cascade

Hello all,

Flying KIX-BKK next summer (June 2015). Booking via an award. BA website shows the plane type as a 767, while JAL's website under a normal revenue fare search shows the flight to be a 787. The flight number is JL727. Is there any way to know in advance what kind of seat the flight will have with some level of certainty (short of equipment swaps and such)? If the seat is something nice like the new Sky Suite, I will definitely spring for Business class. If the seat is just going to be a crummy recliner like some regional widebody flights are in Asia, then I think I will save the miles. The flight is nearly 6 hours, so I would think that the seats would be relatively decent. Any insight is greatly appreciated.

JALPak

jal.co.jp/en is the best source

But given the flight is next summer, things could change

glennaa11

I think "things could change" is probably an understatement. I am scheduled to be on JL711 in a couple of weeks. Was originally a 787 when I booked it many moons ago. Changed to a 767 with the newest Sky Suite II. And has now apparently changed to a 767 with the regional recliner business class. To say I am bummed is an understatement. It appears that the day I am flying is the only one that has the inferior product which makes me even more bummed. I am hoping it is some weird glitch, but somehow I think it's probably not.

If you search the timetable it should show you the correct (as of now) a/c along with whatever product is available - Sky Suite II, or whatever they call the recliner.

virmaior

It's still a rumor, but it's possible that this will be the same 787 that flies to LAX from KIX. But it's several months away, so it's hard to guess what will really come to pass by then.

aoumd

Any idea if the 787s on the SAN-NRT route will have JAL SKY SUITE for Business Class by next May?

virmaior

There was some confusion in a post by lucky that many people read that made it seem like JAL is refurbing current 787s to SS8. This is not the case.
There's no current plan for other ones.

New 787s will be equipped with the SS8. That means the fastest they can be applied to routes (for right now) is as they are manufactured by Boeing. And you can see the production list here: http://nyc787.blogspot.jp/. I think JAL has one out of every fifteen or so for a long time which would mean one new bird every month and a half at current production.

Here's JAL's press release.

What's clear is that the first route it is intended for is FRA. So they expect to have two birds up and running by December 1st.

After that, NYC.

Then, there's some likelihood it will be based BKK-KIX-LAX on the chatter but nothing definite.

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I don't think anyone is certain what happens after that.

kkjay77

I thought the first route is FRA in December while JFK is to start in Jan 2015?

virmaior

You're correct. What I had above was wrong. I've been reading a lot of information about it on a rumor mill thread in Japanese.

musashino22

NRT-HAN is getting SS8 4-5x a week between Dec2014 and Jan2015. Next possible route would be NRT-CDG as the Shell Flat Neo Schedule is showing that this route will only have it until Feb 28. If this is the case, BKK-KIX-LAX won't get SS8 as JL will only have 4 or may be 5 SS8s, but that is barring any delays in the delivery of new 787s. My 2 cents

https://www.jal.co.jp/inflight/inter..._flat_neo.html

virmaior

But at least according to here, that's because Paris is getting the 777 back on March 1 https://www.jal.co.jp/inflight/inter/rosen/index05.html

So they won't need the SS8 for that route.

Rumor mills states as follows :

that's why I think it may go to that routing.

JALPak

That's HND-CDG listed not NRT-CDG

musashino22

The rumor mill is only saying that once JFK gets SS8, this will free up the 787s, with the E01/old config which can be used for BKK-KIX-LAX in March.

But then given that the official schedule is already out, there is no way that the same aircraft will be used for BKK-KIX-LAX as KIX-BKK and KIX-LAX are scheduled around the same time and LAX-KIX will be arriving around 7pm.

KIX-LAX should get the E01 config 787s for some time as it doesn't have any competition in this route. Same goes for NRT-SAN. JL is expected to receive the following SS8 configured 788s/789s so we can definitely have a discussion/guessing game which other routes will get the SS8s in the future.

2014
2 x Oct
1 x Nov
1 x Dec

2015
1 x Feb
1 x Apr (789)
1 x May
1 x Jun
1 x Oct (789)
and 4 more until end of FY2015 which is Mar 2016