Sydney and Melbourne travellers are spoiled for choice when it comes to direct flights to Tokyo. Japan Airlines (JAL) and All Nippon Airways (ANA) each operate daily nonstops from both cities, with business class cabins that consistently rank among the world’s best. But for points collectors, the route to the front of the plane isn’t a single path. Three distinct award options compete for your loyalty: JAL Mileage Bank miles on JAL metal, ANA Mileage Club miles on ANA aircraft, and Velocity Points used to book partner award seats on ANA.
This comparison is designed for the Australian-based frequent flyer who wants to maximise value, not just burn points. I’ll break down every major variable — miles required, taxes and surcharges, one-way versus round-trip restrictions, availability patterns, cents-per-point returns, and the all-important ease of earning the necessary currency from a Sydney or Melbourne home base. All data reflects actual awards bookable as of May 2026, without speculation on future devaluations.
TL;DR (May 2026)
1、 JAL Mileage Bank · 里程/积分往返商务舱需求：160,000 · 税费及附加费（澳元）：约 380 · 是否支持单程：是（80,000） · 在澳大利亚的赚取便利性：低（万豪转分、里程促销） 2、 ANA Mileage Club · 里程/积分往返商务舱需求：160,000 · 税费及附加费（澳元）：约 700 · 是否支持单程：否（仅限往返） · 在澳大利亚的赚取便利性：非常低（万豪转分） 3、 Velocity (ANA partner) · 里程/积分往返商务舱需求：209,000 · 税费及附加费（澳元）：约 1,200 · 是否支持单程：是（104,500） · 在澳大利亚的赚取便利性：高（信用卡、Flybuys、Amex）
Verdict: JAL Mileage Bank delivers the lowest point cost, the smallest cash co-pay, full one-way flexibility, and the most generous stopover options. It’s the clear winner on paper, but only if you can rustle up JAL miles. ANA Mileage Club is competitive on miles but handicapped by a mandatory round-trip requirement and hefty surcharges. Velocity is the easiest points currency to earn, yet it demands a 30% larger balance and saddles you with ANA’s punitive fuel surcharges — a poor value proposition unless points are plentiful and your need is pressing.
JAL Mileage Bank: The efficiency champion
Flights: SYD–Narita (JL771/772) and MEL–Narita (JL773/774) are daily, year-round, operated by Boeing 787 aircraft with JAL’s Sky Suite or apex-style business seats.
Mileage cost
JAL uses a season‑based award chart for its own international flights. Japan–Australia falls into Zone D. Business class one‑way requires:
1、 淡季 (L) · JAL里程单程需求：60,000 2、 平季 (R) · JAL里程单程需求：80,000 3、 旺季 (H) · JAL里程单程需求：100,000
The SYD/MEL–Tokyo routes rarely see Low season; they typically fall into Regular or High. I’ll use 80,000 miles one·way / 160,000 round‑trip in Regular season as the baseline. There is no “partner surcharge” or extra fee when booking through JAL’s own programme.
Taxes and fuel surcharges
JAL’s fuel surcharge (YQ) on Australian routes is modest compared with many legacy carriers. A one‑way business award typically attracts around AUD 190 in total taxes (YQ + government levies), so round‑trip you’re looking at ~AUD 380. That’s less than half what ANA charges.
One‑way bookings
One‑way awards are permitted at exactly half the round‑trip mileage. This is a crucial advantage for travellers who want to combine a JAL leg with a separate redemption, a paid premium economy fare, or a stopover in South East Asia without committing to a round‑trip outlay.
Stopovers & open jaws
JAL Mileage Bank famously allows one stopover on a round‑trip international award for an additional 5,000 miles. For example, you could book MEL–NRT (stopover for a few days), NRT–BKK (Bangkok) then BKK–MEL at the end of your trip for 165,000 miles total in business class. No other programme in this comparison matches that flexibility.
Availability
JAL releases award seats to its own Mileage Bank members at 360 days ahead of departure, typically at 09:00 Japan Standard Time. During the booking window you’ll usually find at least two business‑class seats per flight on the Australia routes. SYD tends to fill faster than MEL, but both are workable if you can book on the schedule‑open date.
Earning JAL miles in Australia
Here’s the rub: no Australian credit card directly earns JAL Mileage Bank miles. The primary pathways are:
- Marriott Bonvoy transfers: Transfers at 3 Marriott points → 1 JAL mile, with a 5,000‑mile bonus for every 60,000 Marriott points transferred. Thus 60,000 Marriott points yield 25,000 JAL miles. To acquire 160,000 JAL miles, you’d need 7 transfers of 60,000 (420,000 Marriott points) to net 175,000 miles. If you buy Marriott points during a 30% bonus promotion at roughly AUD 0.012 per point, the effective cost is about AUD 5,040 for 175,000 JAL miles — still under 3 cents per mile.
- Buying JAL miles outright: JAL occasionally sells miles at 1.2–1.4 US cents per mile (approx AUD 1.8–2.1 cents). Purchasing 160,000 miles at 1.4 US cents would run about USD 2,240 (~AUD 3,400). That’s far below the cash fare and gives you a straightforward path to an award ticket.
- Flying: You can credit oneworld flights to JAL, but the earn rates on Qantas‑marketed tickets are modest. For most Australians this is a supplementary strategy, not a primary one.
Cents‑per‑point valuation
Assume a realistic round‑trip JAL business class fare of AUD 6,000. Subtract taxes of AUD 380 and divide by 160,000 miles:
(AUD 6,000 – 380) ÷ 160,000 = 3.51 AUD cents per mile
If you compare against a one‑way fare of AUD 3,500 and 80,000 miles + AUD 190, that rises to 4.14 cents. These are excellent values that rival premium cabin redemptions anywhere.
ANA Mileage Club: Competitive but restrictive
Flights: ANA flies SYD–Haneda (NH880/879) and MEL–Haneda (NH886/885) daily with