When Do Japan Airlines (JAL) Miles Expire?

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Japan Airlines (JAL) Mileage Bank miles expire 36 months from when you earned the miles. 

Specifically, JAL miles expire at 10 AM (EST) or 7 AM (PST) on the last day of the 36th month following the month of the transaction.

For example, if you earned or transferred 10,000 miles on April 1, 2023, your miles would expire on April 31, 2026. 

Japanese Airline miles will expire three years from the day they were earned.
Japanese Airline miles will expire three years from the day they were earned (Photo by: Japanese Airlines).

How to Keep Japanese Airline Miles from Expiring

Japanese Airlines Mileage Bank miles cannot be extended.

This is a significant disadvantage for frequent flyers since most loyalty programs typically allow you to reset the expiration clock by earning or redeeming miles, or by paying an extension fee.

The other Japanese carrier, All Nippon Airways, also has the same expiration policy.

Comparison of Mileage Expiration Policies

Below are the mileage expiration policies for the major points programs.

Airline Expiration
AEROMEXICO LOGO AeroMexico 24 months after inactivity
Air Canada Air Canada (Aeroplan) 18 months after inactivity
Air France Air France (Flying Blue) 24 months after inactivity
Alaska Airlines Alaska Airlines 24 months after inactivity
American Airlines American Airlines 18 months after inactivity
ANA ANA 36 months
Asiana Airlines Asiana Airlines 10 years
British Airways British Airways 36 months after inactivity
Delta Air Lines Delta Air Lines Never
Emirates logo Emirates 3 years
Etihad Etihad 24 months from inactivity
EVA Air EVA Air 36 months
Iberia logo Iberia 36 months after inactivity
Korean Air Korean Air 10 years
Lufthansa Lufthansa 36 months
Qantas Logo Qantas 18 months after inactivity
Qatar Airways logo Qatar Airways 36 months after inactivity
Singapore Airlines Singapore Airlines 36 months
Turkish Airlines logo Turkish Airlines 3 years
United Airlines logo United Airlines Never
Virgin Atlantic logo Virgin Atlantic Never

Bottomline

Japanese Airlines Mileage Bank miles offer a lengthy three-year expiration period, which gives frequent flyers ample time to plan and take advantage of great deals.

However, it has one of the strictest expiration policies. Frequent flyers won’t be able to extend the validity of your miles beyond the expiration date.

Other programs like Singapore Krisflyer and Turkish Airlines Miles & Smiles also have fixed expiration policies, but they offer the possibility to extend the expiration date by paying a fee.

But despite its expiration policy, Japanese airline miles still offer solid redemptions.

Plus, it’s a member of Oneworld Alliance so you’ll have access to a vast network of airlines and destinations worldwide.

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