December 08, 2022
Japan Airlines * Ho Chi Minh City to Tokyo * 1235a – 730a * 787-8 * Economy Class

Although it was delayed by a couple of hours, the flight to Haneda was pretty good. The legroom was only about 32”, but the seats were surprisingly comfortable. I was fortunate to get an aisle seat and slept surprisingly well most of the way to Tokyo. I’d envisioned arriving Tokyo bleary eyed and zombie-like but thanks to a good four hours of quality sleep onboard, I arrived in much better shape.

This was my first visit to Haneda, more appropriately known as Tokyo International Airport. This airport has had a rebirth of sorts. When I was a kid, Haneda was the primary international airport serving Tokyo. Then Narita opened in 1978 and most of the international traffic shifted there while Haneda was relegated to primarily domestic flights.

Haneda’s comeback began in 2010 when a new international terminal was opened along with the completion of a fourth runway. That runway made possible the operation of long-haul international flights during night-time hours. According to Wikipedia, Haneda opened up to daytime long-haul service in March 2014, with carriers then offering nonstop service to 25 cities in 17 countries. Now, the Japanese government apparently encourages the use of Haneda for premium business routes and the use of Narita for leisure routes and by low-cost carriers. To that end, in 2018 Haneda handled 87 million passengers and was the fourth-busiest airport in the world, after Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport, Beijing Capital International Airport and Dubai International Airport. What a change in fortunes for Haneda!

That said, JAL offers nonstop flights to Chicago, New York, LA and San Francisco from both Haneda and Narita, though many of its secondary U.S. gateways are still served from Narita. Interestingly, As of 2021, Haneda was rated by Skytrax as the second Best Airport behind Qatar's Hamad International Airport with Singapore's Changi surprisingly coming in third. Having visited all three airports as part of my autumn travels detailed here, I would give the nod to Changi as number one, with Doha a very close second. My time between flights was fairly limited at Haneda so I didn’t get to see much of it, but I’m well aware of and respectful of Skytrax, so far be it from me to quibble too much with its ratings.

I did get to spend about an hour in JAL’s First Class lounge at Haneda. It looks to be a nice facility with an entire wall of windows allowing in a ton of natural light from outside. As much as I like natural light, I’m oddly more partial to the muted, darker tones in parts of the Sakura First Class Lounge at Narita.

There’s a highly regarded sushi place called Sushi Tsurutei in this First Class Lounge, but I’m not a big fan of sushi (I know, I know – sacrilege!! ) In fact, I wasn’t even all that hungry and so I limited myself to coffee, a fruit plate and a couple of good looking Danishes.

For those of you interested in further details and reviews of this lounge, here’s a link to the Google search on such things – CLICK HERE

Thankfully, JL 010 to Chicago was departing from gate 130 something or other – conveniently located just downstairs and only a short walk from the First Class Lounge. I had declined any kind of assistance from the lounge to the airplane, but when one of the gate agents saw me hobble into the gate lounge I was approached and offered early boarding. Uh… sure!


December 09, 2022
Japan Airlines * Tokyo to Chicago * 1040a – 715a * 777-300 * First Class

Before this trip, I’d only taken advantage of early boarding once – that coming after a recent surgery that left me restricted as to how much I could lift. Today there were about a dozen of us requiring early boarding. Only two people were in wheelchairs. Most of us appeared to be old and/or slow for whatever reason. Two others looked to be perfectly healthy. They were accompanying one of the wheelchair bound passengers.

As we made our way down the jetway, I veered left at the first exit – the one designated for First Class passengers. This is old school stuff, these separate jetways for First Class passengers. I like to think of them as the Jetways to Heaven…



Jetway to Heaven


This was my fourth flight aboard a Japan Airlines 777-300. Thanks to Alaska’s Mileage Plan, all of those flights have been in First Class, and if you don’t mind my saying so, it is SO nice to be back in a proper International standard First Class. What a difference! I know, I know – it’s only been about three months since my flight from London to Seattle with BA back in September, but there’ve been a lot of flights flown since then!

While Business Class is obviously better than Economy, even amongst its best practitioners such as Qatar or Virgin Atlantic, it can’t hold a candle to a proper First Class suite. Increased space and comfort are the biggest differences. The best Business Class I’ve flown on this trip came aboard Qatar Airways, and its Q-Suites come highly regarded. That said, they are Business Class suites and even with all of the potential space afforded their 1-2-1 configuration aboard the A350, they are still quite snug. I noticed the difference the moment I sat down in one.

The First Class cabins on JAL’s 777-300ERs are outfitted with eight First Class suites – in two rows configured 1-2-1, like Qatar’s A350s and 777s. All of the usual amenities were waiting on or nearby the seat including a nice large pillow and a set of Bose QuietComfort® 25 headphones. The pillow had some decent density to it, too. Few things are more worthless to me than a soft, fluffy pillow. I want support and this pillow felt good. I placed the pillow and its accompanying duvet in the storage bin above the seat.

Meanwhile, the flight attendants couldn’t have been more helpful. Despite my mild protestations, one of them grabbed my 22” rollabord and hoisted it up into the overhead bin with all the grace and agility of a Bulgarian weightlifter. Except that she didn’t grunt

Now then, how about a pre-departure beverage? Interestingly, Champagne – including JAL’s vaunted Salon – was not available until after takeoff. However, Mimosas were. Yes, please.

Turning my attention back to the seat – like I said, the principal differences between Business and First are space and comfort. Each First Class suite on JAL’s 777-300 consists of large, comfortable brown leather armchairs encased in molded white plastic pods. While not as private as the closed door suites found on airlines such as Emirates, JAL’s suites offer plenty of personal space and per my tastes at least provide more than enough privacy. In contrast to the “firm” Business Class seats I’ve been on of late, I particularly enjoyed the plush comfort of these big leather arm chairs which measure 23” between armrests and come with all the usual seat controls including adjustable lumbar support, massage, recline and a variety of pre-set reclined positions. The moment I sat down… Ahh…. Now THIS is First Class.



First Class Suite


First Class Suite – Looking Forward


My Mimosa was delivered in short order though I couldn’t help but note that that most Japanese of inflight traditions – the hot or cold Oshibori Towel – would appear to have fallen victim to the pandemic. It had been replaced with a pre-packaged large moist towelette that had been refrigerated. Uh… okay.



Welcome Mimosa


Flight Map Detail


Interestingly, I don’t recall that an amenity kit was offered. Regardless, most things like toothbrush, shavers, etc are available in the lav and as for the rest of the goodies, well, I’ve got enough of those kits lying around back home anyway.

The Men’s Skincare Kit was presented however. It’s the same one – produced by Japanese skin care emporium Shisheido – that JAL’s been handing out since my first flight with them back in 2017. It includes cleansing foam, hydrating lotion and Total Revitalizer face cream.



Shishedo Men’s Skincare Kit


I think it’s great that the airlines provide these amenity and skin care kits to their premium clientele, and for those who do use the items therein, I suspect they’d be quite pleased with JAL’s offerings. I personally have little use for them, though. I always travel with a day pack in which I carry my laptop, a book and magazine or two, my camera and an mp3 player with a set of excellent Koss Porta-Pro headphones. In a variety of side pockets I have room for all sorts of other little necessities such as a sewing kit, eyeglass repair kit, mini-First Aid kit with bandaids, aspirin and ibuprofen, tissues, toothbrush, toothpaste and floss, a hair brush, an Emirates First Class eye shade and a condiment bag filled with packets of Grey Poupon, Tabasco Sauce, Cholula hot sauce, hot mustards and extra salt and pepper.

As for skin care products, well - I’ve flown almost six million miles and never once have I slathered any kind of skin nourishing cream on my face. No disrespect intended to any of you that do but I look in the mirror every day and I think my facial skin looks just fine for a guy my age. Granted, I don’t smoke or drink to excess and my life is pretty stress free, so that helps I suppose, but geez, now that I think of it, how good would I look if I did start using those creams? But only inflight, of course. I mean, who’s got time otherwise…

Anyway, enough with the creams! I’ll take them home and give them to fellow FlyerTalker wheresdg who lives just a couple miles down the valley. Although he’s not very active on FlyerTalk anymore – if at all – he still does plenty of flying, having recently attained MVP Gold 100K status this year. Next month, he’s off on his first flight aboard Qatar’s Business Class to Doha, thereafter to join his wife for a cruise somewhere in the region.

There were only four of us up front – each of us situated in the window seats. That’s great! I can use my suite for daytime use and the one across from me for sleeping in later on. The doors were soon buttoned up, the jetway retracted and all the usual pre-departure announcements dispensed with.

Pushback is always been one of my favorite parts of the overall flight experience – even after six million miles of flying. In the old days, the sound of those Pratt & Whitney JT3Ds powering our 707s and DC-8s was always exciting, starting with a low hum and gradually increasing in intensity, culminating in the harmony of that first turbine whine as the captain goosed the throttles and we commenced our taxi out to the runway.

Today, the huge GE-90-115B engines powering our 777-300 – each of them producing up to 115000 lbs of thrust – were so quiet on start-up as to be almost imperceptible. Some of that is no doubt attributable to the fact that the 777-300 is quite a bit larger than a 707 and my First Class suite is pretty far forward of the engines. Still, the difference in size and thrust over the years is considerable if not downright amazing.

When the DeHavilland Comet IV – the largest of the early Comet family of jetliners – entered service in 1959, each of its four Rolls-Royce Avon Mk 524 turbojets generated 10500 lbs of thrust. Two years later, the four Pratt & Whitney JT3D turbofans on the larger Boeing 707-120B each generated 18000 lbs of thrust. When the 747 entered service in 1970, it’s comparatively massive JT9D turbofans each generated an astounding 40000 lbs of thrust. Today’s GE-90-115s are the current standard bearer, each of them capable of producing an impressive 127,900 lbs of maximum thrust, although they are certified at 115,000 lbs (hence the name). Tomorrow’s GE9X - which will power the new 777-X - can provide 134,300 lbs of thrust at its maximum, an impressive 5% increase over the GE90-115s.

As one might imagine, with such an assemblage of power slung under our wings, we verily rocketed down the runway, soaring into the sunny blue skies above Tokyo after a takeoff roll of just 41 seconds.

Ah… time to recline that big comfy seat and settle in for the eleven hour and nine minute flight ahead. Shoes kicked off, leg rest raised a bit, IFE tuned to the Flight Map, headphones tuned into the London Philharmonic’s symphonic rendition of Pink Floyd’s “Comfortably Numb”, the early strains of which pair perfectly with the view out my window as we climb swiftly through wispy cloud strata west of Tokyo.

Indeed, over the years I’ve found that - per my tastes at least – classical music pairs extremely well with flying regardless of where you are in the flight. Try it sometime. If nothing else, you can purchase the London Philharmonic’s rendition of Pink Floyd’s Comfortably Numb on Amazon for 99 cents and see if it works for you, too. And hey – check out “Brain Damage” when you’re up at cruising altitude! Ah….

Then again, what with service seeming to be a tad slow in developing today... perhaps a rendition of “Hey, Bartender!” might be more appropriate at this time. Ah – there she is! And not a moment too soon, because I assure you the London Philharmonic does not do “Hey Bartender”!

So I’ve heard an awful lot of hullaballoo about this fancy Champagne called Salon which is served aboard Japan Airlines’ First Class. Salon is made from 100% Chardonnay grapes and is only released under the Salon name during exceptional years – typically three or four times per decade. As one might imagine, it is insanely expensive and surprisingly, despite this being my fourth flight in First with JAL, this is the first flight it’s been available on for me.

I should note here that back around New Years Eve, there was a piece on the national news where they had a “Man on the Street” type report involving a reporter asking passerby to do a blind taste test of two different Champagnes, one of which was quite spendy (Over $500 per bottle) versus one which cost about $30 – like a Freixenet. As you might imagine, about 60% of the respondents favored the taste of the less expensive Champagne.

In past trip reports I’ve gone on record stating my indifference to Champagne – regardless of quality. That said, I also respect that a glass of Champagne has long been the traditional start to all great First Class adventures, especially aboard airplanes. As such, I just had to try a glass of that Salon – who knows? It just might be the one that unlocks a long latent appreciation for Champagne from a past life.

With this in mind, I asked my lovely flight attendant to pour me just half a glass. Hmm… tastes like Champagne to me. Lots of bubbles and fizz but, uh… like every other Champagne a little too bubbly for my tastes. Thanks for the sample, but let’s switch to a glass of that Chivas 21 year old Royal Salute.

YYYYesss! Now we’re talkin’! What a delicious welcome back to International First Class! Per my experience Emirates is the only other airline that has stocked the Royal Salute. Some of you road warriors may know of others but I’ve little doubt that any airline that serves the Salute does so only in First Class.



A Royal Salute to a return to First Class


I’ve said it many times before, but I’ll say it once more. My absolute favorite form of inflight entertainment is the drink and meal service. The IFE can offer all the movies and music it wants but for me nothing beats a good First Class meal, properly presented by well trained and dedicated personnel who know what they’re doing and take pride in their work.

As such, it’s time to check out that wine list, followed shortly thereafter by the menu. Let’s accompany this most pleasant of tasks with a glass of the New Zealand Chardonnay.



Menus and Sky Map


WINE LIST

Champagne
Champagne Salon 2007
Champagne Drappier La Grande Sendrée 2012

White Wine
New Zealand ~ Blank Canvas Reed Vineyard Chardonnay 2020
Spain ~ Peninsula Vino Atlántico 2018
France ~ Cave de Tain Hermitage Grand Classique 2018
Japan ~ Coco Farm & Winery Koshu F.O.S. 2017

Red Wine
Bordeaux France ~ Chateau Lagrange 2014
New Zealand ~ Prophet’s Rock Rocky Point Vineyard Pinot Noir 2021
Argentina ~ Tiano and Nareno 2015

Sake
Juyondai Junmai Daiginjo
Zaku – Kaizan Ittekisui

Shochu
Gokujo Mori Izo
Hyakunen no Kodoku


* * * ~ X ~ * * *


LIQUORS & SPIRITS

Aperitif – Cocktails
Tio Pepe Dry Sherry
Martini Extra Dry Vermouth
Campari
Lejay Crème de Cassis
Plum Wine
Martini
Mimosa
Kir Royale
Kir

Whisky
Chivas Regal Royal Salute 21 Years
L&G Woodford Reserve
Today’s Japanese Whisky

Spirits
No. 3 London Dry Gin
Absolut Vodka

Brandy * Liqueur
Rémy Martin VSOP
Cointreau

Port
Graham’s Tawny Port 30 Years


This certainly looks like an impressive selection. I’d love to sample all of these wines! Too bad it’s not even noon right now and this flight lasts only another ten hours. Now some of you might be thinking whaaaat? That’s a long flight! I counter with it really depends upon your schedule. In my case, I only got about four hours of sleep on the flight up to Tokyo from Ho Chi Minh City last night. I’m feeling pretty good right now, but this flight is due to arrive in Chicago at 7:15am local time, which is 10:15pm in Tokyo. Upon clearing customs in Chicago, I’ve got a full day ahead of me with a flight to Seattle at 11:35am followed by onward flights to Anchorage and Fairbanks. I’m going to need to get a decent amount of sleep if I’m going to get through tomorrow without some serious drag.

So, here’s the plan. Start out with a nice meal. Afterward, take an hour or so and chill. Watch a movie, listen to music, work on this trip report (which as of the time I was actually on this flight was only about one third done) and then try to get at least six hours of sleep. Thank goodness for Ambien! Then, hopefully awake with enough time left in the flight to check out some more items on the menu before landing in Chicago and getting on with the day.

Alright then – let’s check out that menu! By the way, the name following each item belongs to the chef credited with creating that particular item.


JAPANESE MENU
This menu is created by chef-owner ISHIKAWA Hideki of "KAGURAZAKA ISHIKAWA"
and chef-owner KOIZUMI Koji of "KOHAKU" Kagurazaka, Tokyo

Seasonal Five Colorful Delicacies

Grilled Blowfish Milt Flavored with Yuzu Citrus & Miso Garnished with Turnip <ISHIKAWA>
Snow Crab & Savoy Spinach with Crab Sauce <ISHIKAWA>
Soup Hard Clam with Thickened Clam Broth Topped with Sea Urchin with a hint of Yuzu Citrus <ISHIKAWA>
Prime Taro & Garland Chrysanthemum with Mullet Roe <KOHAKU>
Grilled Blowfish & Lotus Root with Skin with Truffle Sauce <KOHAKU>

Soup
Scallop Dumpling, White Radish, Kyoto Carrot & Mitsuba Herb in our Masterpiece Dashi <ISHIKAWA>

Sashimi
Ise Lobster, Lobster Innards & Canola Blossom Covered with Lobster Broth <KOHAKU>
White Sesame Tofu Topped with Caviar, Wasabi & Thickened Soy Sauce <KOHAKU>

Simmered
Free Range Duck from Yamagata Prefecture, Bamboo Shoot * & Green Onion <ISHIKAWA> *Bamboo Shoot may be Yuba and Shiitake Mushroom instead

Rice
Steamed Rice with Seasonal Greens <ISHIKAWA>
Steamed Rice Miso Soup Nameko Mushrooms & White Leeks <ISHIKAWA>

Pickles
Cucumber Pickled with Shiso Herb, Kelp & Yam <ISHIKAWA>

Dessert
Japanese Traditional Confection of "Matcha Flavored Arrowroot Cake" <ISHIKAWA>
Strawberry Ice Cream & Strawberry Sauce with Rum Jelly & Roasted Pine Nuts * <KOHAKU>

Green Tea


* * * ~ X ~ * * *


WESTERN MENU
The menu is created by Chef KISHIDA Shuzo of "Quintessence" Kitashinagawa, Tokyo

Amuse Bouche
Goat Milk Bavarois

Hors-d'œuvre
Botan Shrimp & Scallop Tartare with Sea Urchin
Cod Soft Roe & Snow Crab

MAIN DISH

Tilefish en Papillote
Hazelnut & Anchovy Sauce

"Wagyu" Beef Fillet
Spicy Sauce

ASSORTED GOURMET BREADS
Petit Baguette
Ciabatta
Table Bread
Fig Bread Roll

DESSERT

Kumquat Clafoutis
Milk Ice Cream

Coffee * Tea


A LA CARTE

JAL's Recommendation ~ Deep-fried "Junwakei" Chicken over Rice
Deep-fried "Junwakei" Chicken (salted, soy sauce flavored) Pickled Mustard Green Japanese Omelette Steamed Rice
*"Junwakei" chicken is the pure Japanese chicken breed first certified as Specific JAS in Japan

SNACK
A. Marbled Matsusaka Beef in Sweet Soy Sauce * *This product contains honey.
B. Assorted Japanese Brochettes * Grilled Salted Chicken Thigh with Pickled Plum Paste on Skewer Grilled Chicken Thigh & White Leeks with "Tare" Sauce on Skewer Rolled Omelette with Crabmeat

LIGHT MEAL

Grilled Colorful Vegetable & Carottes Râpées Salad
Onion Dressing ~ Recommendation for light vegetarian

Miyazaki Wagyu Curry

Chilled Strawberry & Tomato Soup

JAL Original Noodle
JAL's Special Chicken Soba Noodle "Soranoiro-style"

SANDWICH
A. Pain de Campagne Sandwich with Mixed Beans & Quinoa
B. "Sangenton" Pork Cutlet Sandwich

CHEESE SELECTION
Assorted Cheese presented with traditional accompaniments

REFRESHMENT
Assorted Seasonal Fresh Fruits
Beetroot Sable
Chocolate exclusive for JAL


* * * ~ X ~ * * *


"FUMIKO's Japanese Set Plate"
This menu is created by food producer and chef, Ms. KONO Fumiko, known for her success in Paris

Dainomono

Sliced "Wagyu" Beef Sirloin Steak
Japanese Style Truffle Sauce Citrus Soy Dressing
*This dressing contains alcohol

Soup

Miso Soup
White Leeks

Steamed Rice * Japanese Pickles

"FUMIKO's Western Set Plate"

Main Dish

Smoked Salmon & Spinach Eggs Benedict on Brioche
Marinated Red Cabbage, Walnuts & Black Soybeans scented with Sherry Vinegar
Warm Salad of Quinoa & Lotus Root with Watercress
Lemon Dressing

Side Dish
Strawberry & Greek Yogurt

Gourmet Bread
Pumpkin Ekmek Special Bread from MAISON KAYSER


Wow! Is this an extensive menu, or what?!

I gotta tell you, while I generally like Asian food, I’m not a big fish or seafood eater and with the exception of Nova Lox I’m especially not fond of raw or cold fish. As such, I really didn’t spend much time looking at the Japanese Menu because it is so often fish-centric.

Maybe it was because I hadn’t gotten enough sleep the night before. Maybe the Champagne, Chivas and wine dulled my decision making somewhat. Regardless, in retrospect I really screwed up when ordering off this menu. Basically, I simply ordered off the Western Menu when – if I’d taken the time to look at it a bit more closely – Sheesh! It doesn’t look like anything Western that I’m used to.

Check it out! Goat Milk Bavarois, Botan Shrimp & Scallop Tartare with Sea Urchin, Cod Soft Roe & Snow Crab, Tilefish en Papillote with Hazelnut & Anchovy Sauce or "Wagyu" Beef Fillet… this is sounding almost as Japanese as the Japanese menu!

As you’ll see from the pictures below of the amuse bouche and the appetizers, this food was unlike any of the excellent continental fare I’d enjoyed on any of my previous JAL flights. Maybe there was some confusion and the chef thought they meant “Western Japanese” food. Regardless, I didn’t much care for any of this stuff.



Goat Milk Bavarois
This was mushy and didn’t have much flavor


Botan Shrimp & Scallop Tartare with Sea Urchin
The scallop and sea urchin was more mushy fishy flavored stuff


Botan Shrimp & Scallop Tartare with Sea Urchin Close Up
That colorful cube is shrimp?! Uh… no thanks.


Cod Soft Roe & Snow Crab
I really miss JAL’s caviar presentation…


Mystery Appetizer
I never did figure out what this was… other than it wasn’t to my tastes and I’m pretty sure I didn’t order it
It might be Snow Crab & Savoy Spinach with Crab Sauce


At this point, I’d been served an amuse bouche and three appetizers of which I’d eaten very little. I definitely wasn’t feeling very appetized. Sigh… well, I’ve come this far… Alright then, bring on the soup…



Soup Presentation


Soup
Scallop Dumpling, White Radish, Kyoto Carrot & Mitsuba Herb in our Masterpiece Dashi


This soup was a little better. I wouldn’t call it especially filling though. For sure it couldn’t hold a candle to Cathay’s First Class mid-flight meat and noodle snack soups, but the broth did have some flavor and I was able to eat all of it. Alright then, let’s have a go at that steak!



Wagyu Steak
Where can I get some potatoes around here?!


Wagyu Close up


This steak was actually quite good – nicely cooked with a flavorful sauce. Like I said, some potatoes or otherwise western starch would have been nice though. I remember a tenderloin I had on my last flight with JAL back in 2018. The potatoes that accompanied it might’ve been the best part of the meal! Still, hats off to the flight kitchen and crew for serving up the tastiest part of this meal.

Plates were cleared in a timely fashion throughout the flight, and the wine flowed freely throughout the meal. I particularly enjoyed the Chateau Lagrange 2014 Bordeaux with which I accompanied the steak. Best wine of the trip by far!

Speaking of wines, JAL’s been pouring that 30 year old Taylor’s tawny for as long as I’ve been flying them and it is truly the real highlight of the cheese service - a First Class port always worth looking forward to. This was especially true today. The cheese was okay but the accompaniments were weak, especially the two saltine crackers. Saltines? Really? If SkyTrax knew about this, I wonder if they’d reconsider JAL’s inclusion amongst their group of nine five star airlines? And the fruit – a total of seven raisins? C’mon…



Cheese & Saltines


Kumquat Clafoutis


Dessert was listed as a Kumquat Clafoutis with Milk Ice Cream. Unless you’re a gourmand of the nth order, you may not know what a “clafoutis” is. Or even how to properly pronounce it. The pronunciation is pretty much how its spelled – kluh-fout-is. It’s kinda like a baked custard with fruit in it. It was tasty. I wasn’t sure about the milk ice cream. Isn’t ice cream made from milk anyway? Or would that be ice milk? Anyway, it tasted like vanilla ice cream and was a nice accompaniment to the clafoutis.

Overall, this was certainly not one of the better meals I’ve been served in flight – regardless of class or airlines. Perhaps if I’d been born and raised in Japan, I would have been able to offer a more glowing report on this meal.

And – to those of you who may be thinking “Well, it is Japan Airlines. What did you expect?” keep in mind that JAL’s been serving the US since 1954. It’s no secret that American culinary tastes differ significantly from those in Japan, and over the years JAL’s done a good job of acknowledging and catering to those differences, especially on flights to and from the US. Certainly they have done so admirably on my three previous flights with them in First Class. In any event, This is just one flight and I’m sure the next time I fly with JAL the meal will be much better, if only because I will pay a bit more attention to the menu choices before ordering.


* * * ~ X ~ * * *


By the time the last of the dessert plates and table settings were cleared off, we were almost two and a half hours into this eleven hour flight. That meant there were just eight hours before arrival into Chicago and – if I wanted a minimum of six hours of sleep – I’d better get after it sooner than later.

I never sleep well on a full stomach, so I watched the last half of The Shawshank Redemption (I fast forwarded – I love the ending!) while a bed was prepared in the suite across the aisle from me.

One of the uniform differences between International Standard First Class and Business Class is the quality of the beds. Mainly it comes down to length and width but sleeping surface is also an issue. Take Singapore Airlines – they’re known for the width of their Business Class seats and – by extension – the width of their Business Class beds. Having experienced Singapore’s Business Class beds aboard the 777, 787 and A350 I can say with absolute confidence that JAL’s First Class beds are a huge upgrade over those found in Singapore’s Business Class regardless of aircraft type.

For starters, JAL’s First Class beds are wider and waaaay more comfortable (they’re not as hard) with a quality mattress placed atop the seat with no uneven spots due to folds or junctions in the seat cushions. The bed is of uniform length and width, which means there’s no annoying cubby hole to squeeze your feet into. As an added bonus, the pillow is firm and of decent size. Add all these together and you can get a very nice sleep in JAL’s 777-300 First Class suites.



JAL’s First Class Bed
Photo courtesy of Japan Airlines


Unfortunately, JAL’s First Class bed was so comfortable that I overslept. In some ways this was a good thing because I needed the rest. At the same time, as I mentioned earlier my favorite form of Inflight Entertainment is the meal service. As such, I was really looking forward to trying out Chef Fumiko’s Smoked Salmon & Spinach Eggs Benedict on Brioche. Alas, with just under an hour left before our arrival into Chicago, the only available item of any real substance was the “Sangenton" Pork Cutlet Sandwich.

My bad. I should have asked for a wake-up call just before the last service. Had I awoken in a timelier manner, I would have also ordered another one of my favorites – the Assorted Japanese Brochettes. These are served on wooden skewers and include Grilled Salted Chicken Thigh with Pickled Plum Paste, Grilled Chicken Thigh & White Leeks with "Tare" Sauce and a Rolled Omelette with Crabmeat. In both presentation and flavor, they are for me a cherished menu item.

Ah well, at least I was well rested and that was worth a lot given the day behind me as well as the day ahead of me. Thankfully, the ladies up front were kind enough to offer me a cup of coffee along with a couple of pre-packaged but very tasty cookies. Shortly thereafter my warmed sandwich was delivered, a small but tasty start to the day – especially with the addition of a packet of Grey Poupon Mustard, which I make a habit of carrying in my daypack.



Cookies & Coffee


Sargento Sandwich


Out my window, the lights of Chicago’s northwestern suburbs twinkled below as we descended through the early morning darkness. The forward facing lights mounted on the 777’s inside wing illuminated light snow falling as we swept over the perimeter fence, then the runway threshold stripes, finally kissing the tarmac at O’Hare five minutes ahead of schedule.

As we taxied in to the International Terminal, I couldn’t help but reflect that some flights pass by too quickly and this one certainly qualifies as such in my book. The less than satisfying main meal notwithstanding, I thoroughly enjoyed my return to true First Class comfort via the seat, the ambient space and the comfortable bed.

Unfortunately, First Class award space is becoming increasingly difficult to book – at least via Alaska’s Mileage Plan. It used to be we could book British Airways First Class to Asia and Australia, but no more. Supposedly Singapore Airlines has a First Class award with Alaska, but I’ve seen no evidence of it. Ever. Coming in the back door to Indonesia via Australia would be an option but good luck finding anything across the Pacific other than the very rare Business Class seat with Qantas. Thankfully Japan Airlines makes First and Business Class awards available more often than most Mileage Plan members, so here’s hoping that future trips to Indonesia – and there will definitely be more – will include travels in part or in their entirety aboard JAL.

Back in Tokyo I had requested wheelchair assistance upon arrival at O’Hare, and sure enough one was waiting in the jetway as we exited the aircraft. I convinced both the FA’s and the wheelchair driver that I could walk up to the top of the jetway and thus save them a long uphill push. After that though, I truly appreciated a ride over the Loooooong distance covered from the gate through to customs and beyond to Terminal 3 from which Alaska flights depart off the G Concourse. My wheelchair driver, a young Chicago transplant who’d come to America with his family 12 years ago, couldn’t have been more patient or gracious. He wheeled me all the way from the International Terminal through customs, onto the train, through to Alaska’s counter to pick up my boarding pass and then down through security to American’s Admirals Club on the G Concourse. Along the way we stopped at an ATM and I left him a $20 tip – every bit of it well earned.

I had about a three hour layover by the time I was dropped off at the G Concourse Admirals Club, which is conveniently located just two gates up from Alaska’s designated O’Hare departure gate. For me at least, this is a big improvement over Alaska’s old gates that were located in the main American terminal complex over on the H & J Concourses. Although the main ORD Admiral’s Club in the Y between concourses is a larger and nicer facility, it’s also a much longer distance to walk to.

The smaller Admirals Club on the G still has most of the main amenities a guy like me is looking for, including a nice selection of breakfast beverages, breads and foods including scrambled eggs and salsa. Though it was a bit early for my needs, the G Club also has a good looking bar and plenty of comfortable seating options via padded chairs and table seating.



Chicago O’Hare G Concourse Admirals Club


Chicago O’Hare G Concourse Admirals Club