FlyerTalk Forums - View Single Post - [JAL NEWBIE LOUNGE] Ask Your Questions Here (flame free)
Old Jun 10, 2020, 10:06 pm
  #3614  
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Originally Posted by Tokyoite
It is possible, with strategy.
Haneda T1 South wing counters opens at 6am sharp. Airport itself opens at 5am.
Be at the counter by 5:50, ready to book using the self service machines and you will get any available F seats for upgrade at 8000 yen cash.
Go that early in the morning and upgrade flight at the counter, then go back home for breakfast and whatever, then come back to airport later in the day for your flight.
Done it several times already (despite being a Diamond myself), and it is bulletproof, because you get it done before any Diamonds and JGCs have even gotten to the airport.
its the only way to beat the crowd, and surprise your GF/wife/BF/husband later in the day.
(of course check that the flight you are on actually has F seats on sale!)
Other way is to look up the Japanese blogs to find sellers who provide this morning-in-person upgrade service. Anyone with your names and PNR can use the self service machine to upgrade, so there are people who sell the service of going to the airport for you. You pay them 10k and they pocket 2k yen.
Popular for Fukuoka and Okinawa (to secure the return leg upgrade while traveler still hadn’t departed tokyo) and Haneda (due to the cut throat demand).
Is it really worth all of these efforts? Almost all of the Okinawa flights will be on wait list the day of departure, so status is going to win over early risers anyway.

I am surprised that anyone would pay for a upgrade service, a lot of people already feel that the 8K yen is doubtful whether it is worth it, and then adding the cost of a surrogate in the airport, in my opinion someone would have to be pretty desperate to do that. It is a roughly two hour flight, how much is the F seat worth?

Originally Posted by freed0m
The things we do for a more comfortable journey.

may I ask whether it is always 8000 yen, no matter the route or the ticket type(award or revenue)?

Thanks
Always 8,000 yen, unless you have already paid the 1,000 for class J, then only 7,000 additional. The value is transferred when going from Class J to F.
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