There’s a new way to book Japan Airlines (JAL) award space with your American Airlines miles. Use this guide to successfully book JAL award space with AAdvantage.
After more than three years of preparation, JAL migrated from its own Passenger Service System to Amadeus on November 16, 2017. While no JAL award bookings were available during the transition period, JAL award space is once again bookable. But there’s a new way to do it, at least when using AA miles.
I discovered this by accident. Earlier in the week I had an Award Expert client who needed JAL award space using his AA miles. Searching for the award space via British Airways Executive Club, I located space and called AA to book it.
Nothing…
“Sir, there is no space.”
So I called back.
“Sir, are you sure you are checking award space? I don’t see anything.”
Third time was a charm.
“You know there is a new way we have to search for that space. It’s brand new. Hold on…oh yeah, there it is.”
What’s the secret? AA agents must search for JAL award space as if they were booking a revenue ticket on JAL.
Agents must simply look for the following JAL fare class availability:
- Economy Class Award = T
- Business Class Award = U
- First Class Award = Z
A memo went out to AA agents explaining the new process (which you are welcome to reference when you book), but it seems many have not read it. AA agents employee the same method for booking award space on Malaysia Airlines.
CONCLUSION
JAL is a great source of award space and a hidden secret with AA miles since it is not bookable online. Note the new method for booking JAL award space and don’t be afraid to hang up and call again. Finally, don’t forget JAL First Class is incredible and only 80K miles between North America and Tokyo. That’s a steal.
I’ve had good luck ( 3 year in a row) using AA to book space ( san/bkk rt) that was not shown on the
AA site, just called and did it. ( not so lucky this year, same plan using AA miles for CX)
While maybe not as accurate (but much more user friendly) I’ve had decent luck using Alaska award searches to find AA award bookable miles. Alaska won’t let you book these online but it will let you see much of the space and make you think you can book it online. It will actually put it on hold but requires a human to book it through.
I assume using Qantas to search JAL space would also work?
Thanks for the article Matt. It’s a good one, but I have one request: please stop using click bait titles.
There is no new trick. In your article not once did you use the word trick or write about any new tricks. A change in how a company handles the booking of award seats is a change in procedure – it is not a trick.
The article is about the new process/procedure on how to book JAL award seats using AA miles, there is nothing tricky about it.
I experienced this change when I booked a JAL award seat on November 19 for my annual trip to Japan. When I tried to book on Nov 18 the rep did not know about the new system but when I called on November 19 the rep was able to figure it out.
An accurate title would be something like: “New procedure to book JAL award seats using AA miles.”
Thanks for your comment, but I don’t think “trick” is an incorrect term. As in, when you call in and explain to an agent how to book the space, it does the trick…trick is not as narrow a word as you might like to define it.
I think Jay’s concern, which I share, is that “trick” and “new trick” have been standard verbiage for spammy and generally unsavory operators on the net for a long time now. One new trick to drop 20lb of belly fat… new trick to find anyone online… we’ve all seen those ugly ads.
I agree with you that “trick” has a broader meaning… but in the title of a blog post it stinks.
I do enjoy the blog (mostly).
I tend to agree w/the previous poster Matthew – maybe it’s semantics, but “trick” has a negative or secretive overtone to it. This is really just more of a new method.
Does it really matter…? The post showed you how to book JAL award with AA—something you previously would not have been able to (unless you get lucky), as illustrated in the post. Your success rate just went way up. To me, that’s a trick.
Thanks Enoch!
Matt, when I see JAL award space on BA.com but the AA agent doesn’t see that same space, is it simply that they don’t know how to find it? I’ve been trying to book JAL business class SGN-JFK for several days and despite several calls to AA in the US, UK and Fiji they all tell me that the JAL seats I’m seeing on BA.com are not available to AA.
Is there a big difference between JAL business class and first class with this airline? I booked last week 60k award saver milage from Chicago to Tokyo now I’m wondering if I should have used more milage for their first class.
While business class is great, first class on JAL is among the best in the world.
Whether booking this is a “trick” or “non-trick” does it really matter? Where all here for the same thing. How do we maximize our miles.
Argue all you want, but I appreciate Matthew bringing this new process forward for public understanding.
Great to know. Are there still restrictions on booking domestic only awards on JAL? I thought these trips could only be booked within three months of travel.
Correct. The domestic space can be booked as part of an int’l award or closer into travel.
After several days and about a dozen calls, I was finally able to get an agent to book JL space as seen on BA. Most were not familiar with the new memo and were uninterested in figuring it out, but I finally got a very helpful agent who looked through the bulletins and found the process.
She stated that the description of the new process as I relayed it from Matt’s description above is “close,” but not exactly right. Specifically, it is not the same as searching for revenue space, because doing so does not show the award booking classes, like U and Z. So better to reference the memo/bulletin and try to persuade an agent to look it up than to try to instruct exactly
Thanks for your valuable input!
Matthew,
I tried calling AA to see if they could get me award seats on JAL for next year. They said when they tried to do so but keep on getting a 0 seats available. This is like the third agent in 3 days. She said she would report it as a malfunction. Hopefully, the next time I call they will be given the memo. BTW do you know what the title of the memo is? So I can request that they read it in case the 4th agent is not more knowledgeable than the first 3. Thanks.
some interesting things going on with JAL award flights. Recently tried booking first class with alaska miles. on alaska’s website, actually found 2 first class tickets SGN-NRT-JFK. but couldn’t book online (error on final screen). called Alaksa and they also couldn’t book it either, though they agreed the could see it on their award search. went back a couple hours later and added JFK-LAX on alaska metal to the same flight. Now had SGN-NRT-JFK-LAX with the last leg on Alaska. book online instantly with not problems.
Thanks for posting this article. Just saw 2 first class off-peak award seats available on JAL, for NRT to ORD in April. Called AA to book with my AA miles and they didn’t see them. But I suggested they search for it as a revenue ticket in Z class and viola! 160,000 miles and $80 for tickets that would have cost $22,000. Thanks again!
I found some CX and JL availability on ba.com, then “confirmed” at qantas.com that they are not phantom. However when I called AA, even with this “new trick”, the reps still don’t see the availabilities. I tried calling 4 times with 4 different reps. Any idea?
Can’t explain CX issue, but keep trying on JL.
Actually I have a theory. Are you searching for flights one segment at a time?
We just tried booking from SFO to Haneda using notes from this article. 3 agents said even if they searched revenue fares, the code U or Z was not available. One agent said that often the airline will reserve the seats in order to sell them as revenue and may release them as code share as the date of departure nears. I was wondering if you can confirm whether this is true?
Did you see the award space first on the British Airways website?
Indeed, JAL allocates very limited award space.
Is there a good way to search for these fare codes? The fare codes do not appear on ExpertFlyer or Google’s ITA Matrix.
I use the British Airways tool to search for award space on JAL.
Anyone have any luck booking economy premium using American Rewards on JAL? I see tons of middle tier avail through BA, but when I go to book it through an AA agent they say they only have access to book economy, business, or first -not economy premium (the only tier available for the segment I’m trying to fly)
All good information! I understand that you can only book Japan domestic only tickets 2 or three months in advance but in combination with international award travel, how much in advance am I able to book a ticket on Japan Airlines with AA miles? I tend to have to wait for the final domestic leg from Tokyo to show up which by then the main leg from the US may have disappeared. Thanks in advance!
I recently had a very frustrating experience trying to book a JAL award (BKK-HND in late January) using AA miles.
After verifying availability on both the BA and AS websites, I called the AA Platinum desk. Thanks to winter weather this ended up being a time-consuming affair, but after 40 minutes someone named Bill picked up. He seemed reasonably friendly, but quickly conceded he wouldn’t be able to help me.
“There are no seats from Bangkok to Tokyo,” he said. “On any flight, in any class.”
I asked him whether he had followed the process laid out in this post, and he claimed he did, but it just didn’t add up. He refused to escalate the call or, God forbid, ask anyone for help; he also wouldn’t give me his last name.
He did tell me he worked in Phoenix, however, which I reported to the agent who mans AA’s Twitter account. Their response?
“Bill was right—there are no seats available. We’re sorry to disappoint you.”
Hours later, scrolling through this post and its comments, I decided to think outside the box. I called the UK reservations line. The first person who answered transferred me to the US Platinum desk, which now had a two-hour wait. But the second person, a woman who spoke with a thick French accent, quickly brought this whole saga to a close.
Within seconds, and without any drama or fanfare, she verified availability; less than 10 minutes later I had confirmation numbers for both AA and JL. I didn’t bother telling her about the hoops I’d had to jump through to get to this point, but I did thank her very sincerely.
Not surprisingly, the Twitter agent was silent when I told them how the situation had been resolved. I’m sure “Bill” is sitting in Arizona, still unapologetic about his incompetence, sending people on wild goose chases with a smile.
Seems American’s main problem is, well, America.
Bill must be fire for his lazy attitude.
Thanks for posting this, just found a better deal than I would have booking thru aa.com!
Unable to book A class on JAL using AA agents. Pls let me know what’s the best way to do it?
How to book JAL first class when aa.com shows phantom seats in A class whereas none of the AA agents find any space. Asked them about the memo and no one is aware.