If you’ve been itching to fly Japan Airlines first class, JetBlue TrueBlue may just be the ticket: On Friday, we received an alert from award search tool Roame that JetBlue has has surprisingly broad access to Japan Airlines first class award availability. These awards aren’t cheap, but if you’re flush with JetBlue points and you want to experience one of the best first class experiences in the sky, it is surprisingly easy to find 2 seats — even on JAL’s new A350 first class product. I’m not sure that I’d recommend transferring points for this, but some will probably consider it.
The Deal
- Japan Airlines (JAL) first class awards are widely available via JetBlue TrueBlue. Starting at 165K miles one way, these awards are very expensive, but if you’re flush with JetBlue TrueBlue points and you’ve got Japan Airlines First Class on your bucket list, this may be of interest.
- Search for availability at JetBlue.com
Quick Thoughts
These awards are very pricey. The new first class product out of Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW) will cost you 185K miles one-way to Tokyo-Haneda (HND). There’s no doubt that’s awfully expensive. That said, they serve Salon champagne that goes for more than $1,000 a bottle, so some will find it worth the splurge.
Those chasing the experience will be most interested in availability out of New York or Dallas for the “new” A350 first class experience (pictured above). The good news is that availability is wide open for 185K miles in first class out of Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW).
The above screen shot shows availability for a single seat. Surprisingly, availability is nearly as good for two passengers in first.
The same story is also true out of New York-JFK, with availability wide open all summer for 185K miles one way for a single passenger.
Availability is nearly as good for two passengers.
For those unfamiliar, the prices above might seem outrageous. Indeed, 185K miles is a lot of miles that could easily buy somewhere around $3,000 worth of JetBlue airfare. However, Japan Airlines First Class is an experience that is out of reach with cash for many, with seats on these nonstop routes from New York and Dallas routinely selling for more than $16,000 one-way for a single passenger.
Round trip is more “reasonable” at about $25,500 for a single passenger — but the point is that while these awards are very expensive in terms of the miles required, the flights they buy are out of reach for most people with cash.
If you can find availability via American Airlines or Alaska Mileage Plan, you could save some miles. However, it isn’t always easy to find Japan Airlines First Class availability via partners unless you are booking immediately at schedule open or at the last minute before departure. For instance, I don’t see any seats available via American Airlines AAdvantage in July or August.
It’s not just New York and Dallas that have expanded availability. I’m also seeing first available out of other airports like San Francisco, which costs 165K in first. It’s also worth nothing that San Francisco to Tokyo Haneda also had some Premium Economy availability for 59K.
Because of the wide open availability and the historically tight availability to partners, I initially wondered whether this was phantom availability that wouldn’t actually confirm. However, we’ve had a couple of reader reports of confirmed tickets that they could see ticketed on the Japan Airlines website. I don’t know whether JetBlue has just negotiated a deal for more space based on the higher mileage pricing or whether JetBlue is going to later regret offering these seats. Because the US provides no protection against an airline feeling Seller’s Remorse, I’d be hesitant to transfer points to JetBlue TrueBlue to book this, lest JetBlue decide to cancel and leave me stuck with a boatload of JetBlue points that I don’t necessarily want. On the flip side, if this does stick, some will surely be very excited to snag two seats.
I haven’t seen any dates with more than 2 seats available, but for those traveling in twos with a lot of JetBlue miles, this could be fun. Overall, I’m excited to see that JetBlue continues to expand partnerships. Just a few years ago, your only use for JetBlue points was flights on JetBlue within North America. Now, in addition to Japan Airlines, you can use JetBlue points to fly Cape Air, Etihad, Hawaiian, Icelandair, Qatar, and Tap Air Portugal. Between partnerships like these and JetBlue adding their own service to Europe, the program continues to become more interesting for JetBlue loyalists.
Want to learn more about miles and points? Subscribe to email updates or check out our podcast on your favorite podcast platform.
I feel any important educational article in the works: Don’t Get Stung By Shadow Award Inventory.
FYI, the Salon champagne is only served in First when flying out of Japan, not inbound.
Typically, JAL only releases one first class award seat per flight. It is only in the days immediately prior to a flight that additional seats open up.
I think it’s phantom space I clicked on every date where it showed 185,000 points and no seat was found
jetblue just pulled all seats 10 mins ago. This was bookable until then.
Son of a baby! I figured something was up frequent miler and Nick are usually pretty on top of their game. Gosh darn it. I can’t believe I missed it. Yes it’s a lot of miles but two seats first class on JAL in my opinion is worth it having flown them before.
Unfortunately, just touched down from a flight and can’t get to my computer yet to make an update, but it does look gone.
Let’s say worst-case, Japan Airlines cancels the ticketed flights and deems it a mistake. I don’t see how JetBlue would be able to keep any points someone transferred as JetBlue gets paid when you transfer the points. But then they weren’t able to sell you the product you tried to book.
With a cash mistake fare, you get refunded to the form of payment. But in that aforementioned scenario, imagine if the airlines just paid you in travel credit (in this case you get JetBlue points…) I don’t see how that could fly.
Nope. If you transferred points from a card issued to JetBlue, you’re stuck with JetBlue points. This is a long-known risk.
I understand the risk but the potential outcome does not seem kosher. JetBlue gets paid, and you get nothing. Seems like a potential FTC issue.
Under the current administration? Best of luck.
I’m no lawyer, but if I were one, I imagine that the reasoning I’d employ is that those are two separate transactions. You “bought” JetBlue miles from [insert card issuer here] and then you used the miles to buy an award seat. One transaction is not related to the other.
I’d make the parallel that if you started with cash in your hand and you bought an Amazon gift card from your local grocery store using cash and you ordered a pair of shoes from a third party merchant on Amazon and that third party merchant didn’t fulfill the order, Amazon would give you back your Amazon gift card. You don’t get to go back to cash. You opted to buy that gift card and the grocery store isn’t going to give you your money back, they’re going to tell you that a gift card purchase is non-refundable. The grocery store doesn’t care if you bought the gift card because you wanted a new pair of shoes and Amazon cancelled your shoe order. Amazon isn’t in position to force the grocery store to give a cash refund. You’re just stuck with an Amazon gift card. To be clear, you don’t end up with nothing – you end up with the Amazon gift card (the JetBlue miles would be the thing you end up with rather than nothing in the miles example).
Don’t get me wrong, if you can get that long-standing way of doing business reversed, you’ll be a legend in the frequent flyer community. But I suspect that you face an uphill battle.
Shame on JetBlue though, for allowing this deal to last 48+ hours. It was alive for so long that multiple blogs reported it (even TPG), and hundreds of people transferred hundreds of thousands of UR, MR and TYP to JetBlue.
JetBlue, by cancelling these tickets, suffers none of the negative consequences of their actions, and in fact, gains tons of revenue from Chase and Citi and Amex that they normally never would have gained. We, the customers, will have to suffer, though, by having tons of unwanted JetBlue miles stranded with zero recourse.
It’s a beyond scummy move. JetBlue will have to suck it up and honor these fares, or I for one will be filing complaints with the DOT and FTC. I would encourage others to do the same.
My understanding is that JAL, not JetBlue, pulled the inventory, presumably because it wants to give its own members access to this inventory first.
Referring to my comment above, JAL only releases one first class award seat per flight. It’s available to its own members and any partner from day 1 (subject to the given partner’s own booking window — for example, AA is 330 days and it would be typically snapped up).
If it was showing more than one first class award seat, it was an error. Truly. No one has been hosed. The time that additional first class award seats open is in the days leading up to departure. That’s to both JAL members and partners.
Tickets haven’t been cancelled, I was speaking theoretically. Maybe they all get honored and we don’t even need to talk about this.
Nick, your Avianca example would be a great example. You find award space and you’re waiting for points to transfer (while the Jeopardy theme song plays). When the points arrival, the inventory is gone.
“Because the US provides no protection against an airline feeling Seller’s Remorse, I’d be hesitant to transfer points to JetBlue TrueBlue to book this, lest JetBlue decide to cancel and leave me stuck with a boatload of JetBlue points that I don’t necessarily want.” Has there been precedent for this, with any US airline? (Not mistake fares, but award fares at high prices). Thanks
Booked HND to SFO via Jet Blue but would love to change the ticket to DFW or NYC. Are changes permitted?
no, you would have had to cancel, wait for the miles to redeposit (almost instantaneous), and then book the new route you want.