Mileage Bank Sapphire
JAL Mileage Bank Sapphire is one of four tiers that make up the Japan Airlines Mileage Bank frequent flyer program. This is not to be confused with JAL’s Global Club, a separate and parallel elite status program offered by JAL.
Sapphire status is the 2nd highest elite status tier and is achieved after Crystal.
As Japan Airlines is part of the Oneworld alliance, it means that if you hold JAL Mileage Bank Sapphire status, it is equivalent to Oneworld Sapphire status and offers similar benefits on flights with other Oneworld Airline members.
The Basics
Oneworld Sapphire
JAL Sapphire is equivalent to Oneworld Sapphire status and you will receive similar benefits when flying with other Oneworld Alliance members.
FLY ON Points
Are the Elite Qualifying Points of JAL, or the currency used to determine your status level.
At Most 13 Month
You will enjoy at most 13 months as an elite Mileage Bank member once you have earned or requalified for the status.
No Soft Landing
If you do not reach the required FLY ON miles to re-qualify in the following year you will revert to a regular Mileage Bank member.
The Three Services
JAL’s services / offerings / status benefits are split into what they call the three services and each one is applied at different times throughout the membership year.
First Services
Services that are available to members around one week after status qualification.
Think bonus miles or priority boarding.
Second Services
Services that are available to members which require members to present their membership card.
Think Lounge access
Third Services
Available only to Diamond and JGC Premier members, these are services that are available from April 1 of the year following status qualification
What do you get with Mileage Bank Sapphire
Advance Front Seat selection
Eligible members can select a front seat in advance – priority is based on JMB/JGC status – when booking JAL international flights.
However, this is only available when flying on fares eligible for advance front seat assignment and you must hold the status on date of departure or your seat assignment may be adjusted if you lose your status.
Milage Bonus
Mileage Bank Sapphire members will receive bonus redeemable miles for every flight on JAL, American Airlines, British Airways and Iberia flights travelled on.
– JAL Group flights: 105%
– American Airlines flights: 105%
– British Airways flights: 100%
– Iberia flights: 50%
Priority Check-in
Members can have access to use priority check in desks (JAL Global Club desk when flying domestically and First Class check in desk when flying internationally with JAL)
When flying with other Oneworld carriers, you have access to their Oneworld Sapphire check in desk – which is only usually the business check in desk so JAL’s offering is a step up – at least when flying internationally.
Priority Boarding
With Mileage Bank Sapphire status, you are able to board before the general boarding group.
However this is a step down from other Oneworld member offerings as JAL only offer priority boarding to the member where as other carriers offer it to everyone in the itinerary.
Extra Checked Baggage Allowance
In addition to the standard checked baggage allowance, Milage Bank Sapphire members who fly with JAL or other Oneworld carriers are allowed additional checked bag allowances
When flying on JAL domestic this is an extra 20Kg but on international flights this is 1 extra checked bag (max 23kg).
This is slightly weaker than American Airlines which offers two additional checked bag for Oneworld Sapphire members.
However when flying on Oneworld member airlines, you are able to bring one extra 15kg checked bag (if the airline you are flying on uses the weight system) or 1 extra bag (if the airline you are flying on uses the piece system)
Lounge Access
Mileage Bank Sapphire members get lounge access for themselves and one companion to business class lounges (a second and third companions can be brought in with the presentation of a lounge coupon in Japan).
This is true for Mileage Bank Sapphire members when travelling on other Oneworld Airlines. You will be able to access Oneworld Sapphire lounges with your Mileage Bank Sapphire status. However Lounge coupons cannot be used to access a lounges internationally.
Fast Track Security
Mileage Bank Sapphire members can use the JAL Global Club Entrance (with a travelling companion) when traveling on JAL Group domestic flights.
The special security channel is located at certain airports including Haneda Airport, Itami Airport, New Chitose Airport, Fukuoka Airport, and Naha Airport.
Additionally, by presenting a Milage Bank Diamond card and boarding pass, you can use the JAL Fast Security Lane when departing from Narita Airport Terminal 2 on JAL international flights for you and one guest.
at International Airports, Fast Track Lanes can only be used by yourself -although this is not available at all airports.
Invitation to Join the JAL Global Club
Mileage Bank members who qualify for Mileage Bank Sapphire or Mileage Bank Diamond will be invited to join JAL Global Club.
Notably, with a few exceptions, you must have accrued at least 50,000 FLY ON Points (including 25,000 FLY ON Points for JAL Group flights) or have attained at least 50 flights (including 25 JAL Group flights) and 15,000 FLY ON Points during the preceding calendar year from January to December.
How to Collect FLY ON Points
When you travel with Japan Airlines, or a Oneworld partner marked as Japan Airlines, you earn FLY ON points with which you can achieve elite status with.
The blue membership card is the most basic and is available to everyone and does not come with benefits except the ability to earn FLY ON points and Redeemable Mileage. Crystal, Sapphire and Diamond are earned and come with a varying degree of benefits. This is not to be confused with JAL’s Global Club Sapphire, a separate and parallel elite status program offered by JAL.
Moving up the ladder with the Mileage bank is completely dependent on the number of FLY ON points accrued within a given year, and like Redeemable Mileage Points, expire after a set time period – in this case FLY ON Points expire at the end of each calendar year. However, your status will only expire on the following years end.
There is no other use for FLY ON Points other than setting your elite status; they cannot be spent.
Although Japan Airline Mileage Bank works a little differently than to other Oneworld members. Some differences include:
1. Unlike revenue-based reward programs such as American Airlines there is no concept of Elite Qualifying Miles (the notion that you need to travel a set distance to achieve an elite level).
2. Unlike with zone-based reward programs like British Airways its not necessarily easier to achieve FLY ON Points faster by travelling to further locations as miles flown are multiplied by a factor of 2 when travelling domestically in Japan on JAL.
3. Unlike Airlines like Royal Air Maroc, JAL does not calculate the miles accrued by using the distance from airport to airport ie. from NRT (Narita International Airport) to LHR (London Heathrow Airport). Rather it will work on the distance between the two Cities ie. TYO (Tokyo) to LON (London).
You can only collect FLY ON points when travelling on a flight marketed by Japan Airlines or a Oneworld Alliance member, the rate you collect at is dependant on a couple of factors (as discussed below).
To achieve Mileage Bank Sapphire status, you need either:
- JMB member who has accrued at least 50,000 FLY ON Points (including 25,000 FLY ON Points on JAL Group flights), or
- JMB member who has attained at least 50 flights (including at least 25 JAL Group flights) and 15,000 FLY ON Points
Calculating the Number of FLY ON Points Earned
FLY ON points are based on a calculation with tones of exceptions, quick, rates and multipliers meaning that you nearly always need a pen and paper to work out how many points you will get.
For example you can get a 2x multiplier when flying domestically in Japan with JAL but only 1x when flying internationally. you can get an extra 400 points when buying a “regular” ticket and you can get a 2x multiplier when you use a promotional product.
To keep this section short as the notes on FLY ON Points are exceptionally long, the basic formula is:
FLY ON Points Earned = Distance Flown (in Miles) x Conversion Rate + Bonus Points + Promotional Bonus
If you want to know more use the link below:
The simplest and best tool for finding out how many FLY ON points you’ll earn on any flight is to use the Japan Airlines FLY ON Points calculator – however being JAL – there is a version for domestic and international flights.
Mileage Bank Tiers
Blue
Equivalent
Oneworld Basic
Crystal
Equivalent
Oneworld Ruby
Sapphire
Equivalent
Oneworld Sapphire
Emerald
Equivalent
Oneworld Emerald
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