The Ground Miler Roadmap 2026 — Earn 100,000 Miles/Year via Point Activity

Strategy by theme Published:2026-05-29 11 min read

What a "ground miler" is — earning miles without flying

A "ground miler" is someone who earns miles via point activity while barely flying. You convert point-activity earnings from card issuance, FX, and video trials into miles and travel on award tickets — the modern royal road. Bank 100,000 miles a year and a family round trip to Hawaii is within reach.

This article is a from-zero roadmap to becoming a ground miler, and the gateway to the JAL, ANA, and exchange-route chapters.

JAL or ANA — which to target?

A ground miler's first fork is "JAL or ANA." For point activity, JAL has a slight edge on conversion rate.

ItemJALANA
Main routeMoppy directMoppy→JQ CARD→ANA
Effective rate80% (Dream 88%)81% (via JQ)
DifficultyEasy (direct)Medium (JQ CARD required)
Expiry36 months36 months
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Beginners should start with JAL. Moppy direct conversion is simple, and timing to Dream Campaigns (4–6/year) gets 88%. Even ANA fans are safer accumulating JAL miles in parallel first.

A blueprint for 100,000 miles a year

100,000 miles a year ≈ 120,000–130,000 yen of point earnings (at Dream's 88%). A 10,000-yen-a-month pace is realistic.

  1. One card a month12 a year → 100,000–200,000 yen worth → into miles. See the card-issuance chapter.
  2. FX offers, 6–8 brokers a year15,000–25,000 yen each = a big funding base.
  3. Rotate video trials2,000–4,000 yen a month, steadily.
  4. Convert intensively during DreamTurn accumulated points into miles at 88%.

Total: 20,000–30,000 yen of monthly earnings → 240,000–360,000 a year → about 200,000–300,000 miles is achievable.

Maximizing award-ticket "value"

The key with miles is that "what you use them on" swings the value of one mile from 1 to over 10 yen.

  • Domestic economy: 1 mile ≈ 1.5–2 yen
  • International economy: 1 mile ≈ 2–3 yen
  • International business class: 1 mile ≈ 4–7 yen (highest value)

The same 100,000 miles is several times better spent on international business than domestic economy. Set the ground miler's goal at "travel in business class" and the cost-effectiveness jumps.

FAQ

Do miles really accumulate without flying?
Yes. 90%+ of a ground miler's miles come via point activity / cards. Flight miles are just a bonus; point activity is the main engine.
Is it OK to accumulate both JAL and ANA?
OK. But splitting makes it harder to reach the count an award ticket needs. Concentrate on one first, then go two-sword once you've built up — more efficient.
I'm scared of miles expiring
Both JAL and ANA are 36 months from earning. For long-term plans, "convert in bulk just before use" is the rule. Left as a point-site balance, the expiry is looser (see the exchange-route chapter).

This article was written from publicly available information on each point site as of May 2026. Cashback rates, campaign terms, and redemption rules can change without notice — always check each site's official page for the latest. This site uses each point site's referral program, but going through a referral link never changes the rate you receive.