New Marriott and JAL Partnership
Have future plans to fly Japan Airlines? You might be interested in a new opportunity to convert your Marriott Bonvoy status into JAL Mileage Bank (JMB) benefits. Today, Marriott Bonvoy and Japan Airlines announced an expansion of their partnership. Members of both loyalty programs have already been able to transfer of points between them. But now, they can share status benefits, too. It's worth noting that many award travelers already have Marriott status—whether earned organically, through the perks of a card such as the American Express Platinum Card® or via an offer like the one Chase Sapphire Reserve® is currently running. Let's take a look at the new Marriott and JAL partnership—and what its potential perks what might offer them.
How to Access the Reciprocal Status Benefits
You can already transfer Marriott Bonvoy points to JMB miles at a 3:1 ratio. (Or, convert JMB miles to Marriott Bonvoy points at a 4:3 ratio.) This is not really the best use of either currency. However, the expansion of this loyalty partnership is where things get a little more interesting. Anyone who is a member of both programs, regardless of status, can now link their accounts here. Once linked, Marriott Bonvoy elite members can earn JMB's FLY ON points. While these points are different from the JAL Mileage Bank Miles that can be redeemed for flights, you can use FLY ON points to climb your way toward status. Here's how the member tiers convert to benefits:
Marriott Bonvoy to JAL Mileage Bank Benefits
| Marriott Bonvoy member tier | JAL Mileage Bank benefit |
| Member | 2,000 FLY ON points/year |
| Silver Elite | 5,000 FLY ON points/year |
| Gold Elite | 10,000 FLY ON points/year |
| Platinum Elite | 20,000 FLY ON points/year |
| Titanium Elite | • 30,000 FLY ON points/year • Status match to JAL Crystal (or higher, based on accumulated FLY ON Points) |
| Ambassador Elite | • 40,000 FLY ON points/year • Status match to JAL Crystal (or higher, based on accumulated FLY ON Points) |
JAL Mileage Bank to Marriott Bonvoy Benefits
| JAL Mileage Bank member tier | Marriott Bonvoy benefit |
| Member | Attain Marriott Bonvoy Silver Elite by staying 6 nights in 6 months |
| Crystal | Attain Marriott Bonvoy Silver Elite by staying 4 nights in 6 months |
| Sapphire | • Status match to Marriott Bonvoy Silver Elite • Attain Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elite by staying 10 nights in 6 months |
| JGC Premier | • Status match to Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elite • Earn 10,000 Marriott Bonvoy points by staying 16 nights in 6 months |
| Diamond | • Status match to Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elite • Earn 15,000 Marriott Bonvoy points by staying 16 nights in 6 months • Attain Marriott Bonvoy Platinum Elite in first year by staying 10 nights in 6 months |
| Diamond Metal | • Status match to Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elite • Receive 15,000 Marriott Bonvoy points by staying 16 nights in 6 months • Attain to Marriott Bonvoy Platinum Elite by staying 10 nights in 6 months |
Achieving JAL Mileage Bank Status
U.S. travelers will likely be most intrigued by how they can translate their existing Marriott status to status with Japan Airlines. (And potentially oneworld status, in turn). It's possible to reach different levels of JAL's membership tiers via a mix of FLY ON points from this promotion and points earned from flying JAL Group flights. Here are the requirements to reach different levels of JAL status:
If you have Marriott Gold Elite status, this jumpstarts your journey about one-third of the way to Crystal status. But you'll still need 20,000 more FLY ON points, 15,000 of which must be earned traveling on JAL Group flights. The promotion gets more appealing for those with Marriott's Titanium Elite or Ambassador Elite status, which allows an outright match to Crystal. Those with Crystal status enjoy oneworld Ruby tier privileges. (See the full JMB to oneworld chart here.)
New Marriott and JAL Partnership: ToP Thoughts
Lots of newly earned Japan Airlines miles are floating around right now, thanks to this year's lucrative transfer bonuses from Bilt, Rove and Capital One. Have any trips booked through JAL, or planning to book any soon? It's worth connecting your Marriott Bonvoy account and studying how to leverage it to reach a higher tier in JAL's loyalty program. This could be an entryway to coveted oneworld status, too. Is the new Marriott and JAL partnership enough to entice you to link your loyalty accounts? Tell us over in the ToP Facebook Group.
