JALPak

There's no arrival lounge

ermen

My bad. I meant the arrival shower
http://www.jal.co.jp/en/inter/servic...mpaign/shower/

ashkale

Afraid it works only with Jal stock, open to all for a fee, iirc, 1k Yen.

ermen

Dang! Will they actually be able to find out / check?
I heard about a method, to use the departures lounge (given i will have a return flight later that evening), and then request to go through immigration after.

doctoravios

I did exactly this a few months' ago (albeit MH to NRT and JL back to KUL) on one of the amazing ex-HKT fares (21,330 THB including a stopover at KUL). I paid just slightly more to have the JL sector on the way back. I have to say that it was difficult to choose which I preferred. There are highlights/downsides to both.

MH:
- Satay
- More space if you are in a throne seat (1K)
- Chef on-call
- Cabin appears slightly more tired (despite new seating)







JL:
- 787 cabin (nicer environment)
- Narrower seat but more private
- Very clean cabin







I felt the crew on both flights were excellent but a different approach to service. MH was very much hands on, often coming to check if everything was OK whereas JL was more refined and subtle. The food on both was good but, again, different styles (MH - can get a wide selection with chef on-call but JL only offer Western or Japanese). Champagne/wine selection good on both but JL also offers sake/Japanese liquors. The biggest differentiation is the style of seat. JL SS9 Sky Suite is great if you are a solo traveller in a window seat as although it is 2-2-2, you still get a lot of privacy (and direct aisle access) but it is quite narrow and claustrophobic. In contrast, the MH throne seat is very spacious but more exposed.

If I were doing it again (and MH still continue to offer cheap codeshare JL flights) then I would probably do exactly the same and go out MH/come back JL to experience both. On the other hand, JL flights are so expensive usually that if you have the opportunity to fly an MH codeshare on both legs, you may want to take the opportunity to do so and save the MH A330 experience for another route.

doctoravios

Yes, I discovered this too. However, I had no problems getting 2A after arriving at Narita early for check-in. One irritation I had is that you can use the JAL First check-in desks as a OneWorld Emerald but not the JAL fast-track directly beyond the First check-in desks which means using the standard OneWorld fast-track which probably took longer than if I'd gone through the standard channel for security/passport control.

At Kuala Lumpur, the Satellite MH First Lounge is excellent. At Narita, it's a little confusing because the main JAL First lounge is on 2 levels. The part with the sushi bar is on the lower level but I found the part on the upper level much quieter and more peaceful. Don't forget to book a massage and make use of the shoe shine service (book as soon as you arrive in the lounge as there will likely be a waiting list).

dfs24

Have used the shower facility when flying JL, on a MH codeshare, with a MH issued ticket. I'm unsure of the exact policy so YMMV.

1K yen is not much anyhow.

nov11

I have done that before. But that was MH J connecting to JL J (codeshare by MH). I told them I would like to use the showers and was advised that I can't use the showers at arrivals but they can escort me to the Sakura lounge shower and then escort me back through immigration ^

ermen

Wow am I going to the right lounges? the JAL F I went to only had 1 level the other time.

ashkale

Havent tried that but should be possible!
yeah they are able to check tried this on a ba ticket and was offered the paid option

ashkale

The lounge has multiple levels in the main building, but the upper floor operates limited hours!

jbfield

Any opinions on which offers the best sleep?

I'm likily to head straight to sleep on the KUL-NRT route so it's really about sleeping ability more than the food.

I'm also a little worried about aircraft swaps as I note that the JL is scheduled on MH website as 767 (not lie-flat) whilst JL advertise it as 789 (lie-flat). Yet is MH more susceptiable to this than JL?

nov11

I don't recall JL swapping a 789 with a 767 for their KUL route. 767 was previously used but it has been upgauged for quite sometime now. MH probably hasn't updated their GDS to reflect the equipment change (and they are also switching over to Amadeus this weekend so that might be better).

wolf72

That JAL seat looks bloody narrow.

Having said that MH are very very poor at maintaining their cabins. They simply do not put in enough care into longevity of their cabins as their aircraft are being used pretty much non stop at the moment but even then, it's an old problem within MH.

You find shoe marks on cabin walls, window's are dirty (from the outside) and never cleaned, carpets don't get changed regularly (every 6 months?), etc etc etc.

IFE systems don't get repaired, etc.

ermen

Another data point.
Just did this today. MH codeshare, JL metal and BP (but BP did write sold JL XXX sold as MH YYY)