Feel free to contribute to this FAQ and give suggestions. Thanks Welcome to the Japan Airlines Forum! This is the FAQ thread for JAL and JAL Mileage Bank (JMB). Since Simon asked for a FAQ (nicely), I will just copy the one on FlyerTalk here for him to play with. All links go back to FT at this point, which I usually go to for the latest information. This FAQ is just a temporary measure until the MP wiki is ready. But feel free to start contributing here and add new contents for the MP FAQ which will eventually go to the JAL wiki on MP. This thread is based on the Unofficial Guide to Japan Airlines and JAL Mileage Bank (JMB) started by sipples of FlyerTalk back in 2006 but unfortunately sipples has switched to the darkside since then and the information in the original FAQ are outdated. Therefore I have started this FAQ thread and hopefully will help people answer some general questions on JAL and JMB. I will try to follow the format of the AA FAQ thread. Therefore if you have suggestions or corrections specifically pertaining to this FAQ, please feel free to post them directly to this thread. Please do NOT post your individual questions here. This thread is reserved for discussing the content of the FAQ itself. If you have a question that is not answered directly by one of the FAQ entries, please find and post to the appropriate thread. Remember you are always welcome to start a new thread for your specific questions! Thanks for your cooperation. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Elite Status • What are the JMB elite status? • What is JAL Global Club? • If I'm a JMB elite, which oneworld elite level am I? • How can I qualify for JMB elite status? • What are FLY ON points? How do I earn them? • How are FLY ON points calculated? • When do I qualify for elite status? • How will I know I am an elite JMB member? • Does JAL offer status matches or Challenges? • Does JAL offer lifetime status? • Can I purchase elite status? • Can I qualify for elite status without flying? • What is the Century 21 Club? Are there any other "secret" benefits given to JMB elite Upgrades and Awards • Do JMB elites enjoy free business class or first class upgrades? • How do I book award travel using my JMB miles? • Will I still earn JMB miles on award travel? • What will happen to my miles if I cancel my award ticket? • When can I book my award ticket? • How do I reserve an upgrade? • Are discounted upgrades available at check in? • Which fares are upgradeable? How do I book them? • Can I upgrade an Award ticket? • Will I get F/C mileage credit for my upgraded flight? • I want to redeem an award but don't have enough miles, can I purchase miles through JMB? • Are there one-way awards? JMB Account Maintenance • When do JMB miles expire? Is there any way to extend their life? • Is there a minimum mileage credit for JAL flights? • How are miles calculated? • How long does it take for miles and points to post to my account? • How reliable is JAL in posting miles to my JMB account? • Are there JMB mileage-earning credit cards? Before You Fly • Can I order a special meal on JAL? Can I do so online? • Can I preassign seats? Can I do so online? • Can I check in online? When can I do it? • Where do I find JAL seat maps? At the Airport • What terminal does JAL use at Narita (NRT)? • What terminal does JAL use at Haneda (HND)? • How early should I arrive for check in? • Does JAL have electronic kiosk check in? • Is there an elite security line at Narita? • Is there an elite security line at Haneda? • Are discounted upgrades available at check in? • Will I have to pay checked baggage fees? • Will I have lounge access on my itinerary? • Can I purchase a lounge pass? • What is JAL's boarding procedure? Onboard • Do I have to pay for my drinks and food onboard? • What's JAL's inflight entertainment like? • What is MAGIC? • Where can I find the IFE programs on my flights? • Where can I find the menu on my flights? • What is JAL's aircraft seating like? • Does JAL serve alcohol in all classes? • How much carry on luggage can I bring aboard? • What kind of plug do I need for power port? • Does JAL provide Wi-Fi service onboard? • Is the JAL SKY Wi-Fi service FREE? Upon Arrival • Does JAL have arrival lounge? • What are the priority baggage handling order?
for a few selected questions i've picked to see the answer, it's only for the intl routes, will you put in the dom answers? (or do you have the answers for dom?)
Please update What is JAL Global Club? with the following You can apply for JGC the moment you have 50,000 FOP or more. It is not required that you wait until your status is applied to your account (Sapphire etc which could take up to 2 months) as the requirement to join JGC is based on having 50,000 FOP or more. A simple phone call to your local JMB call centre requesting an application will set the wheels in motion. If you are in Japan and changing from a JAL Card to JGC Card then you have to wait 1 week for the application to arrive after requesting it then another 1 week for your status to change online and another week to receive your new credit card and welcome kit. If you have JAL Card DC Visa or Master Card, DC is kind enough to refund any remain months left on your annual fee you paid and charge you the JGC annual straight away. It is unknown whether other card supplies offer this too. A couple of days after you receive your JGC Credit Card the status card with arrive. The Luggage tags however will take 2-3 months to arrive. I'll have some more to add about family members when I finish the saga.
More to add Can I sign up my family members if they live outside Japan for either JGC or JAL Card? (credit card for those living in Japan already)? Yes. Your address and details of their JMB account must match the primary card holder and the whole application process takes about 4 weeks. You need to submit quite a bit of paperwork, one form to JAL Card, another to JAL Family Club section, another to JGC and if your surnames are not the same, further verification will be requested. Family members will charged the same annual fee as primary card holder plus receive luggage tags.
More again When and what do you get in your JAL Global Club welcome pack? Normally you get your credit card first then separately you get sent the status card. Luggage tags will appear up to 2 months later. It appears that the welcome kit is the kit that comes with your luggage tags which contains benefits of JGC and an application form if you want to join the Century 21 Club. Additional card holder get everything the same except in the welcome kit they do not receive a benefits guide or Century 21 Club application form. The monthly mail out magazine Agora has different outside plastic packaging for JGC members so look out for this!
What do you mean by "your address and details of their JMB account must match the primary card holder's"?
That means family card holders are suppose to reside with the main card holder thus you must have the same address.
Yep. They don`t have to be living with you but they must have the same residential address because in theory that would indicate they live with you.
So you will need to enter primary member's address in the family member's JMB profile even though the family member does not currently live at that particular address?
Please update your FAQ answer as people who follow that will violate JMB Rules and Conditions and may result in disqualification of membership. http://www.jal.co.jp/en/jalmile/rules.html
I don't find it funny at all. This is the FAQ thread not the lounge thread. I don't want any member get into trouble because he/she follows the FAQ advice given by a Milepoint Guide.
I`m relaying advice given to me over the phone. I feel like you when i say that haha. Okay I`ll amend accordingly.
By the way i wasn`t joking either. Did you know that those T&Cs represent the absolute hardest possible line they can take, it does not reflect what happens in reality sure sometimes they might choose to follow them but it allows them to be flexible. Like i said, you can be honest with them and tell them... Just tell them the truth. I guess you have no experience with this and probably never will so i get that you`re just looking at this from a purely rule perspective but JAL does have some flexibility believe it or not sometimes. I imagine there are quite a few stories you have where they have given you some flexibility beyond what is in their T&Cs but you just choose not to share that with us.
So this question applies to the case primary card holder is not a Japan region member as the family member and primary card holder must have matching address. Note that overseas JAL Family Club is a different program than the one offered in Japan.
