#20 Among Airlines
Point Value
1.40 ¢
Hobby Score
4.8
ANA Mileage Club offers some of the best sweet spots in the world, especially for long-haul premium cabins.
All Nippon Airways (ANA) associated alliance is Star Alliance
Visit Star Alliance
You can earn miles by flying on ANA or any of its Star Alliance and non-alliance partners. ANA is also a transfer partner of American Express. While they do offer a co-branded credit card to U.S. customers, it is underwhelming and not worth using a 5/24 slot.
How many miles you earn when flying on ANA depends on the distance flown and the booking class. ANA has separate mileage charts for domestic and international flights.
The ANA Card USA Plus is the only co-branded credit card available to U.S. customers. It has an $85 annual fee, a weak signup bonus, and not enough benefits to justify the fee or a 5/24 spot. We don’t recommend getting this card. You’re better off transferring Amex Membership Rewards for ANA redemptions.
You can transfer American Express Membership Rewards to ANA at a 1:1 ratio. There are plenty of strong Amex cards to earn rewards with and then transfer to ANA when you’re ready to book.
ANA belongs to Star Alliance, so any time you fly on a Star Alliance carrier you can earn ANA miles. Each airline has its own earning chart, which you can access here. ANA also partners with several non-alliance airlines, and those charts are available at the same link. You will earn miles based on your booking class.
The best way to redeem ANA Mileage Club miles is for airfare on ANA or one of its 30+ partners. ANA uses multiple reward charts to price its redemptions: one for domestic flights, one for international flights, and one for partner flights. Domestic awards are distance based, while international and partner awards use zone-based charts. ANA also has three seasons for domestic and international flights on its own metal: high, regular, and low.
You must have an ANA account and be logged in to search for award flights. Once logged in, navigate to Reservations, then Flight Awards, followed by Award Reservation.
After selecting Award Reservation, enter your flight details. You can choose “Compare seat availability +/- 3 days” to view results by week. Searches will return options from ANA and partners (when available) for your chosen route.
ANA has strong sweet spots both on its own metal and with partners, though taxes and fees vary widely, especially for partner bookings. Always double-check the total cost before redeeming.
Discover your points' highest-value redemption options. Use the filters to find the optimal sweet spot for your next trip.
The best availability seems to be when schedules first open or within a few weeks of departure. Economy availability is almost always going to be easier to find than premium cabins
ANA does pass on surcharges with partners, but some airlines (Air New Zealand, Air Canada, United, among others) don’t add fuel surcharges. The fuel surcharges are variable, so it does pay to shop around and be aware that they can and do change
You are allowed one stopover per round trip flight (for no additional charge). This is a great way to see another city and not have to pay extra. For example, you can book an award flight from Los Angeles to Sydney though Tokyo on ANA, and extend that layover in Tokyo by spending a few days there before moving on to Sydney
ANA is ideal for travelers who prioritize premium cabin awards to Asia, Europe, and Oceania. Mileage Club offers some of the best long-haul redemptions in the world, especially on ANA and Star Alliance partners. Business and first class awards provide exceptional value, particularly during low season, and ANA’s region-based award charts make finding outsized value easier. Generous stopover rules add even more flexibility.
Partner bookings can be phenomenal when you avoid carriers with surcharges. For example, you can fly United from San Francisco to New Zealand for as little as 30,000 miles and $41 in taxes in economy, an incredible deal. This is not a beginner-friendly program, though. You need to understand award charts and know how ANA pricing compares to competitors.
ANA falls short in a few areas. American Express is their only credit card transfer partner, and the lone co-branded U.S. credit card is weak. Premium cabin space goes fast, so you must book either very early or very late. Transfers from Amex to ANA are not instant, which can complicate booking a great deal you find. Even so, ANA remains a top-tier program for travelers who value international premium cabin redemptions.
There are three levels of elite status with ANA Mileage Club (not including Million Miler). You must earn Premium Points during a calendar year to qualify. Premium Points are separate from the mileage points you earn for award flights and are based on mileage flown, booking class, and fare type. Premium Service begins on April 1 and is valid for one year. Read more here about earning Premium Points.
As a premium member you will also earn Upgrade Points based on how many Premium Points you earned in the previous year. Upgrade points can be used for things like seat upgrades and lounge access (for you and guests).
Here are the three levels (plus the million miler program), requirements you’ll need to get to each level, and the benefits of each
We don’t see a reason to get the one card available, but if you do and want to cancel, just know that your points expire 36 months after earning them, with no way to extend their validity. If you earned miles under promotions for special validity or limited uses, they can expire sooner. If you hold Diamond elite status or Million Miler status with ANA, your points never expire.
