Review: Japan Airlines First Class Boeing 777 (SFO-HND)

For the outbound portion of our winter trip to Tokyo and Niseko, we flew Japan Airlines’ Boeing 777-300ER first class on the 10hr25min flight from San Francisco (SFO) to Tokyo (HND). The highlight of this experience was that we managed to snag four first class award seats on a single flight. Flying first class using miles is always a treat, but it’s even more fun when you can do it with friends.

So, how was the experience otherwise? In fairness, this first class hard product is on the way out, as Japan Airlines is expected to retire these jets in the coming years, as it replaces them with Airbus A350-1000s, featuring an incredible first class product, and also a very good business class experience.

Despite the somewhat outdated cabins, our flight was most enjoyable, with delicious food and drinks, friendly service, and solid amenities.

How I booked my Japan Airlines first class ticket

We booked our Japan Airlines first class tickets using American AAdvantage miles. Specifically, we booked the following in first class for 80,000 AAdvantage miles plus $16.80 in taxes & fees:

2/28 AA2426 Miami to San Francisco departing 7:40PM arriving 11:20PM
3/01 JL1 San Francisco to Tokyo departing 12:55PM arriving 5:20PM (+1 day)

While AAdvantage miles aren’t as valuable as they used to be, I continue to be delighted by the outsized value I get with these miles, and this is the perfect example of that. You’re not going to get deals like that with Delta SkyMiles or United MileagePlus.

Japan Airlines first class lounge & boarding

After spending the night at the Grand Hyatt SFO, we headed to the Japan Airlines check-in desk at International Terminal A, which was surprisingly deserted, despite the airline having two flights around the same time. We were checked in by two lovely Japan Airlines agents, who had our boarding passes printed within a couple of minutes.

From there, we headed to the British Airways Lounge, the contract lounge that Japan Airlines uses, which I reviewed in a separate installment. What’s so pleasant is that Japan Airlines first class passengers get access to the pre-flight dining facility, which is a treat at an outstation lounge.

Our flight was departing from gate A10, just a short walk from the lounge. Boarding was scheduled for 12:25PM, 30 minutes ahead of departure. As you’d expect from a Japanese airline, that’s also exactly when boarding started. Those needing extra time, as well as first class passengers and oneworld Emerald members, were invited to board first.

Japan Airlines 777 first class cabin & seats

We boarded through the second set of doors, where we were greeted by the lovely crew, and escorted to our seats. Between the first and second set of doors, Japan Airlines’ 777-300ERs have seven business class seats (one row, in a 2-3-2 configuration), plus eight first class seats (two rows, in a 1-2-1 configuration).

Let me state upfront that this is far from the most cutting edge first class hard product out there, and I’m also not at all a fan of Japan Airlines’ cabin finishes. But as mentioned above, this plane is on the way out, and just a couple of years from retirement (at most).

Since there were four of us traveling, we assigned ourselves all four seats in row one. This worked out great, since each seat also has a buddy seat, so we could all hang out in the center two seats. There was only one other passenger in first class (who also redeemed miles — sadly for Japan Airlines, this wasn’t a very profitable cabin!).

While Japan Airlines’ 777 first class seats don’t have doors, they do have a good amount of privacy, thanks to shields along the side of the seat. Note that these shields are set in place and can’t be raised or lowered, so it’s not ideal if you’re in a window seat, and across from someone you’re traveling with.

I find Japan Airlines’ old first class seat to be mighty comfortable — it’s basically a very well padded and wide lounger chair (which has definitely seen better days).

Each seat has an ottoman with a seat belt (so that it can double as a buddy seat), as well as a 23″ monitor that is fixed in place.

I appreciate how large the tray table is, and how easy it is to use. By default, the tray table is just stored above the ottoman, but then you can easily slide it closer or further from the seat. It’s a lot easier than some of those big tray tables that are stored and then have to be lifted up and turned over.

The seat also offers plenty of storage to the side. There are two compartments that can be opened — the one further back is quite deep, and could easily store a laptop. Then there’s a smaller compartment with a small vanity. These compartments are also where you’ll find the entertainment controller, seat controls, headphone jack, AC power outlet, and USB-A outlet (there’s no USB-C outlet, sadly).

All-in-all, this is of course a very comfortable way to cross the Pacific. Is it the most cutting edge first class hard product out there? Absolutely not. But when redeeming American AAdvantage miles and taking into account that this product is on the way out, it’s still a lovely way to fly!

Japan Airlines first class amenities

I love Japan Airlines’ first class amenities, and this flight was no exception. To start, there were a pillow and blanket waiting at each seat, which were basic, but only part of the overall bedding that’s offered.

Also waiting at each seat were a pair of high quality Panasonic noise canceling headphones, which could be used during the flight (but not taken home).

There was also a well stocked amenity kit, with everything from a dental kit, to a moisture mask, to tissues, to a USB-A and USB-C converter, to a hair brush. Branded products included PAYOT lotion and lip balm, plus a Shiseido Men trial kit with face cleanser, cream, and more.

There were also a pair of slippers, including a shoehorn, which always comes in handy.

There was also a leather binder containing not just the menu, but also the landing forms for Japan, a pen, a voucher for free Wi-Fi, and a gentle steaming eye mask (I LOVE THESE!).

Pajamas were passed out during boarding. While the quality of the materials feels quite nice, I find the pajamas to be a bit too thick and warm, and as an aviation geek, I wish they were branded a bit more.

One area where Japan Airlines disappoints is with pre-departure drinks, as the airline doesn’t serve champagne before takeoff when departing the US (presumably because it doesn’t want to pay taxes). So the pre-departure drink on offer was an apple, lemon, and ginger cold pressed juice, and that was served with a warm towel.

Japan Airlines 777 first class entertainment & Wi-Fi

Japan Airlines’ 777 first class seats have 23″ personal televisions. It’s not the most cutting edge entertainment monitor out there, but does the trick.

One thing I found annoying is that I couldn’t actually browse the entertainment selection directly on the monitor, but instead, could only do so on the little handheld entertainment monitor. I found this to be challenging to use, since it’s such a small screen, and you also have to push really hard for the system to respond.

Ultimately Japan Airlines’ entertainment selection on the 777 is just okay. The variety could be bigger, so if you’re picky about what you watch, I’d recommend bringing your own entertainment. As you’d expect, the main thing I used the entertainment system for was the map feature, which I always enjoy watching.

Fortunately Japan Airlines offers Wi-Fi on its 777s. Ordinarily passengers can receive one hour of Wi-Fi for free, three hours of Wi-Fi for $14.40, or full flight Wi-Fi for $18.80, all with no data caps.

However, as a first class passenger I could receive free Wi-Fi thanks to a promotion code, which allowed me to stay connected throughout the flight, and even switch between devices.

I found the speeds to be quite good, so appreciated the ability to stay connected.

Japan Airlines 777 departure from San Francisco

While the flight was mostly full, the boarding process was efficient. It was especially peaceful in first class, given that the forward door wasn’t being used for boarding, so there was no foot traffic.

At 12:50PM the main cabin door closed, and then we immediately began our pushback. At that point the safety video was screened.

It took us a bit of time to start up the engines, and by 1PM, we started our taxi. It’s always fun to watch the traffic outside at a major international airport, as you have plans flying to every corner of the globe (well, or in the case of the below picture, to a similar part of the world).

We had a fairly quick taxi, and by 1:10PM we were cleared for takeoff on runway 28L.

Our climb out was smooth, despite the thick clouds, and the seatbelt sign was turned off around five minutes after takeoff. However, it ended up being pretty bumpy for the next two hours — despite that, the crew was able to perform their service.

Japan Airlines first class lunch service

As you’d expect on a long haul flight in first class, there’s a dine on demand concept, so you can eat whenever you’d like. However, the general intent is to have the main meal after takeoff, and then there’s an additional flexible menu you can order off of for the remainder of the flight.

You can find the Japan Airlines first class menu below, with both the Japanese and international options.

Then you can find the drink list below (crucially, you’ll notice that the Salon 2013 is only served on flights from Japan — it’s the most expensive champagne served by any airline, so it wasn’t available on our flight to Japan).

The crew was quick to get started with service after takeoff, with the first drink being served under 20 minutes after takeoff. I first ordered a glass of the Billecart Salmon Rose 2012 — I enjoyed it, though I’m not necessarily the biggest fan of rose champagne. This was served with canapés consisting of asparagus and prosciutto, and mushroom and cheese.

While I decided to order the Japanese set menu, I figured I’d start my meal with some caviar, so I selected the caviar from the snack menu. This was served with some salmon tartare and toast points.

Then when it was time to start the main part of the meal, I switched to sake, and selected the Hakurakusei option.

The meal kicked off with kozara (small plates), including things like:

• Simmered conger eel in soy sauce with spinach
• Caviar, smoked salmon, and papaya, with lemon jelly
• Simmered abalone, bell pepper, and fried bean curd in dashi broth
• Deep-fried nori flavored bamboo shoots

Next up was Japanese clear soup with rice cracker coated lobster and spring vegetables.

That was followed by roast beef with sesame sauce and green asparagus, and fava bean potage with steamed sea urchin.

The main course consisted of steamed sea bream with citrus soy sauce, Chinese cabbage, silken tofu, and white leeks. That was accompanied by seaweed and green pea rice, miso soup, and Japanese pickles.

Last but not least was the matcha anmitsu.

I adore Japanese food, so I found the entire meal to be phenomenal, start to finish. While I stayed in my seat for most of the meal (so I could get good pictures), traveling as a group of four was super fun, especially since we had the two pairs of seats in the center, each with a buddy seat.

After the meal, we decided to have some whisky, so we ordered the Hibiki 100th anniversary blend (I ended up buying a bottle, given the interesting theoretical profit opportunity).

We then of course had to finish off the meal with the Queen of Blue Royal Blue Tea, certainly the most expensive non-alcoholic drink served by any airline.

The meal service was lovely, and the crew did a great job tailoring the pace to us. We were in no rush and were having fun, so it was around three hours until we were finished with the meal, and then we still lounged around for roughly an hour.

Japan Airlines 777 first class lavatories

After the meal, I decided to check out the two first class lavatories, located in front of the cabin — both are right by the flight deck, with one on the left, and one on the right.

The lavatories are a decent size, but nothing special, with a few exceptions:

• The toilets have a bidet feature
• There are a few extra premium amenities on the counter
• The lavatories were totally spotless throughout the flight

There’s also a little bar area in the galley where you can help yourself to some basic drinks or snacks. Of course there’s a much more extensive selection available from the crew.

Japan Airlines 777 first class bed

Eventually I figured it was time to get some sleep, so I asked the crew to prepare my bed. Japan Airlines has an excellent mattress pad from Airweave, and you choose whether you prefer a soft or firm mattress, and I selected the former.

I ended up falling asleep with a little over six hours remaining to Tokyo, as we were over the Aleutian Islands…

…and I woke up around four hours later, just over two hours before landing, as we were approaching Japan.

Four hours of continuous sleep is about as good as it gets for me on a plane, so I was quite happy with that!

Japan Airlines first class pre-landing meal

Before I knew it, it was almost “last call” for any meal orders, so I decided to get one more order in. You can find the menu below.

To keep things simple, I just once again selected the Japanese option, with Chilean sea bass teriyaki, simmered eggplant and green beans with sesame sauce, steamed rice, and miso soup.

For dessert, I ordered some vanilla ice cream, as well as a cappuccino.

I felt like I still needed a caffeine hit, so I ordered a coffee before landing, served in the carrier’s typical French press setup, which I love (and those mugs are also so cute).

Japan Airlines first class service

There were two flight attendants working first class on this Japan Airlines flight, including the senior cabin attendant and the first class flight attendant. As you’d expect from a Japanese airline, they were detail oriented, friendly, and professional.

It’s not a criticism, but I will say that they were definitely on the more reserved side of Japan Airlines first class crews I’ve had. That’s not uncommon in Japan, especially give the potential cultural and language barrier, but all-in-all, they were excellent.

Japan Airlines 777 first class arrival in Tokyo

Before we knew it, this quick hop across the Pacific was coming to an end. At around 3:55PM Tokyo time, we started our gradual descent. Around this time, the captain was on the PA to announce that we’d be landing in around 40 minutes.

At around 4:15PM, the seatbelt sign was turned on, and the crew was asked to prepare the cabin for landing. My eyes were glued out the window for the last 20 minutes of the flight, because the views were breathtakingly beautiful, as the sun began to set over Tokyo Bay.

We were even on a parallel approach with an ANA 737, making for even better views!

Despite being close to downtown, Haneda is such a sprawling airport. We touched down there at 4:35PM on runway 34R.

From there, it was a lengthy 15-minute taxi to our arrival gate at Terminal 3.

Fortunately immigration was smooth, and our checked bags came out pretty quickly, so we were out of the airport and on our way to the hotel within 30 minutes of deplaning.

Bottom line

I enjoyed what will likely be my last flight in Japan Airlines’ 777 first class. While these planes will soon be retired, they continue to offer a comfortable experience, with spacious seats and comfortable beds, phenomenal food and drinks, and extensive amenities.

What’s of course most exciting about this product is that you can redeem American AAdvantage miles for it. We even snagged four first class award seats, taking the experience to the next level.

What’s your take on Japan Airlines’ 777 first class?