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Ultimate Guide to Taking Your Family to Japan Using Points and Miles

Melissa Vines

Japan is a dream destination for many families, offering a mix of culture, futuristic cities, and incredible food. The best part? You can make this trip a reality using points and miles, saving thousands of dollars on flights and hotels. In this guide, I’ll show you the easiest way to book economy flights and hotels in Japan with credit card points, including specific tips for using American Airlines and Alaska Airlines miles, and how to maximize Chase Ultimate Rewards® for your stay at Hyatt hotels in Tokyo and Kyoto.

Step 1: How many points does it take to travel to Japan?

FLIGHTS start at 30,000 miles one-way per person

A one-way economy flight from the USA to Japan typically costs around 30,000 - 35,000 miles per person each way, plus $6 in taxes. You can book Hawaiian Airlines flights through the Alaska Airlines website starting at 30,000 miles, while flights with Japan Airlines, American Airlines, and Korean Air start at 37,500 miles. Premium economy tickets begin at 40,000 miles. However, you can book for as low as 26,000 points with flexible points through British Airways but you will pay much more in taxes.

For a round-trip economy flight, a reasonable estimate is around 70,000 - 80,000 miles per person. Availability at this rate is generally easy to find. While some programs may offer slightly lower rates, this guide keeps things straightforward.

Flying to Asia requires more miles than flying to Europe, but the good news is you'll pay less in taxes. For example, we paid around 72,000 miles and just $62 in taxes per person. While it may seem like a lot of miles, especially for larger families, there are plenty of great bonus offers available that can help you earn the points quickly.

HOTELS booked through Hyatt start as low as 3,500 points per room per night (off-peak, category 1)

Tokyo offers a wide range of hotel options, making it relatively easy to find a place to stay using points. However, keep in mind that most rooms accommodate 2-3 people, so if you're traveling with a larger family, you'll likely need to book two rooms. Hyatt is a top choice in Tokyo, as their award rates are typically lower than those of other hotel brands, and it's easy to accumulate a significant number of Hyatt points.

For standard properties, you can expect to use around 15,000 points per room, while for more luxurious properties, the estimate is approximately 35,000 points per room.

Related: Guide to earning TONS of Hyatt points

Step 2: Choosing the Best Credit Cards for Flights to Japan

American Airlines and Alaska Airlines miles are the top choices for booking flights to Japan, as they are the easiest to use and pass on some of the lowest taxes. Here are the cards you should consider opening to start earning miles for your trip to Japan. Open business cards when you can since they do not count against your 5/24 status. Also try to get offers when they are elevated!

  1. Alaska Airlines Business Visa® Card

    • Elevated offer earns 70,000 Alaska Miles after meeting the minimum spend of $4,000 in the first 90 days.

  2. Alaska Airlines Visa® Card

    • Elevated offer earns 70,000 Alaska Miles after meeting the minimum spend of $4,000 in the first 90 days.

  3. CitiBusiness® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® Mastercard

    • Earns 65,000 American Airlines AAdvantage® bonus miles after spending $4,000 in 4 months of account opening.

  4. Citi AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Elite Mastercard

    • Earn 50,000 American Airlines AAdvantage® bonus miles after $2,500 in purchases within the first 3 months of account opening.

>>>BEST OFFERS-Please reach out for card links or head to my best offers page.

DON'T MISS THIS: Here are two great cards with just a $1 minimum spend!

  • AAdvantage® Aviator® World Elite Red Mastercard®- Earn 70,000 American miles after making your first purchase in the first 90 days. This is one of the best offers and may be discontinued soon. Just spend $1 and the annual fee and you’ll earn the 70,000 miles. This is a personal card and will count against 5/24.

  • The Hawaiian Airlines® Bank of Hawaii World Elite Mastercard®- Earn 70,000 Hawaiian miles after making your first purchase in the first 90 days. This is one of the best offers, and it may be discontinued soon. Just spend $1 and the annual fee and you’ll earn the 70,000 miles. This is a personal card and will count against 5/24.

    • How will Hawaiian miles help you for Japan? You can transfer Hawaiian miles directly to Alaska miles at a 1:1 ratio. Keep in mind they offer a business card as well.

TIP: American Express Membership Rewards can now be transferred to Alaska miles! First transfer from Amex to Hawaiian and then transfer from Hawaiian to Alaskan!

You can also earn flexible points and book flights to Japan. Here are some of the best ways to do that:

  • Fly Japan Airlines by booking through British Airways

  • Fly Delta Airlines or Korean Air by booking through Virgin Atlantic.

  • Fly Singapore Airlines booking by booking through Singapore Airlines or booking it through Aeroplan Air Canada.

  • Fly American Airlines booking through Qantas

  • Fly ANA by booking through Virgin Atlantic

However, we are keeping it simple in this guide, so I’m going to recommend Alaska and American miles, but if you already have flexible points, this is a great option especially if there is a transfer bonus!

Here are the best cards for flexible points:

Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
Earn 60,000 bonus points after spending $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.

Chase Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card
Earn 90,000 bonus points after spending $8,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.

Chase Ink Business Cash® Credit Card
Earn 75,000 bonus points after spending $6,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.

Chase Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card
Earn 75,000 bonus points after spending $6,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.

Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
Earn 75,000 bonus miles after spending $4,000 on purchases within the first 3 months from account opening.

Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card
Earn 75,000 bonus miles after spending $4,000 on purchases within the first 3 months from account opening.

Step 3: How to Book Flights to Japan with Points

Using American Airlines Miles

American Airlines offers excellent options for flights to Japan, especially in business class.

  • Use your miles to book flights on Japan Airlines (JAL) or American Airlines, which provides direct flights from major U.S. cities like Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Dallas

  • Search award space on AA.com and by booking flights and clicking “Redeem Miles”.

  • Search the calendar view for the lowest price. Starts at 35,000 for economy and 50,000 for premium economy

  • TIP: When you find flights that you like, you can put them on hold for a few days for FREE!

Using Alaska Airlines Miles

Alaska Airlines miles are among the most valuable for booking flights to Japan.

  • Book Japan Airlines (JAL), Hawaiian, and Korean air flights with Alaska miles. One-way flights in economy start at just 30,000 miles, and premium economy starts at 40,000

  • Search and book directly on AlaskaAir.com.

  • Choose flexible dates and click the calendar view at the top to search a month at a time

  • If you need more Alaska miles, transfer from American Express to Hawaiian to Alaska

  • Tip: Alaska allows a free stopover on one-way award tickets (when available), so you can explore another city in Japan at no additional cost.

HOT TIP: Remember that since American and Alaska are in the same airline alliance you can often book the same flight through each loyalty program. For large families you can book some flights in Alaska and some in American depending on which points you have in each program.

Other Useful Websites for Flight Searches

These websites are great for identifying potential routes and airlines over a variety of dates:

  • Seats.aero

  • PointsYeah

  • Roametravel

Step 4: Best Cards for Hotels

The number one best card for Japan hotels is any card that earns Chase Ultimate Rewards®. Ultimate Reward points can be transferred to Hyatt at a 1:1 ratio.

Here is a complete list of the cards that earn these points:

Or you can apply for cards that earn Hyatt points directly:

  • World of Hyatt Credit Card (Personal)

  • World of Hyatt Business Credit Card (Business)

Step 5: Best Hotels in Japan to Book with Points

Japan offers a variety of luxurious hotels that can be booked with points. Once you have created a free Hyatt loyalty number, you can transfer your Chase Ultimate Rewards® easily to Hyatt.

Here’s where to stay:

Tokyo

Andaz Tokyo Toranomon Hills

  • Hyatt Category 7

  • Starting at 25,000 Hyatt points per night

    Park Hyatt Tokyo

  • Hyatt Category 7

  • Starting at 25,000 Hyatt points per night

  • Note: When we stayed, 5 people were allowed in one room!

  • Currently undergoing renovations

    Hyatt Regency Tokyo

  • Hyatt Category 4

  • Starting at 12,000 Hyatt points per night

    Hyatt House Tokyo Shibuya

  • Hyatt Category 4

  • Starting at 12,000 Hyatt points per night

    Hyatt Centric Ginza Tokyo

  • Hyatt Category 6

  • Starting at 21,000 Hyatt points per night

There are many more Hyatt’s in Tokyo. Log onto the app or desktop to search Hyatt by points.

Kyoto

Hyatt Regency Kyoto

  • Hyatt Category 5

  • Starting at 17,000 Hyatt points per night

Park Hyatt Kyoto

  • Hyatt Category 8

  • Starting at 35,000 Hilton Honors points per night

  • Note: This is where we stayed, and it’s one of our favorite hotels to date—definitely worth the points splurge

Hyatt Place Kyoto

  • Hyatt Category 2

  • Starting at 6,500 Hyatt points per night

Osaka

Hyatt Namba Osaka

  • Hyatt Category 1

  • Starting at 3,500 Hyatt points per night

Properties other than Hyatt that we stayed at and loved:

Conrad Tokyo

  • Hilton property

  • Starting at 95,000 Hilton Honors points

  • Beautiful, large rooms

    Ritz Carlton Kyoto

  • Marriott property

  • Starting at 85,000 points per night

  • Note: We used an 85k certificate and topped the remainder with points. This was one of the best resorts we’ve ever stayed at – we loved this property!

Maximizing Chase Ultimate Rewards® Points for Hotels

Chase Ultimate Rewards® points transfer 1:1 to World of Hyatt, making them a top choice for booking Hyatt properties. Here’s how to transfer and book:

  1. Log in to your Chase online account and navigate to the Ultimate Rewards® portal.

  2. Select “Transfer to Travel Partners” and choose Hyatt.

  3. Transfer the required points and book directly on Hyatt’s website.

If you still need help, I have a FREE guide that walks you through how to transfer points from each bank. Get it HERE.

Final Thoughts

Taking your family to Japan doesn’t have to break the bank. With the right points and miles strategy, you can enjoy world-class flights and accommodations without spending thousands of dollars. By using American Airlines and Alaska Airlines miles for flights, and Chase points for Hyatt stays, your dream trip to Japan is closer than ever.

Are you planning a trip to Japan? Let me know in the comments or reach out on Instagram for personalized tips!

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Editorial Disclosure: Opinions, reviews, analyses & recommendations are the author's alone, and have not been reviewed, endorsed, or approved by any of these entities.