After years of restricted tourism, Japan is ought to open to all vacationers on October 11, 2022. No quarantine or tour information required.
So if you cannot wait to get again to the nation, now is an effective time to start out planning your flights.
ANA Enterprise Class is without doubt one of the greatest methods to journey between the US and Asia. And even for those who can return enterprise class flight to Asia for 75,000 ANA miles on off-peak dates, at present I will probably be discussing a unique place.
Subscribe to our day by day e-newsletter
Right here I’ll inform you how (and why) to redeem 45,000 Virgin Atlantic Flying Membership Factors for a one-way journey between the US West Coast and Japan in ANA Enterprise Class.
why it is particular
This Virgin Atlantic Aeroclub candy spot is outstanding for a number of causes. To start with, right here Virgin Atlantic Spherical-Journey Reward Chart for ANA-Operated Flights:
| Itinerary (between Japan and this area) | Financial system | Firm | 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 United States | 60,000 | 90,000 | 110,000 |
| Europe, Mexico and Central and Jap United States | 65,000 | 95,000 | 120,000 |
Nonetheless, you possibly can ebook one-way rewards for half the factors required for a spherical journey. So you possibly can journey enterprise class a technique and top quality the opposite – which is extraordinarily helpful as a result of availability of top quality rewards might be skinny. It’s also possible to use a unique program to ebook your return and even proceed to a unique vacation spot earlier than heading house.
Second, you should use a Star Alliance associate web site for award availability. My favourite is United MileageMore due to his calendar search perform.
Third, Virgin Atlantic fees a modest $50 charge if it’s good to change or cancel your premium. Simply be sure you cancel your reward a minimum of 24 hours earlier than departure for those who do not plan to make use of it. Simply be aware that ANA lately began including gasoline surcharges for award tickets, so you’ll pay between $350 and $400 for many award tickets. Name Virgin Atlantic or examine fare breakdown with ITA Matrix to find out taxes and costs for a selected reward.
And eventually, this candy spot is particular as a result of you possibly can convert a number of transferable reward currencies in Virgin Atlantic Aeroclub factors. So, as I am going to discuss in a later part, it is simple to build up sufficient Virgin Factors for this redemption.
Associated: The 5 greatest enterprise class seats for touring alone
Routes
To acquire the reward prize talked about above, it’s essential to journey on a continuous flight operated by ANA. In spite of everything, the Virgin Atlantic web site Remarks“If a visit requires a connecting flight or a layover to succeed in the vacation spot, factors are charged for every sector,” earlier than itemizing reward fares for reserving ANA flights with Virgin Factors.
Listed here are the US cities which have (or will quickly have) ANA-operated nonstop flights to and from main airports in Japan:
- Tokyo Haneda Worldwide Airport (HND): Chicago O’Hare Worldwide Airport (ORD), Honolulu Daniel Okay. Inouye Worldwide Airport (HNL), Houston George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH), Los Angeles Worldwide Airport (LAX), John F. Kennedy Worldwide Airport from New York, San Francisco Worldwide Airport (SFO), Norman Y. Mineta San Jose Worldwide Airport (SJC) from San Jose, Seattle Tacoma Worldwide Airport (SEA) (till March 26, 2023) and Washington Dulles Worldwide Airport (IAD ).
- Tokyo Narita Worldwide Airport (NRT): Chicago, Honolulu, Houston, Los Angeles, New York-JFK, San Francisco, Seattle (from March 25, 2023) and Washington DC
Virgin doesn’t specify which US airports fall inside the western US award worth vary. Nonetheless, since you may solely have to redeem an extra 2,500 Virgin Factors every means for airports within the central and jap US, this may not be a significant deal breaker for many vacationers.
Associated: The perfect methods to journey in Japan with factors and miles
Learn how to ebook this worth
Sadly, you can not redeem Virgin Factors to ebook ANA-operated flights immediately on the Virgin Atlantic web site. As an alternative, you may have to name to order your reward. However earlier than you name, I like to recommend utilizing certainly one of greatest web sites to analysis star alliance rewards availability to make sure there may be availability in your most well-liked journey dates.
An internet site you should use to analysis the provision of Star Alliance rewards is United MileageMore. On this part, I’ll present you the way I might analysis the provision of rewards for 2 from San Francisco to Tokyo subsequent August.
First, go to the United web site and enter the specified flight data. You should definitely tick ‘Ebook with Miles’ and ‘Versatile Dates’. Moreover, choose the month you want to journey and choose enterprise class as your required class of service.
When you click on on “Seek for Flights”, a field will load asking you to log in. Shut the field with out logging in, then you will notice a rewards availability calendar on the subsequent web page. Click on on the “Type and filter” button and uncheck the “blended cabins” and “1+ stops” packing containers.
Lastly, click on on the dates you need to journey that present costs of 70,000 or 88,000 factors to view out there flights.
Notice that ANA-operated flights usually price 88,000 miles with United MileagePlus. If you happen to click on on a date that reveals awards out there for 70,000 miles, you might not discover ANA-operated flights. In flip, you might have to dig to seek out flights you possibly can ebook with Virgin Factors.
If you click on on a date, scroll all the way down to examine flight particulars. Search for flights operated by All Nippon Airways (ANA) as they are often booked with Virgin Factors.
As soon as you discover availability, you possibly can name Virgin Atlantic from the US at 800-862-8621. The road is open from 2 a.m. to 7 p.m. EST, however wait occasions have been lengthy lately. In case you are trying to ebook a reward with restricted availability, remember that availability might have run out by the point you contact an agent.
Associated: Learn how to Ebook a $20,000 ANA First Class Ticket for Simply $34
Learn how to earn factors for this prize
You’ll be able to immediately switch rewards at a 1:1 ratio from American Specific Membership Rewards, Bilt Rewards, Capital one, Chase the Final Rewards and Citi Thank You Rewards at Virgin Atlantic. So watch for a Virgin Atlantic cellphone consultant to verify reward house, then switch factors from a number of of those applications to Virgin Atlantic Flying Membership. For the reason that switch ought to be immediate, you will not have to put your reward on maintain or name again to ebook.
If you happen to’re trying to earn rewards in one of many three transferable level applications, think about the next playing cards and their present bonuses:
- The Platinum Card® from American Specific: Earn 100,000 Membership Rewards factors after spending $6,000 on purchases together with your new card inside your first six months of card membership.
- American Specific® Gold Card: Earn 60,000 Membership Rewards factors after spending $4,000 on purchases together with your new card in your first six months of card membership.
- Capital One Enterprise X Rewards Credit score Card: Earn 75,000 bonus miles after spending $4,000 on purchases inside the first three months of account opening.
- Capital One Enterprise Rewards Credit score Card: Earn 75,000 bonus miles after spending $4,000 on purchases inside the first three months of account opening.
- Reserve Chase Sapphire: Earn 60,000 bonus factors after spending $4,000 on purchases inside the first three months of account opening.
- Chase Sapphire Most popular Card: Earn 60,000 bonus factors after spending $4,000 on purchases inside the first three months of account opening.
- Citi Premier® Card: Earn 80,000 bonus factors after spending $4,000 on purchases inside the first three months of account opening.
It’s also possible to switch Marriott Bonvoy factors at a 3:1 ratio. Nonetheless, Marriott factors typically take lower than 48 hours to switch. So, particularly if the provision of rewards is restricted, it’s best to switch rewards from different applications.
Associated: 3 Nice Methods to Redeem Virgin Atlantic Factors Now That Delta Rewards Are Devalued
On the finish of the road
ANA Enterprise Class is a superb product, particularly for those who’re flying with ANA’s room. And redeeming Virgin Factors is an effective way to expertise ANA Enterprise Class for a modest variety of factors. Additionally, since you possibly can ebook one-way rewards for half the value of round-trip rewards, you’ve the choice of making an attempt one other airline – or ANA top quality — in your return transpacific flight.