Collecting frequent flyer miles in Japan isn’t as easy as it looks—especially with Japan Airlines (JAL). Flights and credit card spending alone won’t get you to that award ticket fast enough.

But here’s the workaround: Japan’s loyalty programs let you convert shopping points into JAL miles. That means your everyday purchases—from convenience stores to mobile bills—can help fund your next flight.

Here are three point programs that can help you reach your JAL Mileage Bank goals faster:

1. Ponta Point

Ponta Points are earned at Lawson, GEO, and other partner stores across Japan. You can transfer these points to JAL miles through the JMB x Ponta partnership, which allows direct conversion once your accounts are linked.

Tip: Use your Ponta card or app at checkout and look out for bonus campaigns to earn points faster.

2. d-Point

d-Points are offered by NTT Docomo and can be earned through mobile usage, shopping, and promotions. You can convert d-Points to JAL miles via the d-Point Club portal, but make sure your JAL account is registered beforehand.

Tip: d-Point often runs seasonal promotions—check the app regularly for limited-time offers.

3. Rakuten Point

Rakuten Points aren’t just for ANA; they can also be transferred to JAL miles. You’ll need to go through the Rakuten Point Club and link your JAL Mileage Bank account. Rakuten’s ecosystem includes shopping, travel, and mobile services, making it one of the most versatile point programs in Japan.

Tip: Use Rakuten Travel and Rakuten Mobile to stack points across multiple services.

Since most of these websites and transfer portals are in Japanese, installing a reliable automatic translator plug-in—like Google Translate or DeepL—is highly recommended. It’ll help you navigate account linking, transfer requests, and campaign details with ease.

In future posts, we’ll dive into:

• Step-by-step guides for linking your shopping point accounts to JAL

• How to time your transfers for maximum value

• And how to build a monthly strategy to earn miles passively

Your next JAL flight might be closer than you think. Just check your wallet.