Your PayRewards Points are your ticket to Tokyo

When travelling to Tokyo, your PayRewards Points are a valuable companion. They can help you secure direct flights to Japan with All Nippon Airways (ANA), Japan Airlines (JAL) and Qantas, avoiding the need to transit along the way.

There are some incredible points deals to be had, including Sydney or Melbourne to Tokyo in Business Class from only 45,000 airline miles, converted from PayRewards Points. Or, if you’d rather save money on reward seat co-payments, you could be flying up front from just $101.28 one-way when booking using points.

Here’s how to squeeze the most value from your trip to Tokyo with PayRewards Points at your side.

Fly in style for the fewest PayRewards Points

The flexible nature of our PayRewards program allows you to hunt down the best points deal every time. For Tokyo, we’ve done the hunting for you to reveal that Air Canada Aeroplan can get you into Business Class for the sharpest number of PayRewards Points, when booking on one of Air Canada’s Star Alliance partner airlines.

For only 52,500 Aeroplan points, you can fly from Sydney or Perth non-stop to Tokyo with All Nippon Airways (ANA). With a 2.5:1 conversion rate from PayRewards Points to Aeroplan points, that’s equal to 131,250 PayRewards Points for that one-way seat.

*Cash figures above reflect Sydney-Tokyo, with similar charges payable for Perth-Tokyo.

Japan Airlines is a close second

Spending Aeroplan points on ANA flights is great when there’s availability, but having an alternative can give even greater choice over travel dates and cabins. That’s where Japan Airlines’ Mileage Bank program comes in.

You can convert PayRewards Points into Mileage Bank miles at a 3:1 rate. Then, if you’re a sharp seat hunter, you may be able to find Business Class to Tokyo for only 45,000 miles one-way (135,000 PayRewards Points), flying Japan Airlines from Sydney or Melbourne to Tokyo, non-stop. These best-value seats are usually found when booking far in advance.

JAL releases plenty of reward seats to its own members, although many flights command higher rates due to dynamic pricing. For instance, you might sometimes see Business Class for 60,000 miles, or for 78,000 miles, or a figure even greater. But if you find a seat for 45,000 miles one-way from Australia, that’s JAL’s best offer.

*Cash figures above reflect Sydney-Tokyo, with similar charges payable for Melbourne-Tokyo.
^Mileage figures indicated represent the best-value rates, but the available rates can vary.

Given the higher co-payment amounts required on these bookings, it makes the most sense to seek out Business Class when booking through JAL Mileage Bank. The best strategy is to check what’s available on your intended travel date(s) before converting points from PayRewards, to ensure you’re always getting the best value.

Minimise co-payments on reward flights to Tokyo

Swimming in points and want to avoid a big hit to the hip pocket? Look to Virgin Australia’s Velocity Frequent Flyer program, as well as United MileagePlus, to fly up front without breaking the bank.

When booking reward flights on Japan’s All Nippon Airways (ANA), these programs only pass on the genuine taxes and airport charges – meaning there are no pesky carrier fees to pay. Through Velocity, you’ll pay only $101.28 per person in taxes and charges, one-way from Sydney to Japan in ANA Business Class. Through United, the charges are on par at $72.60 USD (~$101 AUD).

From PayRewards, you can convert to Virgin Australia Business Flyer at a 2:1 rate, and then onward to any personal Velocity Frequent Flyer account at a 1:1 rate. With a one-way Business Class ticket priced at 82,000 Velocity Points, that’s equal to 164,000 PayRewards Points.

PayRewards Points can also be converted into United MileagePlus miles at a 3:1 rate – and you’ll need 90,000 United miles for the same seat.

*Cash figures above reflect Sydney-Tokyo, with similar charges payable for Perth-Tokyo.

While Velocity requires fewer PayRewards Points to book, the United path is handy to keep in mind if you’re already sitting on a stack of miles with United. Reward seat availability may also occasionally differ between programs, so it helps to check both.

Lowest co-payments on Oneworld Alliance flights

Speaking of reward seat availability, Qantas operates flights from Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane to Tokyo – and there can be a reasonable number of reward seats on these, especially if you plan ahead. Using Qantas Points to book is a natural first move, but there’s a way to book the same flights while spending less in co-payments.

Through The British Airways Club, you can book those same Qantas flights using BA Avios – which you can convert from PayRewards Points at a 3:1 rate. These bookings through BA only attract the genuine taxes and fees, avoiding Qantas’ usual carrier charges.

For instance, from Brisbane to Tokyo, you’d pay $314.45 in fees and charges for a business class seat when spending Qantas Points. But booking that same flight through The BA Club attracts a co-payment of just $115.96.

*Cash figures above reflect Sydney-Tokyo, with similar charges payable for other Tokyo routes.

Clearly, this option requires more PayRewards Points than other booking methods – but if you already have a large sum of points and want to minimise the incremental cost of booking your trip to Japan, it’s an option well worth considering. Note that this path works best for Qantas flights, as Japan Airlines reward flights don’t readily appear on British Airways’ website.

The frequent flyer program with the best availability

Our partnership with Japan Airlines Mileage Bank isn’t just a savvy way to save on flights – it also unlocks reward seats that aren’t available through any other frequent flyer program.

To illustrate, we searched the Qantas website for reward seats on every JAL flight from Australia to Tokyo over an entire year, and couldn’t find a single premium economy or business class seat bookable using Qantas Points. But through Mileage Bank, most JAL flights are bookable with miles in business class.

The catch is that JAL uses dynamic pricing to make this possible – but the trick is to know when you’ve spotted a genuine best-value reward seat. When you do, pounce and book to avoid missing out. In line with our earlier table, here are the figures to look for from Australia to Tokyo:

• Business Class: 45,000 JAL miles
• Premium Economy: 31,000 JAL miles
• Economy Class: 23,000 JAL miles

Never be shy about checking all available options, too. We’ve seen days where Economy Class is dynamically priced at 30,000 JAL miles, aside Premium Economy being available at 31,000 miles. Yes, just 1,000 miles extra for an upgrade from Australia to Japan!

We’ve also observed flights where Premium Economy rates are higher than Business Class. At least, Mileage Bank allows you to register for a free account and to check reward seat availability before transferring any PayRewards Points. It’ll just take a couple of days for your JAL Mileage Bank account to become fully activated and to have its search functionality enabled.

(Normally, you also need to be a JAL Mileage Bank member for at least 60 days before you can book a reward flight, but this requirement is waived for those converting PayRewards Points.)

The best option for Queenslanders

We’ve talked a lot about Air Canada Aeroplan, The British Airways Club, Japan Airlines Mileage Bank, United MileagePlus and Velocity Frequent Flyer as savvy ways to book your Tokyo-bound flight. But Qantas Frequent Flyer is powerful option too, when the stars align.

This is particularly true for Queenslanders, where Qantas has two key advantages. For one, the airline’s Brisbane-Tokyo flights cost fewer Qantas Points than departures from Sydney and Melbourne, because Brisbane-Tokyo measures up at a slightly shorter distance, slotting it into a lower pricing band.

Secondly, Jetstar also runs flights from both Brisbane and Cairns to Tokyo. These have a Business Class cabin (largely akin to Premium Economy on most other carriers – think a plush reclining seat, not a flat bed). These flights aren’t bookable through any other PayRewards Points partner: only Qantas.

Here’s how these numbers stack up, with flights from Sydney and Melbourne included for comparison.

*Cash figures above reflect Brisbane-Tokyo on Jetstar and Sydney-Tokyo on Qantas, with similar charges payable for other Tokyo routes.

Tokyo tips and tricks using points

If these great options still don’t have you travelling to Tokyo, here are some more helpful hints that can get you on board.

• Consider other routes into Japan. Jetstar offers direct flights to Osaka from Sydney, Brisbane and Cairns, complete with a business class cabin. Sure, this option isn’t as glamorous as flying with the likes of ANA, JAL or Qantas to Tokyo. But if the alternative is buying a pricey full-fare ticket, it’s an option to consider.
• Are you a Qantas Platinum member? If you can’t find something suitable online, you can also call Qantas and ask if it’s possible to book with points anyway. Telephone agents can request a seat on your preferred Qantas flight, and the computer comes back with a yes or no. This doesn’t work with partner airlines (including Jetstar), but requests can include any necessary connections. For instance, flying from Melbourne to Brisbane before continuing onwards to Tokyo, if that’s where a seat can be unlocked.
• Consider your wider options. We’ve only highlighted the most direct, time-saving options above. But with more time up your sleeve and more points to burn, there are other ways you could reach Japan. For instance, use Cathay Asia Miles to fly via Hong Kong, or Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer miles to jet through Singapore. You might even be able to use Qantas Points to fly via Taipei with Taiwan’s China Airlines.
• Look at splitting the journey. When you’re really in a pinch, spending one night somewhere else in Asia can unlock more options and flexibility. On my most recent Tokyo trip, I first flew to Hong Kong with Qantas, spent the night, and continued onwards to Tokyo the next day in Japan Airlines Premium Economy: all using Qantas Points. If I’d purchased a regular airfare to Tokyo, Economy Class was approaching $3,000 return, with Business Class significantly higher. But with points to spend and a little bit of flexibility, I travelled for a fraction of that cost.

If you’re determined to get to Tokyo, chances are, your PayRewards Points can take you there!

Written by Chris Chamberlin

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About the author

Chris enjoys making the most of frequent flyer points, which have taken him around the world – usually, at the front of the plane. He’s travelled over 1.5 million miles sampling the best in Business Class and First Class. That’s further than three return trips to the moon! Chris is based at Point Hacks' Melbourne office as News Editor, and shares his experiences via @chris_chamberlin on Instagram. When he’s not travelling, he enjoys tennis, keeping fit, and discovering new gins.