Guide: NRT / Tokyo Narita Int'l. Admirals Club & oneworld Lounges
 

Just one data point:
On 12/30 at about 10-12 AM, I compared the JL Business lounge and the AC at NRT (I did not have access to the Sakura FC lounge). The AC was much much nicer:
much less crowded
much quieter
about eight food choices in AC, including little sandwich wrap thingies, as opposed to just cheese balls and crackers at the JL lounge
roughly equivalent drinks, but I did not look too closely at that; self serve in both lounges. I think I had a glass of pineapple juice in each lounge.
power outlets everywhere in AC, as opposed to hard to find at JL

I was a bit surprised, since my prejudice had led me to expect that the JL lounge would be nicer than the AC. But the AC was really well ahead.

I have been to the JL First lounge before, about three years ago, and it was of course much nicer than either of the business lounges.


At the entrance to the JL lounge, there was a sign indicating that there is a new FC lounge opening up (or open now?) upstairs above the existing lounge. Have any of you visited it? Is it significantly nicer or different than the JL FC lounge of a few years ago?

Thanks,
saunders111

I am surprised on your report for the JL lounge food options. Did you check out the dedicated dining area upstairs? They should have some hot items there, including beef curry, some miso soup, and a few other things that I don't remember.

Good question about the new lounge upstairs. Can anyone that qualifies use it as well? I just stick the the one downstairs and haven't tried it yet....

I too am surprised about the report. I was at the JL First Class (FC) Lounge and JL Business Class (BC) Lounges in the summer of 2011.

The JL BC Lounge had awesome full body massage chairs and good hot food upstairs. It sounds like you went into the seating area and not to the other areas where there are massage chairs and hot plate foods. The upstairs you see from the JL BC lounge is part of the BC Lounge and is where the hot food is. It looks deceiving in that you think it isn't part of the lounge and that the FC Lounge people are looking down at you, but it actually is part of the BC lounge. The massage chairs are kind of hidden.

The JL FC Lounge is fantastic. You get a massage from a masseuse you schedule an appointment with (can't remember if it was 15, 20, or 30 minute massage). There is a stocked bar area and a manned bar by someone who can give you advice on the best sake they have :) The food quality is better (better rice, better noodles, etc...) and better Sake :)

I had a lengthy 6-hour layover at NRT on 12/24, so I hit up the JAL FL, Sakura, CX, and AC lounges. If you're interested, here's my lounge tour blog post, which includes pictures and my 2 cents.

I'll be doing an early year MR to NRT this month so as a first-time Asia traveller, this thread is very useful. I am coming into NRT on AA175 from DFW and then departing NRT on AA154 to ORD. I have roughly 4 hours at NRT, and my lounge strategy is to first go to the AC to have a shower, and then to head to the JL F lounge to spend the rest of my time there. From what I have read, the AC showers are the best at NRT. For those of you that are NRT experts, does my lounge strategy make sense?

Thank you! Was researching lounge options at NRT for my upcoming trip and this was very helpful.

Your first photo is a photo of a priority lane with a well labeled gate. Where is that location (e.g. airside NRT? immigration NRT?), I've never seen it before when I travel U.S. to NRT or back. Thanks

I was there last week. It is literally to the right of the AA check in desks landslide at the start of security. Super convenient

If you look at this map, it should be the northern yellow-shaded security check to the right of check-in counter E, which belongs to AA. And I second uscjeff on the convenience factor ^.

I'd personally just skip the AC- the showers at the JL F Lounge are more than adequate, and if you're lucky, you can squeeze in a free massage as well. But if you'd like to also check out the AC, as its probably the best AC in the system, nothing wrong with your plan.

This lack of food in JL lounge just doesn't make sense. They have built an entire section on 2nd floor dedicated to nothing but food and drinks. Was it shuttered? I am with ckpeter in suspecting that you somehow missed it.

Another possibility is that you were in some small JL lounge, not the main one (they may have more than one). The main one we all talk about has its main entrance behind a money exchange counter. As you enter, there is a reception desk, with FC lounge to left and Business lounge to the right.

Thanks for the comprehensive report.
I will be transiting ORT>NRT>BKK and return
in J on AA metal, continuing to BKK on
JL metal,with a stop over in NRT.
As a 'lowly' AA MM gold would I have access to
the OW NRT JL Biz class lounge ?
Thx

Interesting, that's where I always enter, as it's the entrance right opposite of the JAL lounges. I've never seen that, in fact in past (last trip was December) in that location they only had a JAL special entrance (F only I think?) that couldn't be used by Emerald (e.g. and EXP on an AA flight in J or F). I'll check it out Friday (although I'm flying JAL J anyway then) - it looks like a great change for AA not JAL fliers). Thx

Added later in the week:
Nope, I missed any notation of north/south, and I now realize I always use the southern entrance (the left yellow shaded area), as it's right across from the JAL lounge. I just now used that left entrance again, and can confirm it's "fast track entrance" is only for JAL F/J and offers no benefit for AA status (if not flying JAL F/J).

I did walk over to the other entrance (right side) and I see this AA F/J + Emerald + Saphire fast track entrance. I'll use that the next time I take AA and not JAL. Anyone know when they added this fast track?

I would appreciate an answer from someone here as I am new and still have a lot to learn. I am booking an award ticket for a family member using AA miles from CHO-ORD-NRT-TPE. The first segment will be AA but ORD-NRT-TPE will be on JAL. If I give this family member a AC one day pass to an AC lounge to use will she be able to use this pass both in ORD and NRT? Despite the one day difference from travel? And I'm assuming that she can only be admitted to the AC lounge in NRT since it is an AC pass?

First/Business class lounge access
 

I'm flying to and from Narita in July on American. I am not an Admirals club member but will arrive on a first class ticket and will depart on either business or first class ticket. Can I access the Admirals club and the JAL lounge given my ticket status alone?

Thank you

I would expect that your family member will be able to use the pass exactly once. That said, it s/he is in a premium cabin (J or F), s/he won't need the pass at NRT. At ORD, I don't know if JL departs T3 or T5. AA domestic arrivals and all departures are at T3. If s/he is departing T5, an Admiral's Club pass won't help as I do not believe that there is an Admiral's Club there.


Yes. If you're departing NRT in F, you'll probably like the JL F lounge much better than the Admiral's Club.

JL departs T3 at ORD, usually from the gates closest to the Flagship Lounge.

Thank you Dr. HFH

My return ticket may only be Business. Will I still be able to access JAL club or is that for F only?

What classes will your ticket be and will you be flying with AA or JL? You can access the JAL Sakura lounge if flying JL J, and the JAL F lounge if flying JL F. Otherwise, lounge access to these lounges will depend on status. Both JL lounges are nicer than the NRT AC, though the NRT AC is one of the best in AA's system.

I haven't booked the ticket yet but it will definitely be an AA flight. If I'm AA First I assume I can at least get into the AC? What if I'm business on AA, can I still access AC at least, if not JAL? Thanks.

If in AA F or J, you will be able to access the AC via your class of service. You "should" be able to access all other lounges as well (with the exception of the JL F if flying J), but Oneworld seems to change the class of service partner lounge access every other week. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/ameri...solidated.html

So if flying AA F, you have to be OW Emerald to get into the JL F lounge?

Not according to the rules as I read them now, but they change the rules (or maybe they have them written both ways in different places on the websites of OW and AA et al) way too often so it doesn't seem reliable. It won't hurt to ask IMO. The JL people seem like they would be very nice about telling you to go to the AC :D.

My understanding is that if you are in AA F, you can access JAL F lounge; and if you are in AA J, you can access JAL J lounge - no matter your OW status. But, as noted above, things can change.

It's my understanding that if you're looking to access the lounge of a OW carrier and you are not a member of that carrier's frequent flyer program, either 1) you have to have elite status in another OW carrier's program and be departing on an OW carrier that day (regardless of the cabin), or 2) you have to be departing on a flight of the carrier operating the lounge and be ticketed in the appropriate premium cabin for the lounge you are trying to access.

I'm booked in F on AA 154 NRT-ORD -- does this mean I can sign up for JAL's FF program and I'll be allowed entrance into their first class lounge regardless of my status in that program? From reading JAL's website it sounds like I'm only allowed to access the admiral's club since I'm ticketed on an AA flight but as others have pointed out different websites have different interpretations of the rules, which has left me very confused. Would appreciate any clarification of the rules. Thanks!

I can tell you this much, I am Exec Plat and have flown on AA and JAL both in F and J. I have always been able to use the first class lounge in NRT and HND. My wife who has no status recently flew NRT-ORD in F. At C/I they directed her to the Admirals Club. She called me looking for the massage and I told her she was in the wrong club, and to go ask at the desk. They said , oh sorry go to the JAL club. She did and again directed her to the Sakura lounge and not the F lounge. She asked again and they said sorry, of course come this way to the F lounge. And of this was in Japanese, and she is Japanese. She had a feeling that they did not make a mistake 3 times, rather they were content to let her not use the F lounge.

You'll have access to their F lounge in NRT based off of your F class ticket alone, despite being an AA ticket. This is a OW benefit.

Thanks for the quick and helpful responses! I've never flown international F before so I'm almost looking forward to the F experience as much as the trip to Japan itself.

Any particular reason you selected AA instead of JL for your first international F flight?

I booked it with my AA miles and unfortunately JL hasn't opened up any award seats for the dates I'm traveling. I've been checking everyday to see if something opens up but it looks like weekend dates are rarely available. Hoping I might get lucky and something opens at the last minute...

EDIT: I believe I found the answer to my question. Short answer is, yes, I will only have access to the AC.

Which Narita lounges will I have access to while flying Business class on American Airlines with Ruby status? Will I only have access to the Admiral's Club?

Not only.

As a business class passenger, you will have access to all oneworld business class lounges. I recommend the JAL one as the best in NRT, but AC is good for shower and the QF lounge may be worth a look, if open. Don't bother with the CX one.

Hello, I am flying to Shanghai from LAX connecting via NRT. My layover time is 5hrs so I am considering purchasing AC day pass. I have three questions....(sorry, I am newbie here and questions may sound dumb...)

1) I am actually not flying AA but would I able to buy AC day pass?
2) Is it worth buying a day pass?
3) Is AC day pass only be used with AC? Or can I also go other OW lounges like JAL?

Thanks in advance!

If you'd be flying a few times in a 30 day period, consider buying a 30-day membership for $99 (can also bring 2 guests). Heck of a better deal than 1-day pass for $50 (no guests allowed).

1) Yes, just make sure you are flying an airline that flies through NRT Terminal 2, so you can physically reach the AC. Wouldn't want to have you buy a day pass and find out you were on All Nippon or something like that!
2) See aktchi's sage advice
3) Yes, only good for AC. The NRT AC is among the nicest in AA's system.

And welcome to FT!

Thanks aktchi and The BOSman for the responses! 30-day pass may be a good one as I will be traveling with my mother coming back from Shanghai. Good to know!

I will get slightly technical and pedantic on my fellow members (but in the end, it's a good thing, and it demonstrates the clear superiority of a $99 one month membership over a $50 day pass in many instances): There is no such thing as a thirty day pass - there are a one day pass (for one person, all Admirals Clubs, sensu stricto - not QF etc.), and thirty day and one year memberships.

The thirty day membership has all the perquisites and privileges of an annual membership, including expanded lounge access (30 QF Clubs when flying QF) and as stated here, and the ability to guest* others in.

*"Up to two guests or immediate family (spouse, domestic partner and/or children under 18 years of age) may accompany the member."