The flag carrier of Japan has revamped its credit card offering in the United States with a card that serves as either an entry-level or premium card. The new Japan Airlines (JAL) card is offered by the First National Bank of Omaha,
What are the benefits of the new JAL USA Card?
The card is unique in that it allows cardholders to switch between the premium and standard offerings without having to replace their physical cards. Applications for the previous offering ended on October 14th, and the refreshed promotion includes no annual fee in the first year and up to 10,000 bonus miles.
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This program allows one to easily visit secondary Japanese cities.
Several benefits come with both versions of the card, including the following perks:
- 5,000 bonus miles after completing your first JAL International Flight
- An additional 10% sector bonus miles every time the primary cardholder flies with the JAL group.
- 10% discount on in-flight purchases on AL Group International and Domestic flights when paying with a JAL USA CARD
- 5% Savings on Duty Free Shopping at Haneda and Narita Airports
- 10% savings on JAL International WiFi Service when paying with a JAL USA CARD
- Receive 5 Life Status points for every 1500 shopping miles earned from JAL USA CARD purchases.
Cardholders of existing JAL credit cards in the US can use the simple online form to switch their accounts to the new rewards system.
A dual reward program
The card is primarily targeted at expats, overseas workers, or those new to the US with a limited credit history. The issuing bank will even take into consideration your employment with an overseas employer as long as you now reside in the United States.
For the BasicRewards plan, cardholders will have no annual fee for the first year and then a charge of $35 per year beginning the second year. Neither tier charges transaction fees on the Mastercard product. The earning rate for the basic plan is 1 mile per $2 spent.
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The PremiumRewards plan offers a higher earning rate and targets frequent travelers who want to earn more miles. In exchange for the $85 annual fee (waived in the first year), frequent flyers will earn 2 miles per $1 spent on eligible JAL purchases and 1 mile per $1 spent on everything else.
Note: The $50 Premium Rewards upgrade fee will be charged annually in addition to the $35 annual fee.
The bonus miles are for purchases of JAL flight tickets made directly from JAL (as opposed to third parties such as Booking.com or Expedia. There is no limit to how many miles can be earned, but they can expire after 36 months.
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There are good options with Japan Airlines – both for international and domestic flights
Frequent flyers also notably book award tickets using their JAL Miles on domestic carriers American Airlines and Alaska Airlines, as well as non-oneworld partners Jetstar, Emirates, and Air France.
