Travelchurner

If i don't meet the MCT but otherwise valid, can i call in to book?
Looking for early Dec 2023
Return early Jan

Peak time, I know

Smiley90

Never. If you don't meet the MCT, it's not valid, and can't be booked.

skimthetrees

No, an agent can't book it if the MCT is violated.

Is there a reason you want to make the trek to NRT instead of just using HND? I am assuming you do not want economy, right? Because there is typically more of that. Right now there is a business award SFO-BKK via HND on December 1st. Is that early enough December for you?

In December the SFO-HND flight arrives at 6:45 PM and the NRT-BKK departs at 6:10 PM, before the SFO flight arrives. You can obviously see you won't be making the HND-NRT connection then the same day. The only valid connection SFO-HND, NRT-BKK connection then departs the next day (or later with a stopover). You can do multi-city J, SFO-HND 12/8 (arriving the evening of 12/9), NRT-BKK 12/11 (2 day stopover in TYO).

Options for that time frame are going to get worse before they get better. You might consider traveling from another gateway like LAX and adding an AS feeder flight from SFO.

Travelchurner

I'm sorry, I meant SFO-BKK with a layover at NRT or HND. Not an airport change. Dec 1 is too early, Ideal departure would be Dec 7-14.

skimthetrees

It does not matter where it is. If MCT is violated an agent cannot book it. Maybe a supervisor could override it for an involuntary change such as a schedule change causing it to go slightly below MCT, but definitely not for a new booking.

Someone was looking for economy from the US in early-mid December a few months ago and JAL just cut off awards past December 7th and it looks like that is still happening. This is a peak period. You may be stuck waiting for something to open up.

alexsmichaels

Appreciate the wealth of info here! I have another situation muddied by this devaluation: Currently have SIN-TYO-SFO booked in J pre-deval at 65K. Hoping to upgrade to F for the final segment, TYO-SFO, and wondering how much it'll set me back.

Is it simply the difference in cost of F & J, relative to new pricing, i.e. 125K - 100K = 25K, (or 85K - 60K = 25K if only the final segment is considered)? I just want to make sure it's not something where they take the difference between the new full itinerary cost and what I originally paid, i.e. 125K - 65K = 60K (yikes)

To complicate things further, (and not sure if it makes a difference, but) the SIN-TYO leg is 2.5 weeks before TYO-SFO, therefore I will have already completed SIN-TYO by the time I look upgrade to F.

Smiley90

It will most likely be the 60k difference. Think of it this way - you currently have an award worth 65k booked and you want to change to an award worth 125k.

alexsmichaels

That's a useful way to look at it. Thanks! I'll report back if it ends up playing out differently for whatever reason, but my trip isn't until summer.

Man this devaluation sucks Definitely feeling more grateful that I got in when I did. But I was really looking forward to the F experience from Tokyo.

Flying for Fun

Once the first segment is flown you cannot change subsequent flights. I have unsuccessfully tried before, denied on two partner awards.

Either you are lucky and can change before the first flight or you will have to fly as booked. 65K to move from J to F isn't worth it epecially on such a short flight where you get an abbreviated experience compared to the East coast.

James

alexsmichaels

Good to know, thanks James. Guess that settles my return plans. �Slumming� it J sans Salon

estnet

If it makes you feel any better there is 1 bottle only, so sometimes you get a 1/2 glass, sometimes 1 glass depending on how many in first and how many are drinking champagne.

Speedbird84

The one time that I was alone in F last year, had one glass and called it a night after an travel exhausting day. Thinking back, hopefully some of the crew had a cheeky sip.

My most recent flight last month 7/8 seats were occupied and the purser came around to say that that was it after my first glass 😪.

That most recent experience was a very mediocre experience in several respects though, and the Salon wasn't even in the top 5 of reasons why.

estnet

Care to elaborate? Might make me feel better about mostly having to book J instead of F due to the deval?

BeeNYC

Sorry to hear about negative experiences but I flew JFK/HND RT in F last month and both of my experience were as fantastic as ever. On the return flight all eight seats were occupied. I may have been the only passenger drinking Salon. Was offered a glass pre-departure and then offered two refills which I happily accepted. FA offered me a fourth glass but I decided three was enough. I hate the devaluation but think 100,000 miles for F is still worth it.

I’d like to give a shout-out to [MENTION=261295]skimthetrees[/MENTION] for sharing the reverse round trip method for booking end of schedule JAL flights. I used it to snag a JFK/HND F seat for next March. Booked a RT then called AS to have an agent drop the outbound segment, which was done without a problem. Thanks!

maverikbc

Intresting now they serve Salon ex JFK. Or it's been always the case?

edit: I now see you were talking about return, my bad.

Ex LAX, SFO and ORD, their menus showed and confirmed with FAs that Salon was available ex JP only, though I've never departed from JFK on JL. Ex ORD in December, they served Billecart Salmon Cuv�e Nicolas Fran�ois 2007, ans ex LAX in June, they served Louis Roederer Cristal 2014. I think it was same in July, I guess that's why I didn't make a note.

I don't recall PDBs on any of JL flights last year. Their disposable wet towels were disappointing, they were slightly bigger than what we'd get in J 🤣, but we could get almost same thing for free from convenience stores in Japan....

I found 75k to and from SE Asia was fine, but rather forgettable experience for me. For example, the catering has been great, but they've never been better than restaurants on the ground, including inexpensive items like yakitori, noodle soups, don with kara'age, etc. Same with sushi at F lounges at TYO airports. With the new award pricing, I'll be just fine in J. I'm happy that I've been able to sample their F before deval, but there's no way I'd pay retail for it, even after winning a lottery.