Going to Japan? Book some domestic 'Class J' for cheap ($1.36!) QFF SCs

[sudoer]

Hello all - long time lurker, first time poster.

Discovered these neat fares on a recent trip to Japan. JAL offers 'Class J' on most domestic routes which is closer to a PE in product (no lounge, no food service, etc) but earns QFF status credits at full Business class rates.

A couple of short calculations I've done so far..

[TABLE="width: 450"]
[TR]
[TD]Route[/TD]
[TD]SC Earn[/TD]
[TD]Fare (yen)[/TD]
[TD]Yen/SC[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Okinawa - Ishigaki[/TD]
[TD]40[/TD]
[TD]5100[/TD]
[TD]128[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Haneda - Okinawa[/TD]
[TD]60[/TD]
[TD]14890[/TD]
[TD]248[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Haneda - Itami (Osaka)[/TD]
[TD]40[/TD]
[TD]10190[/TD]
[TD]255[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Okinawa - Miyakojima[/TD]
[TD]20[/TD]
[TD]5400[/TD]
[TD]270[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Haneda - Amami Oshima[/TD]
[TD]60[/TD]
[TD]17900[/TD]
[TD]298[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Sapporo - Fukuoka[/TD]
[TD]60[/TD]
[TD]18100[/TD]
[TD]301[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Haneda - Fukuoka[/TD]
[TD]40[/TD]
[TD]12390[/TD]
[TD]310[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Haneda - Sapporo[/TD]
[TD]40[/TD]
[TD]12590[/TD]
[TD]315[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Haneda - Kagoshima[/TD]
[TD]40[/TD]
[TD]12890[/TD]
[TD]322[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Haneda - Nagasaki[/TD]
[TD]40[/TD]
[TD]12890[/TD]
[TD]322[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Okinawa - Kansai Int'l (Osaka)[/TD]
[TD]40[/TD]
[TD]13400[/TD]
[TD]335[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Okinawa - Kumejima[/TD]
[TD]10*[/TD]
[TD]3900[/TD]
[TD]390[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Haneda - Nagoya[/TD]
[TD]20[/TD]
[TD]8100[/TD]
[TD]405[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Okinawa - Kikaijima[/TD]
[TD]10*[/TD]
[TD]6600[/TD]
[TD]660[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Okinawa - Yoron[/TD]
[TD]10*[/TD]
[TD]6900[/TD]
[TD]690[/TD]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]

* Economy class only on these flights, but they're under 50 miles so the yen/SC rate is quite good.

The prices quoted are straight off the JAL website on random dates in October this year. JAL "Ultra Saitoku" fares are cheapest 55-75 days prior to depature. I plan to search more routes later today/tomorrow to hopefully find a few more gems.

Edit: Check out post #31 for an example day-run earning 320SCs @ $3.10/SC

Cheers

 

[Ansett]

Nice first post welcome to AFF. Looking forward to your follow up post.

 

[coles525]

Haneda - sapporo = 40 yen / 12,590 QFF / 315 SC?

 

[coles525]

meaning currently $0.43c AU?

Am I reading or even understanding correctly?

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Some good value there!

 

[sudoer]

Nice first post welcome to AFF. Looking forward to your follow up post.

Thanks Glad I could share something useful.

Haneda - sapporo = 40 yen / 12,590 QFF / 315 SC?

Nope! Haneda to Sapporo gets you 40SC at a cost of 12,590 yen (around $140 AUD), which equates to 315 yen per SC. It only gets you 308 FFPs - the points earned on these flights are rubbish. The big attraction is the SC earn rate.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

meaning currently $0.43c AU?

Am I reading or even understanding correctly?

Reading that incorrectly... it's 12590 Yen for the fare, netting 40SCs.

 

[Ansett]

meaning currently $0.43c AU?

Am I reading or even understanding correctly?

Wrong way he is saying you get 40 Status Credits for a cost of 12950 Yen which equates to 315 Yen per status credit or approx. $3.36 per status credit

 

[MEL_Traveller]

probably best to remove the screenshot to not draw attention? (I've modified my earlier post accordingly)

 

[Mr_Orange]

Cracking first post sbor90, thanks for sharing .

 

[gogo419]

Flight number is JTA (NOT! JAL) for Okinawa - Ishigaki.

Can anyone confirm that these flights are eligible for SC on QF??

 

[yohy?!]

These are big drops in price for domestic J,

I could never get a JP mileage run to make sense when I was based in HKG over a CX ex-TPE one but at these prices I would in a second if I cared to chase QF status any more

 

[sudoer]

Yep, check 'Earning Points on Partner Airlines' page on Qantas website (can't post links yet - under 10 posts!)

Flew on NU566 myself in March and got the status/FPPs credited.

 

[yohy?!]

Flight number is JTA (NOT! JAL) for Okinawa - Ishigaki.

Can anyone confirm that these flights are eligible for SC on QF??

Should be...all the JAL group carriers would be part of one world

 

[moa999]

ClassJ is generally 1000 Yen over the regular fare - when booked in advance on JAL website.
Even better value (on their limited routes) is the First Class fares which come at an 8000 Yen premium.

 

[sudoer]

ClassJ is generally 1000 Yen over the regular fare - when booked in advance on JAL website.
Even better value (on their limited routes) is the First Class fares which come at an 8000 Yen premium.

Class J is available at the check-in counter for 1000 yen also.

As you said F is possible for an extra 8000, but the extra SCs are negligible considering the price is nearly double most of these fares. Good value when considering the hard product though not available on most routes.

 

[yohy?!]

Class J is available at the check-in counter for 1000 yen also.

As you said F is possible for an extra 8000, but the extra SCs are negligible considering the price is nearly double most of these fares. Good value when considering the hard product though not available on most routes.

Pretty sure buy-up class J at checkin still earns at Y rates or it did last time I checked

 

[sudoer]

Pretty sure buy-up class J at checkin still earns at Y rates or it did last time I checked

I upgraded on ITM-HND at check-in and got J SCs in March also. May have been different previously.

 

[Flatforlonghaul]

Thanks Glad I could share something useful.



Nope! Haneda to Sapporo gets you 40SC at a cost of 12,590 yen (around $140 AUD), which equates to 315 yen per SC. It only gets you 308 FFPs - the points earned on these flights are rubbish. The big attraction is the SC earn rate.

Awesome rates! Good to know, thanks sbor90! We've spent the past few months spending around $700 AUD for a CBR/PER/CBR for the same amount of SCs! Admittedly different scenarios, however it's great to know of the SC building alternatives out there.

 

[Perthlad]

Can anyone confirm this earning rate as I am going to Japan in October. If these rates are correct I will easily retain platinum