Japan Airlines

✅ Trip Verified | I was excited flying JAL longhaul for the first time. Checkin and fast lane Security Check took just 5 minutes. I had access to the JAL First class lounge due to my One World Platinum status. The lounge was very crowded and noisy on this Sunday morning. I was looking for a nice breakfast, but just some Croissants and muffins were on offer. The Sushi counter is great, but not at 9 am, overall, the JAL first lounge was rather dissapointing. This impression continued for the flight itself. The B789 had the so called Sky Suites III installed, which do not come even close to Qatar’s Qsuite, which I had the pleasure to fly last week. They are very narrow and uncomfortable. The service was ok, but nothing special. The Japanese choice of food was good, but not really wow. Overall, a rather average experience. I expected a lot more from JAL. This wasn’t 5 Star.

✅ Trip Verified | Tokyo Haneda to Bangkok. Ground services again slightly underwhelming, with limited food choices at Sakura Lounge. No priority security check permitted, despite travelling Business .Boarding bizarre to say the least, with 80% of passengers boarding through Business Class gate by dint of their airline membership status, not their class of travel. In flight service much better on this return leg, with prompt drink and food service, and infinitely better quality of food. Seat discomfort still a big issue, with the "coffin" style design, limited flexibility, maneuverability etc. Staff extremely attentive and polite.

✅ Trip Verified | Bangkok to Tokyo Haneda. Outbound from BKK to HND has a different quality to the inbound. First off, lounge facilities in BKK are not very inspired, with poor food choices - including curry rice at 8 am and its accompanying smell. Boarding at the gate is by one queue for all class of passengers. In flight service takes 1 hour for a drink to be served and meal service 1 hr 20 mins. Food quality very different to that presented from Tokyo. Staff always very polite and pleasant. Seat is not comfortable with limited options. AVOD not fully functioning. No priority arrival facility at HND. 5* rating for JAL seems overrated.

✅ Trip Verified | San Diego to Bangkok via Tokyo. I love JAL, they are my go to choice over the Pacific. I purchased a not-particularly discounted one way ticket on JAL through Expedia. I didn't realize that advance seat selection wasn't possible on this class of service, and Expedia didn't mention it. Here's where I became quite disappointed. I'm elite on a partner airline with JAL. When seats are assigned, generally elites get processed first--window or aisle. Not only did I get middle seats, I was inexplicably given a middle seat in the very last row on my second segment, on a flight that had many empty rows. That's not only odd, it's vindictive. Someone (or some software) went out of its way to put me in a middle seat in the last row when there were dozens of better seats available. When I arrived at the airport, I was able to get the connecting flight adjusted, but the trans-Pacific segment was full, with no remaining aisle or window seats, and no upgrades available for purchase. The ticket agent offered to put my name on a list to move me to a new seat. Here's where JAL won me back. I presumed that this "list" functioned in the same way it would with US carriers, it got me to shut up and go away, but no one actually pays attention to it. That's where I was wrong. Within 15 minutes I had been moved to a window seat. Now, the rest of the trip was standard JAL. Massive amounts of pretty good food and wine. Fast service with a smile. On time departures and arrivals. Clean aircraft. Let's not forget to mention that JAL only put 8 seats across on its 787s, compared to the 9 that most of their competitors have. More room, more breathable air, and more overhead space. The seats were comfy and had a surprising amount of recline - like "feel guilty for going back this far" recline. The entertainment came up a bit short for 17 hours in the air, and curses on the person who offers up 75% of a bingeworthy season of a tv show and leaves us hanging. Narita is weirdly depressing and in desperate need of a facelift, but that was a 90 minute connection and certainly not a reason to avoid JAL. JAL is deserving of the 5 star ranking they've been given.

✅ Trip Verified | Tokyo to Honolulu. I usually fly premium economy or business, if I'm lucky. I was terribly worried about this flight to and from Hawaii in the normal economy, but I was pleasantly surprised! They FA's were extremely cheerful and hard-working. The catering was adequate and delicious. The cabin kept very clean, including the toilets. The star of the show is the seats. My goodness, I'm a big person (183 cm tall and 230 kg), and even I was comfortable! I couldn't believe the legroom and the seat width of these wider seats. They are premium economy standard on many US airlines but extended to the entire economy class. On the downside, JAL is notorious for keeping the planes warm since Japanese are adverse to air conditioning and even air passing over their skin. I always take a fan to keep cool. Also, the AVOD is lacking. This is the one area they simply must improve upon. Oh, they offer wifi onboard, but it didn't work for me or my partner. It never prompted with a pay screen and it was not free.

✅ Trip Verified | Booked as BA codeshare, but BA couldn't access JL to confirm a seat, so ended up in the middle NRT/HEL (19E). Actually worked OK because legroom and recline is so good. On time departure and arrival. This time DBML selections weren't as good for a diabetic, but crew intervened to provide food from C cabin to compensate - bravo! Service excellent again. 1 hr 15m transfer at HEL but no hold luggage and super efficient process, so made it fine. AY to LHR on A321 was unmemorable, but did have 8C, which is an extra legroom seat. Again, even with the connection I'd choose this over BA any day.

Not Verified | JL PY cabin LHR/HND departing 0930 on a Sunday. Cabin full, aisle seat (19C) very comfortable, with great space and recline for PY (far superior to BA). Special meals delivered with a smile, and accurately designed for a diabetic. 15 minutes late boarding, 30 minutes early arriving. Onboard service great, as ever. Asked if they had any Natto (rice cookies aren't good for me) and smiling FA dug deep and found a bag full! Apparently nobody likes them? Good - more for me. IFE pretty good. Only downside is that there is no JL arrivals lounge at HND, so you pay to use the landside shower cubicles, which are OK. Just better than BA in every respect.

✅ Trip Verified | Delhi to Dallas via Tokyo. The ground staff in New Delhi could not print boarding passes for my onward travel from Tokyo at Delhi at the checkin counter. When I asked them at the gate again they told it could have been done at checkin counter but can’t be done at the gate now. I reach Tokyo I am told to reach the gate without boarding pass. I spend my time panicking whether I will get a seat on the flight (so much for a relaxed travel and transit). Online checkin did not work since I am non-US passport holder. Ground staff shows up at the gate and I finally get a boarding pass but get stuck on a middle seat for next 11 hours which could have been avoided if I was checked in at New Delhi. Also I had called up JAL 3 days earlier requesting a special meal for all my flights, but the request was only put in for the first sector.

✅ Trip Verified | I booked the flight on JAL website for the end of October 2018 to fly with the Boeing 787-9 not yet having tried. At the end of the purchase after checking my email, after 5 minutes I get an email alert that the flight booked from Helsinki to Tokyo started no longer at 17.05 as a reservation but at 17.25 and asked me to accept or refuse. I accepted in good faith in exchange for Narita I lost the connection to Nagoya and I have to wait 9 hours to Narita. (I made the mistake of not checking and I did not think that JAL had only 2 daily flights to Nagoya). I contacted JAL through different channels but all told me that if I wanted to board the flight before I had to pay the penalty of 180€ + processing costs (the flight from Helsinki should arrive at 9 but I checked always arrives for 8.15-8.30 flight to Nagoya leaves at 9.55 and it is feasible to get on board). I'm a frequent flyer member JAL, but from now on with this treatment to the customers I can assure that JAL has lost a client.

✅ Trip Verified | Bangkok to Tokyo. Old seats in a new aircraft, Boeing 787-8 worst customer service. Cabin staff service very poor. I would never spend money to buy their business class ticket. There are many other good service airlines in Asia