Marriott / JAL Partnership Can Mean Instant oneworld Status

Usually when I see these kinds of partnerships, it turns out to be a big yawn. I think the only Marriott Bonvoy + airline tie-up I think is really valuable is on United, where being a Bonvoy Titanium member grants you Silver status.

But Bonvoy has replicated that kind of excellent partnership with an unexpected new partner – JAL (Japan Airlines) and their Fly ON status program.

Here are the benefits. 

Without question, JAL members get the short end of the stick here (unless you are Diamond!), only being offered as high as (mostly worthless) Gold Elite status with Bonvoy. But Bonvoy elites can get instant oneworld status. 

Benefits for Marriott Bonvoy Members

Marriott Bonvoy members are now able to accelerate to a higher tier of JAL Mileage Bank status through FLY ON Points, credited when members link their accounts. Titanium and Ambassador members will additionally receive Crystal status or above:

Benefits for JAL Mileage Bank Members

You can link your accounts right now here.

Here’s the awesome thing.

A Titanium elite or higher gets instant oneworld Ruby status as that is what their Crystal status maps to. Ambassador get’s 40,000 points, which is instant Ruby and only 10,000 to oneworld Sapphire because, if you actually fly, you can get to 50,000 Fly ON points which maps to JMB Sapphire / oneworld Sapphire. That is where you’ll get lounge access, even on domestic AA flights.

You earn Fly ON points based on a combination of where you are flying and what fare class:

• Japan Domestic Flights: Actual mileage × 2 (double points)
• Asia / Oceania Flights (excluding certain regions): Actual mileage × 1.5
• All Other International Flights: Actual mileage × 1

X

• First Class / Business Class: 125% – 150% of base miles
• Discounted Economy: 30% – 100% of base miles

Now, what is not clear is this: normally you need half of your Fly ON points to come from JAL flights. Do the points deposited from Bonvoy status count as JAL?

I *think* so purely because of what I see in my account after linking my Marriott Bonvoy Lifetime Platinum account. The screenshot implies that my remaining 10,000 points needed for Crystal status (oneworld Ruby) do not need to be JMB – i.e. the deposited points count as JMB earned.

80,000 points would get you oneworld Emerald (as high as it goes) and if you are an Ambassador that got 40,000 points and my theory is correct about the deposited points being JMB, those 40,000 points could come from crediting oneworld flights to JAL.

For sure, instant status of any kind on oneworld thanks to your Bonvoy Titanium or higher is excellent. Keep in mind that with a Bonvoy Brilliant credit card plus a Bonvoy business credit card, you earn 40 elite nights a year. Titanium is at 75 nights – or just 35 on top of that combo which is really quite doable.

Thoughts?

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