In the HND Sakura lounge now. Must say it is one of the best J lounges in the network and rivals some F lounges.

How about the food? It will get even better at dinner time :)

The lounge was empty. Empty as in not a single person in it (well, except for me and lounge agent chasing me and telling me I couldn't be there).

This was not a capacity issue. It is JAL ignoring the oneworld rules.

And you know it. You are just defending JAL regardless of the facts.

CX does that at TPE lounge too (check the link I posted a while back).

JAL is simply expecting more JAL elites will show up and therefore not granting OW Emeralds access. I stand by the belief that airlines should take care of their own elites before their alliance partners'.

What would you think if you show up at a BA operated F lounge and was told you can't get in because it's filled with non-BA Emeralds flying other OW carriers who arrived earlier than you?

That's why I don't think CX nor JL did anything wrong at the TPE and HND lounge respectively. They are simply protecting their own loyal customers and put their priority above others.

Yes the food was great, and definitely better than the CX narita lounge. However, since I will only be flying to HKG from HND in the near future, I don't think I'll get an opportunity to try out the dinner offerings.

One thing that is a little odd initially in the lounge is that they have catered for almost all people to have a desk table. The seats are good for working, but not great for lounging in.

One other thing is that when I was there, no one seemed to be collecting plates/trays. I thought this might have been due to the Japanese culture of cleaning up after yourself, but there was nowhere to put dirty plates either. Also, no one was replacing the empty bottles of wine. I hope this was an anomaly.

Firstly, I was not gaining access solely based on my BA Emerald status. I was also a paid F passenger.

This is not an occasional issue. It is a standing rule that the lounge is only for JAL elites/passengers and that clearly violates oneworld rules.

I can assure you I had a firm discussion with the CX manager at the gate. When I arrive back home, I will follow-up with letters to CX (F passenger), BA (oneworld Emerald status), and JL (arrogantly ignoring alliance rules it agreed to).

F passengers on CX not JL. Still doesn't change a thing about whether JAL should take care of their own elites before others and how JAL did not violate OW rules.

Good that you write the letters to the airlines as that's a more effective way if you want something to change. But may I suggest sending another letter to OW too as they advertise you will be granted access to the F lounge in their press release (and according to you that's not the case 100% of the time). IF JAL doesn't grant access to other OW Emeralds to HND F 100% of the time due to capacity constraints, OW should not advertise F lounge for elites at HND international terminal. I am interested to find out what responses you get from each of them. Please keep us posted.

That's interesting. They have staff dressed in purple uniform to stand by and collect trays at the NRT lounge. If you fly on JL flights in C, you can try the arrival lounge until March 31 2011 too.

Sometimes it takes them a while to replace empty bottles/food trays...I usually just go ask the staff for more.

At least you get to try the lunch food offering, I can only try their breakfast offering at my flight leaves at 10am :(

Why do you even post on the CX board? Just to be annoying?

I will. Not that it will change your mind.

But congrats! You have singularly done a very good job convincing me why I don't want to fly JAL...

I am looking forward to your updates on the HND lounge situation. In around a month, I will check myself to see if there are any OW Emerald signs outside the HND F lounge too.

OT: If you don't welcome different opinions, you might as well not post on any board. This is an open forum and people are free to express their opinions. It's not my job to convince people which airlines they should fly on, so it doesn't bother me whether you want to fly on JAL or not. But if you ever fly on JAL and need advice, you know where to get them :)

Having read this thread I wasnt expecting F access at HND this morning and this was reinforced when, at checkin, the agent and lounge pass said it was for the Sakura / business lounge...

However, on arrival at the lounge, I showed the (Sakura) lounge invite to reception, after which she asked for my BP - scanned and then pointed me to the F lounge

Nice lounge with little cubby holes. Food looked comparable to the NRT F lounge - I didn't bother as I'd already eaten landside.

Does this mean I can not use the JAL F lounge at NRT when I am flying as a CX DM?

Nope - I had no problem doing this last week when flying CX

i think the lounge capacity line ployed by the Star Alliance member is kak - I think more likely was that CX did not want to pay an excessive JAL charge per pax use of the F lounge and that they might now have relented after getting bombed by unhappy F pax. Then the lawyers can also tell us whether it is breach of contract not to provide what they have taken your money and advertised to provide - kind of like getting a new car without the radio because it came from Japan.

Any update on OW Emeralds being allowed into the F lounge at HND?
 

Curious if any non-JL pax recently have been allowed in (I'm flying CX J, DM status...aka OW Emerald), or if JL was still denying non-JL Emerald pax in? As such should a DM use the J lounge or F lounge at HND?