Japan is expected to open to all travelers in October of 2022. There is no need for a tour guide.
It's a good time to plan your flights if you want to go back to the country.
The best way to travel between the US and Asia is in ANA business class. It is possible to fly in business class to Asia for 75,000 ANA miles on off-peak dates.
Virgin Atlantic Flying Club points can be redeemed for flights between the US and Japan in ANA business class.
There are several reasons why this is noteworthy. Here is the round-trip award chart for ANA flights.
| Route (between Japan and this region) | Economy | Business | First |
|---|---|---|---|
| Japan | 15,000 | N/A | N/A |
| South Korea | 18,000 | 35,000 | 50,000 |
| China, Guam, Hong Kong, Philippines and Taiwan | 23,000 | 45,000 | 60,000 |
| Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam | 40,000 | 65,000 | 80,000 |
| Hawaii, India and Indonesia | 45,000 | 70,000 | 90,000 |
| Australia, Canada and Western U.S. | 60,000 | 90,000 | 110,000 |
| Europe, Mexico and Central and Eastern U.S. | 65,000 | 95,000 | 120,000 |
You can get half the points you need for a round-trip by booking one-way awards. Since first class award availability can be slim, you could fly business class one way and first class the other. You can use a different program to book your return or continue to a different location.
There are two ways to find award availability from a Star Alliance partner. United Mileage Plus has a calendar search function.
If you need to change or cancel your award, Virgin Atlantic charges a small fee. If you don't plan on using your award, you should cancel it at least 24 hours before departure. You will pay between $350 and $400 for most award tickets if ANA adds fuel surcharges. If you want to find out the taxes and fees for a specific award, call Virgin Atlantic.
Virgin Atlantic Flying Club points can be converted into multiple reward currencies. It is easy to get enough Virgin points to redeem.
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You must fly on a nonstop ANA flight to get the award pricing discussed. The award rates for booking ANA flights with Virgin points can be found on the website.
There are some US cities that have ANA flights to and from major airports in Japan.
Virgin doesn't specify which airports are in the Western U.S. Since you only need to redeem 2,500 additional Virgin points each way, this won't be a problem for most travelers.
There are ways to travel to Japan with points.
Virgin points can be redeemed for flights on Virgin Atlantic's website. You must call to book your award. I recommend that you use one of the best websites for searching Star Alliance award availability to make sure that there is availability on your preferred travel dates.
You can find Star Alliance award availability on United Mileage Plus. I will show you how I would look for award availability for two from San Francisco to Tokyo.
Go to United's website and enter your flight information Check to see if you can book with miles and flexible dates. If you want to travel in business class, select the month you want to travel.
You'll be asked to log in once you click "Find flights." You can see a calendar of award availability if you close the box without signing in. You can unselect the "mixed cabins" and "1+ stops" boxes by clicking the "Sort and Filter" button.
If you want to see available flights, click on any dates that show 70,000 or 88,000 points.
ANA flights usually cost 88,000 miles. You may not find ANA flights if you click on a date that shows awards for more than 70K miles. You might have to look for flights with Virgin points.
You can check the flight details by scrolling down. Virgin points can be used to book flights that are operated by ANA.
You can call Virgin Atlantic from the United States. Between 2 a.m. and 7 p.m., the line is staffed. Wait times have been lengthy. If you want to book an award with limited availability, you should get in touch with an agent as soon as possible.
It's possible to book a $20,000 ANA first-class ticket for just $34.
You can transfer rewards at a 3:1 ratio from American Express Membership rewards to Virgin Atlantic. Wait for a Virgin Atlantic phone representative to confirm award space and then transfer points from one or more of these programs to Virgin Atlantic Flying Club You won't need to call back to book since the transfer should be instantaneous.
You should consider the following cards if you want to earn rewards in one of the three programs.
Marriott Bonvoy points can be transferred at 3:1 ratios. Marriott points can be transferred within 48 hours. It is a good idea to transfer rewards from other programs if award availability is limited.
There are many ways to redeem Virgin Atlantic points.
If you want an aircraft that features ANA's The Room, ANA business class is an excellent choice. You can redeem Virgin points for ANA business class for a small amount of points. Since you can book one-way awards for half the cost of round-trip awards, you can try other airlines for your flight home.
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