ANA Mileage Club Stopover & Open-Jaw Guide: Taiwan–USA via Japan
ANA Mileage Club offers more than standard round-trip award flights. By combining a stopover and an open-jaw itinerary, travelers can visit multiple destinations on a single award ticket.
One particularly useful strategy is to start in Taiwan, fly ANA to the United States via Japan, and add a stopover in Tokyo on the return journey. This allows travelers to combine a U.S. trip with an extended stay in Japan without booking a separate round-trip award.
The mileage cost also matters. For Taiwan–North America Business Class awards, ANA-operated flights are cheaper during low and regular seasons, while Star Alliance partner awards require fewer miles during high season.
I personally used this strategy in 2022, flying from Taipei to Los Angeles, returning from New York, and spending approximately 12 days in Tokyo before flying home.
For an overview of the program, see my ANA Mileage Club Complete Guide.
⭐ ANA Stopover Rules & Business Class Award Comparison
ANA-operated international awards and partner airline awards follow different stopover rules and mileage charts.
| Feature | ANA-Operated Awards | Partner Airline Awards |
|---|---|---|
| Stopover when departing Japan | Not permitted | 1 permitted |
| Stopover when departing outside Japan | 1 permitted | 1 permitted |
| Stopover duration | More than 24 hours | More than 24 hours |
| Taiwan–North America Business, Low Season | 108,000 miles | 130,000 miles |
| Taiwan–North America Business, Regular Season | 114,000 miles | 130,000 miles |
| Taiwan–North America Business, High Season | 173,000 miles | 130,000 miles |
| Pricing | Seasonal | Fixed |
| Open Jaw | Allowed under applicable rules | Allowed under applicable rules |
Required ANA miles per person, round trip, between Asia 1 (Zone 3) and North America (Zone 6).
The Business Class comparison is straightforward:
- Low Season: ANA-operated awards save 22,000 miles.
- Regular Season: ANA-operated awards save 16,000 miles.
- High Season: Partner airline awards save 43,000 miles.
Therefore, ANA-operated Business Class is generally the better mileage option during low and regular seasons. During high season, travelers should prioritize checking Star Alliance partner awards.
Actual award availability, taxes, and carrier-imposed surcharges must still be considered.
💺 ANA-Operated Awards: Taiwan–North America Mileage Chart
ANA-operated international award tickets use seasonal pricing.
Taiwan belongs to Asia 1 (Zone 3), while the continental United States belongs to North America (Zone 6).
| Cabin | Low Season | Regular Season | High Season |
|---|---|---|---|
| Economy | 45,000 | 55,000 | 79,000 |
| Premium Economy | 66,000 | 76,000 | 105,000 |
| Business Class | 108,000 | 114,000 | 173,000 |
| First Class | 165,000 | 185,000 | 315,000 |
Required ANA miles per person, round trip.
ANA revised certain international award prices effective June 24, 2025, with substantial increases for high-season premium cabin redemptions.
Business Class awards remain relatively attractive during low and regular seasons, particularly for travelers planning a North America trip with a Japan stopover.
If the outbound and return flights fall into different seasons, ANA calculates the required mileage using the applicable season for each direction.
See the official ANA International Award Mileage Chart for seasonal dates and current rates.
🌎 ANA Partner Awards: Taiwan–North America Mileage Chart
ANA partner airline awards use fixed zone-based pricing rather than seasonal pricing.
| Cabin | Round-Trip Miles |
|---|---|
| Economy | 60,000 |
| Business Class | 130,000 |
| First Class | 204,000 |
Required ANA miles per person, round trip, between Zone 3 and Zone 6.
Partner Business Class awards require 130,000 miles throughout the year.
This is more expensive than ANA-operated Business Class during low and regular seasons, but cheaper during high season.
Another advantage is stopover eligibility. Qualifying partner airline round-trip awards can include one stopover whether the itinerary originates in Japan or outside Japan.
A combination of ANA flights and eligible Star Alliance partner-operated flights may also be booked under the partner award rules, subject to routing restrictions and available award seats.
For more information about the alliance, see the Star Alliance Complete Guide.
✈️ My Actual ANA Award Booking: Taiwan, USA & Japan
In 2022, I booked a round-trip award ticket operated entirely by ANA.
My itinerary was:
Taipei Songshan → Tokyo Haneda → Los Angeles // New York JFK → Tokyo Haneda → Taipei Songshan
Original ANA E-Ticket
▲ My actual ANA award ticket from 2022, showing flights between Taipei, Tokyo, Los Angeles, and New York, including an approximately 12-day stopover in Japan. Personal and reservation information should be redacted before publication.
Complete Flight Itinerary
| Date | Route | Flight | Itinerary |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 23 | TSA → HND | NH852 | Same-day connection in Tokyo |
| Sep 23 | HND → LAX | NH106 | Arrive in Los Angeles |
| — | LAX // JFK | Surface sector | Travel independently within the USA |
| Oct 6–7 | JFK → HND | NH109 | Return to Tokyo |
| Oct 19 | HND → TSA | NH851 | End of Japan stopover |
All four flights were operated by ANA. No partner airline segments were included.
How I Combined a Transfer, Stopover & Open Jaw
| Feature | Location | Actual Arrangement |
|---|---|---|
| Transfer | Tokyo Haneda | Same-day connection on the outbound journey |
| Stopover | Tokyo Haneda | Approximately 12 days in Japan |
| Open Jaw | LAX // JFK | Arrived in Los Angeles, departed from New York |
The key advantage was combining a multi-city U.S. trip and an extended stay in Japan within a single round-trip award ticket.
🛑 Why Was a Japan Stopover Allowed on an All-ANA Award?
The key is where the round-trip itinerary originates.
For ANA-operated international award tickets:
- Round-trip itineraries originating in Japan cannot include a stopover.
- Round-trip itineraries originating outside Japan may include one stopover at an intermediate point.
My itinerary originated in Taipei rather than Tokyo.
Tokyo was an intermediate point between Taiwan and the United States, so I was able to spend approximately 12 days in Japan before taking the final flight back to Taipei.
The itinerary followed this structure:
Taiwan → Japan → United States → Japan (Stopover) → Taiwan
This is particularly useful for travelers based in Taiwan or elsewhere outside Japan.
Instead of booking a separate award ticket to visit Japan, an eligible round-trip award can incorporate the stopover.
However, a stopover still counts toward ANA’s applicable transfer limits.
For the full conditions, see ANA International Flight Award Terms and Conditions.
🔄 ANA Open Jaw: Los Angeles In, New York Out
My itinerary also included an open jaw within the United States:
LAX // JFK
I arrived in Los Angeles but departed from New York.
The journey between the two cities was arranged independently rather than included as an ANA flight segment.
This made it possible to visit multiple U.S. destinations without returning to Los Angeles simply to catch the flight home.
ANA permits qualifying open-jaw itineraries, subject to geographic and routing restrictions.
A surface sector also affects transfer calculations. Under ANA’s international award rules, the two endpoints of a ground transportation sector are counted together as one transfer.
A stopover and an open jaw can be combined when the entire itinerary meets the applicable conditions.
💡 Why This Is an ANA Mileage Club Sweet Spot
1. ANA Business Class Is Cheaper During Low and Regular Seasons
For Taiwan–North America awards, ANA-operated Business Class requires fewer miles than partner awards during low and regular seasons.
This makes ANA-operated flights an attractive option when suitable award seats are available.
2. Add a Japan Stopover Without a Separate Award Ticket
An eligible round-trip award originating outside Japan can include one stopover at an intermediate point.
This allows travelers to visit the United States and Japan within the same award ticket.
Adding a stopover does not automatically reduce the required mileage, but it can increase the travel value of the redemption.
3. Use an Open Jaw for a Multi-City U.S. Trip
An open jaw allows travelers to arrive in one U.S. city and depart from another.
This reduces unnecessary backtracking and makes longer itineraries more flexible.
4. Partner Awards Become More Attractive During High Season
When ANA-operated Business Class awards rise to the high-season rate, fixed-price partner awards can provide a meaningful mileage saving.
This is why travelers should compare both ANA-operated and partner award charts before redeeming miles.
⚠️ Important ANA Stopover & Open-Jaw Rules
1. Stopovers Require an Eligible Round-Trip Award
ANA does not allow stopovers on one-way award itineraries.
The stopover benefit discussed in this guide applies to qualifying round-trip awards.
2. ANA-Operated and Partner Awards Have Different Restrictions
An all-ANA international award originating in Japan cannot include a stopover.
Qualifying partner airline round-trip awards may include one stopover regardless of whether the journey originates in Japan or another country.
3. Stopovers Count Toward Transfer Limits
A stopover does not provide an additional connection allowance.
The full itinerary must comply with ANA’s routing and transfer rules.
4. Open-Jaw Cities Must Meet Geographic Restrictions
Not every combination of arrival and departure cities is eligible.
Travelers must consider ANA’s geographic rules, surface-sector restrictions, and transfer calculations.
5. Award Availability and Taxes Still Matter
A lower mileage requirement does not guarantee available award seats.
Always compare the actual flights, mileage requirements, taxes, and carrier-imposed surcharges.
6. My Booking Was Made in 2022
The itinerary presented here is my actual 2022 redemption.
The mileage charts in this guide reflect current award pricing rather than the historical rates that applied when I booked the ticket.
🏁 Conclusion
ANA Mileage Club’s stopover and open-jaw rules can make round-trip award tickets significantly more flexible.
In 2022, I successfully booked an all-ANA itinerary combining:
Taipei → Tokyo → Los Angeles // New York → Tokyo (12-Day Stopover) → Taipei
This allowed me to visit multiple U.S. destinations and spend nearly two weeks in Japan within a single round-trip award.
For Taiwan–North America Business Class redemptions, the main strategy is simple:
- Low Season: Prioritize ANA-operated awards.
- Regular Season: Prioritize ANA-operated awards.
- High Season: Compare Star Alliance partner awards first.
- Japan Stopover: Confirm that the itinerary’s origin and award type qualify.
The greatest value comes from understanding ANA’s award charts and routing rules, then combining them to build a more flexible trip.
For more redemption strategies, visit the ANA Mileage Club Complete Guide.
