The bathrooms themselves are fairly old and basic, and even the larger bathroom isn’t large, per se. It has everything you want from First Class: Out-of-this-world food and drinks, outstanding service, amazing amenities and a comfortable place to sit, work, and sleep. That means I had both experiences fresh in my memory, for better or worse. The wine list was equally impressive with the Chateau Lagrange 2013 on offer. We were then asked to take seats, as the aircraft wasn’t ready yet to commence boarding. At the end of the Library Room is a shoeshine section where 2 attendants were hard at work. I spent some time searching for availability of Japan Airlines First Class and successfully redeemed an award ticket with Alaska Airline … Unlike business class, JAL does not overlook a single detail. Many of the credit card offers that appear on this site are from credit card companies from which we receive financial compensation. There are thin cuts of melt-in-your-mouth wagyu beef with mushroom, a fresh and perfectly cooked bowl of rice, some miso soup, and a small platter of pickles. Kyle Potter is the executive editor of Thrifty Traveler. The boarding lanes were drawn up with 1 for first class passengers and Oneworld Emerald status holders and the other for business class passengers and Oneworld Sapphire status holders. I have had the good fortune to dine at both these restaurants for the most sublime of kaiseki experiences. Japan Airlines’ 777 first class cabin consists of a total of eight seats, spread across two rows in a 1-2-1 configuration. With a few hours to go in the flight, Sugiyama came to my seat with a “gift”: A choice between a box of Shiseido skincare products for men, and another box of products from Cle de Peau for women, with three face masks and some other products. The screens along the hallways are decorated with intricate “sakura” flower engravings. Click here to see a list of advertisers that we work with. With just eight seats in the cabin, there’s no need to worry about overhead luggage space. There are almost always JAL first class awards available between Tokyo and the U.S in the final two or three weeks before that flight actually departs. The entire meal service lasted over approximately 1.5 hours. It’s the food, drinks, and dining that truly separates the world’s best first class from the rest. There are some incredible and luxurious first class options out there, from the 50-square-foot suites on Singapore Airlines to the Apartments on Etihad’s Airbus A380 to the incomparable new Emirates First Class suites. This was the trainee’s second flight, and naturally, he was nervous but eager to serve in keeping with the highest standards of Japanese hospitality. And then Japan Airlines took it even farther. Japan Airlines operates a fleet of 13 Boeing 777-300ER aircraft, offering its flagship first class service out... Cabin. Commute-wise, I prefer jetting in and out of Haneda International Airport, as it is only 15 kilometers from the city center compared to Narita International Airport, which is 60 kilometers east of central Tokyo. Terminal 2 will also begin handling international flights to cope with the anticipated increase in traffic during the 2020 Summer Olympics. However, having left Japan, I hadn’t flown on them in some time. I proceeded to book the ticket through Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan that cost me 70,000 miles + $52.03 per person including taxes and fees, which is a pittance as compared to the listed retail price of Â¥1,383,000 ($12,800). Additionally, Japan Airlines hands out Shiseido skincare kits, which contain cleansing foam, hydrating lotion, and a revitalizer face cream. Rather than simply tapping what you’re looking for, you use your fingers on the remote as if it was a cursor on the screen. Japan Airlines First Class Boeing 777-300ER HND-JFK (JL 6) Let’s go head-to-head on: 1. But the interface on these remotes is a bit clunky and confusing. As you turn left from the Library Room, next up is the Gallery Room, which displays airplane models, vintage travel accessories, photographs, and even an actual Airbus A310 radio communication unit. Responses have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by the bank advertiser. About 15 minutes after takeoff, Sugiyama came through the cabin to set my table for a second round of drink orders. The only complaint is that JAL doesn’t provide some kind of mattress sheet, but rather you sleep directly on the mattress pad. Japan Airlines operates its international flights from the International Terminal, which opened in 2010. They are also provided with 23-inch television screens for entertainment, as well as ample storage area. However, at the time of booking, you could not view and search Japan Airlines awards on AA.com, which has since changed as of June 11, 2019. Japan Airlines hands out Etro amenity kits in first class which include an eye mask, moisture mask, earplugs, socks, comb, shoehorn, dental kit, napkins, and Shantung-branded hand cream, body lotion, and lip balm. Being a fan of Japanese cuisine, it was a no-brainer that I opted for the Japanese kaiseki option, a traditional multi-course haute cuisine experience. Around 45 minutes before the arrival, the captain announced, “top of descent,” and the crew commenced securing the cabin. If there’s one area where JAL first class stumbles, it’s with its entertainment. It’s a great space, but certainly not among the world’s best first class lounges in the looks department. Many of the credit card offers that appear on this site are from credit card companies from which we receive financial compensation. In addition, as an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. As of March 2019, in addition to the elusive Salon 2007 Blanc de Blancs Brut Le Mesnil (which retails for approximately $580), Japan Airlines was also serving the Louis Roederer Cristal 2009 (which retails at approximately $230) and the 2019 International Wine Challenge Gold winner, Comtes de Champagne Grands Crus Blanc des Blancs 2007 (which retails at approximately $200) as back up Champagnes, if I may say so. Japan Airlines’ first class cabin consists of a total of eight seats, spread across two rows in a 1-2-1 configuration. The lounge was quite large, with plenty of distinct areas to sit, eat, or relax. Oddly, Japan Airlines serves these high-end Champagnes in wine glasses and not proper Champagne flutes. We pushed back at 11:08 a.m., 28 minutes behind scheduled departure. I had no reason to complain but would have preferred a different option to the Comtes, which is also a Blanc des Blancs, similar to the Salon 2007. In-flight, service is faultless with smiling faces. But everything else, from the service to the food to the drinks and JAL’s entire aura, is an absolute home run. Both the washrooms were well stocked with Clé de Peau Beauté amenities. That said, these seats are typically at least 10 years old, and were showing their age in some spots with scuffs along the leather and plastic. I woke up around 2.5 hours before arrival and was ready to snack, with a variety of options available from the extensive à la carte menu, available throughout the flight. While JAL’s first class seats are on the older side, first class travelers are in for a treat departing Narita – a brand new lounge. There are two reading lights on each side of your head, which you can turn on with a quick swivel. The meal started with a spread of five Japanese delicacies. A dedicated sushi chef – and sometimes two – are stationed here from 7:30 a.m. until 12:30 p.m., and again from 3 p.m. until 8 p.m. You can order sets of three pieces of nigiri at a time, but feel free to keep going back. Each dish was perfectly cooked and flavorful. And then there’s an absolutely massive compartment, at least a foot deep, where you can store headphones, an amenity kit, pajamas, a laptop, and more. The internet speed was atrociously slow and then ended up crapping out in the satellite blackout zone as we headed near the North Pole flying great circle to New York. Though the hard product is dated and dull, the seats are massive and comfortable. Japan Airlines First Class – Shiseido men’s skincare kit and Jean-Paul Hévin macarons. The small tray here is a great place to keep your phone throughout the flight. Whilst departing Tokyo, if you have the option of flying out of Haneda instead of Narita, I would recommend Haneda not only in terms of commute but also for the stunning views of Tokyo’s skyline you enjoy during takeoff. Every Japan Airlines First Class flight has a special bottle on hand. At the back of the cabin, there’s just a thin wall separating the start of the business class cabin on these Boeing 777s. Still, these screens get the job done. The cabin manager escorted me to my seat — 2A. best ways to use American AAdvantage miles. I had sufficient miles in both my Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan and  American Airlines AAdvantage accounts to book this first class award ticket. There is additional storage space also available below the ottoman. But these lavatories also have a feature I haven’t seen before: a fold-out bench and footrest. The Japan Airlines First Class Lounge Shower Room has business hours from 7:30 am to 9:00 pm. I went in with the. Nearly stuffed at this point, I pushed forward for the main course. By now I was absolutely bursting at the seams, but I was determined to go for the dessert to round it off. And JAL First Class passengers are in for a treat: Salon 2006 champagne. The drink selection was quite good with Taittinger Champagne, various sakes, wines, and spirits on offer along with Kirin beer machines. All rights reserved. Farther down this counter is where you’ll find your seat controls – two sets of them, in fact. Aside from a few bites that didn’t quite do it for me, everything in Japan Airlines First Class was exemplary. my outstanding meal from Japan Airlines business class, Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Elite Mastercard®. First Class passengers are provided with Bose QC25 noise-canceling headphones. The biggest sweet spot for flying Japan Airlines First Class is by booking close to departure. Flight attendants from Japanese airlines have a reputation for being professional to the point of being impersonal, focusing more on the task at hand than the interaction. Every seat is more or less identical. As I mentioned, the lounge was pretty packed, so it wasn’t easy to find a decent seat. Since I was flying solo, I took one of the window seats which provided a lot of privacy. The cabin is just 2 rows … Japan Airlines business class passengers get access to special reclining seats that not only offer extra space, but also have a built-in massage function to maximize comfort during travel. The compartment directly adjacent to the seat also housed a phone that you could use to make ground calls. At 10:55 a.m., boarding was complete. The hard... Seat. You won’t struggle to find places for all your things. So excellent, in fact, that I didn’t bother with the other a la carte ramen options or buffet-style dining area of the lounge. Just drop off a pair of shoes – don’t worry, you’ll get a pair of slippers to wear around – and come back in 15-20 minutes to grab your freshly shined pair of shoes. ... Information on this page is about the inflight services on regularly scheduled routes serviced by Japan Airlines… How could it possibly get better? Japan Airlines offers first class passengers a choice of Japanese and Western full-course menus. The first class cabin consists of 8 open first class suites in a 1-2-1 configuration across 2 rows. You’re on a Japanese airline, so of course these toilets are equipped with bidet functions! They beat every other airline dish and meal I’ve had by a mile. There are cases, as in mine, where you will find availability way ahead. Passengers who … Maybe it’s the red carpet? You’ll find it up the escalators from the main terminal floor just after getting through security. I’d been wanting to fly JAL first for years now, so when I was pondering ways to get back to the US, finding an award on the airline was top in my mind. In front of the first class cabin, a small snack bar is set up in case you feel peckish. The departure gate for the flight was 112, which was right opposite the lounge — a 2-minute walk. Shortly before beginning our descent a few hours later, I ordered JAL’s signature chicken curry. Upgraded Points, LLC uses reasonable efforts to maintain accurate information on the site — and prior to applying for any credit card offers found on UpgradedPoints.com, all visitors should review other features of such credit cards including but not limited to interest rates, annual fees and transaction fees, and should determine the suitability of such credit cards considering their own individual financial position.Â. Check in was smooth, after which I was escorted through the priority security lane and immigration, which was fleeting. Both the dishes were excellent — the perfect pick me up before landing into New York (JFK). At the base of the storage compartment panel on the left-hand side, are the controls for the suite and seat features, which include seat presets, seat adjustments, and lighting controls. In stark contrast to the packed first class lounge, there were hardly 3 of us in the Red Suite. The first class cabin on Japan Airlines’s Boeing 777-300ER is extremely luxurious. One of the most impressive aspects of this seat is the sheer amount of storage. Next up is otsukuri, with two dishes: A mixture of salmon roe with crab, and another with lightly seared bonito, ginger, and sea urchin. Name change of Haneda Airport International Passenger Terminal Building. Service started within moments of boarding with a drink order. The seat is well-padded and upholstered with dark brown leather, giving the suite a subdued feel along with the wood grain finishing of the panels. JAL was smart enough to leave a small gap to allow cords to run out. I also ordered a bowl of ramen, which looked and tasted much like the ramen served in JAL business class – but that’s not much of a complaint. The Japan Airlines First Class Lounge, which operates daily from 6 a.m. to 2 a.m. the next day, can be accessed by first class passengers traveling on Japan Airlines, its Oneworld partners, SkyTeam airlines operating out of Haneda, Emirates, and Hawaiian, as well as JMB Diamond, JCG Premier, and Oneworld Emerald status holders. For more information on our advertisers, see here. The second course was Zensai, a selection of 5 morsels. You can place your order for the pancakes topped with either caramel ice-cream or mango sauce. But that’s more of a reflection of how good everything else is. It is not the bank advertiser’s responsibility to ensure all posts and/or questions are answered. To use a shower suite, you simply show the attendant your boarding pass. The breakfast buffet options of salads, sandwiches, eggs, pinchos, fresh fruits, and desserts were quite limited — not exactly first class. He joined the company in 2018 after spending years covering state and national politics for The Associated Press. The data seems to point to a theory that won’t prove popular for miles collectors: Japan … The seat is plenty wide as is, but gets even wider as you recline to lie-flat mode as the armrests become part of the sleeping surface. The biggest sweet spot for flying Japan Airlines First Class is by booking close to departure. For the meal service, first class passengers are presented with 2 options: Japanese and Western. On dates prior until March 31, 2021, first class is available and bookable following familiar patterns. Airline: Japan Airlines (JAL) Aircraft: Boeing 777-300ER (JA741J) Flight #: JL 6 Route: Tokyo-Haneda Airport (HND) to John F. Kennedy International-New York (JFK) Date: June 26, 2019 Duration: 13hrs 5mins Cabin and Layout: 8 open first class suites in a 1-2-1 configuration across 2 rows Seat: 2A Miles Used: 70,000 Alaska Air Mileage Plan miles + $52.03 per person including taxes and fees Fare Paid: N/A Typical Retail Fare: $12,800 per person including taxes and fees for a one-way first class ticket. With the lounge being quite packed in the morning, I often found myself queuing up to get my fill of food and drink, which was a bit annoying, especially for a first class lounge. Japan Airlines First Class lacks the flash or opulence that has put other airlines front and center. The seats aren’t state-of-the-art by any means, and the entertainment options aren’t great. And then there’s Japan Airlines. While not the most modern design, it looks and feels very Japanese – to me at least. Yes, thank you. It starts with a chic amenity kit, an Etro-branded pouch that was waiting at my seat at boarding. 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