Wide-open Japan Airlines first- and business-class awards using JetBlue points – act fast!

Earlier this week, it became possible to redeem JetBlue TrueBlue points for award seats on Japan Airlines, opening up potential sweet spots for traveling between the U.S. and Japan. 

While award availability in premium cabins for the first day or so the new functionality was live seemed to be limited to within a few days of departure and to business-class awards, it now looks like there is widespread availability of first-class awards and, to a lesser extent, business-class seats using JetBlue TrueBlue points over the next several months.

As first reported by Roame, it appears that Japan Airlines has opened up heaps of award space on its flights to JetBlue TrueBlue members. The catch is that much of this space is in premium cabins – mostly first class at this point –  requiring a lot of TrueBlue points.

Some folks might also be wary of transferring points from a partner program like American Express Membership Rewards or Chase Ultimate Rewards on the off chance that this is a mistake fare. We were.

However, we attempted to book a first-class award ourselves and had no issue doing so on a flight from Tokyo’s Haneda International Airport (HND) to Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) in June and it processed correctly. We were even able to log into the confirmed reservation on Japan Airlines’ site and pick our seat, so this appears to be legitimate. That said, consider your own risk tolerance before making any transfers or booking any tickets. 

Here’s what you need to know if you’re considering taking advantage of this opportunity yourself.

Deal basics

Airline: Japan Airlines

Routes: Between Tokyo’s Narita Airport (NRT) and Haneda Airport (HND) and various U.S. airports including:

• Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD)
• Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW)
• Los Angeles International Airport (LAX)
• New York John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK)
• San Francisco International Airport (SFO)
• Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA)

How to book: Via JetBlue.com. While JAL is a Oneworld partner of both American Airlines and Alaska Airlines, these awards do not seem to be bookable via either of those programs.

Book by: ASAP

Travel dates: Now through March 2026

Cost: 

• 59,000 JetBlue TrueBlue points each way between Japan and the U.S. in business class
• 165,000 JetBlue TrueBlue points each way between Japan and Los Angeles and San Francisco
• 185,000 JetBlue TrueBlue points each way between Japan and other cities, including Chicago, Dallas and New York
• Taxes and fees are about $15 outbound from the U.S. and up to $280 when departing Japan, depending on your class of service.

Best flights to book

Although there was widespread business-class availability from various cities earlier today, the vast majority of premium award space now seems to be in first class. That’s probably thrilling to the aviation geeks and luxury lovers out there, but it also means you’ll need around three times the number of TrueBlue points as you would for a business-class award.

If you do want business class (and who wouldn’t, for just 59,000 points each way!), your best bets are to fly out of either Los Angeles or San Francisco now through the summer.

There are a few other considerations as well. Japan Airlines offers stellar business- and first-class cabins, but there are some major differences to be aware of depending on the route and aircraft you book. The airline only flies its Airbus A350-1000s with stunning new first- and business-class suites between Haneda and New York and Dallas. The other routes listed are flown with a variety of other aircraft with older types of seats aboard, including Boeing 787-9s with just business class, and 777-300ERs with both business and first class.

So, if you’re able to position to New York or Dallas, it is fully worth it to get to experience the airline’s newest fixtures. JAL’s A350-1000 first class even won the 2024 TPG Award for best new first class thanks to the suites’ enormous footprints, stylish finishes, up-to-the-second tech (have you seen those 43-inch entertainment screens?) and unparalleled amenities and meal service.

Barring that, if you are just looking for a great way to travel between the U.S. and Asia, you really can’t beat JAL for excellent service and comfortable seats.

Best ways to get JetBlue TrueBlue points

JetBlue TrueBlue is a transfer partner of the following credit card rewards programs at the listed ratios:

• American Express Membership Rewards (250 Amex points to 200 JetBlue TrueBlue points), points transfer instantly
• Chase Ultimate Rewards (1,000 Chase points to 1000 JetBlue TrueBlue points), points transfer instantly
• Citi ThankYou Rewards (1,000 Citi points to 1,000 JetBlue TrueBlue points), points transfer instantly

If you want to transfer points from a partner to your JetBlue TrueBlue account, your best bets are either Chase or Citi, since their transfer ratio is much better than that of Amex. For instance, if you wanted to book a one-way first-class award from New York to Tokyo, you would need 185,000 Chase or Citi points, but 231,250 Amex points. So take that into consideration.

Also be sure that the award flight you want is available on the day you want before making any transfers because these are irreversible.

Bottom line

Japan Airlines premium award space has been exceptionally hard to come by lately when redeeming miles from partner programs. The option to redeem JetBlue TrueBlue points for JAL flights only came online earlier this week, and so far, it has been exciting to see affordably priced saver awards, even in business class, available. But this level of both business and first-class award availability on many of JAL’s U.S. routes over several months is, quite simply, unprecedented.

It is good to be cautious before booking — we do not believe this is a mistake fare and we were able to make a confirmed booking in first class ourselves in order to provide the best advice for you. However, we are talking a lot of points, especially for those coveted first-class tickets, so before you make any credit card points transfers, be sure you have a specific, bookable award in mind. And if you do end up flying JAL first class, it is sure to be an unforgettable experience worth all those points.

Related reading:

• JetBlue launches TrueBlue redemptions on Japan Airlines flights to Tokyo and beyond
• Is booking Japan Airlines award flights via JetBlue TrueBlue the best new sweet spot?
• When is the best time to book flights for the cheapest airfare?d
• The best airline credit cards
• What exactly are airline miles, anyway?
• Maximize your airfare: The best credit cards for booking flights
• What are points and miles worth? TPG’s monthly valuations