ANA Mileage Club

About ANA Mileage Club

ANA Mileage Club is the frequent flyer program of All Nippon Airways, Japan's largest airline and a founding member of Star Alliance. The program is built around a fixed award chart — one of the last major global carriers to maintain published, predictable pricing when competitors like Delta and United abandoned their charts for dynamic pricing. For travelers who want to know exactly what a Business Class redemption will cost before they start accumulating miles, that distinction matters.

ANA's product quality reinforces the program's appeal. Its Business Class on long-haul routes — particularly the ANA "THE Room" suite on 777-300ER aircraft — is consistently ranked among the best in the world. ANA First Class, where available, matches the quality of Japan Airlines' acclaimed First Class product. These are not generic premium cabins: they are the type of product that justifies a transatlantic or transpacific business class redemption.

For US-based travelers, ANA Mileage Club is primarily a transfer destination, not an accumulation vehicle. The practical earn path is straightforward: hold points in Amex Membership Rewards, identify your award and confirm availability, then transfer. The 36-month per-batch expiration structure is the program's primary limitation — and it applies identically whether you earned miles from a flight or a credit card transfer.

What ANA miles are worth

Value in ANA Mileage Club concentrates sharply in premium cabins, particularly Business Class on transpacific routes.

• Business Class (US to Japan, round-trip): approximately 88,000 miles round-trip in ANA Business Class. Cash fares on this route regularly exceed $5,000–$8,000. At 88,000 miles against a $6,000 fare, you are redeeming at roughly 6.8 cents per mile — well above the typical benchmark of 1.5–2 cents.
• Business Class (one-way): ANA prices one-ways at exactly half the round-trip chart. A one-way US to Japan in Business Class costs approximately 44,000 miles.
• Economy Class: approximately 35,000 miles one-way from the US to Japan. At cash prices of $700–1,200, implied value is roughly 2–3 cents per mile — usable, but not the reason to build ANA miles.

The fixed chart means these numbers do not change with demand. A Japan business class redemption in December at peak holiday demand costs the same as the same route in January. That predictability is the program's most practical advantage over dynamic-pricing programs.

How to earn ANA miles

Earning on ANA flights

Miles earned on ANA flights depend on the distance flown and the fare class. Economy discount fares earn as little as 30% of miles flown; full-fare Economy earns 70–100%; Business Class earns 150%; First Class earns 150%. A Tokyo Narita (NRT) to Los Angeles (LAX) flight covers roughly 5,450 miles. In ANA Business Class on a revenue ticket, that earns approximately 8,175 ANA miles — plus a fare class bonus toward the earning total.

ANA separates redeemable miles from Premium Points, which determine elite status. Award tickets and credit card transfers earn redeemable miles but not Premium Points. Only revenue tickets on ANA Group flights count toward the Premium Points thresholds that drive Bronze, Platinum, and Diamond status.

Transfer partners: Amex MR is the path

Amex Membership Rewards transfers to ANA Mileage Club at 1:1. Amex Platinum, Gold, Green, and co-brand charge cards all earn transferable MR points. This is the only major US bank currency with a direct 1:1 transfer to ANA.

Chase Ultimate Rewards does not transfer to ANA. Citi ThankYou Points do not transfer to ANA at favorable ratios. If your accumulation strategy is built around Chase, ANA Mileage Club is not accessible without first moving points elsewhere — it is not a Chase transfer partner.

Marriott Bonvoy transfers to ANA at 3:1, with a 5,000-mile bonus when you transfer 60,000 Bonvoy points at once (effective yield: approximately 1.08 ANA miles per Bonvoy point). This makes Bonvoy transfers marginally viable when you have large excess balances, but Amex MR's 1:1 ratio is the clear preference when available.

Earning on Star Alliance partner flights

ANA Mileage Club miles accrue on flights operated by any of the 26 Star Alliance member airlines, including United, Lufthansa, Singapore Airlines, Swiss, Thai, Air Canada, and others. The rate depends on the operating carrier and the fare class booked. Economy basic fares on many carriers earn 0 miles. Check the ANA partner earning table before booking a partner flight specifically to accumulate ANA miles — the effective earn rate varies widely and is sometimes zero on discounted fares.

Star Alliance network

Star Alliance membership gives ANA Mileage Club three practical capabilities. First, you can earn ANA miles on partner carrier flights. Second, elite status members receive reciprocal recognition — priority check-in, boarding, and lounge access — across all 26 member airlines when your itinerary qualifies. Third, you can book award flights on partner metal using ANA miles, subject to the ANA partner award chart.

For US-based travelers, the most useful partner access is United Airlines — ANA miles can redeem for United award flights, giving Star Alliance coverage within the US domestic network. Singapore Airlines, Lufthansa, and Swiss are other high-value partners accessible through ANA miles, though their award pricing and availability through ANA's chart may differ from booking directly through the partner program.

ANA elite status

ANA Mileage Club has three standard elite tiers — Bronze, Platinum, Diamond — plus the invitation-only Super Flyers Card, which grants permanent status tied to card membership.

• Bronze — 30,000 Premium Points/year (15,000 from ANA Group flights): Star Alliance Silver status, 55% flight bonus miles on ANA, priority check-in and baggage handling.
• Platinum — 50,000 Premium Points/year (25,000 from ANA Group): Star Alliance Gold status, lounge access at ANA lounges and Star Alliance Gold lounges worldwide, 105% flight bonus miles, priority security at supported airports.
• Diamond — 100,000 Premium Points/year (50,000 from ANA Group): Star Alliance Gold (enhanced), 130% flight bonus miles, access to the ANA Diamond Lounge at Haneda, dedicated Diamond Service Desk.
• Super Flyers Card: Permanent Platinum-equivalent status available by invitation to long-term Diamond members. Status is maintained as long as you hold the Super Flyers Card — no annual requalification. Considered one of the most prestigious lifetime status credentials in commercial aviation, particularly in Japan.

Status in ANA requires Premium Points, which only accrue on revenue tickets on ANA Group flights. Award tickets, credit card spend, and partner flights do not earn Premium Points. For US-based travelers who fly ANA primarily on award tickets, pursuing ANA status is unlikely to be practical — the program's award chart is the value, not its status ladder.

Redeeming ANA miles

ANA uses a fixed award chart with published mile costs for each regional zone pair. Saver awards represent the standard redemption rate and require ANA to release award space on its flights. Award space on ANA is generally accessible, particularly in Business Class, though availability narrows significantly around Japanese holidays (Golden Week in late April/early May, Obon in mid-August, New Year travel).

ANA charges no fuel surcharges on ANA-operated award flights. Taxes and fees are minimal — typically $50–150 one-way for a transpacific itinerary. This policy distinguishes ANA from programs like Lufthansa Miles & More or British Airways Avios, where surcharges on premium cabin awards can add several hundred dollars to the out-of-pocket cost.

Award availability opens up to 355 days in advance. Business Class award space on transpacific routes is generally available but competitive — book as early as possible for holiday travel, and have flexible dates if your first choice is sold out.

Sweet spots

ANA Business Class: US to Japan

This is the defining sweet spot. ANA Business Class (particularly "THE Room" on 777-300ER routes) is a genuine premium product — forward-facing enclosed suites with direct aisle access, full-flat beds, and dedicated storage. Round-trip Business Class from the US to Japan runs approximately 88,000 ANA miles, with one-way pricing at 44,000 miles. Cash fares on this route typically run $5,000–$8,000 round-trip. The fixed chart guarantees this cost regardless of travel date or demand. No fuel surcharges on ANA metal means your only out-of-pocket cost is the base taxes.

ANA around-the-world Business Class

ANA offers a round-the-world award that lets you visit multiple continents on a single ticket using ANA miles, priced at roughly 90,000–120,000 miles in Business Class depending on the number of stops and continents included. This is one of the more complex redemptions in the program and requires routing through Tokyo, but for travelers planning a multi-continent itinerary, the fixed pricing delivers outstanding value relative to booking each segment separately.

Where ANA Mileage Club disappoints

Per-batch expiration. Miles expire 36 months from the month of earning, independently per batch. Account activity does not extend the clock on older miles. This is the program's most significant limitation — it eliminates passive accumulation and punishes anyone who transfers points without a confirmed booking.

No Chase transfer path. Chase Ultimate Rewards — the most widely held transferable currency in the US — does not transfer to ANA. Travelers whose primary points currency is Chase UR cannot access ANA Mileage Club without converting through another program first, which typically means accepting an unfavorable ratio.

Limited US co-brand card. ANA has no widely available US co-brand card with meaningful earn rates. Almost all US-based accumulation runs through Amex MR transfers, creating total dependency on one transfer partnership.

Japanese holiday availability. Award availability around Japanese national holidays — particularly Golden Week and Obon — is extremely competitive. If your travel dates overlap with these windows and you lack flexibility, ANA award space may simply not be there.

Website and service language barrier. ANA's website and phone support are most capable in Japanese. English-language support exists but is less comprehensive, and complex itinerary routing or around-the-world awards are significantly easier to construct with Japanese-language capability.

Bottom line

ANA Mileage Club earns a place in any serious points strategy for one reason: a fixed award chart for premium cabin redemptions, backed by a genuinely elite Business Class product. For Amex MR holders with Japan or Asia travel in mind, the math is hard to beat — 44,000 miles for a one-way Business Class seat that sells for $3,000–$5,000 in cash, with no fuel surcharges on ANA metal.

The program has one operational rule that governs everything else: do not transfer Amex MR points to ANA until you have confirmed availability and are ready to book. The 36-month per-batch expiration clock starts the moment miles land in your account. Points in Amex MR are patient. Points in ANA are not. Transfer with a specific flight in mind, book immediately, and the program delivers exceptional value. Transfer speculatively and hope to find a redemption later, and the expiration structure will work against you.