JAL has launched a new credit card with two tiers (basic & premium). Details are as follows:
- Annual fee (waived first year)
- $35 annual fee for basic tier
- $85 annual fee for premium tier
- Sign up bonus:
- 5,000 bonus miles after $3,000 in spend (basic & premium)
- Additional 5,000 bonus miles when you spend an additional $2,000 within three months (premium only)
- Card earns at the following rates:
- Spend on JAL airlines (2x for premium)
- All other spend (0.5x for basic, 1x for premium)
- No foreign transaction fees
- 5,000 bonus miles when you you book your first JAL flight (one time use only, even if you apply for a second card)
- 10% sector bonus miles for every flight
- 5% discount at HND and NRT duty free, 10% discount at JAL in-flight purchase and wifi
- 5k bonus mile after you use international flight by JAL
- no annual fee in the first year, but $35/$85 from the second year respectively
- SUB: 5k after spending 3k within 3month for Basic, additional 5k if you spend 2k more for premium within 3 month
- Earn 5 JAL life status points every $1,500. (Theoretically, this makes 470k spending on this card gives you JGC status a.k.a. lifetime one world Sapphire as long as you hold this card and pay 2k mile annually). Combination with tier run can reduce the cost of getting this too.
- Miles expire after 3 years of earning unless you are in JGC premiere or JAL diamond status holder.
- Issued by FNBO
Our Verdict
Doesn’t really look worth it unless you fly JAL a lot, but better than the previous offering.
Hat tip to reader Daisuke K
just got an email increasing SUB to 10k miles. Offer expires 3/31/25. Use promo code AFSPG1024
What an amazing card. This is the best card ever..lol
lifetime oneworld sapphire is appealing, benefits will apply for American Airlines, Cathay, BA etc…450k…hmmm if you were a business owner…
Why does it say ‘Business Card’ on the image of the card? Doesn’t look like they offer a business card
They’re confused about that AND about the number of miles the SUB should be in order to attract the mainstream of card-holders.
The JAL USA Card is designed for Japanese workers coming to the U.S. for the first time. I was able to apply for it while still in Japan, even without an SSN, TIN, or a U.S. address. The credit card will be delivered to my U.S. office. Since this is a starter card specifically for employees sent from Japan to U.S. offices to help build credit history, it shouldn’t be compared to typical credit cards.
Neither the JAL nor the ANA USA cards require SSN, so perhaps it’s not fair to compare them to regular CCs that are marketed towards permanent residents. I don’t think they even require ITIN.
With this JAL USA card refresh, the JGC enrollment angle certainly makes it very interesting for those who fly oneworld frequently.
After looking through the documentation, I don’t see any ‘catch’ or cap on Life Status point earnings, so it really does seem possible to obtain lifetime JGC Three Star status after MSing $450k (assuming zero flight activity), which equates to lifetime oneworld Sapphire.
That’s not a terrible opportunity cost for lifetime status, even if you don’t fly JAL often.
Of course, it might be a pain to MS that much depending on how cycling-friendly FNBO is, but at least there’s no deadline…
Note that the JGC requirement to hold a domestic JAL CC product is waived for overseas residents: https://www.jal.co.jp/jp/en/jmb/lsp/jgc/world/qualification/
Can you explain further? The MS opportunity and how this would work.
I don’t understand how the MS part works, specifically cycling something like money orders. How would I recoup $ to continue MSing?
Honestly to answer your question it would take many, many pages and you cannot always recoup the cost of MS. The person you are replying to used cycling in the context of credit line (that is spending more than your credit line in a given month by make early payments–some banks frown on this). If you want to MS you really need to start reading as few are going to spell it all out. Blogs, Reddit, Flyertalk are all places to get started.
Thanks for explaining philco. I’ve MSed before.
“as long as you hold this card and pay 2k mile annually” What does this part mean? Does the status expire if you close the card?
I didn’t write that, and I don’t agree with it actually…the T&C for JGC members not residing in Japan does not say anything about needing to hold any card.
Just Another Laughstock Crap. Anybody wants it?
Almost on par with that Walmart credit card that offered 2 bottles of 2L-sized Pepsi as a SUB a few years back…
I’m not sure if you are joking but if it’s real that is hilarious
Costco frequent does this
Disappointed……..
haha what a great card.. LMAO