Choose a card with high signup bonus.
You can get to Japan without paying much out of pocket for your flight. To do so, you likely need to pick a card with high signup bonus, which is usually enough to redeem for a one-way ticket.
Additional purchases with your card can secure you a ticket home.
Credit cards that get you to Japan
Your best choices include cobranded airline credit cards and general travel cards. If you’re looking for flight-specific perks like free checked bags and priority boarding, an airline card is usually the better choice.
But if you want to get a broader collection of perks like earning miles on flight purchases, getting an airline credit or TSA PreCheck and Global Entry fee credit, and you also want to get hotels benefits — consider a general travel credit card.
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Our pick for getting to Japan
Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Elite™ Mastercard®
How many American Airlines miles do I need to fly to Japan?
American Airlines flies between the US and Japan, and you can also catch a flight on one of its partner airlines through Oneworld Alliance. Airlines within the network include Cathay Pacific and Japan Airlines.
One-way trips between the US and Japan start from 32,500 miles plus $5.60 for taxes and fees for Economy MileSAAver tickets according to the American Airlines website as of January 2019.
How do I earn the miles?
Spend $2,500 in your first 3 months of card membership and earn 50,000 bonus miles.
Now you need to spend another $7,500 at gas stations, restaurants or American Airlines purchases to get a total of 65,000 miles, which is enough for a round trip to Japan.
United℠ Explorer Card
How many United miles do I need to fly to Japan?
United Airlines offers direct flights to Japan, but you can also board a flight to one of the Star Alliance partner airlines — including Lufthansa, Singapore Airlines and Nippon Airways.
Whichever airline you choose, redeeming miles for a flight to Japan starts from 35,000 miles plus $5.60 for fees and taxes for an Economy flight. This is according to the United website as of January 2019.
How do I earn the miles?
You can earn 40,000 miles if you spend $2,000 within 3 months of your account opening.
Gold Delta SkyMiles® Credit Card from American Express
How many SkyMiles do I need to fly to Japan?
Delta is slightly more expensive where additional fees are concerned for a one-way trip. Be ready to spend at least 35,000 miles and $120 for fees and taxes according to the Delta website as of January 2019.
If you opt in for a round trip, you’ll save around $70 on additional fees, meaning you’ll need 70,000 miles and $50.73.
How do I earn the miles?
The card comes with a decent welcome offer of 60,000 miles when you spend $2,000 in the first 3 months of card membership. You’ll also get a $50 statement credit after you make a Delta purchase in the same time frame. Compared to similar cards, you get high value for a low spending threshold.
By earning the welcome offer, you’ll have enough points for a one-way ticket to Japan.
The Platinum Card® from American Express
How many Membership Rewards points do I need to fly to Japan?
According to the American Express website as of January 2019, with The Platinum Card® from American Express you can transfer your points to Delta SkyMiles at a 3:2 ratio. This means, you need 52,500 membership reward points to convert to 35,000 SkyMiles — which is the minimum for a one-way Economy flight to Japan.
How do I earn the miles?
When you spend $5,000 within 3 months of account opening, you can earn 60,000 bonus points. That’s more than enough to convert to Delta SkyMiles and book a flight to Japan.
To get the return ticket, you need to spend about $8,250 on prepaid hotels or flights booked through Amex’s travel site.
Compare similar travel credit cards
Bottom line
To earn a reward flight to Japan, consider getting a general travel or airline credit card. With an airline card you earn miles on your flights and potentially purchases at restaurants or gas stations. Plus you get airline-specific perks like free checked bags or priority boarding.
With a general travel rewards card, you can convert your points to airline miles. And you may get additional perks at hotels and extra statement credits among other benefits.
However, if you’re not sure whether any of these cards will work for your spending habits, check out other travel credit cards to compare your options.
Frequently asked questions
Disclaimer
Editorial Note: Any opinions, analyses, reviews or recommendations expressed in this article are those of the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any card issuer.