It was actually a bit overboard, but I would say in a good way as they are really treating you like a VIP.
The boarding pass got printed, the check in agent says happy birthday after shes saws the boarding pass has !! Happy Birthday !! printed on there. I thought of correcting her (cause it already passed), but did not bother cause once she said it, everyone around who helps you with bags and stuff says it. I was not really into correcting everyone who reads the boarding pass, so why not let's celebrate. When you go through the JGC security, the lady also says it, so yeah. However, the airport immigration lady did not look at it though, so this is really just JAL doing it.
Once in the lounge the counter lady scans the boarding pass and reads it (I think it pop-ed up in her screen), then the entire lounge staff saying happy birthday to you. They even have those happy birthday cards written with some lounge snacks in it to give before you leave, so I would believe this is part of the SOP. Once you take off, the entire group says happy birthday to you again when you pass by the counter (so I guess I was being monitored in the lounge lol).
At boarding gate the first lady who checks the boarding pass also says the wishes, but the guy who scans the boarding pass did not say anything, so sometimes a read is required to figure it out. I was wrong. The purser and attendants still knows it once on board even though I only showed the right side of the boarding pass with the !! Happy Birthday !! hidden in my passport. I guess they have something hard coded in the system and printed for the cabin. The cabin was full, but you have all 4 of the attendants rotating to come and greet you wishes. Towards the end of the flight, a specially made fruit plate with happy birthday was given... so they tried to really please the guests with whatever they have.
Since I am not special guest or big corp. owner/officers so there is no one to greet me at LAX. One would think it's over off the plane.... but no... the happy birthday comes back to haunt you at the carousels. I thought I got the wrong bag cause there are weird things tied on the bags. ...but it was the right bag! It just has another birthday card attached to it (by Narita Airport check in staff). I guess they attached the card after I left the check in counter. Somehow it got on to the bag without me seeing it.
So you get...
1. A boarding pass with !! Happy Birthday !! on there,
2. A Happy Birthday card from the Lounge with snacks in it.
3. A decorated Happy Birthday fruit plate in flight, and
4. Another Happy Birthday card attached to your bag.
Why would you choose another airline over JAL for your birthday then if it's an option
