Japan Airlines continues to offer a superior onboard product with superb food and delightful service. While my JAL 777-300ER first class journey from Los Angeles to Tokyo was not flawless, it was still one of the best flights of my life.
JAL 777-300ER First Class Review (LAX-NRT)
This trip was booked for 80,000 American Airlines miles from Los Angeles to Tokyo Narita, representing one of the best values in the AAdvantage program. JAL reliably releases last-minute award space. My final destination was Amman, Jordan but there was no pandaspace traveling east, so I booked a trip traveling west, including this segment and then Tokyo – Doha – Amman on Qatar Airways in business class for 45,000 miles, which represents the single best use of AA miles in my opinion. All told, 125,000 is a lot of miles for a one-way ticket to Jordan, but with no premium cabin space the opposite direction, it represented a great value…and 29 hours of premium cabin flying.
Check-In
Since I was transiting Tokyo on separate tickets and there were still entry restrictions at the time, check-in was a bit complicated. The JAL agents at LAX were unsure what to do and took my passport and itineraries (which I had wisely printed out, which made things easier) to a back office. Over the next seven minutes I just stood there waiting (wondering if I had missed a new travel restriction), but eventually they came back out with my boarding pass, said I was all set, and wished me a pleasant journey.
I was busy that morning and cut it close, only arriving about 90 minutes before scheduled departure. With the delay, I was escorted from check-in to the gate, where boarding shortly commenced. JAL First Class passengers have access to the Qantas International First Lounge, which I reviewed here.
Japan Airlines 61
Los Angeles (LAX) – Tokyo (NRT)
Sunday, March 21
Depart: 1:00 PM
Arrive: 4:45 PM+1
Duration: 11hr, 45 min
Distance: 5,451 miles
Aircraft: Boeing 777-300ER
Seat: 2A (First Class)
Onboard the a pair of flight attendants greeted me at the door and another pair were waiting to greet me in the first class cabin. Spoiler alert: this flight was one of the best flights of my life due to the wonderful service from Yonemaru and Fujii.
We pushed back on time and were soon our way to Tokyo.
Suite
The proprietary Japan Airlines First Class seat is aging and not nearly as private as some of today’s leading business class products. Even so, the seat is spacious and very comfortable, spanning 22.8 inches wide and 78.3 inches long.
The first class cabin includes two rows with eight seats arranged in a 1-2-1 configuration. I chose seat 2A for the window and appreciated the immense amount of personal storage this suite provides including a compartment large enough for a purse or large laptop and a smaller one for other personal belongings. The larger one includes a mesh pocket as well that can keep your tablet or laptop from bouncing back and forth.
There was plenty of room for my feet and even a little storage cubby for my shoes and enough room under the ottoman (which also doubled as a companion seat) for a large carry-on bag.
Seat controls include recline, lumbar support, and massage. D and G suites are separated by a retractable privacy screen.
Here’s the primary annoyance that made this flight less than perfect for me: the cabin was stifling hot during the flight. Furthermore, there are no individual air vents (gaspers) above each suite. I laid down to sleep and just could not. I tried and tried, but failed. You might ask why I did not complain about the temperature, but when you’re trying to drift off, you keep telling yourself that you’re almost there and the act of getting up to inquire about the cabin temperature might further impair your ability to sleep. In retrospect, I should have asked. Do yourself a favor and ask early next time you are on JAL.
I really do not understand how some people can sleep in such heat. Those who are cold can cover up but those who are hot cannot exactly disrobe in their seat.
So yes, that is a negative aspect of my flight and of flying JAL in general. Cabins will be warm: prepare yourself.
Also, at least for my seat, the light seeped through even when the window shade was closed. As this was a westbound daytime flight, it remained light for the entire journey.
The bed itself is comfortable, with a mattress pad from Airweave (either soft or hard), a large pillow, and large, soft duvet. Yonemaru made the bed on request after lunch.
Food + Drink
I used to feel guilty ordering Western food on a Japanese airline. I no longer feel that way and make no apology for recognizing that JAL does Western food better than just about any Western airline. Today’s dinner was all Western and frankly one of the largest meals I have ever consumed on an airplane (and that is really saying something).
I love how menus were presented in a leather folder.
I did start off with a glass of Champagne (JAL uses Roederer Cristal 2013) because the only time I drink Champagne (or eat caviar) is when I am in the nose of an airplane. However, I do prefer rosé and switched to Charles Heidsieck Rosé Millésimé for lunch.
Service began with a few bite-size morsels including a tangerine wedge wrapped in pastrami and a stuffed mushroom.
Yonemaru set the table for lunch, which included olive oil, sea salt, and butter. The sturdy tray table extends from the seat console.
This was followed by an amuse bouche of petite green pea velouté with Iberia ham chips.
Next, caviar with condiments. Today’s crown jewel caviar was from Umac. Included on the side was cream cheese, salmon tartare sauce, and Yukon potato blinis.
I added a soup course to lunch, a fennel soup in creamy broth that was delicious.
Soup was followed by a salad with poached chicken breast and prosciutto drizzled in a mustard Champagne vinaigrette.
I switched to a 2014 Château Lagrange French Bordeaux in preparation for my filet mignon.
The bread basket made several appearances, with delicious garlic bread and a selection of other rolls.
By this point, I could have stopped, but little did I know I was about to enjoy a pair of massive main courses.
First came the sautéed Chilean Sea Bass, served with fennel puree and verjus sauce. This was a very generous portion and was flaky and rich.
Then came the beef course, today a thin cut of beef tenderloin served medium by request and served with vegetables and a Stracchino Cheese Fondue.
A cheese course followed.
Finally, I finished the meal with a dessert trio (coffee chocolate cake, creme brûlée tartlet, and vanilla panna cotta) and a cappuccino (which also did not help me fall asleep…)
I concluded the meal smooth glass of Hibiki Blender’s Choice whisky.
The American couple seated across from me ordered one of each (he ordered the Western menu and she ordered the Japanese menu), but the three Japanese passengers (the cabin was booked 6/8) ordered off the Western menu (further signifying how good the Western menu is on JAL).
This is just one meal…just lunch! I was absolutely stuffed, but since I ate lunch gradually over three hours, I was not bloated.
One other observation. Oddly, no water bottles were offered. I am not sure if the flight attendants forgot or if this is just on-request only when flying JAL? I did notice a couple in the galley in a self-service area (along with some nuts and crackers).
Unable to sleep, I ordered a “Beyond Burger” about seven hours into the flight. It was served with tomatoes, lettuce, and onion. The bun was warmed, but not toasted. I am not a big fan of “fake” meat, but after the big steak for lunch, it was probably good I avoided more red meat.
Before landing, I ordered Belgian waffles with berry compote and pecans, some yogurt, and French press coffee. I love the coffee service onboard and found this coffee more satisfying than the cappuccino.
Maybe someday I will fall in love with Japanese food, but I underscore once again that the western food on JAL is just as good if not better than any leading Western airline.
Amenity Kit + Pajamas
A large paisley-style amenity kit branded by Italian fashion house Etro was presented prior to takeoff.
Contents included:
- Eye mask
- Ear plugs
- Tissue
- Mouthwash
- Toothbrush + toothpaste
- Comb
- Moisturizing mask
- Etro Profumi items
- “Shantung” eau de parfum
- body lotion
- lip gloss
Yonemaru also offered me a very nice skincare set from Shiseido and an “gentle steam” eye mask.
Pajamas were on the heavy side and felt like fancy tan-colored sweats. I took a size large, thinking it would be just right, but it turned out to be too large (unlike on ANA, where you really need a large size if you are a “medium” in the USA or Europe).
In-Flight Entertainment + Wi-Fi
JAL has finally installed Wi-Fi on its 777-300ER, which was appreciated during the flight. The service is quite pricey, but complimentary for business class passengers.
Speeds were a respectable 13.5 Mbps down.
Noise-canceling headphones were Panasonic-branded and worked very well.
I was not in the mood to watch a movie and found the IFE odd in general. Instead of being able to scroll through the options on the screen. you have to use a handheld device, which lists the movies, TV shows, news reports, games, and audio available on the flight. A moving map and in-flight shopping are also available.
All selections come from the handheld “Magic-V” device and then once a selection is made, it appears on your screen. I far prefer to scroll though the options on the screen itself (a 23-inch HD screen, so hardly shabby).
Lavatory
The lavatory was spotless and cleaned between each use. It was not overly large, but featured enough space to change clothes and a bidet…
Later on, flight attendants added mouthwash, dental kits, and Cle de peau products.
Service
Fujii and especially Yonemaru were truly two of the most delightful flight attendants I have ever flown with. They were attentive, gracious, accommodating, and sincere in their desire to make this a comfortable flight for me and the other passengers onboard.
In many ways, I think Japan sets the standard for service for the entire world and while I love certain aspects of the warmness of American (or Dutch or British) flight attendants, I just love how the flight attendants on JAL are always so kind and pay such close attention to detail.
CONCLUSION
I enjoyed a beautiful approach into Tokyo, where we landed on a crisp afternoon.
I don’t often ask for a picture with flight attendants, but I could not resit here –
While JAL does not have the best first class suite any longer and the warm cabins are an annoyance, I really look back on this flight with such gratefulness. JAL First Class is a lovely way to fly and well worth the upgrade from business class, especially if you are using miles.
Have you flown JAL First Class? How was your experience onboard?
I wanted to read this review word-by-word from top to bottom, but I got distracted by the fact that your suit looks absolutely fire…
Great report. Always a pleasure flying JAL F. I do find the snack and second meal options ex-USA to be lacking. They’re much better ex-Japan, including the awesome pork cutlet sandwich.
IMO, JAL has the best coffee of any airline. Not all of the fancy options of cappuccino or other foamy milk drinks, simply the best coffee beans.
Coffee was very good, though I thought Singapore Airlines had the best beans when I flew SIN-LAX last year. The single-batch origin illy beans were fabulous.
Nice review. I’m trying to reconcile it and JAL first class reviews by other travel bloggers with my personal experiences. The last couple of times for my wife and I, JAL has simply been pretty bad in first class. The first time with them was great but since then they’ve been unimpressive at best. I truly want to like them though and reviews like this that rave about them make me wonder if I’m simply unlucky or if flights to/from ORD just tend to draw the worst crew, food, etc. versus other cities.
Glad you have had multiple experiences in JL F, but sad that your last couple flights have not been great. What was wrong with the crew? What other problems did you experience? I’m really shocked about the crew part because even when flying in economy on JL (which I did once), the crew was wonderful.
JAL changed the window seats I had reserved to two middle seats. Instead of prime beef steak on the dinner menu there was beef cheek one flight and short rib on another. No caviar was offered. The snack menu was vastly pared back from what had previously been offered. Yours was the shortened version as well. The flight attendants were surprisingly lacking fluency in English for U.S. bound flights. The entire first class cabin had two bottles of non-rose champagne so since my wife and I didn’t guzzle we only got a single glass each. The crew fairly indifferent about these issues so mentioning the very warm cabin didn’t seem worthwhile.
To try to put this in perspective, the seats are very nice, IFE was good, and the quality of the food items actually served is quite good so this is at least partially a first world problem situation. I’d just labored a good bit and spent a lot of miles to make this happen so having back-to-back substantially sub-optimal experiences was disheartening after such a great first time. The last couple really felt more like you’d expect in business class than a top notch first class carrier experience.
Here it is!!! I don’t need to badger you any longer, LOL.
We flew on JAL F from SFO to NRT and NRT to SFO. Same experience, excellent catering and stellar staff. We got special gifts as well from the staff – a little origami bird and a plushie that we gave to our niece.
My qualm is actually on the bedding. I slept better w/o the pad. Somehow the pad made the bed to not feel really flat for me. My wife, on the other hand, had her best sleep on an airplane. The cabin was indeed warm, but not to the extend that I could not fall asleep.
@Matthew, Japanese cuisine is about textures as much it is about flavors and it is not to everyone’s taste. I have close friends of mine who have lived in Japan for over 30 years and still do not love traditional Japanese cuisine like natto or chawanmushi.
JAL is a great airline with wonderful service with the caveat that not all crews are comfortable with the English language and some crews understandably so struggle (I do not fault them one bit) more than others with non Japanese speaking passengers.
When I last flew JAL in F, neither FA working the F cabin was comfortable enough with the English language to understand all of my requests and would have to run back to business or coach ( I was never sure) to find an older FA who spoke English more fluently to communicate with me.
At some points it was comical, I wanted to enjoy the Hibiki Whiskey neat (without any water or Ice) and the neat part really through the two FA serving F through a loop. They understood that I wanted a glass of the whiskey but I guess they had never heard the request of neat before or I do not know, because again the routine of one of the FAs working First Class running back to find the FA who spoke English more fluently to come forward ask me what I wanted and then translate it into Japanese ensued.
Now all the FA were amazingly gracious and kind. I know that I had I spoken Japanese or they spoke more English the service would have been even better than it already was.
With regards to Japanese vs. Wester cuisine when on=board, my personal rule of thumb as someone who does enjoy Japanese cuisine is Western cuisine from Western countries and Japanese meals from Japan.
Agree, though I find (generally speaking of course) that the English competency at JL is hiring than NH.
Loved this review. I’m a huge fan of the JAL service model and food. I find the crews to be more proactive than many other East Asian airlines and appreciate the care put into the food. I’ll almost always order from the Japanese menu so it was interesting to see your experience with the western options. For those that have not found service on JAL to be to their liking, try asking for what you want. That is often the culture norm and is not an unexpected burden. Some FAs understand westerns generally prefer more proactive service and adapt but their standard service model is based on you requesting what makes you most comfortable. It shows up in visible areas like not providing a bottle of water at each F seat and instead serving water (or any other drink you like) in a proper glass upon request but flows into other parts of the interaction as well.
“vanilla panda cotta”
Hopefully they got all the panda hair out before serving it to you.
“signifying how good the Western menu is on JAL”
Maybe that was their reason…but it could also be they knew they had good Japanese food waiting for them on arrival and wanted one last good Western meal?
Also, diet? What diet?
My diet involves massive calorie consumption but also massive training – not that the bread and desserts and waffles did me any good on this flight.
Clearly, though I do remember you making a comment that you only like this when traveling without the family, for some reason…
Because Heidi holds me more strictly accountable when we travel together.
Clearly lol
FWIW, I always carry a digital display thermometer when flying JAL in F and make my requests quite clear about the temperature needing to be lowered. I clocked them at 81 degrees at the start of a flight (45 min or so in) not too long ago from JFK. I mention that US OSHA regulations provide temperatures should be 76 or lower. That usually does the trick and they address the concern.
LOL. I like the OSHA warning!
We recently flew ORD-NRT in First on JAL and it was spectacular. We also found the cabin warm, but the service and food are just incredible. We were celebrating our anniversary and they gave us a tiny model JAL plane and wrote the date and the flight number on it.
We received a different amenity kit but same pajamas. I also appreciated that upon arrival, they gave us unused pajamas to keep so we didn’t have to put our worn pajamas into our luggage. I also like in the bathroom how there is a little step you flip down so that when you are changing, your feet do not have to touch the bathroom floor.
The small things.
FFS, take the silly mask off. Nobody is still awarding virtue signaling points, are they?
Check the flight date – this was when masks were still obligatory under Japanese law. I would not have worn it if it was not required, but I also do not consider anyone wearing a mask to be virtue signaling. Live and let live.
It’s still required today on both JAL and ANA, even though Japan itself has relaxed on the mask policy.
Interesting. Thanks.
The airline asks passengers to wear masks except when eating & drinking in one of the photos of the menu pages featured in the review.
When my partner & I flew ANA JFK-HND-SIN in November, along with repeated PA announcements that began during boarding & continued throughout the flights, the flight attendants vigorously enforced mask wearing except when eating & drinking on both flights for passengers that “forgot” to replace their masks after F & B service, or for those who failed to properly cover their nose & mouth.
They were mostly very polite about it, although they seemed a little annoyed after a while having to make repeated reminders directed at one of the passengers seated directly behind us (in Premium Economy) on the JFK-HND flight.
Separately, regarding “virtue signaling,” my partner & I continue to wear face masks in public places as he has asthma & mask wearing has served us well thus far.
We have lost numerous family members & friends to Covid19; have friends that almost did not make it but thankfully did; know others with “long Covid”; along with family & friends who had it – some repeatedly – & thankfully are doing well, but many of them also describing their bouts as extremely unpleasant.
So, just as we respect others’ choice to not wear face masks, we expect the same for our choice to continue wearing face masks.
We know we’re unicorns (or “Ninja Turtles” as someone once sneered at us) – & we’re perfectly fine with that!
Actually, upon further review, the request to wear face masks while inflight except during meals/drinks is seen in two of the menu page photos.
Separately, too bad JAL’s cabin is soooo dated as my mind kept wondering how much more amazing the flight with such superlative service would be in ANA’s Suites instead!
LOL, the angriest people have the lowest reading comprehension abilities.
You must not have visited Japan. People all over Asia wear masks in public places and not only during the pandemics. So sarcastic!
For educational purposes 🙂 Caviar producer was Umac Co. Malossol means slightly salted in russian. By size of the caviar eggs, I would say that it was ossetra.
JAL F is one of my favorite F classes. Salon, Cristal, Coffee, Tea and most of all the service level. My flight was HND to SFO.
Good to know. Shows how much I know about caviar. Appreciate the education!
Well done! Love reading your trip reports, highly informative and set the standard for travel blogs.
“…only time I drink Champagne (or drink caviar) is when…”
How does one drink caviar?
I grind it up and add protein powder! 😉
Until the pandemic, I have averaged more than one trip a year to Japan since early childhood. Japan and its culture has been a lifelong fascination for me – so much so, that Japanese was a “no-brainer” for my foreign language requirement in university.
Last month, I needed to fly to Tokyo to finalize arrangements for my imminent year’s stay in the country. It so happened that flight schedules dictated that I flew out from LA on ANA, and then return on JAL 3 days later. Both cabins were in first, allowing for an interesting comparison. Other than the differences in cabin seating and to some extent, the food, there was not a significant difference in any other aspect. Service for both airlines was the expected over-the-top experience associated with Japanese culture. In short, JAL and ANA are eminently deserving of their 5-star designations, and is a reason they are my top two favorite airlines.
By the way, the cabins for both airlines were as usual warmer than American carriers, but over the years, I have found this to be a characteristic that appears to be culturally related. Anyone who visits Japanese department stores, hotels, restaurants, etc., during the cooler to colder months of the year, will normally find the establishments to be heated far higher than similar facilities in the US. I just always expect, and then plan that the temperature in Japanese airline cabins, stores, etc. will be warmer than what is normal for Americans.
Had the opportunity to fly JAL F just recently, their soft product is an amazing experience, but the hard product is kinda lacking. The seats themselves are a little too open for my tastes; although you won’t directly see your neighbor, you can see their TV and everything up front. I kinda felt like a peeper when I had full vision of what my neighbor was watching. ANA’s business and first class have privacy doors in comparison, so it was just a little bit disappointing.
Speaking of watching, the TV entertainment system feels really outdated. The little controller you use for everything is slow and seems like the software is 15+ years old. Thankfully don’t have to deal with it too much once you start up a movie, but definitely deserves an update.
I definitely feel you on the temperature. My flight was a little warm, but on the edges of comfortable. I know that Japanese airlines tend to keep their cabins warmer, so definitely something to let the crew know if it’s too hot. Mine actually asked me about the temperature, though I didn’t mind it at the time so I let it go.
Thanks for the review on the western menu by the way. The Japanese menu I had was good, but a lot more humble. I feel like it’s something I would appreciate more if this was something I grew up on; couldn’t help feel a little bit of jealousy when I saw the western dishes pass by! If your destination is Japan, I’d save the Japanese food for when you’re on the ground. That said, the ala carte Japanese items were definitely top notch, and the sake was delicious. Definitely didn’t have any problems getting my stomach packed in general.
Indeed, I enjoyed Japanese food in the first class lounge, which will be the subject of the next section of this trip report.
Great report but maybe just a picture of the pajamas instead.
I actually would have, but it turned out I did not take one so you’ll have to suffer with a picture of me.
Holy Champagne, Batman!! Great flight.
I think the Wi-Fi on JAL is a “tremendous” deal if you’re connecting. That $18 gets you coverage on all flights for a 24 hour period. Hard to beat. Though free in F, so moot for this flight.
Your flight reviews are the best in the industry, and I read a majority of them because I too fly like I’m about to set a global world record. I have only a simple request: Please give some indication of approximately when the flight was taken, and what the mask policy is/was at the time — airline, airport, country, etc. It’s of paramount importance particularly to those of us who go out of our way to avoid them. Here in Sweden they were never used.
Pity that “there was no pandaspace traveling east” but glad you couldn’t “resit” (sic) asking for a photo with the FAs.
Great attention to detail Matthew. Thank you.
How would you compare their Western menu to Air France F (especially out of Paris) ?
My experience has been that JL Japanese food is better than NH for F ex-Japan and that the Salon on board JL rivals the Hibiki 21 still served on NH on select routes
Overall I think AF has the best food product (including lounges) but a surprisingly weak wine list (puzzling for French wines !!)
There’s something magical about the La Premiere menu – I love the salad course – but I have to admit that overall I found the catering and drink selection better on JL. And JL does coffee so much better, which is such a shame and missed opportunity on AF. But if I had to choose between the two, I’d choose Air France in a heartbeat for the far superior ground product.