Journey – HKG-NRT
Flight no. – JL732
Class – Business
Seat – 11A

On board the hard product is a little disappointing – I recognise this is a semi regional product so it should compare to the Dreamtime seats I have on the BNE-DRW flight. This is however a three class 747 and it just looks old and tired. The seats are cradle seats and the pitch is less than I would get on a US Transcon on AA.

I fall asleep on take off (completely not connected to the Moet in the Wing) and wake 20 minutes into the flight. It is interesting to note that no pre-take off drinks were offered (well before I fell asleep at least) and no drinks had been served, offered or even any sight of the cabin crew. However the IFE is AVOD and it works – which is step up from QF on this trip…

There is an amusing moment during dinner as I realise that I have ordered the Japanese meal and the old Japanese gentleman next to me has in fact ordered the western meal The meal is very nice and not too exotic – I know I should be more open to experimentation but I do have to have the fall back position that I must have some food to wash down the wine

I settle down to watch the Fantastic 4: Rise of the Silver and the start of Ocean’s 13 (I will watch the end on another flight). I do note a complete absence of cabin crew from the point at which the meal service is over until the end of the flight.

Although the flight is ok, I think I was expecting a little more uniqueness from JL – something to really distinguish it from the other airlines. CX has a very Asian feel but JL just felt bland. Perhaps I was expecting geishas for cabin crew and a teppanyaki grill being rolled through the cabin – I guess it doesn’t matter what the “true” quality of the product is – if it doesn’t match your expectations then you are going to be disappointed.

The arrival into NRT is very smooth and due to my comparatively long legs I am through immigration before any queues have formed – and talking about forms the immigration staff actually point out a mistake I made on the form and correct it for me (slightly different to our friends in LOTFAP).

As I wait for my bus to the Hilton (only a 5 minute wait) I realise that with my JL flight I have reached something of a plateau where the flight itself is no longer a driver for the journey and that does make me a little sad