ANA Further Reduces Fuel Surcharges on Award Tickets
Earlier this year, ANA pledged to lower fuel surcharges in response to reduced oil prices, and it began implementing these changes back in March. As TPG Points & Miles Contributor Richard Kerr explains, things are looking even better now.
In March we looked at the level of carrier-imposed surcharges on ANA award tickets. It was interesting to see that taxes and fees appeared to be lower, even prior to ANA's self-imposed April 1 deadline for lowering fuel surcharges based on the price of oil from December through January.
A month has passed since the implementation date, so I went back to ANA's award search tool to try and determine if the surcharges have been lowered even further. Today, let's look at the current cost in miles and the carrier-imposed surcharges of several ANA award ticket routings.
Flights on ANA Metal
The award chart for ANA-operated flights is dependent on the dates you fly and whether they fall into low, regular or high season. From my searches, I found the season you fly in only impacts the miles required, not a change in the carrier-imposed surcharges. However, it now looks like departing from a region other than Japan doesn't change the amount of surcharges, either — when I searched in March, I found lower charges for flights originating outside of this country.
Here's a chart showing samplings of taxes and fees for ANA-operated flights between all regions where the airline flies. All prices shown are for round-trip redemptions.
| Origin-Destination | Economy | Business | First | Taxes and Fees |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Japan-North America | 40,000-55,000 | 75,000-90,000 | 150,000-165,000 | $85.01 |
Japan-Hawaii | 35,000-43,000 | 60,000-68,000 | – | $85.01 |
Japan-Asia 1 | 17,000-23,000 | 35,000-43,000 | – | $40.84 |
Japan - Asia 2 | 30,000-38,000 | 55,000-63,000 | 105,000-114,000 | $44.99 |
Japan-South Korea | 12,000-18,000 | 25,000-33,000 | – | $51.35 |
Japan-Europe | 45,000-60,000 | 80,000-95,000 | 165,000-180,000 | $86.60 (LHR $192) |
Japan-Oceania | 37,000-50,000 | 65,000-80,000 | – | $115.33 |
Prices are consistent with most itineraries in the same regions, with the UK's passenger service charge being the most obvious increase in pricing when looking at Japan-Europe routings.
Flights on Star Alliance/Other Partners
The award chart for ANA partners is region-based, with fixed prices regardless of the flying dates. For regions in which ANA operates, surcharges can be less or more than flying ANA metal depending on the route and the partner you fly.
Here's a chart with samplings of current taxes and fees and the miles required for flights on ANA partners. Again, all prices are for round-trip redemptions.
| Origin-Destination | Economy | Business | First | Taxes and Fees |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Japan-North America | 50,000 | 85,000 | 150,000 | $65.21 |
Hawaii-Japan | 40,000 | 65,000 | 120,000 | $45.41 |
Japan-Asia 1 | 20,000 | 40,000 | 60,000 | $45.20 |
Japan-Europe | 55,000 | 90,000 | 165,000 | $131.74 |
Japan-Oceania | 40,000 | 75,000 | 135,000 | $70.37 |
North America-Africa/Middle East | 65,000 | 104,000 | 195,000 | $65-$660 |
North America-Europe | 55,000 | 88,000 | 165,000 | $400-$661 |
North America - South America | 55,000 | 88,000 | 165,000 | $93.88 |
Intra-North America | 30,000 | 55,000 | 90,000 | $11.20 |
Intra-Asia 1 | 20,000 | 40,000 | 60,000 | $35.32 |
Intra-Europe | 30,000 | 55,000 | 90,000 | $184.65 |
Intra-Africa/Middle East | 30,000 | 55,000 | 90,000 | $174-$321 |
The region worth noting is Africa/Middle East. Depending on the partner you fly, the amount of carrier-imposed surcharges varies wildly. Stick with Etihad, which does not pass along any fuel surcharges to ANA award tickets, though these flights are not bookable on ANA.co.jp.
There are some excellent deals as far as miles required for award tickets — e.g., North America to Europe round-trip in business for just 88,000 miles, but the surcharges required are pretty steep. It appears the fuel surcharges for Star Alliance-operated flights have not been lowered to the same degree as ANA-operated flights.
The Verdict Is Clear
I believe ANA has honored its commitment to the fullest extent and has based fuel surcharges on the average cost of oil. The charges for ANA-operated flights are now much more tolerable compared to what the program offered even in March. For Star Alliance-operated flights, the surcharges can still be out of hand in some regions and with some partners. Non-Star Alliance partners Etihad, TAM and Hawaiian still do not incur fuel surcharges on award tickets, while Virgin Atlantic and Garuda Indonesia do incur significant carrier-imposed surcharges.
The redemptions for many ANA long-haul routes represent great value and should make you strongly consider the program when trying to utilize your Amex Membership Reward points or Starpoints, as they're both transfer partners of ANA's Mileage Club Program.
Are you more likely to book an ANA award now that fuel surcharges are lower?
[card card-name='The Platinum Card® from American Express' card-id='22504813' type='javascript' bullet-id='1']
TPG featured card
Rewards
| 2X miles | 2 miles per dollar on every purchase |
| 5X miles | 5 miles per dollar on flights and vacation rentals booked through Capital One Business Travel |
| 10X miles | 10 miles per dollar on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Business Travel |
Intro offer
Annual Fee
Recommended Credit
Why We Chose It
The Capital One Venture X Business Card has all the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card has to offer and more. It offers an incredible welcome bonus and requires an equally impressive spend to qualify. In addition, the card comes with premium travel perks like annual travel credit. (Partner offer)Pros
- The Capital One Venture X business card has a very lucrative welcome offer.
- In addition, the card comes with many premium travel perks such as an annual $300 credit for bookings through Capital One Business Travel.
- Business owners are also able to add employee cards for free.
Cons
- The card requires significant spending to earn the welcome offer.
- Another drawback is that the annual travel credit can only be used on bookings made through Capital One Business Travel.
- LIMITED-TIME OFFER: Earn up to 400K bonus miles: 200K miles when you spend $30K in the first 3 months, and an additional 200k miles when you spend $150k in the first 6 months
- Earn unlimited 2X miles on every purchase, everywhere—with no limits or category restrictions
- Earn 10X miles on hotels and rental cars and 5X miles on flights and vacation rentals booked through Capital One Business Travel
- With no preset spending limit, enjoy big purchasing power that adapts so you can spend more and earn more rewards
- Empower your teams to make business purchases while earning rewards on their transactions, with free employee and virtual cards. Plus, automatically sync your transaction data with your accounting software and pay your vendors with ease
- Redeem your miles on flights, hotels and more. Plus, transfer your miles to any of the 15+ travel loyalty programs
- Every year, you'll get 10,000 bonus miles after your account anniversary date. Plus, receive an annual $300 credit for bookings made through Capital One Business Travel
- Receive up to a $120 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck®. Enjoy access to 1,300+ airport lounges worldwide, including Capital One Lounge locations and Priority Pass™ lounges, after enrollment
- Enjoy a $100 experience credit and other premium benefits with every hotel and vacation rental booked from the Premier Collection
- This is a pay-in-full card, so your balance is due in full every month
Rewards Rate
| 2X miles | 2 miles per dollar on every purchase |
| 5X miles | 5 miles per dollar on flights and vacation rentals booked through Capital One Business Travel |
| 10X miles | 10 miles per dollar on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Business Travel |
Intro Offer
Earn 200K miles when you spend $30K in the first 3 months, and an additional 200K miles when you spend $150K in the first 6 monthsLIMITED-TIME OFFER: Earn up to 400K bonus milesAnnual Fee
$395Recommended Credit
Credit ranges are a variation of FICO® Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit card application.740-850Excellent
Why We Chose It
The Capital One Venture X Business Card has all the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card has to offer and more. It offers an incredible welcome bonus and requires an equally impressive spend to qualify. In addition, the card comes with premium travel perks like annual travel credit. (Partner offer)Pros
- The Capital One Venture X business card has a very lucrative welcome offer.
- In addition, the card comes with many premium travel perks such as an annual $300 credit for bookings through Capital One Business Travel.
- Business owners are also able to add employee cards for free.
Cons
- The card requires significant spending to earn the welcome offer.
- Another drawback is that the annual travel credit can only be used on bookings made through Capital One Business Travel.
- LIMITED-TIME OFFER: Earn up to 400K bonus miles: 200K miles when you spend $30K in the first 3 months, and an additional 200k miles when you spend $150k in the first 6 months
- Earn unlimited 2X miles on every purchase, everywhere—with no limits or category restrictions
- Earn 10X miles on hotels and rental cars and 5X miles on flights and vacation rentals booked through Capital One Business Travel
- With no preset spending limit, enjoy big purchasing power that adapts so you can spend more and earn more rewards
- Empower your teams to make business purchases while earning rewards on their transactions, with free employee and virtual cards. Plus, automatically sync your transaction data with your accounting software and pay your vendors with ease
- Redeem your miles on flights, hotels and more. Plus, transfer your miles to any of the 15+ travel loyalty programs
- Every year, you'll get 10,000 bonus miles after your account anniversary date. Plus, receive an annual $300 credit for bookings made through Capital One Business Travel
- Receive up to a $120 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck®. Enjoy access to 1,300+ airport lounges worldwide, including Capital One Lounge locations and Priority Pass™ lounges, after enrollment
- Enjoy a $100 experience credit and other premium benefits with every hotel and vacation rental booked from the Premier Collection
- This is a pay-in-full card, so your balance is due in full every month