ANA Award Ticket Rule Changes: World Tour Ends & Mile Increases

RULE REVISION

2026 Revision

All Nippon Airways (ANA) has officially revised the terms and required mileage for international award tickets and upgrades. Key changes include the termination of Star Alliance round-the-world award tickets, increased mileage for North American and Hawaiian routes, and stricter upgrade point criteria. Existing tickets issued prior to the revision date remain valid without additional mileage surcharges.

Check First: Are You Affected?

Use the following checklist to identify whether the ANA Mileage Club rule revisions directly impact your upcoming travel plans.

Travelers planning a global trip using Star Alliance Round the World Award tickets
Passengers booking Business or First Class award seats on North America or Hawaii routes
Elite status members using Upgrade Points for international flight class upgrades
Members with expiring ANA miles looking for optimal redemption options
Travelers combining partner airlines for multi-city international award flights

If any of these conditions apply to your itinerary, taking action prior to the revision deadline is essential. The discontinuation of the round-the-world award ticket eliminates one of the most cost-effective redemption schemes in global aviation. For multi-city itinerary planning, refer to our comprehensive guide on 100,000 miles round the world routing. In addition, compare your mileage accumulation strategies with our miles vs JRE POINT travel analysis.

Booking Countdown: Step 1 to 5

Follow these five critical steps to maximize your ANA miles under the current rules before the revised mileage chart takes effect.

Step	Action Items & Guidelines
STEP 1Audit Mileage Balance & Expiry	Check your ANA Mileage Club account balance and identify any miles nearing their 36-month expiration deadline. Prioritize booking itineraries that can be secured under the current chart before points expire. Set up ANA FamilyAccount if points are distributed across family members.
STEP 2Verify Round-the-World Availability	Ensure all required segments for the Star Alliance round-the-world ticket are fully confirmed prior to the termination cutoff date. Standby or waitlisted flights are not permitted on round-the-world awards, meaning every segment must have confirmed award inventory.
STEP 3Secure Long-Haul Premium Seats	For routes facing substantial mileage increases, such as North American and European Business Class, participate in the 355-day advance booking window to lock in tickets at existing mileage levels before the rate hike takes effect.
STEP 4Calculate Fuel Surcharges and Taxes	International award tickets require cash payment for government taxes and carrier-imposed fuel surcharges. Ensure your credit card is ready for immediate ticketing fees across all partner airlines, referencing our breakdown of ANA award flight fuel surcharges and carrier differences and our recommendations on carrying multiple credit cards abroad.
STEP 5Complete Issuance & Lock Itinerary	Process payment and confirm the electronic ticket issuance (e-ticket receipt). Note that date changes made after the effective date that alter routing or operating carriers will trigger mileage recalculation under the new chart.

High call volumes and website congestion are expected on the official ANA booking channels leading up to the revision cutoff date. Completing your reservations several weeks in advance is strongly recommended to prevent unexpected ticketing failures.

Rule Overview: Comparison Matrix

This table summarizes key revision items, current rules, new rules, and the practical implications for ANA Mileage Club members.

Revision Item	Current Terms	Revised Terms	Practical Impact & Advice
Star Alliance Round the World Award	Based on total itinerary distance	Completely discontinued	The most cost-effective award option disappears. Only point-to-point round trips remain.
North America & Europe (Business)	80,000 to 90,000 miles round trip	100,000 to 120,000 miles round trip	Mileage requirement increases by roughly 20% to 30%, requiring longer accumulation periods.
Hawaii Route (Business Class)	65,000 miles round trip (Regular)	75,000 to 85,000 miles round trip	Direct price increase on popular resort routes, widening the gap between economy and premium cabins.
Japan Domestic Award Tickets	Three-tier seasonal chart	Main framework retained	Minimal changes compared to long-haul international flights; everyday domestic travel remains accessible.
Upgrade Points Usage	Eligible commercial economy fares	Stricter fare class eligibility	Discounted economy tickets (such as K, L, S, V) become ineligible for class upgrades.

Seasonal mileage fluctuations (Low, Regular, and High seasons) will remain in effect, but the baseline mileage requirements will be higher across all categories. International flight regulations operate within guidelines established by Japan’s Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT) and international aviation standards.

Common Pitfalls

Date Modifications Triggering Mileage Differences

While award tickets issued prior to the revision date can be flown after the new rules take effect, making voluntary changes to dates or flights after the cutoff date may trigger a full recalculation. Under ANA system rules, changes that involve route adjustments or partner carrier substitutions are treated as cancellations and re-issuances, subjecting the booking to the higher new mileage chart.

Furthermore, schedule adjustments initiated by partner airlines can complicate itineraries, potentially forcing re-ticketing under revised terms if alternative seats cannot be confirmed within the original booking parameters.

Round-the-World Waitlist Restrictions

Star Alliance round-the-world tickets require confirmed seats across the entire route (up to 8 stopovers and 12 total flight segments). Unlike simple round-trip award tickets where one leg can be waitlisted, round-the-world bookings cannot be issued if even a single flight remains unconfirmed. Holding waitlisted segments near the termination date risks automatic cancellation of the entire global journey.

Travelers must maintain maximum flexibility regarding transit hubs and regional connections within Europe or Asia to avoid reservation collapse.

Exclusion of Mid-Tier Economy Booking Classes

Using miles or Upgrade Points to move from Economy to Business Class requires purchasing an eligible commercial ticket. In past charts, certain mid-tier discounted fares qualified for upgrades. Under revised criteria, low and mid-tier fare classes are strictly excluded, limiting upgrades to full-fare Economy tickets (Y, B, M). This substantially reduces the financial benefit of upgrading compared to outright Business Class purchases.

What Happens After the Revision Date?

Once the revision takes effect, booking under the legacy mileage chart will be completely unavailable. The booking engine will calculate mileage exclusively under the new chart, and reservations cannot proceed if account balances are insufficient. ANA does not offer a cash top-up option to purchase missing miles for award tickets.

Members with insufficient miles for premium cabins must consider alternatives, such as redeeming for Premium Economy or converting miles to ANA SKY Coins to subsidize revenue tickets. Transferring points to affiliated loyalty programs also serves as a defensive measure against impending mileage expiry.

GEAR

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Frequently Asked Questions

Are there alternative options for multi-city international travel after Round the World is discontinued?

Travelers seeking multi-city routes can utilize partner airline award bookings or consider Japan Airlines (JAL) and the oneworld alliance distance-based award chart. JAL allows multi-carrier award itineraries of up to eight sectors. Additionally, combining point-to-point award flights with regional low-cost carriers or high-speed rail provides flexible global routing.

Will tickets issued before the revision date require extra miles if flown afterward?

No extra miles are required for tickets issued before the revision date, provided no major modifications are made. If flight dates or routings are altered after the effective date, recalculation at higher mileage rates may be triggered, so retaining the original itinerary is strongly recommended.

Can I extend the expiration date of my ANA Mileage Club miles?

ANA miles strictly expire after 36 months, with extensions granted only to top-tier Diamond Service members. Standard members can effectively extend their value by converting miles into ANA SKY Coins, which remain valid for an additional 12 months for domestic and international airfare purchases.

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