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ANA eliminates the bulk of fuel surcharges on business and first class awards

June 11, 2020
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6 min read
All Nippon Airways—Boeing 777-300ER First Class Star Wars—seating reclined-11
ANA eliminates the bulk of fuel surcharges on business and first class awards
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All Nippon Airways Mileage Club (ANA) has always been one of the most underrated airline loyalty programs, thanks to low redemption rates and its partnership with Amex Membership Rewards. As is often the case, their low award redemption rates came with fuel surcharges ­– not exactly British Airways level, but around $260 round-trip for premium cabin awards between the U.S. and Tokyo.

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ANA seems to have done away with the majority of those fuel surcharges, as first reported by Spencer Howard.


 

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???????????? ???????????????????????????????? ???????????? ???????????????????? ???????????????????? ???????????????????? ???????????????????????????? ???????????????? ???????????? ????????????????????????????????⁣ ⁣ I mentioned this on last night’s IG Live but, yesterday, I was searching for award space (just for fun) and noticed that the carrier-imposed surcharges on ANA (All Nippon Airways) flights were gone.⁣ ⁣ I checked ITA Matrix to see what was going on with the surcharges. ⁣ ⁣ ????’???????? ???????? ???????????????????????????? ???????????????? ???????? ???????????? ???????????????????????? ???????????? ???????????? ???????????? ???????????? ???????????? ???????? ????????????????.⁣ ⁣ Well, I was wrong, the surcharges aren’t completely gone, they’ve just been reduced to $2 on a round-trip ticket from the U.S. ⁣ ⁣ ???????????? ???????????? ???????????????????????? ???????????????? ???????????????????? ???????????????? ????????????????????????????⁣ ⁣ On a round-trip award ticket flying ANA biz or first class, you could expect the total taxes/fees to be $250+.⁣ ⁣ Now, you can expect the total taxes/fees to be ~$60. That’s nearly $200 in savings!⁣ ⁣ ???????????????? ???????????? ????????????????????????????-???????????????????????????? ????????????????????????????????????????????⁣ ⁣ Carrier-imposed surcharges (often called fuel surcharges) can be super frustrating for those who like to book flights with airline miles.⁣ ⁣ When surcharges are tacked onto award tickets, they can wreck the value you’d get in using miles.⁣ ⁣ For example, if you used Aeroplan miles to book a one-way biz class ticket on Austrian Airlines, the award rate of 55,000 miles is great. However, the $680+ in taxes/fees kind of wrecks the value in most cases.⁣ ⁣ ???????????????????? ????????????????????????????????⁣ ⁣ Using 110k or 120k Virgin Atlantic miles to book ANA first class round-trip from the west or central/east U.S., respectively, was already a great deal.⁣ ⁣ Similarly, using 75-90k ANA miles to book business class round-trip has also been a great deal.⁣ ⁣ Now, that you can save $200 on the taxes/fees for a round-trip, the deal just got even better!⁣ ⁣ ❓Let me know if you have any questions about how to avoid surcharges when using your airline miles to book flights!

A post shared by Spencer Howard (@straighttothepoints) on

The same ANA award is now pricing out at $45.54 round-trip in business class and $57.56 in first class.

Image courtesy of All Nippon Airways

This is great news because ANA already has some of the lowest redemption rates on this route. The removal of fuel surcharges just sweetens the deal.

Image courtesy of All Nippon Airways

It's also worth noting that if you book an ANA flight using another rewards program currency (i.e. Virgin Atlantic), you also won’t be liable for fuel surcharges. If you've already booked one of these awards before the new fees went into effect, it's absolutely worth calling ANA to see if they'll refund the difference. No guarantees, as usual. YMMV.

Related: The best Amex cards

Bottom line

ANA cutting back on fuel surcharges is great news all around and hopefully, other airlines will follow suit. If you’re planning a trip to Asia or even Europe post-pandemic, you can save a lot by redeeming ANA miles for your flight. For example, ANA requires 50,000 miles for a round-trip economy class ticket to Japan. United has implemented dynamic pricing, so redemption rates vary but you can expect to pay around 70,000 miles for the same award in the fall.

Premium cabins are where you’ll get the most value. ANA requires 85,000 miles for a round-trip business class award on ANA metal or 150,000 miles in first class.

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United charges around 176,000 round-trip for business class and 242,000 for first class. Being able to book these awards at a lower rate is why I often keep a stash of Membership Rewards on hand. Not having to pay fuel surcharges is even more reason to earn those points going forward.

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  • $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction. That’s up to $120 Uber Cash annually. Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership Rewards® points for Uber Eats purchases made with restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. Point caps and terms apply.
  • $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. Enrollment is required to receive this benefit.
  • $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
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  • Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property.
  • No Foreign Transaction Fees.
  • Annual Fee is $325.
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Apply for American Express® Gold Card
at American Express's secure site
Terms & restrictions apply. See rates & fees
Best for dining at restaurants

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TPG Editor‘s Rating
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Rewards Rate

4XEarn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
4XEarn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
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  • Intro Offer

    As High As 100,000 points. Find Out Your Offer.

  • Annual Fee

    $325

  • Recommended Credit

    Excellent to Good

Why We Chose It

There’s a lot to love about the Amex Gold. It’s a fan favorite thanks to its fantastic bonus-earning rates at restaurants worldwide and at U.S. supermarkets. If you’re hitting the skies soon, you’ll also earn bonus Membership Rewards points on travel. Paired with up to $120 in Uber Cash annually (for U.S. Uber rides or Uber Eats orders, card must be added to Uber app and you can redeem with any Amex card), up to $120 in annual dining statement credits to be used with eligible partners, an up to $84 Dunkin’ credit each year at U.S. Dunkin Donuts and an up to $100 Resy credit annually, there’s no reason that foodies shouldn’t add the Amex Gold to their wallet. These benefits alone are worth more than $400, which offsets the $325 annual fee on the Amex Gold card. Enrollment is required for select benefits. (Partner offer)

Pros

  • 4 points per dollar spent on dining at restaurants worldwide and U.S. supermarkets (on the first $50,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter and $25,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter, respectively)
  • 3 points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with the airline or with amextravel.com
  • Packed with credits foodies will enjoy
  • Solid welcome bonus

Cons

  • Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
  • Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
  • You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
  • Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
  • Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
  • Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
  • Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
  • Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
  • $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction. That’s up to $120 Uber Cash annually. Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership Rewards® points for Uber Eats purchases made with restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. Point caps and terms apply.
  • $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. Enrollment is required to receive this benefit.
  • $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
  • $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Enrollment required.
  • Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property.
  • No Foreign Transaction Fees.
  • Annual Fee is $325.
  • Terms Apply.