Hello from Tokyo, as we’ve kicked off our winter ski trip to Niseko. I just flew Japan Airlines’ Boeing 777-300ER first class, on the quick 10hr25min hop across the Pacific, from San Francisco (SFO) to Tokyo (HND).
Continue reading: Japan Airlines 777 First Class: A Bit Outdated, But Still Great!
Share your questions, experiences, and thoughts below.
I noticed that travel bloggers, Zach Honig and Zach Griff, have been or are going to Niseko this winter. Is there some kind of a promotion for travel bloggers that the local tourism agency is providing?
The Shiseido men’s kit is different than before. JAL was out of stock when I flew in January, said they were updating. Can you please share the contents of that kit? Thank you.
I've flown on the JAL first suite a number of times in the last few years and my experiences are the seats are falling apart. It's embarrassing for an airline with the quality reputation as JAL to have a hard product that feels like it is out of some broken down Priority Pass lounge.
@ Matt -- Hah, absolutely not. I think it's just starting to be on more peoples' radars, and is starting to be more popular with people from the United States. I've been wanting to go for years, and finally booked my trip many months back.
@Lucky - if you fly into Sapporo Chitose airport to get to Niseko, make sure you check out the Hello Kitty Happy Flight store/museum in the terminal! It's worth a full review on the blog 🙂
https://www.hokkaido-airports.com/en/new-chitose/happy-flight_en/
how hot was it in the cabin though? Last time I did this my hands were so clammy I almost couldn't hold my caviar spoon lol
@ David -- I'll share the full contents in the review post, but the kit contained face cleanser, hydrating lotion clear, and ULTIMUNE power infusing concentrate.
@ Andrew M -- I'm curious, when you say "falling apart," were the seats not functioning, or just showing a lot of wear and tear? I definitely noticed the wear, but otherwise, found that they functioned properly. It's a tricky situation for the airline. Airline seats are outrageously expensive, and with the plane retiring in a couple of years at most, I imagine it's hard to justify too many investments.
@ sb -- The temperature wasn't bad, so I didn't find that to be an issue this time around, fortunately. I'd still love individual air nozzles, but I didn't sweat at all.
Among the issues I've encountered: the entertainment controller touch screen doesn't work or glitches, the various storage compartments don't really latch properly or take some awkward force to latch, the TV screen has some kind of image issue, the ottoman doesn't line up flush with the seat in bed mode, the seat control device is not responsive.
I am not expecting it to have no wear and tear but to charge what they charge for the seat and to receive what feels like a crapped out Laz-y-boy is really embarrassing, especially for an airline of their reputation.
@ Andrew M -- Ahh, thanks. Yeah, the entertainment controller situation is a mess, I noticed that as well. And agree, it's hard to (in theory) charge top dollar for a product, and then not offer a very competitive hard product.
By way of comparison, JAL's business class product seems to have held up much better. I have flown the same plane, one way in business and the return in first, and the business class seat seemed completely fine and in relatively good shape whereas the first seat felt like it was falling to pieces.
Either the quality of the F seat was not good to begin with or (it is my suspicion) that JAL has realized not enough people pay for F and therefore the simply don't bother to maintain it properly, akin to how AA treats their F hard product.
Soft product is obviously still a priority, but I have not been on another North Asian carrier where they seem so disinterested in maintaining the F hard product.
I flew last HND-LHR, last year. The Salon champagne changed my life. For the first time I know what champagne is supposed to taste like. It’s ruined me for anything else, lol. Now, it’s either sparkling moscato or Salon. The next time I have $1300. I’ll buy a bottle.
After just completing 4 long haul JL F flights in the past 3 weeks - it appears the FA turn the temperature down when they make the beds. I found it chilly - without a blanket over me.
The Queen of Blue Iced tea is very good. I drank 2 to 3 bottlesfor each of 4 flights (since I don't drink). Had the FA give me the link - you can buy online - not sure if they ship to US - but costs $35 a bottle for ice tea in wine bottle. Best if served very chilled.
I think it's more that snow sports in the US have gotten really expensive and it's easier to justify spending a similar amount of money and get a trip to Europe or Japan in the process. I'm not a ski/snowboarding person but my friends who've skied in the US and abroad definitely enjoyed it more outside the US.
Also - I think you are better getting the Western meal. From ORD-HND - they serve 3 meals. For Western they give everything on the menu - no meal choice - you get served all choice separately. So 5 appetizers each served as separate courses. soup, salad, 2 mains - Sea Bass, then Steak cooked to order, cheese, and desert. Meal 2 was lobster roll, caviar, and salad. Meal three was pasta, salad, desert. Of 4 flights ORD-HNL, HNL-SYD, BKK-HND, HND-ORD. ORD-HNL was by far the best food.
Too bad you are not returning on JL First - to experience the exclusive Check in room and private security check point.
Royal Blue Tea has a store in Tokyo! They have quite a selection, I picked up a bottle the last time I was in the area.
Hey Ben, you still owe us the final La Premiere Review and the Airelles Versailles.
So did you buy the whiskey? I've had it and while I agree it's amazing, even the discount seems a bit steep for the quality of the juice. Cool trophy though...
JAL's business class product seems to have held up much better
That's because the JAL Sky Suite (business class) is newer than the JAL Suite (first class).
The former was introduced as a brand new product in 2014, while the latter has been there since late 2000s and just received some minor updates since then.
I love JAL but those seats look like a recliner I carried out to the curb on trash day last year!
Just flew into Tokyo last night in this and can attest to it being an excellent product all round - it is dated but it’s all very CLEAN and well maintained - the seat was very comfortable and the food also very good, having the buddy seat to dine was great and made for a truly first class experience - thankfully it was a day flight from Australia so the screaming child didn’t completely ruin the experience, but almost. … the only child onboard a completely full 777 and this child had to be in First ?
The seat / suite looks awfully old, I am afraid. I can't imagine to pay crazy money for THAT.
I used to fly JAL in First from SFO-NRT several times a year. I am smiling when you said " Quick 10.25 hour flight across the Pacific" LOL we have different ideas of what quick is. There is an amazing restaurant in San Francisco (sorry name escapes me) that caters JL F class. Yes, ghe food is really THAT outstanding !
If that eye mask is what I think it is (sort of a low-powered Thermacare pad with ear loops), you can buy them. The brand is Cornea Care and the product name is Rest. My ophthalmologist recommended them and I'm hooked.
Welcome back to Japan! A small note though, the mattress pad and pillow provided on JAL international F&J are switched from Tempur to Airweave since 2014. For domestic F though, Tempur pillows are still provided.
Lucky, would you happen to know if the Ichiro's Malt was also for sale onboard?
Aged huh, go sit in coach if you don’t like. Any seat other than coach is good for me
Just completed a RT on JAL F. Agree with review. Sest while a bit dated is wonderful. I didn’t even feel like I was on a plane. It was so comfortable and the long trips went by very quickly. I’m sad I missed the tea! Agree on the eye mask! FA Gave me a few to take home and I ordered more as soon as got home. Can’t wait to try the lavender ones!
That flight looks so much fun but didn't the 1 other first class passenger feel a bit uncomfortable/intimidated and are they entitled to any compensation?
Couldn’t agree more. Ben asks “what’s not to love?” Well, to that I respond: how about the disrespect and rudeness shown to your fellow passenger by subjecting them to all this noise and debauchery? It’s an airplane at the end of the day where people pay for the ability to sleep peacefully, not some trashy or rowdy nightclub.
Ben why don’t you just ask the Cabin Crew to adjust the temperature of the cabin if it’s too hot? I’ve had no problem asking for this on Asian Airlines when in first, even in business class the crew have always obliged. Never asked before on a non-Asian airline though.
Exactly this. It must have been misery for that other first class passenger. I’ve been on too many flights with people like this.
"Debauchery"? "Trashy'?
Geez, some of you have lived very fkn sheltered lives.
As we all know lucky he is extremely respectful of others and despite living in FL he seems very considerate. I'm convinced that even if only the others were noisy he would have mentioned it here. You can also have a blast while keeping the noise down.
@ Lucky - I hope you don't feel discouraged sharing pictures of your friends given the sexual energy of this comment section. I am looking forward to further reports from the ski trip - enjoy the time with your friends.
LOL, I smile with you cause indeed Ben loves to call some long-haul trips "quick" or "short"!
@Lucky - I'm curious, if you can share, as to whether you just bought your friends' tickets with your points, used their points for their tickets, or have some other arrangement worked out. I've gifted points to others to fly with me before and always debate how to equate that. I get tickets in business class and they pick up the hotel? Roughly just equate each point to 1 cent and use that when we're divvying up trip expenses or something else. (Of course in some situations it's just a gift.)
Are you people actually for real? What on earth are you basing these outlandish assumptions on? The fact that they have been photographed enjoying a meal together? There is absolutely nothing here that suggests Ben or his friends have been acting in a manner that is rowdy or disrespectful to the other passenger. I'd hate to see how you behave whenever you go out in public, does the mere presence of people who are accompanying others destroy your sense of serenity? If so perhaps you aren't very well suited to living in a society...
Yes, we are for real. A first class cabin is not a club or even a restaurant, primarily to enable people to travel long distances in relative peace and quiet. Ben himself said that they were "a little" debaucherous, which obviously goes against that. Especially on a Japanese airline whose people value interpersonal respect and polite, civilized behavior in public. The people who fail to respect these established cultural norms or even written rules about public behavior are the ones who aren't suited to living in a society.