Book these Japan Airlines first-class awards using JetBlue points while they last

Earlier this week, it became possible to redeem JetBlue TrueBlue points for award seats on Japan Airlines, opening up potential sweet spots for traveling between the U.S. and Japan.

While award availability in premium cabins for the first day or so the new functionality was live seemed to be limited to within a few days of departure and to business-class awards, it now looks like there is widespread availability of first-class awards and, to a lesser extent, business-class seats using JetBlue TrueBlue points over the next several months.

As first reported by Roame, it appears that Japan Airlines has opened up heaps of award space on its flights to JetBlue TrueBlue members. The catch is that much of this space is in premium cabins – mostly first class at this point – requiring a lot of TrueBlue points.

Some folks might also be wary of transferring points from a partner program like American Express Membership Rewards or Chase Ultimate Rewards on the off chance that this is a mistake fare. We were.

However, we attempted to book a first-class award ourselves and had no issue doing so on a flight from Tokyo’s Haneda International Airport (HND) to Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) in June and it processed correctly. We were even able to log into the confirmed reservation on Japan Airlines’ site and pick our seat, so this appears to be legitimate. That said, consider your own risk tolerance before making any transfers or booking any tickets.

Here’s what you need to know if you’re considering taking advantage of this opportunity yourself.

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How to book: Via JetBlue.com. While JAL is a Oneworld partner of both American Airlines and Alaska Airlines, these awards do not seem to be bookable via either of those programs.

Book by: ASAP

Travel dates: Now through March 2026

Cost:

• 59,000 JetBlue TrueBlue points each way between Japan and the U.S. in business class
• 165,000 JetBlue TrueBlue points each way between Japan and Los Angeles and San Francisco
• 185,000 JetBlue TrueBlue points each way between Japan and other cities, including Chicago, Dallas and New York
• Taxes and fees are about $15 outbound from the U.S. and up to $280 when departing Japan, depending on your class of service.

There are a few other considerations as well. Japan Airlines offers stellar business- and first-class cabins, but there are some major differences to be aware of depending on the route and aircraft you book. The airline only flies its Airbus A350-1000s with stunning new first- and business-class suites between Haneda and New York and Dallas. The other routes listed are flown with a variety of other aircraft with older types of seats aboard, including Boeing 787-9s with just business class, and 777-300ERs with both business and first class.

So, if you’re able to position to New York or Dallas, it is fully worth it to get to experience the airline’s newest fixtures. JAL’s A350-1000 first class even won the 2024 TPG Award for best new first class thanks to the suites’ enormous footprints, stylish finishes, up-to-the-second tech (have you seen those 43-inch entertainment screens?) and unparalleled amenities and meal service.

Barring that, if you are just looking for a great way to travel between the U.S. and Asia, you really can’t beat JAL for excellent service and comfortable seats.

Best ways to get JetBlue TrueBlue points

JetBlue TrueBlue is a transfer partner of the following credit card rewards programs at the listed ratios:

If you want to transfer points from a partner to your JetBlue TrueBlue account, your best bets are either Chase or Citi, since their transfer ratio is much better than that of Amex. For instance, if you wanted to book a one-way first-class award from New York to Tokyo, you would need 185,000 Chase or Citi points, but 231,250 Amex points. So take that into consideration.

Also be sure that the award flight you want is available on the day you want before making any transfers because these are irreversible.