What All Nippon Airways membership offers and how credit cards fit in

All Nippon Airways (ANA) runs two separate membership programs: ANA Mileage Club for frequent flyers earning miles on flights, and ANA Card for credit cardholders who earn miles on everyday purchases. The two are linked — holding an ANA credit card automatically enrolls you in Mileage Club and accelerates how fast you accumulate miles. If you fly ANA regularly or want to earn miles through spending, the card is the faster path than flying alone.

ANA Mileage Club itself is free to join and costs nothing to maintain. You earn one mile per dollar spent on ANA flights booked directly with the airline. An ANA credit card typically doubles or triples that rate on ANA purchases and adds earning on non-ANA spending — groceries, gas, dining — which is where most cardholders accumulate their miles. The card also comes with perks like lounge access, checked baggage allowances, and seat upgrades that vary by card tier.

Key Takeaways

  • ANA Mileage Club membership is free, but you earn miles much faster with an ANA credit card than from flights alone.
  • ANA credit cards earn miles on everyday purchases like groceries and gas, not just flights, which is how most people reach redemption thresholds.
  • Miles can be redeemed for ANA flights, partner airline tickets, or hotel stays, with award availability varying by route and season.
  • Premium ANA cards include benefits like lounge access and checked baggage allowances, but annual fees range from $95 to $450 depending on the card.
  • Transferring miles to hotel and airline partners is possible but typically offers worse value than redeeming them directly for ANA flights.

How ANA credit cards earn miles on everyday spending

The main reason to hold an ANA credit card is that it earns miles on purchases outside of flying. A standard ANA card typically earns 1 mile per dollar on most purchases, with bonus rates on specific categories like ANA flights (2x or 3x), dining (2x), or gas (1.5x). The exact earning structure depends on which ANA card you hold — the issuer (usually Chase or Bank of America in the U.S.) sets the rates.

Because most people do not fly frequently enough to reach a redemption threshold on flight miles alone, the everyday earning is what makes the card worthwhile. A $5,000 annual spend at 1 mile per dollar generates 5,000 miles. That is roughly one-third of the way to a domestic award flight, which typically costs 25,000 to 50,000 miles depending on the route and season. Without the card, you would need to fly ANA multiple times to earn the same amount.

Sign-up bonuses on ANA cards typically range from 30,000 to 60,000 bonus miles, awarded after you meet a spending threshold in the first few months. That bonus alone covers a significant portion of a domestic award flight or a round-trip to a nearby international destination. The bonus is often the single largest earning event in a cardholder's first year.

What you can redeem ANA miles for

ANA miles are most valuable when redeemed for flights on ANA itself or its Star Alliance partners (United, Lufthansa, Singapore Airlines, and others). A domestic U.S. flight typically costs 25,000 to 50,000 miles round-trip, depending on the route and how far in advance you book. International flights range from 60,000 miles for short-haul routes to 150,000 or more for premium cabin seats on long-haul flights.

Award availability on ANA flights is often better than on U.S. carriers because ANA releases a higher percentage of seats to award bookings. However, availability on partner airlines can be spotty, especially on popular routes and during peak travel seasons. You can search ANA's award calendar on their website before you explore for the card to see whether the routes you want to fly have consistent availability.

You can also redeem miles for hotel stays through ANA's hotel partners, or transfer miles to partner programs like Hilton, Marriott, or airline frequent-flyer programs. These transfers typically offer worse value than redeeming miles directly for flights — you usually get 0.5 to 1 cent per mile in value, whereas a flight redemption often yields 1 to 2 cents per mile. Transfer partners are most useful if you have leftover miles that would otherwise expire.

Annual fees and how to decide if the card pays for itself

ANA credit cards carry annual fees ranging from $95 for a basic card to $450 for premium tiers. The fee is charged once per year, usually on your card anniversary. Some cards waive the first-year fee, so you pay nothing in year one but face the full fee in year two and beyond.

To determine whether the card pays for itself, compare the annual fee against the value of the benefits you actually use. A $95 card might include a $100 airline incidental credit (covering seat upgrades, baggage fees, or lounge day passes), which when ready offsets the fee if you use it. Premium cards at $450 typically include higher incidental credits, lounge access, and bonus miles on your birthday, but you need to use those perks regularly to justify the cost.

If you do not fly ANA or its partners at least once or twice per year, or if you do not spend enough on the card to earn miles toward a redemption, the annual fee is unlikely to pay for itself. In that case, the free ANA Mileage Club membership (without a card) is sufficient — you straightforward earn miles more slowly from flights alone.

ANA Mileage Club tiers and status benefits

ANA Mileage Club has four membership tiers: regular (free), Bronze, Silver, and Gold. You move up tiers by earning a certain number of miles or segments (flights) in a calendar year. Bronze requires 30,000 miles or 10 segments, Silver requires 50,000 miles or 20 segments, and Gold requires 100,000 miles or 50 segments.

Higher tiers unlock benefits like priority boarding, seat upgrades on a space-available basis, bonus miles on flights, and lounge access. Gold members, for example, earn a 50% bonus on all ANA flight miles and receive two free lounge passes per year. However, reaching these tiers requires either flying frequently or holding a premium ANA credit card, which often grants status automatically or accelerates progress toward the next tier.

If you hold a premium ANA credit card, you may start at Silver or Gold status automatically, depending on the card. This means you get the tier benefits without having to earn them through flights, which is another reason premium cards appeal to frequent ANA travelers. Check your specific card's benefits guide to see what status tier it grants.

How ANA miles expire and how to keep them active

ANA miles expire after 36 months of inactivity. Inactivity means you have not earned or redeemed any miles during that period. If you hold an ANA credit card and use it regularly, your miles will not expire because charging purchases counts as activity. If you stop using the card or flying ANA, your miles will expire three years after your last transaction.

You can extend the expiration date by earning or redeeming miles, even in small amounts. Redeeming miles for a hotel stay, transferring miles to a partner program, or earning miles from a credit card purchase all reset the 36-month clock. If you have a large balance of miles you are not using, consider a small redemption or transfer to a partner to keep them alive while you plan your next trip.

Comparing ANA cards to other airline cards

ANA cards are most useful if you fly ANA or Star Alliance partners regularly, or if you live in a city with strong ANA service (typically the West Coast or Hawaii). If you fly other airlines more often, a card from United, American, or Delta will earn miles faster on those carriers and offer better redemption options for their own flights.

ANA cards also tend to have lower earning rates on non-ANA purchases compared to some competitors. A United card, for example, might earn 2 miles per dollar on all purchases, whereas an ANA card earns 1 mile per dollar on most categories. Over time, that difference compounds. However, if you value ANA's award availability or prefer flying ANA's product, the lower earning rate may be worth it for the better redemption experience.

The best choice depends on your actual flight patterns. If you are unsure which airline you fly most, check your booking history for the past year. Whichever airline appears most should guide your card choice.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I earn ANA miles without holding an ANA credit card?

Yes. ANA Mileage Club membership is free, and you earn one mile per dollar on ANA flights booked directly with the airline. You straightforward earn miles much more slowly than cardholders do, since you only earn on flights, not everyday purchases. Most people without a card reach a redemption threshold only after flying ANA multiple times per year.

What happens to my miles if I close my ANA credit card?

Your miles remain in your ANA Mileage Club account and do not disappear when you close the card. However, you lose the earning acceleration from the card, so your miles will expire after 36 months of inactivity if you do not fly ANA or earn miles another way. You can keep the miles alive by earning them through flights or transferring them to a partner program.

Can I use ANA miles to book flights for other people?

Yes. You can redeem ANA miles for award tickets for family members or friends, as long as you book the flight yourself through your ANA account. You cannot transfer miles to another person's account, but you can use your miles to purchase a ticket in their name. Some cards offer companion pass benefits that let a designated person fly free when you redeem miles, though this varies by card.

How do I find award availability on ANA flights?

Visit ANA's website and use their award search tool. You can search by route and date to see how many award seats are available at each mileage level. Availability updates daily, so checking multiple times per week increases your chances of finding space on popular routes. Setting up alerts through third-party tools can notify you when availability opens on your target route.

Is it worth transferring ANA miles to hotel partners?

Usually not, unless you have leftover miles about to expire. Hotel transfers typically yield 0.5 to 1 cent per mile in value, whereas redeeming miles for flights often yields 1 to 2 cents per mile. Use transfers as a last resort to prevent expiration, not as your primary redemption strategy.