Point sites for mile collectors 2026 — best JAL / ANA mile conversion routes

How "Land Milers" Choose Points Sites — The Gateway to Efficient Mile Conversion

A "land miler" is someone who accumulates airline miles without actually flying — through everyday spending and various sign-up activities. Their core tool is a points site (a Japanese cashback/reward portal). But not all points sites are created equal: some are better suited for converting to JAL miles, others to ANA miles, and some support both. Starting without understanding these differences often leads to a frustrating situation: "I've accumulated a lot of points, but there's no route to the miles I want" or "I'm converting through such a roundabout path that efficiency suffers."

This article focuses on how to choose and combine points sites as a land miler. Key topics include: which site JAL fans and ANA fans should use as their base, the role of relay points, how to evaluate bonus campaigns, and how to build resistance against policy changes (kaiaku) through multi-site diversification.

Note: specific exchange rates, required miles, campaign thresholds, and timing all change over time. This article explains concepts and approaches only — no specific figures are provided. Before taking action, always check the latest information on each points site's official page, JAL's official site, ANA's official site, and Pointnavi. JAL fans should also read the JAL Miles × Points Guide, ANA fans the ANA Miles × Points Guide, and for a detailed comparison see the ANA vs. JAL Miles Comparison Guide.

Your First Site—Three Things to Check First

When starting out as a land miler, rather than comparing many sites right away, grasping the criteria for choosing "the first site" makes it easier to get moving. Don't overthink it—start by checking these three points.

1. ① Decide the miles you want to collect (JAL/ANA) firstBefore choosing a site, decide "which miles to collect." Without this, you can't judge whether an exchange route is good. If unsure, JAL fans should read the JAL guide first, ANA fans the ANA guide.
2. ② Check whether the site has a route to those milesBefore registering, always check "whether you can convert to the miles you want, directly or via a relay." Accumulating on a site with no route leaves you with no exit.
3. ③ Match the name with your mileage accountMatch the point site's registered name with your JAL Mileage Bank / ANA Mileage Club name. If it's off, the exchange gets rejected.

A big starting point for land-mile collectors to pile up a lump of points all at once is the new-issuance offer for credit cards. Point-site card-issuance offers are often high-value on their own, letting you get a lump of points in a shorter period than steadily stacking everyday shopping referrals. Furthermore, choosing an airline or affiliated card on which miles accumulate easily means that, on top of the referral reward at issuance, miles also pile up on subsequent payments. However, get only the number of cards you need, planfully — applying for many in a short period can affect your credit information, so choose after checking annual fees and exchange conditions. For how to choose a card and take issuance offers, see the credit card sign-up cashback guide, and setting a card with good compatibility for the miles you want as your starting point raises efficiency.

How the Conversion Route Shapes Everything — Understanding Relay Points

When converting points from a points site into miles, the path is rarely a simple A→B. More often it looks like A→relay X→B or A→credit card points Y→B, with intermediate steps. Understanding this "relay" structure is step one in choosing the right points site.

3 Types of Conversion Routes and Their Roles

How Relay Points Serve as a Consolidation Hub

If you use multiple points sites, it can be more effective to consolidate all points into one relay platform first, then convert in a single batch, rather than converting from each site separately. Relay platforms like PeX and Dot Money can receive points from various sources and act as a "hub." Which relay platforms support which sites changes over time, so always verify at the official sources.

※ Exchange rates, minimum conversion units, and relay platform compatibility all change over time. Check the latest at Pointnavi and each official site.

Choosing a Points Site for JAL Miles — How to Think About Your Base Site

When choosing a points site specifically to build JAL miles efficiently, the top priority is: "Does this site have a direct conversion route to JAL miles, or does it run bonus campaigns for JAL miles?" Here are the key criteria for JAL-focused land milers:

Key JAL Route Characteristics by Site

For a detailed JAL miles accumulation plan and how to use JAL Dream Campaign-style bonus events, see the JAL Miles × Points Guide.

Choosing a Points Site for ANA Miles — Building Your Relay Route

Compared to JAL, there are fewer points sites with a direct conversion route to ANA miles — relay-based structures are the norm. Not knowing this and vaguely picking a site that "seems good for ANA miles" often leads to registering a site that doesn't support your intended relay platform. For ANA fans, the most practical approach is to decide which relay route to use first, then choose the sites that support it.

Key ANA Route Characteristics by Site

For a detailed ANA miles accumulation plan and bonus campaign strategies, see the ANA Miles × Points Guide. For Moppy tips, see the Moppy In-Depth Guide.

How to Choose Relay Points—How to Hold an "Aggregation Hub"

Using multiple point sites scatters your points all over. Holding one relay point (PeX, Dot Money, etc.) as an "aggregation hub" that brings them together makes it easier to clear exchange-unit constraints and to secure an exit to miles. Here is how to think about choosing a relay.

• Breadth of accepted sources: Whether you can send points from the point sites you use to that relay. The more sites a relay accepts from, the better it works as an "aggregation hub."
• Whether there's an exit to miles: Whether there's a route from that relay to the miles you want (JAL/ANA). Gathering at a hub with no exit is meaningless.
• Whether there are bonus campaigns: The relay itself may run bonuses. Combining a relay's bonus with a site as the starting point changes efficiency.
• Exchange units and expiry: Relays also have exchange units and expiry. Gathering and then leaving points risks expiry at the relay.

How you route through relay points toward miles — this "building of the exchange route" itself sways a land-mile collector's efficiency. Even with points from the same point site, which relay you insert and in what order you exchange changes the effort and the exchange-unit constraints. More relay steps isn't better; the principle is "insert only by the shortest path, and only when there's a purpose." Memorizing a design that consolidates points from multiple sites into one relay hub and heads from there to miles all at once lets you carry scattered points to the exit without waste. The mechanics of exchange-route relays and the specific approach to routing are organized in detail in the exchange-relay chapter, so check it alongside choosing your relay.

Using "Ease of Converting to Your Target Miles" to Allocate Multiple Sites

Land milers use multiple points sites not just to "earn more" but also — critically — to reduce dependence on any single site or route. Over a long career, spreading risk across sites and routes matters just as much as maximizing daily accumulation. Using the framework below helps you maintain viable routes to both JAL and ANA miles.

The 3-Tier Site Allocation Framework

1. ① Primary site(s): 1–2 sites with a direct route or advantageous path to your target milesJAL fans: sites with a direct JAL route or a history of JAL bonus campaigns. ANA fans: sites that support your chosen relay platform. These are also where you take on high-value tasks (credit cards, FX, etc.) for big point injections.
2. ② Secondary site(s): 1–2 sites with broad task variety and strong shopping cashbackUsed for steady accumulation through everyday spending and smaller tasks. These fill in gaps in your primary site's task lineup. If they connect to your relay hub, they also contribute to your relay accumulation.
3. ③ Backup site: at least 1 site that can route to the other airline's milesEven as a JAL fan, register at least one site with an ANA route (and vice versa). If your primary route gets discontinued or worsened, having a backup airline destination for your points prevents them from going to waste.

For a detailed Moppy vs. Hapitas comparison, see Moppy vs. Hapitas Comparison Guide. For Hapitas specifics, see the Hapitas In-Depth Guide.

This kind of using sites by role is part of the whole of land-mile-collector activity. Working backward from the goal of "which miles, roughly how many a year, and to use them for what" makes it easier to decide your main/sub/insurance site structure too. Grasping the series of flows as the big picture of your activity — create a starting point with the first card issuance, raise the floor with everyday shopping referrals, and exchange in bulk at increase-campaign timings — keeps your site-choice judgments steady. The big picture from how to start as a land-mile collector to how to build the year is summarized in the mileage-runner guide, so proceed with site choice mindful of "where it fits in the whole activity."

How Bonus Campaigns Change Your Site Strategy — Picking Sites by "When You Can Use Them"

The biggest variable affecting mile conversion efficiency for land milers is the bonus campaign. Points sites, relay platforms, and card companies periodically offer "enhanced conversion periods" — windows where the conversion rate is better than normal. Whether you can take advantage of these windows makes a significant difference. Building this into your site selection criteria is one of the key levers separating casual users from experienced land milers.

3 Things to Evaluate When Sizing Up a Site's Bonus Campaign Value

• Has the site historically run bonus campaigns for JAL or ANA miles? Sites with a track record are more likely to run them again. Using only a site with no such history means you may perpetually miss these opportunities.
• Do bonus campaigns require member rank or prior actions to qualify? Many bonus campaigns require you to maintain a certain member tier or have a prior usage history. Simply being registered is not enough. You need to have been consistently active on the site to qualify when a campaign launches.
• Do you have a system to catch bonus information in real time? The window between announcement and campaign start can be short. Follow the official X (Twitter) accounts, enable email notifications, and check Pointnavi's announcement section regularly.

Building Policy-Change Resilience Through Diversification — Running Sites for the Long Term

In the world of points × mile conversion, changes happen: conversion routes get discontinued, exchange rates decline, bonus campaigns get cancelled. Without identifying any specific past events, the overall lesson is clear: operating with "things will change" as a baseline assumption is what long-term land milers do.

Types of Changes That Can Occur

• Specific conversion routes being suspended or discontinued: If the relationship between a points site and a relay platform changes, a route you depended on can close with little warning. Without knowing alternatives in advance, you can get stuck.
• Worsening exchange rates: Even on the same route, if the ratio declines, you get fewer miles for the same points.
• Bonus campaigns ending or conditions getting stricter: The bonus might shrink, or the qualification requirements might increase.
• Relay platform service shutting down: If a relay platform closes, every route running through it becomes unusable simultaneously.
• Adjustments to required miles for award tickets: The redemption value of accumulated miles can also shift.

4 Principles for Building a Policy-Change-Resistant Setup

1. ① Spread across 2–3 points sitesSingle-site concentration means any policy change at that site hits you fully. Using Moppy as a primary while also holding accounts at Hapitas, Gendama, etc. gives you viable alternatives if your primary route closes. High-value tasks also differ by site, so multiple registrations increase the chances of always having something available.
2. ② Know both JAL and ANA routesEven as a JAL fan, understand which sites can route to ANA miles (and vice versa). If the JAL path gets worse, being able to pivot to ANA prevents your accumulated points from going to waste. See the ANA vs. JAL Miles Comparison Guide.
3. ③ Don't hoard — redeem progressivelyMiles are "tickets with an expiry date." Once you've built up a meaningful amount, prioritize redeeming them for award flights rather than continuing to stockpile. The longer you hold without redeeming, the longer you're exposed to policy change and expiry risks. For points expiry management, see the Points Expiry Prevention Guide.
4. ④ Build a habit of monitoring official announcementsPolicy changes typically come with official advance notice. Enable email notifications from each points site, JAL, and ANA, and regularly check Pointnavi's updates. Catching changes early gives you the option to convert on favorable terms before they take effect.

Common Mistakes in Points Site Selection — and How to Avoid Them

• Registering a "famous" site without checking conversion routes: Discovering after sign-up that there's no viable path to your target miles is a common frustration. Always verify "is there a route to the miles I want?" before registering.
• Single-site concentration, single-point risk: The "just use the best one" approach means that any policy change at that site hits you completely. Spreading across multiple sites creates redundancy so one site's problems don't derail your entire operation.
• Trying to prepare after a bonus campaign is announced: The window between announcement and campaign start can be short, and member rank or usage history requirements may not be achievable in time. If you want to use bonus campaigns, you need to have been actively using the site well before the announcement.
• Points expiring in the middle of a relay: After transferring points from a site to a relay platform, the relay platform also has an expiry timer. Points can expire at that intermediate stage if you're not careful. Check balances and expiry dates at every stage regularly.
• Name mismatch causing conversion rejections: If the name on your points site account doesn't match your JAL Mileage Bank or ANA Mileage Club account, conversions may be rejected. Use your exact legal name consistently across all registrations.
• Splitting too evenly between JAL and ANA, reaching neither threshold: Half-heartedly accumulating for both airlines simultaneously often results in not having enough for either airline's minimum conversion unit. A better approach: decide which airline to prioritize first, then hold a backup registration for the other — rather than splitting evenly from the start.

Mini Glossary—Common Words in Mile-Focused Point Activities

Here are terms that appear in a land miler's site selection, paired with their meanings and notes. Since figures change with the period, only word meanings are given here.

Knowing the terms makes explanations of exchange routes and diversification strategy easier to read. Exchange rates, required miles, and support status change frequently, so before you actually act, confirm the latest on each point site's official site, JAL/ANA official sites, and Pointnavi.

Frequently Asked Questions