JAL Mileage Bank status cards

Last year, Japan Airlines (JAL) announced they will no longer issue the physical status cards by default and members can instead display their latest membership status information using the JAL App instead. But unlike some other airlines, JAL will still issue the physical status cards by request......at least for the time being. And JAL has just opened the application today.

New FLY ON status members will soon be able to enjoy its benefits much sooner. Image by Japan Airlines.

Finally Japan Airlines (JAL) will shorten the wait time between FLY ON status qualification and service commencement. Right now, newly qualified members have to wait approximately 2 months before their benefits kick in. But from January 2014, eligible members can enjoy some of the benefits as soon as 1 week after the status qualification!

As we know, Japan Airlines (JAL) and British Airways (BA) have received approval from authorities and will start their joint business from October 1 2012. JAL has just announced the details of the joint business and more importantly the enhanced JAL Mileage Bank (JMB) benefits that comes with the new joint business. Basically, the agreement is very similar to the one we saw with American Airlines (AA) with comes with elite flight bonus and enhanced accumulation rates. Below are the details.

This is probably one of the benefits a lot of folks (even for the non-Japanese speaking regulars) haven't heard of as Japan Airlines (JAL) only advertise this in Japanese. JAL has been running this arrival shower campaign at Tokyo Narita (NRT) for couple of years now. JAL has just extended this for yet another year. Below are the details of the campaign.

[Update: Flights are now on sale. Configuration info added]


Japan Airlines (JAL) just sent out an advance notice of their extra Honolulu (HNL)-Tokyo Narita (NRT) flight schedules during year end holiday and other peak travel days. These flights will be available for sale and award redemption. JAL FLY ON members (aka elites) are given advanced noticed of this and exactly when the awards will be opened up. Below is the schedule of the extra flights.

Japan Airlines (JAL) has rolled out an added benefits for JGC members and members with FLY ON service status. From Aug 1 2011, they will be able to enjoy extra benefits when staying at participating JW Marriott, Renaissance Hotels, and Marriott Hotels & Resorts in Asia Pacific region (Australia, China, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Singapore, South Korea, Thailand, Philippines, and Vietnam) with eligible rate plans (those eligible for JMB miles).

Japan Airlines is unifying its checked baggage rules from April 1 on international flights. All flights will be under the new piece system. Now JAL has announced the updated elite benefits under the new baggage rules.

JGC/JMB Diamond/JGC Premier/JGC Sapphire:
Weigh System: 20kg extra -> 20 kg extra (i.e. no change)
Piece System (in Y): 2x23kg extra (i.e. total of 4x23kg) -> 1x32kg extra (i.e. total of 1x32kg and 2x23kg)
Piece System (in C/F): 2x32kg extra (i.e. total of 4x32kg) -> 1x32kg extra (i.e. total of 4x32kg)

JMB Crystal (no change):
Weigh System: 10kg
Piece System: 1 piece extra (23kg per piece in Y and 32 kg per piece in C/F)

Basically it doesn't affect you if you are flying C/F. But you gain a bigger allowance for 1 piece but lose an extra piece when you fly in Y.

I have mixed feelings about this change. On one hand I get one 32kg piece if I am flying in Y but on the other hand, now I only have 3 pieces (1x32kg + 2x23kg) :(

Source: JAL website (Japanese)

No this is not the kind of challenge on AA in which you only have a fast track to attain your status. Since Japan Airlines announced the changes in JAL Global Club (JGC), a number of people have asked me similar questions: What is the cheapest way to obtain JGC. So I have started a thread on FlyerTalk JAK Mileage Bank forum.

JAL Global Club non-elite member status from April 1 2010. Picture by Japan Airlines.

Japan Airlines has announced the modifications to the Oneworld elite status of the JAL Global Club (JGC) members from April 1. ALL JGC members will get at least OW Sapphire status. Yes! Even those who did not take any flight in the previous year!

I was doing some silly calculations because someone posted on FlyerTalk's oneworld forum about how easy it is to get to the highest level of elite in the King Club. Oh what's King Club? Of course it's the loyalty program of Kingfisher :P And I am actually surprised to find out how little you have to fly on Japan Airlines to attain the highest level of oneworld elite status: Emerald.

Looks like Japan Airlines wasn't lying about miles will be easier to earn soon when they issued the notice to customers last month. JAL has posted about Project 2010 on its Japan region website. There are whole bunch of campaigns exclusive to JAL elites and JALCard holders! Below are the details of campaigns exclusive for JAL elites. I will write a separate post for JALCard holders campaign to keep this post short.

Japan Airlines has rolled out two added benefits to its most frequent flyers, i.e. elite members. The two added benefits are "Frequent Visitor e-Channel at HKG" and "Forward Seat Assignments on Domestic Flights"

Japan Airlines has announced some extra benefits to the top tier JMB elites: JMB Diamond and JGC Premier.