In a previous installment, I shared my experience flying Japan Airlines’ domestic first class on an Airbus A350-900, from Sapporo to Tokyo. As I hinted at in the post, Japan Airlines has a pretty lucrative cash upgrade program, whereby you can buy upgrades on the day of departure at a reasonable cost.
In this post I wanted to talk a bit more about how this program works, since prior to experiencing it myself, I wasn’t sure about the logistics. The good news is that it’s super straightforward.
The basics of Japan Airlines’ domestic classes of service
Japan Airlines has a fleet of jets that exclusively operate domestic flights. That’s because these are mostly super short flights, so the airline has higher density aircraft for these types of routes, than it offers on its international and long haul services.
Japan Airlines’ wide body domestic jets include the Airbus A350-900, Boeing 787-8, and Boeing 767-300ER (there’s also an international version of the 787-8). These planes are all in a three cabin configuration:
- First class features lounge access, the most spacious seats, proper meal services on many routes, attentive service, and an excellent drink selection, including alcohol
- Class J is the second cabin, but this is not really business class; instead, think of it like premium economy seats that are slightly wider and have more legroom, but without additional services, as there are no meals, no alcohol, no lounge access, etc.
- Economy class is what you’d expect, as it’s the most basic product available
One thing worth mentioning upfront is that premium cabins on domestic flights are often very reasonably priced. This isn’t like international first class, where a ticket will cost you thousands of dollars. Instead, it’s common to see Class J cost $15-50 more than economy, and for first class to cost maybe twice as much as economy. So you don’t need to be a high roller to book a premium cabin on these flights.
Japan Airlines departure day upgrade cost with cash
While there are many airlines that offer upgrades for cash under some circumstances, few airlines are as straightforward in this regard as Japan Airlines. The airline sells departure day upgrades, available starting three hours before departure. There’s last seat availability, so as long as a seat is available for sale at that point, you can upgrade to it.
Virtually all types of tickets are eligible for these upgrades. For example, I was traveling on a partner award ticket booked with American AAdvantage miles, and that was eligible as well.
Furthermore, upgrades are available between all cabins — you can upgrade from economy to Class J or first class, and you can upgrade from Class J to first class. As you’d expect, the upgrade cost varies based on whether you’re doing a one class upgrade or two class upgrade.
Here’s Japan Airlines’ page with upgrade costs, which is dependent on the route. Just to give you a sense of upgrade costs to & from Tokyo:
- An economy class to Class J upgrade costs anywhere from 1,100 JPY to 3,300 JPY (7-22 USD)
- An economy class to first class upgrade costs anywhere from 11,000 JPY to 13,200 JPY (74-89 USD)
- A Class J to first class upgrade costs anywhere from 8,800 to 9,900 JPY (59-66 USD)
Just to be clear, the price is consistent for any particular route, so that range just reflects the different pricing across routes. For example, on the Sapporo to Tokyo route, an economy class to Class J upgrade costs 2,200 JPY ~15 USD), an economy to first class upgrade costs 11,000 JPY (~74 USD), and a Class J to first class upgrade costs 8,800 JPY (~59 USD).
Japan Airlines cash upgrade procedure
Departure day upgrades for cash on domestic flights are available between three hours and 20 minutes of departure. It’s my understanding that if you booked directly through Japan Airlines, then this upgrade is possible through the Japan Airlines website or app.
However, I was booked on a third party ticket, in which case the upgrade has to be requested at the airport. Japan Airlines has a dedicated ticketing counter at each airport, and it’s my understanding that this is also where an upgrade can be requested.
However, I had access to the Japan Airlines Diamond Premier Lounge Sapporo on account of my oneworld Emerald status, and I was at the airport more than three hours before departure. So when I entered the lounge, I asked the agent if it would be possible to upgrade for cash in the lounge, and she told me just come see here three hours before departure.
Sure enough, I walked back exactly three hours before departure, she did some typing, and then handed me the below slip, quoting me a price of 8,000 JPY (~54 USD). Okay, that was actually cheaper than the 8,800 JPY I was expecting to spend for a Class J to first class upgrade, but I’ll take it (maybe I wasn’t billed the 10% sales tax, but I’m not sure why?)!
The agent then continued to do some typing, and requested my credit card. A couple of minutes later, I had a boarding pass first class, plus a receipt, listing the cost of the upgrade.
How often are Japan Airlines cash upgrades available?
If you’re looking to upgrade to first class, the catch is that these cabins are quite small. The A350 has 12 first class seats, the 787 has six first class seats, and the 767 has five first class seats. Given the reasonable first class pricing to begin with, these cabins do often sell out.
For example, Sapporo to Tokyo flights are largely operated by A350s and are very frequent. At the three hour mark, I noticed that most flights had about one or two first class seats left for sale. Meanwhile the flight I was on had six first class seats left for sale at that point, so it seems I chose the quieter frequency. However, the cabin did end up going out full in first class, so clearly there’s lots of demand for these upgrades.
Upgrades from economy class to Class J tend to be a bit easier, since Class J is a huge cabin, with lots of seats. Still, people do often book this, given the reasonable price premium.
If you want to know your odds of there being upgrade space, it can help to check before departure how many seats are left for sale in a particular cabin. For example, I use ExpertFlyer to look this up, but you can also use Google Flights, and see how many Class J or first class seats the airline is willing to sell you on the flight you’re on.
Are Japan Airlines cash upgrades worth it?
Flying within Japan is a pretty dignified experience across the board. For example, even in the carrier’s A350 economy, everyone gets free Wi-Fi, seat back entertainment, reasonable seat pitch, a drink, etc.
I’d consider a Class J upgrade if you value the extra space, but don’t expect anything special beyond that.
Meanwhile I must say that Japan Airlines first class on domestic flights is really nice, especially given the price point. It’s truly a pretty special experience, in terms of the service, food, drinks, lounge access, etc. I don’t think cash upgrade deals get much better than what you’ll find at Japan Airlines on a domestic flight.
Like, the cost to upgrade is less than a day pass to an American Admirals Club, and suffice it to say that you get a lot more value than that. Personally I think it’s something worth splurging on, if you can swing it. If there’s ever a time to purchase a paid upgrade, this is it.
Bottom line
Japan Airlines has a published cash upgrade program for domestic flights, available starting three hours before departure. The pricing is exceedingly reasonable, especially given the amazing experience that the airline offers. If you find yourself on a Japan Airlines domestic flight with empty first class seats, I’d highly recommend considering this.
Just keep in mind that Japan Airlines first class is often reasonably priced to begin with on domestic flights, so it could be worth booking in the first place.
What’s your take on Japan Airlines’ cash upgrades on domestic flights?
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