Capital One Adds Japan Airlines and 2 More Transfer Partners, A Win for Hawaii Travelers
If you’re like many Hawai‘i-based travelers, you’re always on the lookout for more routes, more partners, and more flexibility when redeeming your miles. Good news: Capital One has just added three new transfer partners: Japan Airlines Mileage Bank (JAL), Qatar Airways Privilege Club, and I Prefer (hotel rewards), giving you even more levers for turning your Capital One miles into real travel.
This is especially valuable for us in Hawai‘i, where direct flights are limited and every bit of flexibility helps. It means that beyond redeeming miles for inter-island or U.S. mainland hops, your Capital One miles can now open more doors to Asia, Europe, or boutique hotels around the world.
Below, I walk through what these partners bring and why JAL (Japan Airlines Mileage Bank) is especially interesting (and promising) for travelers in Hawai‘i eyeing Japan or beyond.
| Partner | Transfer Ratio / Details | Why It Matters for Hawai‘i Travelers |
|---|---|---|
| Japan Airlines Mileage Bank (JAL) |
• 2:1.5 (1,000 Capital One miles = 750 JAL miles) • 30% bonus during launch → ~2:1.95 (1,000 Cap One miles = 975 JAL miles - Ends 10/22) |
This is huge for flights to Japan. JAL offers strong award pricing (110K miles round-trip in business). Being part of Oneworld also unlocks American, British Airways, and Cathay flights. A powerful new option for Hawai‘i flyers headed to Asia. |
| Qatar Airways Privilege Club | • 1:1 — 1,000 Capital One miles = 1,000 Avios (Qatar Avios) | Opens up direct access to Qatar’s Qsuite, one of the world’s best business class products. While Avios transfers were possible before, this streamlines the process. |
| I Prefer Hotel Rewards | • 1:2 — 1,000 Capital One miles = 2,000 I Prefer points | Great for boutique and luxury hotels under Preferred Hotels & Resorts. Helpful when big chains (Marriott, Hyatt, Hilton) aren’t available — especially in offbeat destinations. |
In short: these additions make Capital One miles more flexible. Even though not all transfer ratios are “great,” more options = more chances to extract outsized value.
For Hawai‘i travelers, especially those with plans for Asia or Japan, JAL is the standout. Let’s zoom in.
Why We’re Hyped About the JAL Partner (And What It Can Do for Us in Hawai‘i)
1. Better access to Japan
JAL’s Award chart for Hawaii → Japan
One-way economy: 20,000 JAL miles
One-way Premium economy: 30,000 JAL miles
One-way Business class: 43,000 JAL miles
JAL’s typical award chart is region-based (North America → Japan) and offers some compelling sweet spots:
Round-trip economy: ~54,000 JAL miles
Premium economy: ~80,000 JAL miles
Business class: ~110,000 JAL miles
First class (in some seasons): ~220,000–280,000 JAL miles round-trip
With the 30% launch bonus, your effective cost (in Capital One miles) gets better. Also, because JAL is part of Oneworld, you can mix and match partners: e.g. use JAL miles on American Airlines or Cathay Pacific for segments beyond Japan.
From Hawai‘i, your route might look like: HNL → (U.S. gateway) → Tokyo (or Osaka) → onward. Having flexible options and multiple partners helps when one airline is sold out.
2. A distinct alternative for booking flights to Japan
Up to now, many of us Hawai‘i travelers might rely on:
Cash / revenue tickets — expensive and often limited
Other airline loyalty programs — e.g. AAdvantage, Hawaiian Airlines, ANA through Virign etc.
Transfer partners of other programs — but JAL has been tough to reach
With Capital One’s entry, JAL is now more reachable for more people. And with the 30% bonus, the math gets more favorable.
3. What to watch out for / pitfalls
The base transfer ratio is 2:1.5 (i.e. not 1:1), so you lose some “efficiency” unless you’re using the bonus period.
Transfers are irreversible, so you must confirm award space before transferring.
New JAL accounts: transferred miles can only be redeemed after 7 days (vs the usual 60-day rule) with this deal.
The JAL website / interface can sometimes be confusing, and sometimes fuel surcharges or fees may apply.
Availability is usually best either 1 to 2 days before departure or 2 to 3 weeks before departure.
Because of those caveats, it’s smart to set up your JAL Mileage Bank account ahead of time, check availability, and only then move your miles.
How to Use JAL Mileage Bank to Book Last-Minute Business Class
Business Class on JAL’s 787-9 from HNL > HND
Below is the method you already have, slightly rephrased/expanded with some travel-hacker tips and context (particularly for Hawai‘i travelers):
Japan Airlines Mileage Bank uses a region-based award chart for its own flights. This is a different award chart than the distance-based award chart it uses for booking award flights with its partners.
Steps to Book (Last-Minute or Otherwise) in Business Class on JAL
Go to the Japan Airlines website
Log in to your JAL Mileage Bank account
Toggle to Redeem award flights → select Book International Award Tickets → then choose JAL International Award Tickets
Enter your round-trip or one-way option, then input your departure and arrival airports, travel dates, and select Business Class (under the “Destination Class” filter)
Hit Search
The system will show required JAL miles + taxes/fees
Select the flights you want, click Continue, choose your seat, and complete booking
Make sure the flights are showing “seat availability” (JAL also shows “waitlist” as an icon in the availability column, which does not guarantee a seat) - I found my seats via Seats.Aero , and they were 5 days out from the day this article was written.
Hot Tip: Keep a screenshot or quick reference of the JAL award chart (and availability legend) handy while booking so you can decode which flights are truly bookable vs. waitlist. The icons (e.g. “□”, “×”, “○” ) in the Seat Availability column tell you whether the seat is available, closed, or waitlist. (You had that in your version.)
One especially great trick: Because JAL opens its award inventory ~360 days in advance, sometimes last-minute business class awards are easier to snag closer in, especially if there’s unsold inventory. JAL often releases premium seats to its own members first, but with your miles in Mileage Bank, you have access.
Also, since JAL is in Oneworld, you might even combine JAL + partner segments (for example, fly JAL partly and partner airline partly) depending on routing and availability, though then you need to check how JAL handles partner award charts (they use a different scheme).
Just be aware: because transfers are irreversible, you want to be confident the award exists before transferring your Capital One miles into JAL.
Our take for Hawaii Travelers
For us in Hawai‘i, the geography is both our blessing and our curse: We get spectacular island views and remote destinations, but flights often require more connections and fewer partners. So every mile program, transfer partner, or creative routing matters.
Capital One adding these three partners is not just “nice to have”, it’s another option for us:
It expands our pool of airline options beyond the usual carriers.
It gives us a new pathway, especially via JAL to Asia / Japan that may beat cash fares or limited availability elsewhere.
The more direct access (fewer hops, fewer intermediaries) we can build, the better for flights stemming from or transiting through Hawai‘i.
The 30% bonus on JAL transfers makes timing more favorable right now.
Capital one miles are easier to earn through their credit cards vs. Atmos Credit cards. Join our Ohana Credit Card program to earn points/miles faster.
If you already have a Capital One card that earns miles (Venture, Venture X, Venture X business, Spark Miles, etc.), this is a real opportunity, especially if you have upcoming Japan travel in mind (or hope to). Using your Capital One miles through these new partners gives you choices, and with choices comes power in award travel.
