TL;DR — as of May 2026:
- ANA Mileage Club remains one of the most undervalued Star Alliance programs for Australia-based travellers, offering fixed award charts and consistently low carrier-imposed surcharges on partner redemptions.
- Miles can be earned via Amex Membership Rewards (1:1) and select Australian bank programs, with no hard expiry as long as account activity is recorded at least once every 36 months.
- Key sweet spots include business class to North America via Tokyo from ~90,000 miles round trip (low season) and partner redemptions to Europe on Etihad or Turkish Airlines with minimal fees.
- Elite status is hard to attain from Australia purely on ANA flights, but Star Alliance Gold (Diamond) unlocks lounge access and priority services across the global network.
- Beware: partner award availability fluctuates, and ANA’s own first class awards are extremely difficult to secure at the saver level.
1. Program Overview
ANA Mileage Club is the loyalty program of All Nippon Airways, Japan’s largest airline and a founding member of the Star Alliance. For Australians who value premium cabin travel to Japan, North America, Europe and beyond, it is a program that punches far above its weight — largely thanks to a combination of fixed award pricing, low fuel surcharges on partner redemptions, and transferable points from major Australian banks.
1、 Program name · ANA Mileage Club
2、 Operator · All Nippon Airways (ANA)
3、 Alliance · Star Alliance (plus non-alliance partners including Etihad, Virgin Atlantic, Garuda Indonesia)
4、 Points currency · Miles (sometimes referred to as “ANA miles”)
5、 Expiry policy · 36 months from last activity date; mileage expiry can be extended by any earn or redeem activity (officially: “ANA Mileage Club miles expire 36 months after the month in which they were earned or the last mileage activity was recorded.”) ¹
6、 Status tiers · Bronze (entry), Platinum (mid-tier), Diamond (top-tier) – plus invitation-only Super Flyers and an ANA Card status acceleration path for Japan residents
7、 Membership numbers · Over 40 million members (as of March 2026 per ANA’s annual report) ²
Global comparison: While programs like Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer and Qantas Frequent Flyer dominate the Australian frequent flyer conversation, ANA Mileage Club often offers better redemption value, lower taxes and fewer carrier-imposed surcharges, especially on premium cabin awards. The trade-off is a slightly steeper learning curve and fewer domestic earn partners.
2. What You Actually Get in 2026 — Earning
2.1 Flying: ANA and Partner Airlines
ANA Mileage Club awards miles based on a percentage of flown miles, with the percentage dictated by booking class. This percentage system applies to ANA-operated flights as well as most Star Alliance partners. ANA publishes annual mileage accrual charts on its website, last updated 1 April 2026. ³
ANA-operated international flights (from Australia to Japan & beyond):
1、 First (F, A) · 150%
2、 Business (J, C, D, Z) · 125%
3、 Premium Economy (G, E, N) ⁴ · 100%
4、 Full Economy (Y, B) · 100%
5、 Discount Economy (M, U, H, Q, V, W, S, T, L, K, X) · 70%
6、 Deep Discount Economy (G, O, R) · 50%
Note: Some Y/B fares may earn 125% in certain campaigns, but base rate is 100%.
On partner Star Alliance flights, the accrual rate depends on the fare class and partner. For example, a Sydney–Singapore flight on Singapore Airlines in “W” class earns 70% of miles flown, while “Q” class earns 50%. The official partner mileage table (last verified May 2026) is available on ANA’s site. ⁵ This table is essential reading before booking any Star Alliance flight to avoid zero-mileage fare buckets.
Non-alliance partners such as Etihad Airways, Virgin Atlantic and Garuda Indonesia accrue at different percentages, typically based on distance and fare class. For instance, an Etihad Sydney–Abu Dhabi flight in “W” (Business Value) accrues 100% flown miles, while “Z” (Business Saver) may earn 50%. Always consult ANA’s partner accrual chart for accurate calculations.
2.2 Credit Card Transfer Partners — Australia Focus
Australian frequent flyers can top up their ANA accounts via several major transferable points programs. As of May 2026, the most accessible transfer pathways are:
1、 American Express Membership Rewards (Australia) · 1,000 MR = 1,000 ANA miles · 2–5 business days · ⁶
2、 NAB Rewards (including former Citi Rewards portfolio) · 2 NAB Points = 1 ANA mile (effective 2:1) · Up to 10 days · ⁷
3、 Westpac Altitude Rewards · 3 Altitude Points = 1 ANA mile (effective 3:1) · Up to 14 days · ⁸
4、 ANZ Rewards · 2 ANZ Rewards Points = 1 ANA mile · 5–7 business days · ⁹
American Express Australia is by far the most efficient transfer vehicle, offering a 1:1 ratio with no transfer caps. NAB Rewards at 2:1 is a solid secondary option, particularly for customers who hold NAB Signature or Platinum cards with boosted earn rates. ¹⁰
Key fact: Not a single major Australian bank offers a direct co-branded ANA credit card. All miles flow through flexible rewards programs, meaning you can accumulate ANA miles at scale only if you hold an American Express card that earns Membership Rewards points (like the Amex Platinum or Explorer) and/or NAB/ANZ/Westpac cards with decent earn rates.
2.3 Hotel Partners and Transfer Ratios
ANA Mileage Club partners with most major hotel chains, allowing you to convert hotel points into miles. Rates vary:
- Marriott Bonvoy: 3 Marriott points = 1 ANA mile; 60,000 Marriott → 25,000 ANA miles (with 5,000-mile bonus) ¹¹
- IHG One Rewards: 10,000 IHG points = 2,000 ANA miles ¹²
- Hilton Honors: 10,000 Hilton points = 1,000 ANA miles ¹³
- Accor Live Limitless: 4,000 ALL Rewards points = 1,000 ANA miles ¹⁴
Marriott’s 60k-to-25k conversion is the most generous. An Australian-based frequent flyer who stays 20+ nights per year with Marriott can realistically funnel tens of thousands of ANA miles annually via this route.
2.4 Other Earn Channels
- ANA Global Online Shopping: Up to 8 miles per AUD spent at select retailers (e.g., Apple, The Iconic) — accessed via the ANA Mileage Club app or website ¹⁵
- Dining programs (limited in Australia): ANA partners with local dining platforms in Japan and the US; no dedicated AU dining program exists as of 2026.
- Rental cars & travel partners: Avis, Hertz and Europcar earn 50–100 miles per rental day worldwide ¹⁶
- Promotions: ANA regularly runs “Mileage Bonus Campaigns” offering up to 50% bonus miles on certain flights or credit card transfers. These campaigns are published on the ANA website and are worth monitoring.
3. What You Actually Get in 2026 — Status Tiers
3.1 Qualification Requirements
ANA elite status is measured in flight miles flown on ANA-operated services and eligible partner flights, or via qualifying flight segments. The qualification period runs from January to December each year.
1、 Bronze (entry) · Entry level; all members start here · Basic mileage accrual, online account management
2、 Platinum (Star Alliance Silver) · 30,000 miles or 15 segments + 10,000 premium points · 35% bonus miles, advance seat selection, priority waitlist, domestic lounge access (Japan)
3、 Diamond (Star Alliance Gold) · 50,000 miles or 25 segments + 20,000 premium points · 105% bonus miles, international lounge access, priority check-in/boarding, extra baggage, confirmed business class upgrade on select domestic Japan routes, ANA Arrival Lounge, Diamond desk
[Source: ANA Elite Status guide, 2026 qualification criteria] ¹⁷
For Australians who do not fly ANA regularly, reaching even Platinum can be challenging. A typical return Sydney–Tokyo trip in economy (discount Y) earns ~3,500 base miles one-way, so 4 such round-trips would yield 28,000 base miles — just short of Platinum. ANA’s premium point system adds complexity, but generally you need to fly on ANA ticket stock (205) to accumulate premium points.
Real-world scenario: An Australia-based flyer who does one business class trip to Japan per year and connects to the US on ANA might earn 25,000–30,000 miles but will likely need additional segments to clear the premium point hurdle. Status challenges via Star Alliance partners aren’t possible — ANA status is earnt on ANA (and certain partner) flights only.
3.2 Which Tier Matters for Australians?
- Platinum (Star Alliance Silver): Barely registers. You get a small mileage bonus and some seat-selection perks on ANA, but no lounge access or meaningful priority outside Japan.
- Diamond (Star Alliance Gold): This is where the real utility lies — access to any Star Alliance lounge worldwide, fast-track lanes at 1,000+ airports, and generous luggage allowances. If you’re flying to Europe via Singapore or Bangkok on Thai Airways, you’ll breeze through. But the cost in dollars and flying time to retain Diamond from Australia is steep; only those who fly ANA often or do mileage runs to Japan will find it worthwhile.
4. What You Actually Get in 2026 — Redeeming
4.1 Award Chart Overview
ANA Mileage Club uses a zone-based award chart with seasonal pricing for ANA-operated international flights and a separate fixed chart for partner airlines. The program splits the year into Low (L), Regular (R), and High (H) seasons. The number of miles required depends on the route distance (categorised into 5 zones for ANA redemptions) and the season.
**ANA International Award Chart (round