Domestic travel within Japan is fascinating on a variety of levels — it’s an efficient delight, and traveling in premium cabins can be an incredible value.
In the past, I’ve written about how Japan Airlines allows cash upgrades on the day of departure at a very reasonable cost (anywhere from $7 to $89), with last seat availability. Well, a major change has just been announced to this opportunity, which many of us won’t be happy about.
In this post:
Japan Airlines’ new limit on day of departure upgrades
Currently, all Japan Airlines passengers on domestic flights can purchase an upgrade between 20 minutes and three hours of departure, subject to seats being available. That brings us to the change that has just been revealed. Starting soon, you’ll have to be a member of Japan Airlines’ Mileage Bank program in order to upgrade:
Departure date upgrade will be the service only for the JAL Mileage Bank (JMB) members starting from December 18, 2025.
Further details of the change haven’t been revealed. I would assume the intent here is that you actually need to have your JAL Mileage Bank number on the reservation in order to be eligible to upgrade, rather than just needing to be a member in general.
What’s the intent behind this upgrade change?
On the surface, it seems a little unusual to tie cash upgrade eligibility to membership in a frequent flyer program. All we can do is speculate as to what the intent here is. These upgrades are super popular, and almost always get snapped up, with many people being familiar with the program.
My guess is that the intent behind this change is twofold:
- Given the amount of interest in cash upgrades, perhaps the airline wants to increase participation in its own frequent flyer program, rather than in partner frequent flyer programs
- I suspect this is sort of a way to limit upgrades more to Japanese customers rather than foreigners, given that foreigners are much more likely to participate in other programs
Of course anyone can join JAL Mileage Bank, so it’s not like this actually limits participation for foreigners. But as an example, say you have oneworld Emerald or oneworld Sapphire status with another frequent flyer program, you can potentially stack perks if upgrading from economy to Class J (Japan Airlines’ quirky domestic non-business class premium product). This is presumably intended to limit that for those not engaged in the carrier’s own loyalty program.
Bottom line
As of December 18, 2025, Japan Airlines is limiting cash upgrades on domestic flights to those who are members of the JAL Mileage Bank program (and presumably those who actually have the frequent flyer number on the reservation).
As someone who typically credits to other frequent flyer programs when flying with Japan Airlines, I’m of course not that happy to see this. At the same time, Japan Airlines’ domestic premium cabins are typically reasonably priced enough, so I don’t mind outright paying.
What do you make of Japan Airlines’ policy change for domestic upgrades?
This is dumb. If the upgrades are selling out, they should be charging more for the upgrades rather than restricting who can pay for them.
I am all for this if it restricts the number of Americans and AAdvantage members in premium cabins flying in Japan.
Mr. Ose, try complimenting the size of their… ‘gargantuan’ …oh, nevermind.
And don’t worry, the number your concerned about is… ‘so small.’
@1990
Zat issu so strangee. I do notto know hao zis could happun. We are beli simple people with beli smarru ….(cough)
“Oh no, I'm a… and I had a bad day! I think I'm gonna… myself!”
So many good references.
Yeh except Americans dollar is stronger than Japanese wouldn't you want money coming into Japan Im just saying it doesn't hurt anyone
Fukuoka#1, I highly doubt BZ is Japanese, and even if he is, he’s clearly not a serious person.
Are you really a serious person Ford? Is 1990 your year of birth by any chance?
Quiet, pig.
@Ben
This was not just revealed. The webpage you reference was updated with the information in mid October, and the announcement preceded that.
ANA has for years given their own members a 2 day headstart in requesting upgrades. And there you do need to have your ANA number on the booking to request the upgrades on the early timing. So they are effectively blocking non members, the pickings will be very slim at the point...
@Ben
This was not just revealed. The webpage you reference was updated with the information in mid October, and the announcement preceded that.
ANA has for years given their own members a 2 day headstart in requesting upgrades. And there you do need to have your ANA number on the booking to request the upgrades on the early timing. So they are effectively blocking non members, the pickings will be very slim at the point where it is free for all.
When there is a waitlist, it is by and large already limited to JAL Diamond members or above, as JAL's own emerald members outrank general OWE.
Good. Own the entitled people.
Some blame ‘dolphin and whare,’ but, we know it was really ‘chicken and cow’ the whole time…
Don’t worry, “I’ll use my credit card..”
F you dolfeeen
'The current prime minister had this to say...' *clears throat*
While this may be minor, from Dec 1, JAL only award miles based on the original ticket rather than the fare after the upgrade. Before, you can buy cheap Y Japan domestic ticket and credit as F/A ticket to your FFP of choice if you could snag paid upgrade - great way to earn outsized status credit for Qantas/BA FFP and I heard this tactics was very popular among Aussies.
Just in time for people's usual Okinawa mileage runs during mid to late December. Suddenly people will need to pay significantly more to get their F flights, or fly a lot more, in order to keep their JGCP and Diamond cards.
What would stop someone (hint hint) to get an award ticket on AA, then change the FF# to JMB to qualify for a potential cash upgrade.
Thanks to your blog I learned to how to do the cash upgrade and flew in F this past summer from CTS to HND. Guess too many people caught on?
JALs domestic First Class seats look way better than CXs regional recliners.
Maybe? Maybe not? Lots of folks have free wifi available to its members, but you can still have another airline's FF number on the ticket. If this is all happening through the app anyway, they probably just want to make sure you are logged on in a trackable way so that they can eventually dynamically price upgrades to you based on the data that they have about you, etc. I mean, you may be right, but not sure this 100% means you need to use a JMB FF number...
I got free WiFi on JAL (emailed a few days prior to departure) as a code to enter; used my AA FF info, was in J. Idk if that’s the issue, but there’s a data point for you. Man, their 35K is epic. *chef’s kiss* (still, I prefer food on ANA).
I think ANA’s current Ebi Tei Bekkan is not comparable with JAL’s Ishikawa Group on F Japanese food offerings and not to even mention Quintessence for JAL’s western offerings. ANA’s sake offerings is nice this month by providing Aramasa No.6 X Type and Kokuryu next month (thank god they finally dropped that unorthodox Dassai Blue……), while JAL is also not bad by providing Juyondai Junmai Daiginjo and Senkin Kakumei. I prefer Moriizo over Hibiki, and...
I think ANA’s current Ebi Tei Bekkan is not comparable with JAL’s Ishikawa Group on F Japanese food offerings and not to even mention Quintessence for JAL’s western offerings. ANA’s sake offerings is nice this month by providing Aramasa No.6 X Type and Kokuryu next month (thank god they finally dropped that unorthodox Dassai Blue……), while JAL is also not bad by providing Juyondai Junmai Daiginjo and Senkin Kakumei. I prefer Moriizo over Hibiki, and since JAL never provided unorthodox sake, so my vote goes to JAL.
Ahh, a true "connoisseur"... I've only tried J on each, and Japanese menu-only; someday, I'd love to find an award (like using AS/AA, etc.) for F, but that's usually a last-minute thing, and quite rare these days as-is. If you can afford F long-haul outright, that's usually like $15,000+ each way, so not 'affordable' for most sane people.
On the beverages, sake specifically, yeah, I get it... Dassai Blue is like calling California sparkling...
Ahh, a true "connoisseur"... I've only tried J on each, and Japanese menu-only; someday, I'd love to find an award (like using AS/AA, etc.) for F, but that's usually a last-minute thing, and quite rare these days as-is. If you can afford F long-haul outright, that's usually like $15,000+ each way, so not 'affordable' for most sane people.
On the beverages, sake specifically, yeah, I get it... Dassai Blue is like calling California sparkling wine 'Champagne.' (Don't they make in NY, after all? Ah, that Hudson Valley water... psh.) As for shochu, oof, that stuff's powerful; I'm much more a Japanese whisky fan. Gimme some Nikka Yoichi, and I'm quite happy; Yamazaki 12 and 18 is an 'experience.'
This is not the 'brack friday bunduru' I was hoping for...
Some are saying this 'racks disciprine'
Complains all day about Trump than makes overtly racist comments about non-English speakers accents.
Wild.
It's a reference, btw. Don't worry about it. They can take it. And so can you.
Please clutch some pearls.
Lufty — TDS much?
"Complains all day blah blah blah blah blah blah blah derp."
お前はクソ野郎だ
Arigato gozaimasu, TravelinWilly.
Can't you perform a paid-upgrade, and then walk back again to the counter to input your OW FFP into the ticket?
Most day of departure upgrades goes to waitlist, which only clears 20 minutes before departure. You'd run out of time.
Plus the booking would be flagged as an upgraded fare, so easy to have a note to staff to change the FFP.
Note to staff NOT to change the FFP.
Would really like an edit post option. Lol
Trash. I have multiple flights in February.
Domestic Japanese flights are not long enough to justify upgrading.
Jessica, JAL flies a359 on HND-FUK, so there’s still some fun in upgrading up front, that is, unless, you prefer the Shinkansen from Tokyo to Hakata instead. Honestly, both are awesome. Hard choice.
Yes HND-FUK on the A359 was a great flight up front
Someday I want to fly from Fukuoka to Busan... just for the boarding pass.