Membership worldwide of Japan Airlines' frequent flyer program (FFP), the JAL Mileage Bank (JMB), has reached the 20 million mark. In celebration of reaching this milestone and as a token of the airline's gratitude towards all JMB members, JAL has launched worldwide the 'JMB Arigatou 20 Million Members Campaign'.

The 'JMB Arigatou 20 Million Members Campaign' will run from June 1 to September 30, 2007. People who register for the campaign will have the opportunity to win one of 8,200 prizes. Two hundred top prize winners will each receive JAL coupon awards worth 100,000 yen, and a gold colored JMB card embossed with a special commemorative 20 million members design. Runners-up will each receive 2,000 bonus JMB mileage.

All passengers traveling on JAL operated international flights and selected domestic flights departing during the campaign period, using fares eligible for JMB mileage accumulation can enter the prize draw. Passengers must also be members of the JAL Mileage Bank, and have registered for the campaign. JAL Mileage Bank enrolment is free. Membership application can be made online. For full details on the campaign and JMB, please visit www.jal.com.

JAL launched its first frequent flyer program in the USA in November 1983 with the name JAL Mileage Bank. In Japan the first JAL frequent flyer program started in January 1993 under the name JAL Sky Plus, initially for first and business class passengers and later including individual economy class travelers. Customers qualifying for awards received presents of travel coupons. In Japan the program was renamed the JAL Mileage Bank in October 1996.

The program expanded into today's mileage-earning program with some 20 million members worldwide. As a member of the JAL Mileage Bank there are many ways to earn and burn JMB miles. Miles can be earned by flying on JAL or JMB partner airlines. Over the years the program has been expanded to include mileage earnings not only from flights on JAL and its JAL Group subsidiary airlines, but also from 12 international partner carriers, and JMB Mile Partners including car and cellular phone rental companies and over 8,700 hotels worldwide.

For Japan region members, miles can also be earned in many aspects of daily life, for example, when shopping online, dining out, organizing a wedding, renting or moving house, subscribing to a publication and even when having fun at a karaoke bar.

Accumulated mileage can be exchanged for a wide range of exciting awards entitling members to free travel on JAL and JMB partner's air networks, international flight upgrades, and free nights stay at numerous JMB partner hotels worldwide. Miles can also be exchanged for JAL coupon awards which in turn can be used to make full or part payment for in-flight purchases, stays at JAL Hotels and other purchases.

Exclusive services and benefits are offered to JAL's most frequent flyers through the JMB 'FLY ON' program and JAL Global Club (JGC).

On April 1, 2007, JAL became a fully-fledged member of oneworld, the leading quality airline alliance. Within the alliance, each member airline retains their own FFP program, but links them to all the other members' programs. Consequently, JMB members can now earn and redeem mileage on eligible flights and fares throughout the oneworld network serving nearly 150 countries and almost 700 airports, making mileage accumulation easier, increasing the variety of travel awards available, and giving frequent flyers more opportunities to advance to a higher FFP program status.

Furthermore, JAL Global Club Premier, JMB Diamond and Sapphire cardholders can now gain access to 400 airport lounges worldwide offered by the alliance's airlines, and depending on their status level, are entitled to priority check-in, preferred boarding and seating, as well as priority standby and waitlisting at airports covered by the alliance's network.

Prior to joining oneworld, JAL had already established reciprocal frequent flyer program agreements with oneworld members: American Airlines (from 1995), British Airways (from 1999), Cathay Pacific (from 1999) and LAN (from 2005). Since JAL joined oneworld, JMB members' rewards and privileges have been extended to include the 5 other airlines in the alliance: Finnair, Iberia, Malev, Qantas and Royal Jordanian.

JMB members can also accumulate and redeem mileage on Air France (1995), Emirates (2002), and Dragonair (2001), a Cathay Pacific affiliated expected to join oneworld later this year.