The Extra Mile, Sept. 17: The Most Valuable Miles in the World, Tock is a Dud (For Now) & More

🇯🇵 Why Japan Airlines Miles Are #1 in the World Right Now

At some point in the last few weeks, the rest of the travel blogosphere discovered what we (and you, our dear readers and podcast listeners) have been shouting from the metaphorical rooftops for more than a year:

Japan Airlines’ Mileage Bank program is an absolute goldmine. But let me take it a step further and say something bold:

JAL’s mileage program is the single-most valuable frequent flyer program on the planet right now. And I actually don’t think that’s a hot take or even up for debate.

Finding ways to book flights for fewer miles and fees than other airlines might charge you is the name of the award travel game, and JAL is rife with those opportunities thanks to a one-two-three-four punch of value:

1. You can book Oneworld partner airlines like American, Alaska, British Airways, and others using JAL miles … as well as a few one-off partners, including Air France and Emirates
2. JAL award rates are often a fraction of what many other airline programs would charge for the exact same flights
3. And thanks to a unique quirk with how JAL sets those award rates, you can take that even further with roundtrip bookings
4. To top it all off, JAL doesn’t pass on virtually any of the nasty surcharges you might see booking through other carriers, so your cash costs are low, too

Plus, these miles are easier to earn than ever thanks to 1:1 transfers from both Bilt Rewards and Rove Miles. And while Capital One’s transfer ratio to JAL is subpar in comparison, a current transfer bonus brings that to a nearly 1:1 ratio through the end of September.

But let’s make this real with a few examples, shall we?

British Airways is notorious for charging atrocious fees on business class awards to London-Heathrow (LHR). Case in point: Booking business class through BA itself, a flight from Chicago-O’Hare (ORD) would set you back 88,000 Avios and almost $400. Other programs, like Finnair Avios, would tack on almost $1,500. Hard pass.

But you can book that exact same flight through Japan Airlines – same British Airways club suite, same flight, same day, same time – for 42,000 miles and just $219.

I’m no math whiz but that means you can book tickets for two through JAL for roughly the price of one.

British Airways is a Oneworld airline, so this one makes sense. But where JAL really sets itself apart is with booking other carriers at these fire sale rates. Take Air France, for instance.

Air France is part of Delta’s SkyTeam alliance and yet you can book these flights to Paris … for as low as 42,000 miles … and just $5.60!

Get this: After some brutal changes rolled out earlier this month, Air France itself would charge you at least 75,000 of its own Flying Blue miles and almost $350 for that exact same ticket.

OK, I saved the best for last. Honestly, this might be the best deal in the world of points, period. Thanks to a quirk with how JAL’s award chart works, you can book roundtrips (on any of these airlines, mind you) for less than double the one-way rate – sometimes, significantly less!

So while a one-way from Miami (MIA) to Madrid (MAD) in American Airlines business class will cost you 60,000 miles, it’s not 120,000 miles to book it roundtrip, as it would be using miles from virtually any other airline.

It’s just 85,000.

I could go on and on and on with more examples, screenshots, and praise for JAL miles. Heck, I haven’t even touched on booking Japan Airlines itself – there’s tons of value there, too!

We have a mantra here at TT HQ, though: The hotter the deal, the shorter it lasts. And these deals are so red-hot, we’re betting many of these redemptions won’t stick around much longer. They were at the top of our endangered list on one of our recent podcasts.

So get to booking, folks. Read our full story on the goldmine that is JAL and get it while the getting is good.

– Kyle Potter, executive editor & JAL Mileage Bank fanboy

🎙️ New Pod Alert!

🤦 Are You Making These Mistakes with Your Points & Miles?

❌ Award travel is full of potholes if you don’t know where to look. Luckily, Gunnar’s made every mistake in the books … so you don’t have to! Join us as we go through the most common mistakes in points and miles to help you book better.

Watch it now on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. And stay tuned for the next installment next week!

🤝 Deal of the Day: Iceland from $349 Roundtrip (Sale Extended!)

Heat scale (out of 3): 🔥🔥🔥

Why we love it: Icelandair extended its big fall sale through Monday, Sept. 21– offering roundtrip flights to Reykjavik (KEF) in the $300s from several U.S. cities!

Best availability this fall and winter – peak Northern Lights season up in Iceland.

It’s your last chance at fares this cheap!

Check out Icelandair’s sale page for the best fares.

– Gunnar Olson, Thrifty Traveler Premium deal analyst

🥳 The Chase Sapphire Reserve Turns 10 Years Old

The chase sapphire reserve* just turned 10 years old, and Chase is marking the occasion with a pile of limited-time statement credits and a splashy contest.

The five new spending offers all require activation in your Chase account, then booking and paying directly with the partner – not through Chase Travel℠. Here’s the lineup:

• IHG Hotels & Resorts: Get $125 back when you spend $500-plus on a U.S. stay. Activate and pay by Oct. 16, 2026.
• Hyatt’s Miraval & Alila properties: Get $250 back when you spend $1,000 on a U.S. stay. Activate and pay by Dec. 14, 2026.
• JSX: Get $200 back when you spend $200 on a semi-private flight. Activate and pay by Dec. 14, 2026.
• SIXT: Get $125 back when you spend $500 on a premium car rental (only for cardmembers as of Aug. 25, 2026). Activate and pay by Dec. 14, 2026.
• Wander: Get $350 back when you spend $1,500 on a vacation home rental. Activate and pay by Dec. 14, 2026.

In my ever-humble opinion, IHG is the one worth prioritizing here – not just because it’s the most time-sensitive, but because it’ll be the easiest for most travelers to use without going out of their way to spend big. IHG’s portfolio runs deep with everything from Holiday Inn Express to InterContinental hotels eligible for this offer, so hitting $500 doesn’t require a splurge – though you’ll want to lock in payment before that Oct. 16 deadline.

JSX can work out to a free, semi-private flight (or a nice discount) if you find the right route, and SIXT is offering a solid rebate if a rental car is already on your radar.

Hyatt’s offer is a little trickier to use – both Miraval and Alila are pretty slim pickings in the U.S. and rates routinely run past $1,000 a night. If you’re hoping to make use of this one, the Alila Marea in Southern California is probably your best bet, with off-peak rates dipping into the $500s. That could make a discounted weekend stay possible.

Wander is the one I’d probably skip. If you’re unfamiliar, think of it like Airbnb or Vrbo … but higher end. Maybe I’m wrong and there’s good value here, but I haven’t found it yet.

And then there’s the contest: Post a video about your favorite trip since 2016 by Nov. 6 for a shot at 5.5 million Ultimate Rewards points. Your chances of winning probably aren’t great, but it’s free to enter and even if you’re one of nine runners-up, you’ll still take home a cool 500,000 points.

Read the full story here!

– Jackson Newman, senior editor

💼 Chase Just Capped a Business Card Perk … And Doubled Another

Since the card launched last summer, the *sapphire reserve for business* has let cardholders earn 3x points per dollar on social media and search engine ad spending with no limit – a huge perk if your business spends heavily on Meta or Google ads.

That ends Nov. 15, when Chase caps the bonus at the first $1 million spent per account year. Spend past that, and you’re back to earning 1x point per dollar spent.

Most small businesses aren’t touching seven figures in ad spend anyway, and it’s still far more generous than the American Express® Business Gold Card, which caps its 4x per dollar spent ad bonus at just $150,000 – shared across categories, not dedicated to ads alone.

The better news? Starting Jan. 1, the annual credit for The Edit by Chase Travel℠ – Chase’s curated luxury hotel collection, similar to Amex’s Fine Hotels + Resorts – doubles from $500 to $1,000, usable across four separate stays instead of two (up to four $250 credits).

If you already lean on that credit, this is a real upgrade. If you don’t carry the card, nothing here should change your mind either way.

Read our full story here.

– Nick Serati, Thrifty Traveler co-founder

🍽️ Tock’s on Resy … But Most Restaurants Still Don’t Qualify

The American Express Resy Credit officially expanded to Tock venues on Sept. 15, and Resy tells me “hundreds” of Tock restaurants are now eligible for the credit. That sounds like progress, but it isn’t much, once you do the math.

Tock’s network runs to more than 25,000 restaurants, wineries, and experiences. Hundreds out of tens of thousands is a rounding error, in terms of what actually qualifies right now.

Resy hasn’t published a list of eligible venues, and when I asked directly, they didn’t have one to share – just a handful of standout examples: Per Se in New York, Smyth in Chicago, Lazy Bear in San Francisco, and a few others scattered across L.A., Miami, and D.C.

I checked in my home city of Minneapolis, which has plenty of Tock venues, and none of them qualify for the Resy credit just yet.

Here’s the catch, though: You won’t see that confirmation on the Resy platform itself.

To see if a Tock restaurant qualifies for the credit, you first have to tap a Tock venue on the Resy platform.

Then Resy bumps you over to Tock to finish booking (you don’t actually have to make a reservation to use the credit).

Only on that Tock page will you see a “Qualifies for Resy Credit” checkmark if the restaurant is actually eligible. If you don’t see this banner, the Tock restaurant won’t qualify for the credit.

Resy says more cities are coming online on a rolling basis, but they wouldn’t say when, or how many.

If you hold the *amex platinum* and are trying to squeeze a Tock reservation out of your up to $100 Q3 Resy credit before it resets on Oct. 1, don’t count on it unless you already live in one of the handful of eligible cities.

For most of the country, this integration is live in name only right now.

– Nick Serati, Thrifty Traveler co-founder

✈️ Other Travel Tidbits

• 🏨 Marriott Bonvoy is offering up to 4,500 bonus points on stays of 2+ nights through Nov. 22. Register by Nov. 13 to earn 1,500 points on any qualifying stay, plus an extra 3,000 points at resort properties. (Marriott)
• 💺 American’s CEO says just 30% of its seats generate half the airline’s revenue, driving a fleet-wide push toward more premium seating. (CNBC)
• 💳 Amex just bumped its Business Checking account bonus to 35,000 Membership Rewards points. You’ll need to deposit $5,000 and complete 10 qualifying transactions to earn it. (Doctor of Credit)
• ⚔️ Capital One Venture vs. Venture X: which card should you get? Venture X wins on lounge access, travel credits, and insurance, while the regular Venture card takes it on price and a sweeter current welcome offer.