LAX is one of the US's best airports for trans-Pacific awards — direct flights to Tokyo, Hong Kong, and Seoul on multiple carriers. Europe is also strong with British Airways, Air France, Lufthansa, and Finnair direct routes. Alaska Mileage Plan is the standout program for LAX-based travelers.
Alaska Airlines is based in the Pacific Northwest but has major LAX operations. As a oneworld member, Alaska miles book flights on British Airways (LAX→LHR), Finnair (LAX→HEL), Japan Airlines (LAX→HND/NRT), Cathay Pacific (LAX→HKG), and more — all at fixed, no-dynamic-pricing rates with no fuel surcharges.
| Program | LAX Awards | From (pts) | Best use |
|---|---|---|---|
| alaska | 624 | 27,500 | LAX home hub, JAL/BA/Finnair fixed chart |
| flyingblue | 444 | 25,000 | Air France LAX→CDG direct, Promo Awards |
| united | 414 | 40,000 | Star Alliance, ANA Japan access |
| lufthansa | 297 | 88 | — |
| aeroplan | 286 | 39,400 | — |
| american | 240 | 21,000 | LAX hub, Qantas & JAL trans-Pacific |
| virginatlantic | 239 | 9,000 | — |
| qantas | 169 | 36,200 | — |
| qatar | 151 | 25,750 | — |
| delta | 148 | 32,400 | — |
LAX is unique among US airports in having direct premium cabin routes to both Europe and Asia on multiple carriers. For Japan, you have ANA and Japan Airlines (JAL) nonstops — two of the world's best business class products. Alaska Mileage Plan books JAL "The Room" business class from LAX at 70,000 miles one-way with no fuel surcharges. American AAdvantage books JAL at 60,000 miles. Both programs offer fixed-chart pricing with no dynamic adjustment, making LAX-to-Tokyo planning more predictable than almost any other ultra-long-haul route in the world.
For Europe, LAX has direct routes via Finnair to Helsinki (bookable via Alaska at 45,000 miles business), Air France to Paris CDG (bookable via Flying Blue Promo Awards), British Airways to London Heathrow, Lufthansa to Frankfurt, and Iberia to Madrid. This breadth of European carriers means LAX travelers can often mix and match — fly out on Air France, return on British Airways — and access the best award availability across multiple programs. Cathay Pacific's LAX→HKG route (bookable via Alaska Mileage Plan at 50,000 miles business) is particularly strong for connecting to Southeast Asia.
The key LAX strategy is building an Alaska Mileage Plan balance alongside Chase or Amex flexible points. Alaska covers the JAL, British Airways, Finnair, and Cathay Pacific routes at fixed, no-surcharge rates. Chase transfers to Alaska at 1:1, making it the most direct path. Amex doesn't transfer to Alaska but does cover Flying Blue (Air France routes) and Aeroplan (Lufthansa routes). For most LAX travelers targeting premium cabin, Alaska + Chase combination covers the widest range of optimal redemptions.