JAL Mileage Bank - KIX v NRT Lounge: advise wanted!

Hi there,

Soon I will have to travel from DPS to HNL. I am currently booked via NRT because I mistakenly thought it was only a 1.10hr lay over. Unfortunately it will be a 13.10 hr lay over instead. Same will apply for the NRT option so it looks like I will be spending the day in the lounge.

I am a OW emerald so I have access to JAL First class lounges. I like the one in NRT but what is the lounge situation in KIX? I have heard some bad stories.

Thanks!

Oh, and does anybody know if the 744 flying the NRT-HNL route has the old first class front cabin that they sell as J?

Oh, and does anybody know if the 744 flying the NRT-HNL route has the old first class front cabin that they sell as J?

what's your date and flight number? JAL has way too many 744 configs to tell by just the route info :)

I know my current flight on March 25 (JO78) has the much hated old style cradle seats, also in the nose. I recently flew NRT-DPS with the old First in the nose sold as J. Perfect!

So my flight NRT-HNL would be any of the flights leaving the 25th of March (JO 72/74/76). I would of course only switch if there is one with the old F...

I know my current flight on March 25 (JO78) has the much hated old style cradle seats, also in the nose. I recently flew NRT-DPS with the old First in the nose sold as J. Perfect!

So my flight NRT-HNL would be any of the flights leaving the 25th of March (JO 72/74/76). I would of course only switch if there is one with the old F...

Definitely not JO72 which has 3-class service. JO72 and 74 both has Skylux (old J seats) at the nose for now. I wouldn't pick the flight based on the config when it is 6 months away. Config changes happen all the time on JAL 744 flights.

Ok, thanks! Any insights into the KIX lounges as well?

Ok, thanks! Any insights into the KIX lounges as well?

Not the place to hang out for 13 hours.

I'd recommend going landside and visiting a hot spring, going to the shopping mall near the airport or going into Osaka proper and checking out the city.

Even if you don't feel like leaving the airport, it's worth going landisde for some of the layover, where you'll find lots of restaurants, a manga cafe (need to pay but it's more 'interesting' than the lounge) and stuff to do. There's an observation tower and museum. Not the greatest, but better than nothing.

Not the place to hang out for 13 hours.

I'd recommend going landside and visiting a hot spring, going to the shopping mall near the airport or going into Osaka proper and checking out the city.

Even if you don't feel like leaving the airport, it's worth going landisde for some of the layover, where you'll find lots of restaurants, a manga cafe (need to pay but it's more 'interesting' than the lounge) and stuff to do. There's an observation tower and museum. Not the greatest, but better than nothing.

There's also an outlet close to KIX. You can take the bus to go there.

With a day-long layover, a visit to Osaka would be easy. There's a train into the city centre also.

Lounges in KIX are nothing special. I don't recall if there's a JAL F lounge, but I was highly unimpressed with the Sakura lounge there. No food to speak of, minimal drinks, not very big. The NRT JAL F lounge, however, is a big ^ .

Isn't the 13 hour layover is @NRT? :p

I would go via NRT (for the JAL F lounge) but spend the day landside. In late March you're going to start to see hints of spring in Tokyo, so it's often a nice time of year.

For example, JTB offers various inexpensive day tours of Tokyo at http://www.japanican.com -- you could spend some time getting cleaned up in the lounge, take a short nap, join one of JTB's afternoon tours, then return to NRT. (And take another shower if you wish.)

Note that there's a shower room landside at Narita, on the B1F level. If you're arriving in JAL business or first it's free. (I don't think status matters.) Otherwise, it's only 500 yen. I think I'd use the lounge upon arrival, but you have a choice.

I think I'd also check my bags through but take a carry-on with whatever you need for the layover. There are temporary luggage holding services at Narita where you can leave your carry-on during your visit to Tokyo.

By the way, the best all-around deal to get from Narita to the city is to buy a Skyliner ticket (to Ueno Station) plus the supplement for the one-day Tokyo Metro pass. The Tokyo Metro pass is a bargain that way, and you can tour Tokyo yourself all day if you want. But the pass will at least get you from Ueno Station to wherever the JTB tour starts, and back to Ueno Station, at a lower price than the individual subway tickets. (The pass works on any Tokyo Metro subway line, but not on the very few Toei lines which are usually not relevant or at least can be bypassed for most destinations.)

Enjoy your trip.

Thanks for the tips guys. I decided to stick to KIX but add 24hrs to my stopover. Now all I need to decide is whether to stay in Osaka or Kyoto....

You also have Himeji and Nara nearby, although if you've never been to Kyoto I'd recommend you visit there.

Thanks for the tips guys. I decided to stick to KIX but add 24hrs to my stopover. Now all I need to decide is whether to stay in Osaka or Kyoto....

You could for example book a ryokan & spa at Kurama in the mountains above Kyoto. Nice area for R&R after all the flying, outdoor hot pools also all year.