ANA — All Nippon Airways — flies what many consider the best business-class seat in the sky: "The Room," a business suite so wide it feels like a mistake in your favor. The trick almost nobody outside the hobby knows is that the cheapest way to book it is not through ANA at all. It is through Virgin Atlantic Flying Club, and it can cost roughly half what a cash ticket does.
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US ↔ Japan · ANA Business — round-trip
Through Virgin Atlantic at 95,000–115,000 each way (52.5k West / 60k East)
Round-trip requiredPhone-only ticket~$280 total taxes
105,000 Virgin Points round-trip
Cash: ~$5,200
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A round-trip business-class fare between the US and Japan can run into the thousands of dollars. The Virgin Atlantic award chart does not care about that number — it prices ANA business on distance, in a fixed band, so the cost stays flat whether cash fares are calm or spiking.
The move most travelers never connect
ANA and Virgin Atlantic are both partners, so Virgin Atlantic points can book ANA-operated flights. You transfer points into Flying Club, then use Virgin's chart to ticket a Japan trip on ANA metal. Virgin Atlantic is a transfer partner of the major transferable-points programs, so most people can build the balance without ever flying Virgin.
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The pricing is banded by region: roughly 52,500 points each way from the US West Coast and 60,000 points each way from the East, which is why a full round-trip out of the West lands near 105,000 points — plus modest taxes, often around a couple hundred dollars total rather than the fuel-surcharge nightmare some programs impose.
The three rules that trip people up
This redemption has a few quirks. None are dealbreakers, but you have to know them going in:
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- Round-trip only. Virgin Atlantic prices ANA awards as round-trips — you cannot book a one-way at this rate. Plan the return before you start.
- Phone booking. The ANA award often will not complete online through Virgin's site. Expect to call Flying Club to ticket it.
- Account-age rule. Transfers into a brand-new Flying Club account can be held briefly, so it pays to open the account a day ahead rather than the moment you find space.
The real work: finding the seat
ANA releases business-class award space, but it is genuinely limited on the marquee routes and it moves. The cardinal rule holds here as everywhere: confirm the seat before you transfer, because Virgin Atlantic transfers are one-way. Do not send points hoping space appears.
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So start with the seat, not the points — run a live LAX→Tokyo business-class award search and see what is actually open on your dates. If space shows, you have a real trip. If not, flex your dates a few days and look again; ANA space rewards patience.
Step by step
- Find live ANA business space for your outbound and return dates first. Both legs need saver space for the round-trip to price.
- Open your Flying Club account early if you do not already have one, to clear the account-age hold before you need to transfer.
- Confirm the Virgin price — about 52,500 points each way from the West, 60,000 from the East, plus low taxes.
- Transfer only what you need plus a buffer, then call Flying Club to ticket the ANA flights.
Why the value is so lopsided
Set a cash round-trip of several thousand dollars against roughly 105,000 points and a couple hundred in taxes, and each point is doing multiples of the roughly one cent it would return as a cash-portal redemption. Same aircraft, same suite, same lie-flat bed to Tokyo — the difference is entirely which program's price list you read.
Frequently asked questions
How many Virgin Atlantic points for ANA business class to Japan?
Roughly 52,500 points each way from the US West Coast and 60,000 from the East, so a West Coast round-trip lands near 105,000 points plus taxes that are typically a couple hundred dollars total — far below the cash fare.
Why do I have to book a round-trip?
Virgin Atlantic prices ANA awards only as round-trips at this rate — one-ways are not available. Plan your return before you start so both legs can price together.
Can I book the ANA award online?
Often not. The ANA partner award frequently will not complete through Virgin's website, so expect to call Flying Club to ticket it. Have your dates and flight numbers ready before you call.
Should I open my Flying Club account in advance?
Yes. Transfers into a brand-new account can be held briefly, and ANA space moves fast, so open the account a day or two ahead and confirm the seat before transferring anything.
Do this first
Everything above hinges on one thing: is there a seat? Before you open accounts or move a single point, price the exact trip — search Los Angeles to Tokyo in business on points — and let the open (or empty) calendar tell you whether to book now or wait for space to bloom.
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