JohnWM
Jun 17, 06, 10:25 am
For my first Japan Airlines flight I departed in mid-May from JFK on JL 5. The departure was delayed by about 20 minutes due to congestion; the landing was about 40 minutes early. At JFK I was easily directed to the Sakura Lounge, as I was traveling Executive Seasons (business) class. The lounge was pleasant and not too crowded, perhaps because I was flying on a Tuesday.
During the flight I chatted with the flight attendant of my section. She said she was from Nagoya, that she really enjoyed the Tokyo - New York run to practice English, and that it was the longest nonstop in the JAL system. She also mentioned that fewer attendants were now willing to work this run.
One main meal was served; I waited for the second meal until I remembered seeing the notation on the menu that the second meal or snack could be served upon request. About 9 hours into the flight I requested the second meal. The choices were the Japanese style food or the Western style. My choice was always available; I never needed to settle for something else.
The aircraft was a 747-400. I was pleased that the seat was wider than I expected. It is said to be a comfortable sleeping seat; for sitting though it's fairly uncomfortable. The inflight entertainment was mediocre: several films and some silly juvenile electronic tick-tack-toe games as well as a standard selection of music. Some amenities were offered from a tray brought around by the attendants: toothbrush set, eyecovers, ear plugs, etc. Various newspapers were also offered to us.
At NRT I made an immediate connection also on JAL to the Beijing flight. That flight used a 777 and was comfortable, both directions over and back several days later. A meal and beverage service were provided in both directions.
In mid-June, also on a Tuesday, I flew my homebound JL 6 also in Executive Seasons (business) class. The inflight entertainment, the seat, and the meal service were all pretty much the same as on the flight over. In chatting with one of the flight attendants, I learned that she was not from Japan but from another Asian country. Hmmm... then I remembered the first flight attendant's comments. Also, on the flight back the captain turned off the airshow for the middle 6 1/2 hours of the flight. Hence the monitor was blank for half of the flight. When I asked one of the flight attendants to ask the captain to turn the monitor back on, she replied: "Why do you need the monitor on?"
I guess JAL must really be in tough financial straits: cutting back on designated meal service, hiring foreign flight attendants, whatever other skimping I didn't notice, etc.
Bottom line for me: adequate business class service and comfort, worth maybe a 6.5 or a 7 on our ten-point scale. Would I return? Not very quickly. I simply feel that my flights had been somewhat mediocre, nothing to talk about, nothing to remember, nothing to re-experience. In brief I was underwhelmed because I had expected more of JAL.
During the flight I chatted with the flight attendant of my section. She said she was from Nagoya, that she really enjoyed the Tokyo - New York run to practice English, and that it was the longest nonstop in the JAL system. She also mentioned that fewer attendants were now willing to work this run.
One main meal was served; I waited for the second meal until I remembered seeing the notation on the menu that the second meal or snack could be served upon request. About 9 hours into the flight I requested the second meal. The choices were the Japanese style food or the Western style. My choice was always available; I never needed to settle for something else.
The aircraft was a 747-400. I was pleased that the seat was wider than I expected. It is said to be a comfortable sleeping seat; for sitting though it's fairly uncomfortable. The inflight entertainment was mediocre: several films and some silly juvenile electronic tick-tack-toe games as well as a standard selection of music. Some amenities were offered from a tray brought around by the attendants: toothbrush set, eyecovers, ear plugs, etc. Various newspapers were also offered to us.
At NRT I made an immediate connection also on JAL to the Beijing flight. That flight used a 777 and was comfortable, both directions over and back several days later. A meal and beverage service were provided in both directions.
In mid-June, also on a Tuesday, I flew my homebound JL 6 also in Executive Seasons (business) class. The inflight entertainment, the seat, and the meal service were all pretty much the same as on the flight over. In chatting with one of the flight attendants, I learned that she was not from Japan but from another Asian country. Hmmm... then I remembered the first flight attendant's comments. Also, on the flight back the captain turned off the airshow for the middle 6 1/2 hours of the flight. Hence the monitor was blank for half of the flight. When I asked one of the flight attendants to ask the captain to turn the monitor back on, she replied: "Why do you need the monitor on?"
I guess JAL must really be in tough financial straits: cutting back on designated meal service, hiring foreign flight attendants, whatever other skimping I didn't notice, etc.
Bottom line for me: adequate business class service and comfort, worth maybe a 6.5 or a 7 on our ten-point scale. Would I return? Not very quickly. I simply feel that my flights had been somewhat mediocre, nothing to talk about, nothing to remember, nothing to re-experience. In brief I was underwhelmed because I had expected more of JAL.