Questions and Answers

I have redeemed a first class award for my wife and I to travel to Thailand in two weeks using American miles, but with all flights on JAL and Cathay Pacific. The flights to and from the US are on JAL in first class, but intra-asian flights are in business class as the aircraft do not seem to operate a first class cabin.

I have two questions:
1) Will I have access to the JAL first class lounge in Narita during my layover to Bangkok? I will have arrived in Tokyo in first class, but will be departing in JAL business class due to 2 cabin aircraft.

2) When we depart Bangkok, we leave on Cathay business class (again due to no first class on that aircraft) and we have a 5 hour layover in Hong Kong before we fly out in a business class cabin on the way to Narita. When in Hong Kong, what Cathay lounge can I enter? Specifically, will we be able to enter the First Class lounges or will we be in the business class lounge

Hi Sluggo! Yep, with those airlines you have access based on the highest class of service on your ticket for that day: [URL]http://onemileatatime.boardingarea.com/2014/08/25/know-lounge-access-international-itineraries/[/URL]

Hi Tiffany, It’s Sluggo (though I remembered my actual username this time). Will we have access to first class lounges in Hong Kong if we arrive in Hong Kong at 8:10pm, depart for Tokyo at 1:05AM, and fly first class on JAL at 11:00am? I ask because of this bullet point on the link you provided:
[LIST]
[*]First and business class customers connecting on the same day of travel, or before 6am the following day, can access the lounge when traveling between an international long haul (a oneworld international long haul flight is defined as an international flight marketed and operated by any oneworld carrier with a scheduled flight time longer than five hours) and an international short haul or domestic flight (and vice-versa).
[/LIST]

Hmmm, I think that could technically go either way. You are connecting “same-day”, but not to First on the “same-day” by the official definition.

So I don’t think the computer would automatically allow it, but an agent would probably see the logic there. I would be prepared to show them your F boarding pass and ask, but it’s not a guarantee.