ZIPAIR Tokyo, a subsidiary of Japan Airlines (JAL), offers a budget-friendly travel option for flights across the Pacific. This guide will show you how to use miles to book ZIPAIR flights.
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ZIPAIR offers budget long-haul flights. As an example, it’s not uncommon to find flights from San Francisco to Tokyo advertised as low as $280 in economy and $1,100 in lie-flat business seats one way.
This is a compelling price point for budget revenue tickets to Japan. Though, flying budget typically means paying extra for essentially anything other than a seat on the plane, and ZIPAIR is no different. Reserved seating, in-flight meals, baggage, carry-ons, and amenity kits will all cost you extra.
Using JAL Mileage Bank Miles to book ZIPAIR
For award flights with points, you can connect Japan Airlines JAL Mileage Bank to your ZIPAIR Point Club account to book ZIPAIR with miles. The transfer ratio is dependent on how many JAL Mileage Bank miles you’re exchanging. You can exchange in increments of 3,000, 5,000, and 10,000 miles. When exchanging over 10k JAL miles, you will get a transfer ratio of 1:1.5 and 1:1 for everything under.
| Increments | Exchange Rate | Example Exchange | ZIPAIR Points |
| 10,000 | 1:1.5 | 10,000 Miles × 1.5 | 15,000 Points |
| 5,000 | 1:1.0 | 5,000 Miles × 1.0 | 5,000 Points |
| 3,000 | 1:1.0 | 1,000 Miles × 1.0 | 1,000 Points |
Using ZIPAIR Points Club Points to Flights
Using ZIPAIR Points Club points to book flights is pretty straightforward. One ZIPAIR point is worth 1 Japanese Yen. That exchange rate works out to 1 ZIPAIR point equalling $0.0066. Following that through the JAL Mileage Bank, if you’re exchanging over 10,000 miles to ZIPAIR points, 1 JAL mile is worth $0.01 in ZIPAIR points.
| Points/Miles | Exchange Rate | Value (JPY) | Value (USD) |
| 1 ZIPAIR Point | 1:1 | 1 JPY | $0.007 |
| 1 JAL Mile ( >10,000 miles) | 1:1.5 | 1.5 JPY | $0.01 |
This isn’t the strongest redemption value we’ve seen, but as long as you’re transferring over 10,000 miles, it’s certainly not the worst value either.
Using Hotel Points to Book ZIPAIR Flights
While no US-based hotel loyalty programs transfer directly to ZIPAIR, both Hilton Honors and Marriott Bonvoy points transfer directly to Japan Airlines JAL Mileage Bank Miles. With your ZIPAIR account linked to your JAL account, redeeming JAL Miles for ZIPAIR flights is fairly straightforward.
Here are the transfer details for each:
| From | To | Transfer Ratio | Minumum | Maximum | Increments | Transfer Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Marriott Bonvoy | JAL Japan Airlines Mileage Bank | 3:1 | 3,000 | |||
| Hilton Honors | JAL Japan Airlines Mileage Bank | 10:1 | 10,000 |
Using Credit Card Points to Book ZIPAIR Flights
None of the major credit card loyalty programs transfer directly to ZIPAIR nor do they transfer directly to Japan Airlines. However, with some work, patience, and an extra point hop, you can still get your American Express Membership Rewards and Chase Ultimate Rewards to ZIPAIR to book flights.
Both Amex and Chase transfer to Marriott and Amex transfers to Hilton. Each of these hotel programs transfers to JAL Mileage Bank.
| From | To | Transfer Ratio | Minumum | Maximum | Increments | Transfer Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| American Express Membership Rewards | Marriott Bonvoy | 1:1 | 1,000 | 999,000 | 1,000 | 48 hours |
| Chase Ultimate Rewards | Marriott Bonvoy | 1:1 | 1,000 |
| From | To | Transfer Ratio | Minumum | Maximum | Increments | Transfer Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| American Express Membership Rewards | Hilton Honors | 1:2 | 1,000 | 3,000,000 | 1,000 | 24 hours |
How to Book ZIPAIR Flights with Points
Join the ZIPAIR Point Club
To book with points or to convert JAL Miles to ZIPAIR Points, you’ll first need a membership with ZIPAIR Point Club. You can register here:
https://www.zipair.net/en/register
Link your JAL Mileage Bank to ZIPAIR
You will link your JAL Mileage Bank account from your My Page section of the ZIPAIR website. Linking the two accounts is simple, just follow the link on your My Page. You’ll then be able to exchange your JAL miles for ZIPAIR points.
Search for ZIPAIR Flights
Once you’re a ZIPAIR Point Club member, you can search for your flights. Because ZIPAIR values their points equal to one Yen, you have to search and book flights with Yen as your currency. Otherwise, you won’t be able to use your points to book the flight.
After finding your flights, confirming any upgrades or packages you want to add, and making it through to their invoicing page, you’ll be able to allocate points towards your balance. Again, one ZIPAIR point equals one Yen.
ZIPAIR Tokyo, operated by Japan Airlines (JAL), offers an economical route across the Pacific, making it a viable option for budget-conscious travelers. leveraging JAL Miles to book ZIPAIR flights isn’t the strongest redemption we’ve seen, but their redemption is a straightforward conversion process through the ZIPAIR Point Club. Exchanging over 10,000 JAL Miles makes the redemption slightly better.
While amenities on ZIPAIR flights come at an additional cost, the low base fare coupled with the option to use JAL Miles for bookings presents can make a compelling case for those looking to manage travel costs effectively. Our step-by-step guide to booking ZIPAIR with points provided here aims to equip point-focused travelers with the needed knowledge to navigate the conversion and booking process, making the most out of their JAL Miles and ZIPAIR Points.
