Jump on this: Fly to Japan from 53,000 credit card points round-trip with Citi's Flying Blue transfer bonus
Right now, excellent award seats are available to Japan through Air France-KLM's Flying Blue loyalty program, with round-trip economy travel going for as little as 53,000 credit card points thanks to the current Citi ThankYou Rewards transfer bonus.
U.S. departure cities include Atlanta, Detroit, Minneapolis and Seattle, and all itineraries involve entering Japan via Tokyo's Haneda Airport (HND) from now through June of next year. The widest range of available awards space is in January and February, but check the entire travel window to see what works best for you. There are good options from several cities in April, usually the peak of cherry blossom season in Tokyo.
Related: The 11 best hotels in Tokyo for your next Japan getaway
Once you determine your departure date, you can book it as a one-way ticket or also reserve your preferred return flight.
Flights are operated by Delta Air Lines across the Pacific, or if you don't mind taking the scenic route, there's also good availability via Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG) flying Air France, though you'll be on the hook for a few hundred dollars extra in carrier-imposed surcharges. The trick to paying the lowest number of points is to take advantage of Citi's current 25% transfer bonus to Flying Blue, which would reduce the cost to as low as 26,400 ThankYou Rewards each way (plus fees and taxes).
Air France's points booking interface can be challenging, so if you need some assistance, check out this helpful trick for navigating the Flying Blue calendar search tool.
Deal basics
Airlines: Delta Air Lines, Air France
Routes: From Atlanta, Detroit, Minneapolis and Seattle to Tokyo's Haneda Airport (HND)
How to book: Browse Air France-KLM Flying Blue for available dates and pricing
Travel dates: Now through June 2025; availability varies based on the route, but January and February have the most options
Book by: As soon as possible
This deal was originally sent out by the deal alert company Going. Sign up for Going to get up to 90% off select flights via its Premium membership, which users can try for free for 14 days and then $69 per year. You can also upgrade to the Elite tier for $199 per year to access all the Premium deals, plus premium economy, business-class and first-class alerts.
You can also sign up for a free trial through this link.
Sample flights
We saw one-way flights from Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL) to Haneda Airport available from 35,000 points and about $33 in fees. As previously mentioned, January is a great time to take advantage of this deal.
In January, one-way flights from Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA) to Tokyo flying nonstop on Delta are also available for just 33,000 points, plus $32.30 in fees and taxes.
In November, one-way flights from Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport (DTW) to Tokyo are available for 41,500 miles and $32.30 in taxes and fees.
If you don't have enough Flying Blue miles, you can transfer points and miles from the following programs:
- American Express Membership Rewards
- Bilt Rewards
- Capital One miles
- Chase Ultimate Rewards
- Citi ThankYou Rewards
Maximize your purchase
Don't forget to use a credit card that earns bonus points on airfare purchases to cover your taxes and fees, such as:
- Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card (see rates and fees): 2 points per dollar spent on travel
- American Express® Gold Card: 3 points per dollar spent on airfare when booked directly with the airline or through amextravel.com
- The Platinum Card® from American Express: 5 points per dollar spent on airfare when booked directly with the airline or through American Express Travel® (on up to $500,000 of these purchases per calendar year, then 1 point per dollar)
- Chase Sapphire Reserve® (see rates and fees): 8 points per dollar on all Chase Travel℠ purchases and 4 points per dollar on flights booked directly through the airline
- Citi Strata Premier® Card (see rates and fees): 3 points per dollar spent on air travel
Bottom line
If you want to redeem Citi ThankYou Rewards, the current 25% transfer bonus to Air France-KLM's Flying Blue program is a great opportunity to fly to Japan for as low as 53,000 credit card points, round-trip.
Related reading:
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