycle to earn:
- 1x point per dollar spent on rent payments (up to $100,000 of rent each year) without paying transaction fees!
- 2x points per dollar spent on travel (when booked directly with the airline, hotel, or rental car agency)
- 3x points per dollar spent on dining
- 1x point per dollar spent on all purchases.
Want to use a different credit card to pay rent? Now you can – but you'll pay a 3% fee.
Read More: Bilt Plans New Credit Cards, Earning Points on Your Mortgage (Coming Soon)
Learn more about the *Bilt Mastercard*.
Bottom Line
Bilt has added another major airline to its growing list of transfer partners – and it's a great option for anyone eyeing a trip to Japan.
Whether you're earning points by paying rent or swiping the Bilt Mastercard (or both), the ability to transfer to JAL Mileage Bank opens the door for more award travel opportunities.
