My journey from Los Angeles to Tokyo on JAL onboard the 777 in first class was (almost) everything I could have hoped for in a first class product…another reminder of the beauty of flying and the essence of caring, compassionate, and attentive service.
JAL 777 First Class – Another Lovely Flight
You might argue the JAL first class cabin is a bit dated, especially considering some of the new business and first class products that offer far more personal privacy. But this is truly a first class seat in the sense of its large length and width and I think the cabin has aged quite well.
Sorry folks, you can lament my lack of refinement all day long, but the western food on JAL is about as good if not better than any top western carrier. I took one for the team and had a Japanese meal on my last ANA flight, but for this flight I wanted to give JAL’s lovely western dishes a try–and of course I was not disappointed.
Course after course wowed my palate and I was amazed not just by the quality, but by the vast quantity of food.
First an amuse bouche with garlic bread:
I chose a 2005 Charles Heidsieck Rosé Millésimé to drink with lunch.
Then caviar:
Followed by a lovely salad:
Then soup:
The fish was excellently-prepared, tender but with a crisp skin.
And that wasn’t even it…then came the beef.
(which was cooked medium)
And then cheese:
And finally a dessert trio with coffee:
I concluded the meal smooth glass of Hibiki Blender’s Choice whisky.
This is just one meal…just lunch! I was absolutely stuffed, but since I ate lunch gradually over three hours, I was not bloated.
Yonemaru took care of me for most of the flight and was amazingly attentive and charming. Her colleague Fujii was also wonderful. Service was so over-the-top good I had to pinch myself to make sure it was real.
After a lovely dinner, I rested for a bit to let the food settle, then changed into my pajamas, which I quite like on JAL, though they are warm.
I mentioned this flight was almost perfect. There was one big annoyance: the cabin was stifling hot…so hot I simply could not sleep and there are no individual air vents. I always hesitate to complain to flight attendants about temperature and everyone else seemed to be sleeping well, so I didn’t. Sure that’s on me, but I must note the cabin was very warm, which others have noted as well.
At home I like to sleep in an ice cold room…a frequent point of discussion with my wife!
As a result, I really didn’t sleep on the flight.
Prior to landing I still was not hungry, but had a bit of breakfast (waffles and French Press coffee). The French Press coffee was far better than the cappuccino I had earlier.
CONCLUSION
With the exception of the hot cabin, the flight was nearly flawless. Flying first class is always a treat, but JAL is one of the best first class products in the world and I am happy to report that the pandemic did not harm the product.
Stay tuned for a full report with far more details about the menu, IFE, and other amenities onboard.
Looks awesome as always!
When and how did you book this ticket?
Was it last minute?
Award F and J flights from US to Japan are almost non-existent now.
Was in Spring. I’m way behind in my reviews, but will be catching up now. Booked with AA miles.
I was so so about JAL F. I think qf f is better thoigh I know I’m in the majority. Just not enough privacy in jal. And the seats are designed like the recliners in my house when I was a kid. Although the upgrade from j to f using Alaska miles obviously worth it.
Ugh “in the MINORITY”.
I know it’s somewhat redundant now but etihad apartments in my mind is so much more first class than JAL, LH etc.
@pete there were plenty available two months ago lolllll. I flew back from Singapore via Tokyo on ANA. was also only so so. Food was average. Lounge packed.
Can’t wait to fly them back to Japan next week in first class!!!!! Looking forward to it!!!!
I will be bringing a usb personal fan with me on the plane also.
80° cabins are my constant complaint about otherwise excellent Asian airlines. I don’t know why this is so common but I’ve encountered it with JAL, ANA, Korean Air and Asiana. I travel with a cheap USB fan which comes in quite handy to at least move air while you’re trying to sleep. It’s one of the best $10 travel gadgets I’ve ever bought.
It’s a cultural thing.
In general, I’ve found European and Asian public spaces to be kept warmer than I’d prefer in both winter and summer.
In addition to the lack of individual air vents on planes, one of my larger pet peeves is when the air conditioning simply doesn’t operate at some hotels during the winter.
At least in Asia, I feel like people are bundled up with heavy jackets when it’s in the 60s.
Agree Doug.
Ever been in a European/UK hotel in the winter (not necessarily Southern Europe)? I regularly experienced overheated rooms that I couldn’t cool down and it was not good for sleeping.
When I used to do a lot of business in Japan I had that overheated (to me) meeting rooms issue. I would turn the thermostat down and about 30 minutes later my Japanese colleagues would turn it back up! I learned to turn it down 1-2 deg at a me, the opposite of the frog in water.
Wow, very nice. My wife and I flew JAL first NRT-ORD at the end of May and had a vastly different experience. I’d booked two window seats since that’s what we both like but JAL reassigned us to the middle so neither of us got the seat we wanted. No one even apologized, which was surprising. The menu had been badly downgraded, with short rib instead of steak and no caviar at all, and many less snack options. The (full) first class cabin managed to down every bottle of non-rose champagne very quickly so my wife and I only got a single glass before departure. Then, like with you, the cabin was oppressively hot. None of the crew had a good command of English, which we had experienced before. The FA’s were visibly stunned when we answered their query of whether we had flown JAL first class before with a yes. Combined with a worse than previous Narita lounge experience, we felt that everything but the efforts by the flight attendants and the seat itself was below expectations.
Our flights were not that far apart. I’m sorry you had a bad experience. Is no caviar standard on flights out of Tokyo? Did you have balik salmon or something else premium in its place?
English skills of the FAs were not great, but more than enough to get my and certainly better than my Japanese.
My cabin was booked 5/8. Service was very good.
Why would FAs be visibly stunned that you had flown JL F before.
I should note this was a 20K mile upgrade over business class, which also looks very nice on JAL. Worthwhile every time…
“Why would FAs be visibly stunned that you had flown JL F before.”
I have no idea but while admittedly being rather grumpy over all their other failures it didn’t come across well to us.
“Did you have balik salmon or something else premium in its place?”
I honestly don’t recall. Caviar has been the standard and without that or a steak option the menu felt seriously downgraded. I thought I was imagining things until I went back to a OMAAT review where the full menu including a much better list of snacks was offered.
“English skills of the FAs were not great, but more than enough to get my and certainly better than my Japanese.”
My Japanese is awful too. I have noticed though that the JAL FA’s on regional Asian flights tend to have better English skills than the more senior ones on the long haul flights. I do think that having one FA or more per cabin who is fluent in the language of the departing and arriving countries is a good idea. I still remember a LH flight from Athens to Frankfurt a few years ago where no member of the flight crew spoke Greek and all communication was in German or English. That was awkward for an older Greek gentleman across from us in business class who spoke neither and was inquiring about his connection.
I was curious about the configuration and how many flight attendants worked in each cabin. Did you inquire about that??
No idea, but there were two in the F cabin with the purser going in and out.
There is no better way to fly than F on a JAL B777– perfect service, best cuisine in the sky, and a very comfortable seat/bed. Fortunately, I have not yet had to deal with a hot cabin when flying with JAL. I’ve booked award tickets in F during cherry blossom season four years in a row. Hopefully, this March it’ll happen.
Consistently, ANA and JAL have the absolute best service in the world of any carrier. SQ is hit and miss, and the ME carriers the same. Nothing comes close to the Japanese carriers and it’s all a product of a culture that respects service and takes pride in details.
As far as heated cabins, I hate them as well but found an interesting trick that works for me. When I climb into the bed I remove my socks and keep them outside the blanket. Having my feet cooler somehow makes things a bit more tolerable. Don’t worry, that’s all I remove.
I’d absolutely say that Cathay is better. The service is incredibly attentive without fawning or hovering over you, the seats are ginormous, and the food as good or better than anyone else’s. Singapore, EVA, and Garuda are runners up. Of course, all of this is subjective.
If anything, I’d say Cathay’s food overall is it’s weakest selling point. It can be very inconsistent, whereas the Japanese airlines are usually always good.
I flew HND-JFK recently and found the hard product to be a bit tired. I also preferred the previous iteration of the pajamas with the zippered top. They don’t even have ramen or curry on the snack menu anymore. Probably the worst aspect of the flight was having to wear a mask. Still, JL F is better than just about any other TPAC service. I haven’t tried the new NH F, though.
I travel with a personal USB fan like several others have mentioned. It’s a lifesaver, especially on JAL or a ANA a where there are no vents and you feel like you’re in an oven. The USB fans are so small they do not take up any extra space in your luggage, definitely worth bringing one in the future.
I’ve been overjoyed with JAL first class and even their business class for all my trips to Tokyo. My only complaint, other than the heat, is the fact that a First Class FA was so attentive it actually became annoying and I snapped at her. I still feel bad about it today as she was so flustered by it that she insisted on walking me to the gate when my flight landed, I think she was afraid that I would complain to management which of course I would never have done.
I have complained about the heat a couple of times and from what I recall they actually turn it down both times.
Have business class flights booked direct Seattle to Tokyo in both October 2022 and then again in March 2023. Will look to upgrade to First out of LA on the flights to Tokyo once we get to about 10-14 days prior to departure, using my Alaska mileage plan. Seems like quite a few seats open up around that time. They also usually have the window seats blocked off for paying customers but those then open up in the week or so leading up to the flight if they’re available, so I always check and then change my seat if one becomes available.
It’s not just JAL but almost all Asian airlines like to keep their cabin temperature at oven level. I always bring a portable fan with me whenever I fly with them and it saves the day for me. Great review but I would have liked to see their Japanese menu for comparison.
Will have full menu when I post detailed review.
Don’t apologize for taking the Western meal – I do the same
How were the wines? I’m generally a one glass or so of champagne then move on to the good wines on the list
Yes, Asian carrier cabins are on the warmer side. I always politely ask the FA to set the cabin cooler and it works every time. It’s not frigid like on UA, but its much more comfortable.
Some people will have to just bundle up or politely ask the FA to turn up the thermostat 🙂
Great, thorough review. You didn’t use the bidet in the cabin??
Whenever I have boarded a JAL flight, I tell the FA that I like it cold to sleep. They have always turned the temp down.
This wasn’t an issue for me the last time I flew JL F, but next time I will certainly request the temperature be turned down.
Flew JAL F in 2019 SFO-HND. Was not impressed. The seating was nothing special. The food was OK. The FA English was mediocre (I don’t expect them to be fluent in English, but they barely spoke any English). Pajamas was mediocre. The best thing was the amenities kit. One thing I didn’t like was the FA kept walking through the cabin so many times to check on the passengers – it was too much attention and bothersome. The lounge in SFO was lousy. SQ & CX F are way better in every way.
I find SQ crews hit and miss and both CX and SQ are more casual than NH or JL. All good, of course, bu there is something very special about the Japanese service culture.
Nobody in Europe gives a f*** about air vents in planes, that is solely a US thing. There are AC but usually the temperatures inside are somewhat in the mid to high 70’s. That is energy efficient and healthy. At outside temperatures above 90, why the f*** does it have to be 68 or 70 inside?
Whenever a European is in the US you will see him/her looking at ac outlets to no sit at the air flow or even wear a thin jacket.
I just flew back on JAL from HND-MSP. The economy meals were a huge disappointment, especially the “breakfast,” which was some kind of salmon pasta dish.
Yuck! When I flew in economy on JAL I thought the meal was pretty good:
https://liveandletsfly.com/jal-767-300-economy-class-review/
We took this same flight in F at the beginning of May. The service was good but I don’t think it was the same level you got (cabin was full so expected). Our flight was also delayed so sadly we couldn’t go to the Sakura lounge for some sushi (tight connection). Didn’t notice the temperature. Oddly enough, I think in this arrangement with the middle partition up adjacent window and middle seats are better for couples (since you can walk over more easily when dining and also get the benefit of having views when you want to look out).
Yes, JAL’s cabin is warmer than most airlines. I’d rather have a colder cabin myself. I can have my sweater on or blanket but can’t take off my shirt if it’s warm.
My wife & I usually fly business & we enjoy their lunch & breakfast. The seat & bed is comfortable enough. The only problem I have is the connecting flight with the 767 that when you lay down you would slide down also. But overall I give JAL a 2 thumbs up & one of the top 5 carriers. American carriers seats are so tight & so stingy with their service & food which is incomparable to the foreign carriers on long hauls even in short ones.
I think since the Fukushima meltdown, Japan in general have been on a campaign to be comfortable at a higher ambient temperature, closer to 24-25C (75-77F) in the summer. I certainly noticed this that last time I was there in 2019…
My first flight on JAL in the mid 80’s was in first class. Even then in 747s, they had flat bed seats, movie choices, great food and excellent service. I have never forgotten that experience.
I do think there is a cosmetic upgrade on some of the JAL B777-300ER plane for first class..i was on the same plane too from LAX to NRT.. If you compared with older reviews, they look different…The current fleet first class section has darkened partition panel, newer darker carpet (previously it was red/scarlet), seat was matt vs glossy brown previously and stronger mood lighting making it more futuristic..Do let me know if you spot the differences..
I certainly noticed the mood lighting, which I think makes a huge difference. I think you’re right on the other features as well.