number_6

More precisely JL 5/6 are equipped with the new solo seats -- the other JFK-NRT flights are not. I don't know which flights NRT-LHR are new solo equipped, but it is a very rare service and JL has no intention to extend it to the rest of the fleet. Unlike most other airlines who do roll out a new seat and make it more or less system wide. JL has a finely honed sense of what the market will bear (and where the competition lies).

Guava

There will indeed have some photos on the lounges and cabins, I will do my best to cover them

Actually, I travel quite a bit, but mostly on Air Canada. I usually write a mini-trip report in the Air Canada forum occasionally when there is something worth talking about such as the New Executive First service to/from Japan debuted last December.

You will not see many menu transcripts this time around. The main reason is because NH and SQ presents the menu in a nice and elabroate 'leather' like folder. It feels almost like a restaurant's full menu with over hundred of choices. So I will rely on photos rather than transcripts.

Champagne in First Class: Krug on NH for sure and Don Perignon on JL I think, can't remember what it was on SQ, will check again. To be honest, I don't care much about the booze however except when it's a sake and I'll tell you why in the report.

JL 48 to NYC from NRT in the evening doesn't have the new F seats. But I am not aware that JL 5/6 have special catering specific to them though. I looked up at RTW4's menu transcript with JL from JFK, they look fairly similar to my JL 9 out of ORD.

RTW4

No Dom on JL from JFKat least. The sake however is outrageous!

Guava

O.K., I have the photos ready now, finally. Actually, I have them for about a week or so already. There is a minor problem - As I asked TravelScholar via e-mail with regard the type of camera he used to take photos inside cabin, I wasn't able to get an answer from him. So the camera I used was inadequate for taking interior photos, so about 1/4 of them are failed and some of them not very clear. So if you know what is the best camera for taking in-flight photos, please do let me know so that I'll buy one and use it next time. Another thing is I have to figure a way to post them on Internet and I haven't figured out exactly how I am going to do it. As you can see, I am very tech savvy when it comes to these - but I am quick learner!

So for the photos, please be patient for a few more days. For now, here are the first parts of the report.

Air Canada 771: YUL-ORD (Montreal-Chicago)
North American Executive Class on Airbus 320

This is a connector flight to the JAL segment out of Chicago. The Air Canada flight was scheduled to leave around 7:50 AM. The connection, if taking AA instead, would be 6AM something which means, we would had to be at Montreal Dorval airport around 5AM or so, which also meant - why not just stay up all night instead of going to bed? So despite a strong urge of not flying Air Canada [for more information, please read the Air Canada forum], we ended up flying the national disgrace carrier anyway. So that was my emotional context of flying Air Canada that day.

The Dorval Int'l Airport is now Montreal's only and primary commercial airport. Mirabel used to handle a lot of European traffics but due to its long distance from the city of Montreal, it was decided Mirabel is inadequate for regularly scheduled traffic. Many felt Mirabel is a better airport because it's newer and better designed but location wise just too inconvenient. Air Canada is based in Montreal, however this is only a secondary hub for the carrier and Star-Alliance because of the proximity of Toronto. Int'l and Domestic flights are handled on the far right side of the departure terminal whereas Transborder (USA) flights are handled near the middle section of the station. My guess is that they need the space for the U.S. Immigration pre-clearance, hence the location. The terminal building has somewhat being redecorated since a year and half or so mainly because AC is now the overwhelming occupant here [there used to be CP, Canadian Airlines]. So the inside does not look old but it can get quite chaotic with long cues at the economy class lines at times. The airport has some souvenir stores, newspaper stands and small pubs and eateries both before and after the security. From my experience, it's pretty well equipped and clean compared to other Int'l airports although it's obvious the size is not comparable.

The check-in at the Executive Class section had no cues, just one or two people ahead of us. The desk was well served by 2 agents and another standing by the economy class line to direct traffic. In general, despite the cue in the economy class line, the ‘traffic police’ tended to give priority to Executive Class passengers by asking them to check in either in the Intermediate Desk between Business and Economy class, served by one agent or use the Economy Desk ahead of economy class passengers. I think this attempt to give the check-in process a sense of priority and order is well appreciated by the premium pax. Nevertheless, given the long cue in the Economy section, you have to wonder how these folks would feel. We were greeted by a female agent. When I handed over the documents, I was kind of expecting some kind of ‘bizarre facial expression’ from her. The reason being our final destination is BKK (Bangkok, Thailand), yet the 3 flight segments are AC-JL-NH. From my perspective, you can’t find a better way to get to BKK from Montreal better than this combo because it was the fastest, most convenient/direct and the highest quality as well with just two connections. However, she was looking at our ticket as though it’s written in Latin or something. At first, she said she couldn’t deliver our bags to the final destination because she doesn’t think AC can transfer bags to JL then onto NH. In my mind, I was telling myself: “Here we go again, the on-the-spot improvisation by a ‘competent’ AC front-line employee.” The reason I am saying this is I am used to this kind of… well let’s say, ‘easy answers’ from AC agents. Just tell clients there is nothing they can do and the clients will figure a way out somehow by themselves. By the way, I really encourage you to visit the Air Canada forum here on Flyertalk for more details. Great service is rare on AC that when you get it, make sure you enjoy every moments of it because you don’t know when you are going to get it next time. So I ‘encourage’ her to find a way to solve this. She made us wait while she went off to ask the ‘lead agent’ I suppose for a good 5~10 minutes. Guess what, AC can do it after all! Here we go, shows great training, isn’t it? She should have known at the first moment exactly how to do and not making premium class clients to wait unnecessarily while she finds an answer that she should know by heart. I apologize if I sound so disgusted with Air Canada for being sarcastic here and there. It does however reflect the feelings of many frequent flyers with Air Canada and believe it or not, I consider myself mild. If you have ever wonder how come a monopoly like AC needs to file for bankruptcy protection given its overwhelming dominance and the numerous advantages of being the only national carrier of a G7 countries, you got some answers here. AC staff are generally badly trained, doesn’t have half of the answers to the questions you ask them or simply making up one. Sadly, there are very good people in there, though a very small minority who are the employees that any airlines would love to have any day.

After the $15 per person airport taxes, it’s the immigration. The cue for U.S. Immigration [Pre-Clearance] isn’t long, only waited for 3 minutes maybe. I didn’t feel anything different compared to past experience, except they never said “Welcome to the United States”. Just asked some usual questions such as purpose, how long will you stay and that was all. I guess I am not on the FBI’s wanted list after all… Then, we had to bring our luggages to a dropping area, then head for security. The whole process after we got our boarding passes till we cleared security took maybe 15 minutes or so. But then I consider myself to be fast. For example, I heard people needing as much as 4 hours for transferring between JFK to LGA, I need only 1 hour for instance. The Maple Leaf lounge is smaller for the Transborder section. It’s one floor up so you need to take the elevator. I remember particularly how unenthusiastic the lounge agent was, just look so uninterested about her job – no smile, no energy, no greetings, nothing. The lounge itself is spacious, with a bar with some morning beverages such as juices, coffees, and teas, maybe some refreshments such as yoghurts, cereals and cookies and fruits. There was a few computers with internet connection in the separate business center called Xerox Business Center. I didn’t take photos of this lounge, I forgot. It was bright as two sides were made with glass walls with clear views on the runways. There was a TV near the center of the lounge I think. The seats were like mini sofas, pretty comfortable. It wasn’t crowded but not empty either. Lounge is one area I feel Air Canada usually does better than competitors. The decoration was pleasant and simple.

After a quick snack and a cup of hot chocolate, I had the time to check some messages before heading to the gate. When asked the desk agent about boarding, she said the boarding had started without even checking. Of course when we got there, the boarding didn’t start yet. Anyway, I don’t remember if they asked Business class pax to board first or not. If the line is not clearly separated, I usually prefer to follow the crowd as I hate cutting through lines. So we boarded, I think our seats were 2 or 3 something, can’t remember. The FA took my coat and offered some newspapers and juice or water. The plane left pretty much on time and the flight was almost full with maybe one empty seat in the front but economy, I believe was very full. Flight time was supposed to be just under 2 hours but due to strong winds, the Captain announced we were going to be early. Breakfast was quickly served after take-off as well as a round of beverage services. The Business Class cabin was served by a young and enthusiastic/smiling female FA. What a contrast compared to the one attending the lounge! Breakfast had a hot and cold option for the main dish. I opted for the hot whereas my mate went for the cold one. If I remember correctly, the hot was just omelette, sausage and baked potatoes, typical on AC service. There was also a bowl of pre-cut fruits, juice and maybe a piece of chocolate. The cold version was probably just a fruit plate and with options of having cereals I think. There is nothing to note about the food, I think we should be glad they still serve breakfast. Had this flight being operated by any given major Asian carrier, chances are the economy class cabin would have better catering than what AC serves here in their Business class. Nevertheless, you don’t get off hungry that’s the thing. The rest of the flight is pretty uneventful. The morning news was shown on the front screen, the only entertainment was music though the headsets they provide. Seat wise, the pitch was about 38~40” give or take a few. The width was o.k. given the seating was 2 X 2 on this Airbus 320. The recline was limited but I felt the seat was comfortable enough for a short 2 hour hop. Longer than that, I think it will start to become unpleasant because of the lack of good recline and personal entertainment system. Service wise, it was a fine flight, the job was well done.

The landing was earlier than expected, around 8:35 AM local time. Our connecting flight on JL is set for noon so there is some time to kill in between. We should have arrived after 9AM on this flight but it looked like the wind was particularly strong that day as we also arrived early to Tokyo Narita with our JL flight later. There was no need to pick up any luggages as we had it taken care of all the way to BKK in Montreal. Nevertheless, to go to the Int’l terminal in Chicago O’Hare, we had to take a train. It took maybe 15~20 minutes since we got off plane to the JL counter which was already opened to my surprise.



[This message has been edited by Guava (edited 04-19-2003).]

mtacchi

Part 1 is starting out good. Lets have the rest


Marc

Guava

Japan Airlines 009: ORD-NRT (Chicago-Tokyo)
Japan Airlines International First Class on Boeing 747-400

Now that the prelude is done, let's get down to business! The core of this report is coming. I know you are anxious about the pictures, so if you have a tips or two about posting photos on line, feel free to e-mail me, it will help me to those here sooner.

Early morning at the Int’l terminal in ORD was quite calm. Most desks were closed. The JAL counters are more towards the right hand corner or east end of the station. We could see staff behind the desks already around 9 AM as we approached, that was a relief, otherwise, we would be forced to wait till the desk opens which won’t be pleasant. There was only one line for First Class, with a unique red carpet with JAL First Class printed on it [ a similar blue JAL Executive Class carpet is right besides it for Business class pax]. There was a man, I don’t know whether he is a JAL staff or airport security personnel, standing right in front of the line. We needed to show him our documents. I suppose some pax might try to use First Class line even though they don’t have the right to. The First Class check-in counter was handled by two Japanese speaking agents, one female in her 40s-50s and one male agent his late 20s or early 30s. She was doing something else so when we ‘suddenly’ stood in front of her, it kind of caught her off guard. It was a funny scene though because she was like a ‘robot’, immediately greeted us in a Japanese fashion. Talking about automatism, while she checked us in, the male agent wasn’t doing nothing. He immediately have two carry-on tags in a distinct red First Class colour and print ready, handwritten with our names and flight number even seat number. That was also the time I asked about the seat that we will have on this flight whether it’s equipped with the new Skysleeper solo. Well, the answer was most disappointing, he said, the new equipment is only available between New York/London and Tokyo Narita for now. I told him what JAL reservations said to me when I booked the itinerary so he went back and checked again. He then came back and said this plane for sure doesn’t have the new seats although they are the solo versions. In the meanwhile, the boarding passes were ready. We were also given instructions on how to get to the lounge. The process was efficient, careful and polite in the usual Japanese way. When asked about our luggages, we said Air Canada took care of them in Montreal. She asked to see the luggage receipts so that she can add the information into the computer (sign of careful and attentive service given that this step really is optional if AC has handled everything properly).

The security screening was quick, no long cues that I can recall of. No need to take off shoes I think. As we walk towards the lounge given the long 2 hours and so waiting time, I can’t help but noticing this airport is one of the ugliest that I have visited in recent memory. This is far from the first time I have been here but it just occurred to me that the ORD airport is old, badly equipped and dirty. Once you passed security, there is no areas for shopping or eating, other than some rudimentary mobile stands selling expensive yet low value souvenirs. There might be a small bar but I don’t remember. It may be just the terminal but this airport’s facility is so poor that it could have passed for a 3rd world country airport. JAL has its own lounge here in ORD, the Sakura lounge. However, this lounge is connected to Aer Lingus’s Golden Club lounge. I don’t know if the staff are JAL or Aer Lingus, it was handled by two female Caucasian agents. Once you reach the lounge service desk, the Aer Lingus lounge door is on the right and JAL Sakura lounge is on the left. Apparently, if you fly JAL Executive Class out of ORD, you may only use the Aer Lingus lounge. If you fly First or have other high level membership cards of JAL, then you can use the Sakura Lounge. So technically, the Sakura Lounge is the First Class lounge for JAL in Chicago. I have taken some photos of this lounge but there is nothing to write home about it. While the spaciousness of the lounge is a plus, it was poorly equipped. There was only one telephone with no fax or terminal services. The telephone is a public phone on the wall right outside of the lounge door. While the decoration was simple and elegant, the snacks and drinks available were basic. There were some Japanese chips, sweets and drinks. I think there were some beer and soft drinks as well. There were also hot towels available, but other than that, no fresh or real food that I can recall of. There were some Japanese and English reading materials, including magazines and newspapers but no TV that I can recall of. The main positive side of this lounge is its feeling, secluded [from Business class pax], calm, comfortable seating [good quality sofa type of seating] with nice deco. The light were dimmed to give it an evening type of feel, like a 9PM moment of calm for you to read and relax. I had quite a bit of things to do, several calls and some emergency contacts back to Montreal which required me to fax some documents back and forth. I would much prefer all this be done prior leaving the continent. So it worried me with this poor facility. So I spent almost all my time facing the wall – no I wasn’t being punished for being a bad kid! As I said, the only phone available was the ‘hole in the wall’ just outside of the Sakura Lounge. After that, I went to the service desk to see if there is a fax machine anywhere. The two agents advised me there is no fax or internet service in the terminal except in their office before the security check-point. Since I can’t get back there, they offered to do it for me in person and immediately. These girls may not be Japanese but they certainly work with Japanese mentality in mind. I told them these faxes were very important and I want to make sure they really went through, the lead agent said she will make sure it went through as she will do it herself. So about 5 minutes later, she came back and everything was done. I called Montreal and everything was set except now something else came up and again, I needed the fax service again. I really hate bothering someone twice for the same purpose but I didn’t have a choice so I went back to them and they complied without hesitation. At the end, while this lounge is poor facility wise, the very good and committed services by the staff do make up somewhat for this deficiency. I didn’t have to wait after all, as I barely had the time to sit down. By the way, I was told the lounge staff came in to ask to see our luggage receipts again to make sure they are well taken care of, another sign of careful service. Just as I finally got the chance to sit down, the lead agent came in, there was only about 5 pax in the Sakura lounge in total. She announced in English that the plane is ready to board in at 11:35 AM for First Class pax and that we should allocate a 10 minutes of walking time to the gate. At the end, she also bowed in the Japanese manner to thank everyone for flying with Japan Airlines. I don’t know, for a Caucasian, I think she understands Japanese culture very well from the way and the manners she handled herself from the first moment till the departure of the guests.

Japan Airlines have separate lines for passengers boarding the plane – First and Executive Class on one side and everybody else on the other. The process was quick and orderly enough. As soon as boarded the plane, a female FA at the door recognized we are First Class pax so it looked as though her smile is suddenly ‘amplified’. What I mean is she was smiling and greeting every pax, but when she saw us, it was like there was a sudden surge in her emotional state like say when Michael Jackson suddenly appeared in front of you. So she showed us to our seats personally. Then, quickly, other FA come around and offered drinks, papers, menus and etc. Mind you if this sounds just typical First Class protocol, let me tell you it’s not always the case. Qantas for example, is not as efficient as Japan Airlines when it comes to this. On Qantas, we had to find the seats ourselves, not being shown to our seats. Of course, you can call it cultural difference but I say one is more attentive than the other. After pretty much all the pax have boarded, the purser, a female FA in her 50’s I imagine came around and presented herself. Guess what, the First cabin was pretty empty that day but the Business Class looked pretty full to me. The take off was a bit delayed, then the Captain announced we should be able to make up the time lost due to strong winds. I can’t help but noticing the First Class cabin is not very well maintained. These seats are about 4~5 years old, so somewhat torn is one thing but the cleanliness is to be desired too. I noticed some small papers here and there not being picked up on my seat and as well as dusts on some edges of the seats. The seats, which you will see a clear photo of the cabin, really looked old. Functionally, they have automatic buttons for you to change the seating position from straight up, to comfortable reading recline and totally flat. One funny thing is how the FA stored one of our carry-on. She put it on one of the empty seat and attached a seat belt around it so it won’t fall! LOL, that was a hilarious scene – try to attach a kid or a baby like this on a seat, giving some nasty parents some pretty good new ideas I think. At least JAL didn’t ask us to pay for an extra ticket for our carry-on who also got to fly First Class!

The seating is all solo for this aircraft in First so are the new seats on JL 005/006. There is plenty of space between seats for you to stretch so unless you are a giant, the seat is quite comfortable. It does however lack some privacy as the seating is quite open with no screens between seats. The Skysleeper solo is actually a seat, not suite/bed. While it goes flat with good support at the foot area, the support of the seat is not designed to become a comfortable bed, just a flat space. So the shape of the seat when flat is not always supporting the right part of the body for you to relax completely. It isn’t uncomfortable, just not up to the highest standard today in Int’l First Class travel. For instance, UA’s seat would be ranked higher than JL’s. There was an additional reading light on the seat. The upright position of the seat is comfortable as most First class seats are. One note is that while JL’s seat look interesting, they certainly lack the wow visual effect of some other carriers like Singapore Airlines (SQ). I don’t know if it’s because of the age but JL seats just look old and torn and lack the luxurious feeling of SQ First cabin. Once you see the photos, you will know what I mean. Given the departure was a noon flight and we will be arriving Tokyo to connect right away to Bangkok, sleep was not important for us. We planned to sleep once in BKK only as we will get there no earlier than 10:30 PM local time. However, I did take a quick nap for maybe an hour or 2 and it was adequate. I don’t know if it would allow me to sleep a full 8 hours comfortably but for a quick nap, it was fine.

Now what…ok, Seat 2A, this is for you: FOOD. I read all your comments and suggestions, as I said this trip report will not see many menu transcripts. It doesn’t mean coverage on catering will be any less important, it will be more visual than textual + more commentary. This is what you told me you want to know, so here we go. There is a Japanese and Western menu for the first meal. For the 2nd meal, it’s a one tray service either Japanese style or Western style that you can order anytime you want. In addition, there is over a dozen other food items which you can order a la carte at anytime you feel like. In other words, you can’t possibly starve on a JL First flight. I will post the transcript at the end of the report and when I figured a way to post the photos, they will also be added where appropriate. We choose the Japanese meal: Spring Taste of Japan. Except, we also order the western appetizer which consists of Ossetra Caviar and Maine Lobster with Corn Relish. JL is not very generous about Caviar portions, but they add other things like lobster to make up for the small portion. At least they still have them because I can count the number of major airlines still serving caviar with my hands. Before the caviar service, we were offered a drink. I think I took the Champagne – Taittinger Comtes de Champagne Blanc de Blancs Brut 1995. If you ask me, not a very good choice that I can remember, just not for me. Then comes some Japanese cookies, sweets not listed on the menu. A canapé service followed with some neatly done amuse-gueules. After the caviar service, the FA brought the Japanese appetizer which consists of Cold Egg Custard, Boiled Shrimp, Roasted Duck Fillet, Grilled Scallop and Deep-Simmered Bamboo Shoots with “Miso” Sauce. All these are served on a traditional Japanese half-moon tray. I have some really nice pictures as I am looking at them now. The next item is soup or “Wan” which is Japanese Clear Soup with Sea Bream Mousse. The appetizers might not look very impressive presentation wise but the quality was carefully done. Of course, it’s not anywhere near the attention given on land in Japan but the taste was authentic enough. I forgot to comment that the canapé and caviar services were fine too. The corn relish is an interesting addition to lobster and caviar, it gives an otherwise salty dish a sweeter feel, haven’t thought of that. The sea bream soup look very interesting visually but it really looked better than it tastes. For some reasons, I prefer sea bream when it’s not a mousse. Creativity wise, I found it to aesthetically very appealing. The next service consists of Mukouzuke (Sashimi), Kobachi. They are simply some dishes with crabmeat and fresh tuna & squid. Now, remember, sashimi really is consist of crude sea food of the tuna and sashimi are treated such that it’s clean yet uncooked. I know for some of you it’s freaking scary but it really isn’t. Once you see the photo you will understand better. I can also see on the photo a separate dish of bean curd and vegetables that comes with this service. The crabmeat is mostly cooked though served cold on purpose. By the way, while in Tokyo, we did try some lobster sashimi as part of a $400 USD Kaiseki dinner, now that was interesting, even me it was first time – I didn’t know you could do that with lobster as well. Now, back on the plane, I think it’s somewhat disappointing to see the simplicity of these dishes. There are very simple items. While they taste good, it was certainly below expectation as to what one might expect of a Kaiseki style of meal. Then come the Nimono, Main Dish + Rice which consist of: Braised Conger Eel with Sweet Soy Sauce, Simmered Black Cod in Light Soy Sauce, Japanese Steamed Rice, Japanese pickles and Miso Soup. The eel and black cod were extremely tender as though the meat melts in your mouths like sweet chocolates. Pickles are preserved vegetables with a distinct taste of their own, you may like it or not, it’s very subjective. Japanese food are light in taste so there is no strong smell or taste – some people like it, some don’t. My overall impression about the meal is that with the exception of the Sea Bream Clear soup, everything else is a bit simple. While they taste good and well cooked/prepared, they are not up to the standard you would expect from a true Kaiseki meal which emphasizes a lot on creativity and uniqueness. But it’s important to note this is out of ORD so one can expect why the quality is not as high. Flights out of Japan have much better catering. The dessert and beverage consist of Cut Fruits in Season and Japanese Sweet + Green Tea. It seems they also negligee the dessert a little bit, whereas SQ would serve a sesame pudding a la Japanese, JL only has fruits and a piece of sweet. So it’s not hard to see the standard of catering here is not high. I forgot to mention when I start taking photos, discretely btw, nothing escapes the sharp eyes of attentive FA. The purser immediately came around, looked somewhat concerned. I told her I am writing a trip report. Her immediate reaction was I was doing it for my company – LOL. Well, that’s a very Japanese way of thinking but no, I was doing it for Flyertalk. It was hard for me to explain the concept of Flyertalk so I told her it’s a hobby and I am going to show it to friends that’s all. Somehow it calmed her worries. I don’t know why she looked concerned, maybe because she felt it would be embarrassing for me to report this to my company. That was the only time that I got asked why I am taking photos. One of highlights during the flight was acutally doing nothing. What I mean is I order a hot sake, an aged Japanese Sake called Daruma-Masamune 10 years old from the Gifu Prefecture of Japan. Served in traditional sake bottle and fine Japanese china with nothing else in front of me. Just sitting there, looking out at the window into the deep blue sky without anything beyond the horizons, sipping sake times to times and enjoy a moment of calm and silence, very nourishing for self-reflection. To me, thinking back about that moment, the view and the feel, there is just no comparison...

For the 2nd meals and beyond, I just took the Salt Grilled Ocean Perch from the Japanese tray and combined with Chinese “Ramen” Noodles in Soup with Kagoshima Pork Fillet in soy sauce flavor. The Kagoshima Pork is black pork known for its unique taste and tenderness, when we came back to Japan after the tour in Asia, I made sure we went to a nice restaurant specialized in Kagoshima pork near Ginza in Tokyo. I highly recommend it. The fish was just fish, I didn’t find particularly tasty or anything. I liked the Ramen and pork fillet better. After the 2nd meal, which I call it ‘dinner’, I was offered a Mango Sherbet as well. You will notice there is a cup of coffee as well on the photo. It's not just any coffee, it's the Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee, one of the most prestigious coffee in the world http://www.myjamaicancoffee.com/products.html . A few years ago, when the Japanese economy was so dominating in the world to the point that Americans had to worry whether one day, Japan would have bought out the Corporate America, the supply of Blue Mountain coffee was literaly bought out/blocked by the Japanese because at that time, these coffee were sold at a jaw-dropping price in Japan. I had two cups of those to keep me awake. BTW, the Blue Mountain coffee is only available on a handful of airlines, about as scarce as caviar services. Even so, usually it's First Class exclusive, even Business class passengers do not have access to. So much for just 'a coffee'. My companion had the Western tray – o.k. please no complaints about home sick just few hours into the journey or else…grrrrr Prior to landing, for breakfast, I just asked for a seafood congee which consists of huge scallops and shrimps. It was mild in taste but very refreshing for breakfast.

The entertainment is real weakness of JAL. Without eye-trek, the personal video screen is tiny only 5 or 6 inches of viewing area and it’s old. With VOD up to 13 channels, there are maybe one or two worthy choices to watch but not much. Games wise, they are old like dated at least by one decade, not many choices either. Though there were some games that I used to play when I was a kid so did bring back some childhood memory…sniff…sniff… There are plenty of storage space around so if you are into that, no problem here. Comfortable t-shirts or clothing are offered so that you can sleep better. The amenity kit consists mostly of Shishedo brands of cosmetics, not a terribly well known brand in North America but popular in Asia. Sandals and soxes were offered as well. The bathroom is well equipped and maintained, with nobody else [stranger] to share the toilet with, it’s like your private cabin. In fact, the whole First class cabin felt like your private room.

Service in general is attentive and efficient. The FA have established an orderly schedule, when some take a break others will be there at their place. So the First cabin was really served by 4~5 different FA, not all at the same time, but with more FA than passengers. I think the service can still be improved – they haven’t really being trying to anticipate your needs or putting as much effort as they should have been for a First Class cabin. While the attitude was good, very often service is a question of perception so the impression you gave whether just or not, is critical. Overall, it’s a good flight but not memorable.

Evaluation

Scheme

A+: Highest Standard of the Industry, near Perfection
A: Excellent Standard, among the industry leaders
A-: Very good quality as you would expect from this service class
B+: Good quality with more than satisfying performance level
B: Satisfying and consistent with the industry’s average
B-: Product needs improvement in order to offer a competitive product
C+: Product is below standard but some basic elements are present
C: Mediocre product or performance that needs serious improvements
C-: Poor product or performance
D: Very bad product or performance
E: Junk

Departure’s Ground Services (including check-in, limousine/airport transfers, concierge greetings, lounge facilities and any other value-added services) = 7.5% of Final Score

On-board Seat Comfort and Cabin (the cabin and toilet maintenance, cabin facilities such as a bar, decoration, general comfort, quality of the seat such as recline, pitch and width and etc.) = 30 % of Final Score

On-board Catering (main meals, snacks/beverages, wine list) = 20% of Final Score
On-board Service and amenities (service of flight attendants, amenities provided such as slippers, pyjamas, amenities gifts to be taken off plane, pillow, duvets, turndown services and etc.) = 20% of Final Score

On-board Business facilities and Entertainment systems (reading materials, noise-cancelling headsets, audio and video systems, fax, e-mail, telephones, laptop plugs, games and etc.) = 15% of Final Score

Arrival’s Ground Services (express line, limousine/airport transfers, concierge greetings, arrival lounge facilities and any other value-added services and etc.) = 7.5% of Final Score

Type of Service Evaluated: International Long-Haul First Class
Depart: Chicago (ORD), IL at 11:50 AM
Arrive: Tokyo (NRT), Japan at 3:00 PM
Duration: About 15 hours

Departure’s Ground Services: 81% (A-)
On-board Seat Comfort and Cabin: 74% (B)
On-board Catering: 80.5% (A-)
On-board Service and amenities: 85% (A)
On-board Business facilities and Entertainment systems: 74% (B)
Arrival’s Ground Services: 80% (A-)
Overall Rating: 78.475% (B+)
---------------------------------------------


WESTERN MEAL

Appetizer

Ossetra Caviar & Maine Lobster with Corn Relish

Soup
Consommé Celestine

Salad
Fresh Vegetable Salad with Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing

Main Dish
Grilled Fillet of Beef with Mustard Port Sauce or Grilled Chicken Americaine or Grilled Swordfish with Maitre d’Hotel Butter

Selection of Cheese

Dessert
Cream Puff Tulip or Opera Cake Fruit Tart or Cut Fruits in Season

Beverage
Coffee, Tea, Herbal Tea, Green Tea, Espresso, Cappuccino

Chocolates

WESTERN TRAY (2ND MEAL)


Red Snapper Provençale or Veal Scallopini with Madeira Sauce

Fresh Salad Creamy Italian Dressing
Mango Crunch

Soft Roll and Butter

Coffee Tea


JAPANESE GRILLED FISH TRAY (2ND MEAL)


Boiled Rape Blossom in Sauce

Salt Grilled Ocean Perch Rolled Egg

Japanese pickles

Japanese Miso Soup

Steamed Rice


A LA CARTE ITEMS

Rice Choices:

- Steamed Rice and Vegetables with Japanese Tea “Ochazuke”
- Chicken Curry Japanese Style
- Simmered Eel in Sweet Soy Sauce
- Sundried Icefish on Steamed Rice

Noodle Choices:

- Japanese Udon Noodles in Soup with Fried Bean Curd
- Chinese Ramen Noodles in Soup with Kagoshima Pork Fillet (Soy or Miso Soup flavor)

Other Choices:

- Cioppino with Garlic Toast
- Seafood Congee
- Beef Stew
- Sandwiches

Refreshment:

- Prepared Fresh Fruits
- Vanilla Ice Cream or Mango Sherbet


[This message has been edited by Guava (edited 04-20-2003).]

RTW4

This is one of the finest trip reports that I have ever read. I have taken the JFK-NRT flight in first on JAL. The new solo seats are fantastic and the food is excellent. However, the IFE leaves much to be desired

UNITED959

I agree that the ORD Int'l Terminal, without doubt, has to be the most poorly appointed US Terminal. There are NO food outlets past security (not even good ol' McDs!). For such a new terminal, it really is a shame. Granted, I've yet to find shopping in a U.S. Terminal like that of Narita or Heathrow...but ORD is as barebones as it can get!

Guava

Thank you for your patience. The photos for part 1 is ready. The photos posted here are associated with the JAL flight from Chicago to Tokyo. Please enjoy:

http://www.geocities.com/wallylutz/T...otebook_1.html

http://www.geocities.com/wallylutz/T...otebook_2.html

RTW4

Thanks so much for the photos. They add so much to a trip report.!!