The Points Guy believes that credit cards can transform lives, helping you leverage everyday spending for cash back or travel experiences that might otherwise be out of reach. That's why we publish a variety of editorial content and card comparisons: to help you find a great card to turn your goals into reality.
Our site may earn compensation when a customer clicks on a link, when an application is approved, or when an account is opened with our partners, and this may impact how or where these products appear. While we don't cover all available credit cards, our editorial team creates and maintains all of the analysis of these cards, and our content is not influenced nor subject to review by any credit card company, bank or partner prior to (or after) publication. Please view our advertising policy and product review methodology for more information.
Advertiser disclosure
The Points Guy believes that credit cards can transform lives, helping you leverage everyday spending for cash back or travel experiences that might otherwise be out of reach. That's why we publish a variety of editorial content and card comparisons: to help you find a great card to turn your goals into reality.
Our site may earn compensation when a customer clicks on a link, when an application is approved, or when an account is opened with our partners, and this may impact how or where these products appear. While we don't cover all available credit cards, our editorial team creates and maintains all of the analysis of these cards, and our content is not influenced nor subject to review by any credit card company, bank or partner prior to (or after) publication. Please view our advertising policy and product review methodology for more information.
News
Cleared for Takeoff: Using points and miles for a birthday trip to Japan
Katie Genter is a digital nomad who has traveled full time since June 2017. She writes and edits stories about points and miles, and loyalty programs, often letting her personal experiences color these stories.
August 17, 2021 • 19 min read
The cards we feature here are from partners who compensate us when you are approved through our site, and this may impact how or where these products appear. We don't cover all available credit cards, but our analysis, reviews, and opinions are entirely from our editorial team. Terms apply to the offers listed on this page. Please view our advertising policy and product review methodology for more information.Editorial disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are the author's alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airline or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.
Comments
By commenting, you agree to our Community Guidelines to help create a positive space for conversation. The responses below are not provided or commissioned by the bank advertiser, our partners, or The Points Guy (“TPG”). They have not been reviewed, approved, or otherwise endorsed by any of these parties. All responses are submitted by individual contributors, and neither the bank advertiser, our partners, nor TPG are responsible for ensuring that all posts and/or questions are answered.
Related stories
Quick summary
The article outlines a detailed strategy for booking a two-week trip to Japan using points and miles, focusing on maximizing value for flights, hotels and train travel.
It highlights how to secure premium-cabin flights on a Japanese airline via a partner loyalty program, including the need for positioning flights from a smaller U.S. city.
Advice is provided for booking hotels in major Japanese cities using hotel loyalty points, with recommendations on when to use points versus cash.
The guide also covers the use of a nationwide rail pass for efficient travel within Japan and suggests leveraging airline miles for domestic flights.
What to consider
Award availability for premium-cabin flights on Japanese airlines can be limited, especially for two travelers on the same flight.
Booking award flights through partner programs may require searching and booking by phone, and taxes and fees apply.
Hotel loyalty programs offer a fifth-night-free benefit on award stays, but this is most useful for longer stays in a single city.
What you'll miss from the article
Step-by-step tactics for searching, booking and combining multiple loyalty programs to plan a complex, multi-city Japan itinerary using points and miles.
Generated by AI with support from our editorial team.
Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here.
Cleared for Takeoff is a weekly series showing readers like you the best ways to book adventures using points and miles. If you’d like tips on booking your own trip using miles, please email us with your preferred itinerary and current mileage balance.
From ski resorts to metropolises, there's so much to see and do in Japan. I've visited the country many times and look forward to visiting again when Japan reopens its borders to Americans. But for today’s Cleared for Takeoff story, I’ll look into TPG reader Jeff Reese’s request for help planning a trip to Japan next summer for his wife's birthday:
My wife and I would love to be able to use our 300k points from Chase UR to fly ANA to Japan next year. Her birthday is June 25 and it's the big 4-0. Since the flight that distance would be the biggest cost, we thought the points would be best spent there. I know it's tough to get two award seats on ANA in business or first.
We would love to travel the country via train to see as much as possible during a two-week stay.
We would love to fly out of Tampa but as flights are limited from here we would be willing to do a "transfer" to a better location. I have some Delta companion passes for my Platinum AMEX that I could even use for this.
In Japan, we would love to see Tokyo, Osaka, Kyoto, Okinawa, Hiroshima, and Mount Fuji. Perhaps Yokohama, Sapporo, Nagasaki, or Kamakura. We haven’t finalized the list so open to suggestions.
However, stopovers and connecting flights cost extra points when you book through Virgin Atlantic. So, Jeff and his wife will need to book positioning flights before their ANA flight to Japan and after their ANA flight from Japan. Luckily, one-way trips are permitted at half the cost of a round-trip when redeeming Virgin Atlantic points. So, if availability permits, Jeff and his wife could redeem for business class one way and first class the other way.
How to book ANA awards with Virgin Atlantic points
I recommend searching for award availability through United's MileagePlus program. But, as Jeff noted in his request, two premium cabin saver awards can be difficult to snag. I'd book one first-class award and one business-class award on the same flight if I were in Jeff's shoes. Then, I could set an ExpertFlyer alert for first-class award space on that flight.
But, based on Jeff's request, I assume he wants to book two awards in the same cabin and same flight from the start. So, I went to United's website to search award availability for two passengers on nonstop ANA flights from several U.S. airports.
(Screenshot courtesy of united.com)
After searching for a while, I found two business class saver awards from Seattle to Tokyo Hanada on June 23. Note the operating carrier is "All Nippon Airways" — United-operated flights are not bookable with Virgin points.
(Screenshot courtesy of united.com)
I also found two business class saver awards about two weeks later from Tokyo Hanada to Seattle on July 7.
(Screenshot courtesy of united.com)
Once you find award availability that you want to book, check out Virgin Atlantic's contact us page to get in touch with Flying Club and confirm this availability. After all, it's best to confirm award availability before transferring or buying points. You can ask ANA to hold the award space if you don't yet have enough points to book your award.
American Express Membership Rewards: 1:1 transfer ratio, transfers usually occur instantaneously
Chase Ultimate Rewards: 1:1 transfer ratio, transfers usually occur instantaneously
Citi ThankYou Rewards: 1:1 transfer ratio, transfers usually occur instantaneously
Marriott Bonvoy: 3:1 transfer ratio, transfers usually occur within 48 hours
Additionally, Virgin Atlantic often runs buy points promotions. Or, if you have time before you want to redeem for an award, you could sign-up for a new card, meet the minimum spending requirements to earn the bonus and then use the sign-up bonus to book your award. Here are a few cards (and their current welcome bonuses) to consider:
The Platinum Card® from American Express: Earn 80,000 Membership Rewards Points after you spend $6,000 on purchases within the first six months of card membership.
American Express® Gold Card: Earn 60,000 Membership Rewards points after you spend $4,000 on purchases on your new card in your first six months of card membership.
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card: Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening.
Chase Sapphire Reserve®: Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening.
Citi Premier® Card: Earn 60,000 ThankYou bonus points after spending $4,000 on purchases in the first three months of account opening (see rates and fees).
Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card: Earn 150,000 Marriott Bonvoy bonus points after spending $6,000 on eligible purchases in the first six months; plus, earn 50,000 points after you stay six eligible nights at Marriott hotels through Jan. 31, 2024. Offer ends August 9.
Of course, Jeff will also need to book positioning flights from Tampa to Seattle and back. Since he and his wife have a large stash of American Airlines miles, I recommend he book a one-stop American Airlines award. I'm currently seeing round-trip awards from 15,000 miles plus $11.20 per person in main cabin economy and 35,000 miles plus $11.20 per person in first class.
A Japan Rail Pass can help Jeff and his wife save money on intra-Japan transportation. (Photo by tackune / Shutterstock.com)
Jeff mentioned that he and his wife plan to travel around Japan by train. So, they should consider buying 14-day Japan Rail Passes. Although they'll need to pay around $430 each, this pass will let them travel throughout Japan via train for 14 consecutive days. This pass includes trains to many parts of Japan, including some high-speed options. But I recommend they check out the map of eligible routes before buying the pass to ensure it will work well for their trip.
Even if they decide to buy Japan Rail Passes, they'll still need to book flights to Okinawa. Luckily, American Airlines miles and United Airlines miles can provide excellent value on flights within Japan. For example, Jeff could redeem 7,500 American Airlines miles per person to fly one way in economy on Japan Airlines from Tokyo to Okinawa.
(Screenshot courtesy of aa.com)
Or, Jeff could redeem 8,800 United Airlines miles per person to fly one way in economy on ANA from Tokyo to Okinawa.
Jeff and his wife have Marriott Bonvoy points and Chase Ultimate Rewards points for hotel stays. Since World of Hyatt is the most valuable Ultimate Rewards hotel transfer partner, I'll focus on Marriott Bonvoy and World of Hyatt hotels in the cities they plan to visit: Tokyo, Osaka, Kyoto, Okinawa, Hiroshima and Mount Fuji.
Although Marriott Bonvoy offers a fifth night free on award stays, Jeff and his wife plan to visit at least six destinations in Japan during their two-week trip. So, I expect they'd only be able to use the fifth-night free benefit at most once (likely in Tokyo).
Five nights in Tokyo
Jeff doesn't say how long he wants to spend in each city. But, let's assume he wants to stay in Tokyo, Japan, on June 24 to 29 at a Marriott hotel to get a fifth night free when using points. He could potentially even use his train pass to visit Mount Fuji, Yokohama and Kamakura as day trips from Tokyo.
(Screenshot courtesy of marriott.com)
Given his current Marriott Bonvoy balance of 146,047 points, I recommend he considers the following Marriott hotels:
Sheraton Miyako Hotel Tokyo: Category 5 hotel, currently bookable for 140,000 points for a five-night stay June 24 to 29
Aloft Tokyo Ginza: Category 5 hotel, currently bookable for 160,000 points for a five-night stay June 24 to 29
Moxy Tokyo Kinshicho: Category 5 hotel, currently bookable for 160,000 points for a five-night stay June 24 to 29
Each of these hotels is in a different part of the city. So, he'll need to trade-off between location, points cost and amenities when selecting a hotel.
After visiting Tokyo, I'll assume Jeff wants to fly to Okinawa for a two-night stay. There are several Marriott Bonvoy properties in Okinawa, but only the Category 7 Sheraton Okinawa Sunmarina Resort has award availability for June 29 through July 1, 2022.
(Screenshot courtesy of marriott.com)
Since he'll likely use most of his Marriott points in Tokyo, I recommend he considers one of the following two Hyatt properties in Okinawa:
Hyatt Regency Naha Okinawa: Category 4, currently bookable for 30,000 points for a two-night stay June 29 to July 1
Hyatt Regency Seragaki Island Okinawa: Category 4, currently bookable for 30,000 points for a two-night stay June 29 to July 1
(Screenshot courtesy of hyatt.com)
Two nights in Kyoto
After staying in Okinawa, Jeff and his wife can fly non-stop to Osaka on JAL or ANA and then take a train to Kyoto for a two-night stay from July 1 to July 3. He could redeem 25,000 World of Hyatt points per night to stay at the Hyatt Regency Kyoto or 30,000 Hyatt points per night at the Park Hyatt Kyoto or Sowaka.
(Screenshot courtesy of hyatt.com)
Or, he could redeem Marriott Bonvoy points at a variety of Marriott Bonvoy properties. However, the lowest-category Marriott Bonvoy property in Kyoto is the Category 5 Moxy Kyoto Nijo.
(Screenshot courtesy of marriott.com)
If I were in Jeff's shoes, I'd be hesitant to redeem so many points for a stay in Kyoto. Instead, I'd likely book a property outside these brands through an online travel agency rewards program, such as Hotels.com Rewards.
Two nights in Hiroshima
After a stay in Kyoto, Jeff and his wife can take a train to Hiroshima for a two-night stay from July 3 to 5. There aren't any World of Hyatt properties in Hiroshima, and the only Marriott Bonvoy property is the Category 5 Sheraton Grand Hiroshima Hotel.
(Screenshot courtesy of marriott.com)
A two-night stay from July 3 to 5 at this hotel by Hiroshima station costs 70,000 points or $770. So, if Jeff decided to redeem Marriott points for this stay, he'd get a redemption value of about 1.1 cents per point.
Two nights in Osaka
Finally, I recommend Jeff and his wife take a train from Hiroshima to Osaka on July 5. They can spend two nights in Osaka before traveling back to Tokyo on July 7th for their evening flight from Tokyo Hanada.
There's only one World of Hyatt property in Osaka: the Category 2 Hyatt Regency Osaka. This property is a steal at 8,000 points per night for a standard room, but the location isn't ideal for a two-night stay if Jeff and his wife want to explore the city.
(Screenshot courtesy of hyatt.com)
So, I'd instead recommend one of the many Marriott Bonvoy hotels in the city. For example, the Category 4 Moxy Osaka Honmachi is well-located and bookable for 60,000 points for a two-night stay on July 5 through 7. Or, the Category 4 Fairfield by Marriott Osaka Namba is also well-located and bookable for just 36,000 points for this two-night stay, thanks to Marriott's PointSavers promotion.
(Screenshot courtesy of marriott.com)
How to earn enough World of Hyatt points for these awards
However, since Jeff doesn't plan to travel to Japan until next summer, he and his wife could each open a World of Hyatt Credit Card. After all, this card currently offers a sign-up bonus of 30,000 bonus points after you spend $3,000 on purchases in your first three months from account opening. Plus, you can earn up to 30,000 more bonus points by earning 2x points in the first six months from account opening on purchases that typically earn 1x points (up to $15,000 spent).
It's possible to earn Marriott Bonvoy points through various other means. For example, you can earn small amounts of Marriott points through Marriott dining rewards. But, if you're looking to boost your Marriott balance substantially, you'll likely need to buy Marriott points or sign-up for a new Marriott Bonvoy credit card. If you want to add a new Marriott card to your wallet, here are some of the best cards to consider and their current bonuses:
Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card: Earn 150,000 Marriott Bonvoy bonus points after spending $6,000 on eligible purchases in the first six months; plus, earn 50,000 points after you stay six eligible nights at Marriott hotels through Jan. 31, 2024. Offer ends August 9.
Marriott Bonvoy Boundless Credit Card: Earn 75,000 Marriott Bonvoy bonus points after using your card to spend $3,000 on eligible purchases in the first six months; plus, earn 50,000 bonus points after you stay six eligible paid nights at Marriott hotels through Jan. 31, 2024. Offer ends August 10.
Marriott Bonvoy Business® American Express® Card: Earn 75,000 bonus points after you use your new card to make $3,000 in purchases within the first three months of card membership.
Marriott Bonvoy Bold Credit Card: Earn 50,000 Marriott Bonvoy bonus points after using your card to spend $1,000 on eligible purchases in the first six months; plus, earn 50,000 bonus points after you stay six eligible paid nights at Marriott hotels through Jan. 31, 2024. Offer ends August 10.
Of course, if you sign-up for a new credit card, you won't get the bonus until after you've reached specific minimum spending requirements. So, although Jeff and his wife could sign-up for Marriott cards now and have enough time to earn a bonus, signing up for a new card isn't a feasible approach if you are looking to book your stay now.
70,000 Marriott Bonvoy points for two nights at the Sheraton Grand Hiroshima Hotel
36,000 Marriott Bonvoy points for two nights at the Fairfield by Marriott Osaka Namba
Currently, Jeff and his wife don't have enough Marriott Bonvoy points for the stays in Hiroshima and Osaka. So, they'd need to earn more Marriott Bonvoy points or consider booking a stay using cash. And, as I mentioned above, I'd bypass award options and book a cash rate in Kyoto.
However, award availability changes quickly. So the ANA business class availability I found may no longer be available when Jeff tries to book. And Jeff and his wife may decide they want to visit different cities while in Japan. If you want to plan a similar trip for yourself, I recommend figuring out your award flights first -- especially if you want to fly in a premium cabin.
Comments
By commenting, you agree to our Community Guidelines to help create a positive space for conversation. The responses below are not provided or commissioned by the bank advertiser, our partners, or The Points Guy (“TPG”). They have not been reviewed, approved, or otherwise endorsed by any of these parties. All responses are submitted by individual contributors, and neither the bank advertiser, our partners, nor TPG are responsible for ensuring that all posts and/or questions are answered.
