Los Angeles to Tokyo Haneda in Business Class

The sharpest math on this route starts with Alaska Mileage Plan. A one-way JAL business-class award from LAX to HND prices at 60,000 Alaska miles against roughly $5,500 in cash fares — that works out to 9.2¢ per mile, which is the highest return in the grounding data for this corridor and far above our Alaska Mileage Plan valuation of 1.6¢/pt. JAL's Apex Suites product, one of the better long-haul business cabins operating this route, makes the redemption worth pursuing seriously — provided you can confirm space before you move any miles. The stopover benefit at no additional cost adds meaningful flexibility if your itinerary extends beyond Tokyo.

For availability searches, start with programs that touch both JAL and ANA metal. Alaska Mileage Plan and a transfer partner are the two most versatile search tools here. a transfer partner's distance-based pricing covers the full Star Alliance footprint — ANA, EVA Air, Singapore Airlines, and Asiana — at 75,000 points one-way, generating 8.0¢ per point against a roughly $6,000 cash fare. Singapore KrisFlyer is the other engine worth running: it prices ANA or United business class at 62,000 miles one-way (8.9¢/pt at that fare level), and Singapore's own metal from the West Coast to Asia at 99,000 miles, though that routing connects onward rather than terminating at HND directly.

Availability on LAX–HND in business class is real but constrained. Saver-level seats on JAL and ANA typically release in blocks of zero to four seats per departure, and airlines manage that inventory tightly on one of the most competitive transpacific routes. JAL tends to surface award space further in advance for its own program members, while ANA release patterns favor closer-in windows for partner programs. Flexibility across a window of several days — or even several weeks — significantly improves your odds. Do not transfer points until you have confirmed space sitting in a shopping cart or hold.

Transfer paths vary by program. Alaska miles are not directly purchasable from major bank currencies, so you will need to accumulate them through the Alaska co-brand card or by crediting partner flights. For a transfer partner at 75,000 points, Chase Ultimate Rewards, American Express Membership Rewards, and Capital One miles all transfer 1:1, making it one of the most accessible programs from a bank-points standpoint. KrisFlyer at 62,000 or 99,000 miles accepts 1:1 transfers from Chase, Amex, Citi, and Capital One — four of the five major bank ecosystems — giving it the broadest transfer coverage of any program on this list. Korean Air SKYPASS at 80,000 miles transfers 1:1 from Chase UR and prices Korean Air's own metal at 7.5¢/pt, though SKYPASS awards release in 24-hour batches, which requires patience and fast action when space appears.

Measured against rewardztravel.com's conservative valuations, every redemption here outperforms face value substantially — but the spread matters. Our a transfer partner valuation is 1.5¢/pt, so 75,000 points represents $1,125 in our baseline value; the award's implied cash equivalent near $6,000 makes the upside meaningful if space materializes. KrisFlyer at our 1.3¢/pt valuation puts 62,000 miles at roughly $806 in baseline value against that same cash fare, a strong ratio even at the conservative end. Alaska, with our 1.6¢/pt floor, prices 60,000 miles at $960 baseline — still a significant multiple below the cash fare. None of these numbers guarantee the redemption will pencil out for your specific dates; cash fares fluctuate, and the gap narrows on sale fares or off-peak travel.

Find space first — then transfer.