JAL Birthday Discount (JALバースデー割引)

[Bueller_007]

My birthday is coming up, and I'll probably be back in Japan a little bit after that time. Which reminded me:

For those who aren't aware, JAL offers a MASSIVE discount on all domestic flights if you fly on (or around) your birthday. I used this to get from Osaka to Hokkaido on the cheap last year.

Here's the flight I'll be taking this year, as an example of prices. From Osaka to Ishigaki (south of Okinawa):
Normal price (one-way): ¥45,400 (US $400)
Birthday discount (one-way): ¥13,300 (US $110)

So I save $600 round trip.

For those who haven't flown JAL, it is a very pleasant experience. They give you free soup & drinks. And they knew there would be two foreigners on our flight, so they made sure two English newspapers were available for us. And they gave us the emergency exit row seats both ways, without me even having to ask. (I assumed that this was because they thought that foreigners, being taller, need more leg room.) It's no Air Singapore, but they make for a damn pleasant flight.

Any travel agent in Japan can arrange this for you, or you can book the flight on the JAL website.

[danfromfla]

Hi Buller-san,

I just signed up for the JAL Miles program. Will the discount offer be emailed to me? How are you notified about the discount if not? This sounds too good to be true!!!

Daniel

[Bueller_007]

Hi Buller-san,

I just signed up for the JAL Miles program. Will the discount offer be emailed to me? How are you notified about the discount if not? This sounds too good to be true!!!

Daniel

The JAL birthday discount is pretty much common knowledge amongst Japanese people. So they don't publicize it much, because everyone already knows. They might mention it in the information they mail with your card, I'm not sure. They won't send you an "offer" because it's available to everyone all the time.

Go to a travel agent or book online (google for it) to get it taken care of.

I think www.japan-guide.com might have some info about this as well.

[Gai-jin]

Is this offered for flights from the us to Japan?

[Bueller_007]

Is this offered for flights from the us to Japan?

No. As I said in the original post, it's only offered for domestic flights.