September 3, 2026, 8:00 a.m. (JST)
[Japan] Japan Airlines (JAL) is accelerating its “JAL Mile Life” initiative, which aims to build long-term engagement with customers by expanding the ways they can “earn” and “redeem” miles—not only through air travel but also through shopping and everyday lifestyle services.Since its core aviation business is susceptible to fluctuations in demand due to factors such as geopolitical risks, the company aims to grow its non-aviation businesses to enhance revenue stability. We spoke with a company representative about the progress of specific initiatives, such as the “JAL Life Status Program,” which forms the core of “JAL Mile Life.”
Strengthening the Foundation Through Increased JAL Card Transaction Volume and Enhanced Global Partnerships
JAL Mileage Bank (JMB) is a free membership-based mileage program offered by Japan Airlines (JAL) that allows members to earn “miles” through air travel and everyday purchases, which can then be redeemed for award tickets, e-money, and other rewards.JAL is actively pursuing collaborations with other industries and expanding its services by leveraging its customer base of 41 million JMB members.
According to JAL’s first-quarter financial results, the number of miles issued and revenue from mile issuance in non-aviation sectors have grown due to an increase in JAL Card transaction volume and the strengthening of global partnerships with companies such as Capital One. JAL Card transaction volume rose 11% year-over-year, the number of JAL Card members increased by 3%, and average spending per member rose by 8%.Additionally, the number of miles issued through mileage partnerships and point exchanges rose by 48 percent. The total number of miles issued increased by 18 percent, with the non-aviation sector accounting for a 21 percent increase. The total number of miles redeemed rose by 20 percent, with the non-aviation sector accounting for a 7 percent increase.
Most recently, the company has been working to expand the utilization of JAL’s customer base and assets, such as miles, through initiatives including a membership partnership and the introduction of status matches with “Marriott Bonvoy”—which has over 280 million registered members worldwide—as well as a partnership with Lifenet Life Insurance.Kentaro Matsumura of the Mileage Business Division, Mileage & Lifestyle Business Headquarters at Japan Airlines, stated, “We aim not only to rely on the aviation business (which is an ‘out-of-the-ordinary’ experience) but also to create touchpoints with the JAL Group in everyday life, and we are seeing steady results.”
A Program That Permanently Recognizes Lifetime Achievements
At the core of JAL Mileage Life is the “JAL Life Status Program,” a new status system based on lifetime achievements that was introduced in January 2024. “Life Status Points (LSP)” are earned not only through flights but also through the use of lifestyle services such as JAL Cards, JAL Pay, and JAL Mobile.Nanami Akita of the same department explains, “Unlike the traditional criterion of how much you flew in a single year, this system accumulates your lifetime record of flying on JAL Group flights and using various everyday services, which is then reflected in your status.”
With JAL Mile Life, members earn miles through both air travel and daily life, and the accumulated miles can be used not only for award tickets but also for everyday payments and premium experiences (Mile de Experience).Services outside the aviation sector include promoting the use of the prepaid payment service “JAL Pay”; partnerships with IIJ and NTT Docomo’s low-cost mobile service “ahamo”; leveraging JAL’s assets in the insurance sector through a capital and business alliance with Lifenet Life Insurance; electricity and telecommunications services; commerce businesses such as the online shopping site “JAL Mall”;and the rollout of a program that allows for the easy redemption of miles for everyday purchases and experiences.
Hideaki Fukushima of the Business Strategy Group in the same division explains, “Furthermore, from the perspective of not only building long-lasting, deep connections with customers but also reaching a broader audience, the ‘JAL Mileage Bank App (JMB App)’—which serves as the platform for JAL Mileage Life—has been well received.”It underwent a complete overhaul in November 2025, evolving significantly as the first phase of the “New JAL Digital Experience.” These initiatives have reportedly created a stable revenue base within the highly volatile airline industry.
One example where the benefits of accumulating “LSP” are clearly evident is “JAL Mobile (JAL MOBILE).”This mobile communication service allows users to earn JAL miles through their monthly smartphone usage and payments. It is popular because it enables users to earn miles and travel benefits at a great value while maintaining high-quality connectivity on Docomo networks (provided by ahamo/IIJmio) and au networks (provided by IIJmio).Mr. Fukushima stated, “We’ve received a very large number of subscriptions. We regularly conduct surveys among our subscribers, and many of them cite the accumulation of LSP as a key benefit.”
Exploring New Initiatives to Attract Younger Customers and Encourage Cross-Usage
Regarding the strong performance of JAL’s non-aviation services, Mr. Fukushima explains, “We are mindful that the services we offer are not something that requires customers to spend extra money on top of their daily expenses, but rather that they can save money simply by switching to JAL-branded services for things they are already paying for in their daily lives. We emphasize that customers can earn benefits simply by switching to the JAL brand.”
In addition, “JAL Wellness & Travel”—a monthly subscription health promotion service for JAL Mileage Bank (JMB) members that allows them to earn JAL miles based on their daily step count—is also performing well.
Mr. Matsumura said, “This is providing a breakthrough in solving a long-standing challenge: encouraging segments with which we’ve had limited engagement—particularly younger demographics—to use JAL’s non-aviation services. I’m confident we’ve created a very good service, given that we’re successfully acquiring new members.”
Regarding future plans, the company is exploring ways to offer benefits for cross-usage of non-aviation services. Mr. Fukushima said, “We hope to encourage more cross-usage by offering additional perks—such as a bonus—when customers subscribe to two JAL services.”
Additionally, the card business has identified capturing the needs of younger demographics as a key priority. The company offers incentives tailored to young people, such as the JAL Card Navi—available exclusively to students with no annual fee—the JAL CLUB EST, which is limited to those in their 20s and provides “JAL Card Plus Alpha” services, and the JAL Card Sky Mate, a discount program for airfares for passengers up to age 25.Miyu Nonaka of the same department stated, “We hope to use these various attractive services as a gateway to introduce customers to the joy of earning and using miles from an early stage, thereby building a long-lasting relationship that will encourage them to continue using JAL for years to come.”
