Two-Card Trip: Explore the Wonder of Japan

The Land of the Rising Sun is a top destination on many travelers’ bucket lists.

Whether you’re there for the sushi, samurais or sumo, Japan has a rich culture and history complemented by an efficient rail network with vibrant cities.

However, paying for a holiday to the Pacific isn’t nearly as much fun as the holiday itself. That is unless you’re paying with points and miles.

In this post, we’ll show you how you can fund Business or even First-Class flights to Japan as well as your entire hotel stay there, simply by earning the welcome offers on two credit cards.

The Card To Get You to Japan

The card to get you to Japan and back is The Business Platinum Card® from American Express.

For an annual fee of $695 (see rates and fees), the Amex Business Platinum Card offers the following perks and earning rates:

• 5X points on prepaid hotels and flights booked through Amex Travel
• 1.5X points in key business categories and on eligible purchases of $5,000 or more everywhere else, on up to $2,000,000 in these purchases per calendar year (1X points thereafter). Key business categories include: U.S. construction material and hardware suppliers, electronic goods retailers, software and cloud system providers and shipping providers.
• Up to $400 Dell statement credit, given in biannual $200 increments, through Dec. 31 (enrollment required)
• Up to $360 Indeed statement credit, given in quarterly $90 increments, through Dec. 31 (enrollment required)
• Up to $150 Adobe statement credit for eligible annual prepaid business plan purchases of Adobe Creative Cloud for teams or Adobe Acrobat Pro for teams, through Dec. 31 (enrollment required)
• Up to $120 statement credit for direct purchases made with U.S. wireless telephone providers, issued in monthly $10 increments (enrollment required)
• Up to $200 statement credit for airline incidental fees with one qualifying airline
• $199 statement credit for CLEAR® Plus membership
• Complimentary access to The American Express Global Lounge Collection
• Complimentary Marriott Bonvoy® Gold Elite Status
• Complimentary Hilton Honors™ Gold Status (enrollment required)
• No foreign transaction fees
• Trip delay insurance
• Trip cancellation and interruption insurance
• Baggage insurance plan
• Car rental loss and damage insurance

While its sibling personal card, The Platinum Card® from American Express, also offers a host of benefits, the Amex Business Platinum Card tends to have higher welcome offers. This will be particularly useful when it comes to redeeming your points toward business-class tickets to Japan.

The typical welcome offer for the Amex Business Platinum Card ranges between 75,000 and 200,000 points after spending $15,000 to $20,000 within the first three months of card membership.

Although the minimum spending requirement is high, small business owners may be able to reach it by timing their purchases and investments to align with the welcome offer time-frame. For example, if you need to invest in new equipment for your business, you could charge these expenses to the Business Platinum Card, making it easier to hit the minimum spending requirement.

If you won’t be able to hit this minimum spending requirement, you could instead fly to Japan with the help of the Amex Platinum personal card. Its typical welcome offer is between 80,000 and 100,000 points after spending $6,000 to $8,000 within the first three months—a much more manageable spending target for the average American.

If we take an average of the typical welcome offer on the Amex Business Platinum Card, that means you’ll have 137,500 Membership Rewards points to spend on your flights to and from Japan. If you’re pursuing a two-player mode strategy with your significant other and both manage to earn the welcome offer on your Amex Business Platinum cards, that works out to an average of 275,000 points to spend on flights.

Flight Options to Japan

American Express has 17 different airline partners you can transfer your points to. This extensive list of partners gives you access to all three major airline alliances.

You also have the ability to book flights through the Amex Travel portal, which would earn you 5X points per dollar spent using your Amex Business Platinum if you opted to pay for the flights using cash. Alternatively, you could book award flights through the portal, but for a not-so-impressive redemption value of just 1 cent per point.

For this reason, it’s best to transfer your points to one of Amex’s airline partners when booking an award flight. That way you can get outsized redemption values, upward of sometimes 10 cents per point or even more.

Let’s look at the best ways to get to Japan using points and Amex’s transfer partners.

All Nippon Airways (ANA)

All Nippon Airways (ANA) is one of your best bets for getting cheap award flights to Japan.

ANA offers some of the best service and in-flight meals, in addition to its luxury Business Class suite “The Room,” available on its 737-300s, which compete with the likes of Qatar’s Qsuite. That means you can travel to Japan in lie-flat style and arrive with a full belly.

ANA prices its award flights based on which zones your departure and destination fall into, the season you fly and the class.

It divides its seasons into low (L), regular (R) and high (H), which themselves vary depending on the zones you’re flying within or between. The screenshot below is an overview of the seasons for flights between Japan and North America.

With these dates in mind, here’s ANA’s award chart for round-trip flights between Japan and North America:

The best use of ANA flights is for Economy and Business award fares.

You can fly Economy for as little as 40,000 miles round-trip in low season and 55,000 miles in high season. For a business-class fare, you can fly for 100,000 miles round-trip in low season and 110,000 miles in high season.

For a first-class fare, you’re better off booking through one of ANA’s partners, such as Virgin Atlantic (more on this later), unless you’re flying during low or regular season.

Something to be aware of is ANA’s fuel surcharges on award tickets. For award itineraries originating outside of Japan, a fuel surcharge of $136 per flight for Hawaii and $216 per flight for the rest of the U.S. applies. That means you’re looking at at least $272 for a round-trip fare from Hawaii to Japan and $432 for round-trip flights originating in the rest of the U.S.

That said, even when considering fuel surcharges, you’ll still get excellent value for your miles when booking award flights with ANA.

For example, the cheapest cash price of a regular season round-trip business-class fare from Seattle to Tokyo costs $11,651.20. If you booked this as an award fare, you’d pay 105,000 miles plus $432 in fuel surcharges. While the fuel surcharges certainly aren’t cheap, you’d still get a redemption value of 10 cents per mile and reduce your out-of-pocket cost from $11,651.20 to $432.

When booking first-class award fares, you can get as much as double the redemption value of business award fares.

The ANA Mileage Club is a partner of American Express, enabling you to transfer your Membership Rewards points at a 1:1 ratio.

Just keep in mind that you can only book round-trip award fares with ANA—no one-ways. So if you can’t find an outbound and a return award fare, that’s when booking through a partner airline can have an advantage.

Booking ANA Through Virgin Atlantic

Booking with ANA directly can secure you some of the lowest award rates. Specifically, booking Economy and Business award fares from the East or West Coast to Japan will be cheaper than booking the same flights through ANA’s partners.

However, booking ANA award flights with Virgin Atlantic points can offer some lucrative redemption opportunities. This is because you can leverage Virgin’s distance-based partner award chart to avoid the pitfalls of ANA’s seasonally-priced award chart. Likewise, Virgin enables you to book one-way award flights through ANA, unlike when booking directly with ANA.

Virgin is a non-alliance partner of ANA, allowing you to book flights to Japan with ANA through Virgin. You can transfer your Membership Rewards points at a 1:1 ratio to Virgin Atlantic points. However, you’ll need to book ANA award flights over the phone, as they can’t be booked through Virgin Atlantic online.

Virgin uses the following award chart for ANA redemptions:

If you’re based in Hawaii or the West Coast, booking first-class fares to Japan with ANA using Virgin Atlantic points can offer significant savings.

Virgin charges as low as 115,000 points for a round-trip first-class fare from Hawaii to Japan and 145,000 points from the West Coast. The same ticket booked directly with ANA would cost you 150,000 miles in low season and as much as 200,000 miles in high season.

If you fly from Hawaii to Japan in Economy during ANA’s regular or high season periods, you’ll save between 5,000 and 10,000 miles by booking using Virgin Atlantic points.

For those based on the East Coast, you’ll pay 170,000 Virgin points for a round-trip ANA award flight to Japan, regardless of the season. That same flight booked directly with ANA in high season would cost you 200,000 miles.

The Card To Pay For Your Stay

After you’ve touched down in Japan—courtesy of the Amex Business Platinum’s welcome offer—your next priority is finding a hotel.

To cover your stay in Japan using points, we’re going to enlist the help of The World of Hyatt Credit Card. Whether you want all-out luxury in Tokyo or a simple place to rest your head in Kyoto, the Hyatt hotel network has you covered.

The World of Hyatt Credit Card offers the following benefits and earning rates:

• 4X points on purchases at Hyatt hotels
• 2X points at restaurants, on airline tickets purchased directly from the airline, local transit and commuting and fitness club and gym memberships
• 1X points on all other purchases
• Annual free night award at any Category 1-4 Hyatt hotel or resort after your cardmember anniversary. Receive an extra free night award at any Category 1-4 Hyatt hotel or resort if you spend $15,000 in a calendar year.
• Complimentary World of Hyatt Discoverist status
• Receive five qualifying night credits toward your next tier status every year. Earn two additional qualifying night credits every time you spend $5,000 on your card.
• Complimentary 12-month membership for both DoorDash and Caviar—the DashPass—when you activate it by Dec. 31. Unlocks lower service fees and $0 delivery fees on eligible orders.
• No foreign transaction fees
• Trip cancellation and interruption insurance
• Baggage delay insurance
• Lost baggage reimbursement
• Auto rental collision damage waiver

With an annual fee of $95, a range of perks and a competitive welcome bonus, The World of Hyatt Credit Card will make a two-card trip to Japan a breeze.

The World of Hyatt Credit Card’s typical welcome bonus is between 30,000 and 60,000 points after spending $3,000 to $6,000 within the first three months of card membership.

We can use an average of 45,000 points to play with for our two-card trip. For two-player mode couples, that would work out to an average total of 95,000 points, as the referral bonus is an extra 5,000 points.

Japan Hotel Options With Hyatt Points

Hyatt has an easy to understand award chart for their properties. In fact, they have multiple award charts, differentiating between hotels, all-inclusive resorts and Miraval resorts. They also integrate a dynamic pricing model into the chart, with different prices for off-peak, standard and peak stays.

Hyatt hotels are rated from Category 1 to 8, based on their luxury (and thus price), with 8 being the highest.

Here’s an overview of the award chart for Category 1-4 Hyatt hotels:

Depending on your itinerary in Japan, you may prioritize different levels of luxury when it comes to the hotel.

If you’re looking to see as much of Japan as possible over a short period of time—such as the 7-day Golden Route itinerary—you’ll likely be focused on cost-effective hotels that provide the bare necessities.

However, if you’re looking for a luxury few days spent in Tokyo, you could easily land yourself a stay at an award Category 7 hotel such as the Andaz Tokyo Toranomon Hills or Grand Hyatt Tokyo, for 25,000 points per night off-peak.

We’ve focused on hotels that provide a good balance between luxury and affordability, enabling you to spend more time in Japan while maximizing your points.

Whether you’re a couple or a solo traveler, having flexibility and traveling during off-peak times can make your points go even further by reducing the award rates on stays.

Here are some of the top Hyatt hotels for your two-card trip to Japan.

Hyatt Regency Tokyo Bay

The Hyatt Regency Tokyo Bay is a Category 3 property, with award stays costing 9,000 to 15,000 points per night.

This property is located in the Shin-Urayasu/Maihama Bay area with 350 modern rooms. You can enjoy fine dining at one of the hotel’s four restaurants, including European cuisine at The Garden Brasserie & Bar, Edomae-sushi at Sushi Ema, traditional Japanese cuisine at Teppanyaki Fukitei and cocktails with panoramic views of Tokyo Bay at The Rooftop Bar.

The solo traveler could stay a maximum of five nights using their points here while a couple could stay a maximum of 10 nights.

If you’re looking for a budget stay that doesn’t compromise on luxury while traveling through Tokyo, the Hyatt Regency Tokyo Bay is the one to go for.

Hyatt Regency Tokyo

The Hyatt Regency Tokyo is a Category 4 property with award stays costing 12,000 to 18,000 points per night.

Situated in the vibrant shopping, business and entertainment district of Tokyo—Shinjuku—this hotel is perfectly located when it comes to exploring the city. After a walk of just nine minutes from the hotel, you’ll reach Shinjuku station, and from there you can explore the rest of Tokyo via rail.

This hotel is equipped with 746 luxurious rooms including 18 suites.

You have a range of dining options to choose from, including sushi, Teppanyaki, Italian cuisine, Beijing-inspired cuisine and the finest of whiskeys with which to wash it all down.

And if metropolitan adventures have made you weary, you can relax and unwind in the hotel’s own spa and wellness center.

If you’re willing to splurge a few more points for added luxury and centrality to Tokyo, the solo traveler could stay a maximum of three nights here while couples could stay for seven nights.

Hyatt Regency Yokohama

The Hyatt Regency Yokohama is a Category 4 property with award stays costing 12,000 to 18,000 points per night.

This luxury hotel is located in the lively area of Yamashitacho, with 315 rooms designed to combine traditional Japanese and Western aesthetics. It’s also got a wide array of dining options.

This Hyatt Regency is the gateway for exploring the vibrant atmosphere of Yokohama. Whether you want to head to Yamashita Park or Yokohama Chinatown, you’ll be perfectly positioned to do so.

The solo traveler could stay a maximum of three nights here while couples could stay for seven nights.

Hyatt House Kanazawa

The Hyatt House Kanazawa is a Category 2 property with award stays costing 6,500 to 9,500 points per night.

If you’ve headed west and explored the Japanese Alps in Nagano, you might end up in the coastal town of Kanazawa. This charming town with well-preserved Edo-era architecture and beautiful gardens is well worth a few days of exploration. And the Hyatt House Kanazawa makes this perfectly doable with its low award rates, particularly for off-peak stays.

This property is conveniently located in Kanazawa, making day trips to the Nomura Samurai Family Residence and Nagamachi Samurai District, Ono and the Higashi Chaya District easy.

At a Hyatt House, you’ll have your own kitchen, living room and bedroom, allowing you to self-cater. Of course, you could also ditch the self-catering and go on the hunt for some local cuisine right at your doorstep. A self-serve breakfast buffet is included in your stay, allowing you to explore Kanazawa on a full stomach.

Solo travelers could stay here for a maximum of six nights while couples could stay for 14 nights.

Hyatt Place Kyoto

The Hyatt Place Kyoto is a Category 2 property with award stays costing 6,500 to 9,500 points per night.

If you’re doing the Golden Route through Japan, Kyoto will be a stop on your itinerary. This Hyatt Place offers 239 reasonably-priced modern rooms for your stay in Kyoto.

You’ll be in the perfect position to explore Kyoto, whether it’s the Kyoto Imperial Palace, Nijō Castle or the Kiyomizu-dera Temple.

Solo travelers could stay here for a maximum of six nights while couples could stay for 14 nights.

Grand Hyatt Fukuoka

The Grand Hyatt Fukuoka is a Category 4 property with award stays costing 12,000 to 18,000 points per night.

If you’ve explored as far as Kyoto and Hiroshima, you could take a trip further south to Fukuoka. This luxurious Grand Hyatt is located in Hakata district, making it easy to explore the city of Fukuoka from your doorstep.

The Fukuoka Castle Ruins, Tenjin Area and Rakusuien are all on your doorstep, in addition to many other local attractions.

The Grand Hyatt Fukuoka offers 372 “East meets West” style rooms with 15 suites. The hotel includes a spa and wellness center, gym, swimming pool and fine dining options.

If you’re after luxury, this Grand Hyatt will deliver. The solo traveler could stay here for a maximum of three nights while couples could stay for seven nights.

The Value of a Two-Card Trip to Japan

Depending on the flight and hotel options you end up choosing, the value of a two-card trip to Japan can vary significantly.

A regular season business-class return fare to Japan can easily cost at least $11,651 with ANA—for a couple, that would be a total of $23,302 on flights alone. If you use the Amex Business Platinum Card’s welcome offer to pay for this fare, your out-of-pocket cost will drop to just around $500 for the tax and fuel surcharges ($1,000 in total for couples).

Of course, you could also opt to fly off-peak Economy, saving you potentially hundreds of thousands of points which you could use to fund another two-card trip.

A stay at an award Category 3 hotel starts at approximately $130 per night, while a Category 4 hotel starts at around $220 per night. Based on the number of nights you could spend at these properties using an average of 45,000 Hyatt points, the equivalent cash cost would work out to around $660 for the solo traveler and $1,320 for the couple.

So for the solo traveler, the cash value of a two-card trip to Japan comes to around $12,311 (assuming they fly business class) and for a couple, the cash value would be $24,622.

Final Thoughts

Whether you’re a solo traveler or a couple in two-player mode, having your flights to and hotel in Japan paid for with points is entirely possible. You can even fly first class to Japan and back and still have points left over.

By leveraging your natural expenditure to earn the welcome offers on The World of Hyatt Credit Card and The Business Platinum Card from American Express, you can travel in luxury for a fraction of the price—specifically, just the cost of fuel surcharges.

Apply when the welcome offers are historically high and when you’re in a position to hit the minimum spends, and the rest will follow suit.

Eligibility and Benefit level varies by Card. Terms, Conditions, and Limitations Apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by Amex Assurance Company.