ctadeja

Does anyone else think that JAL maintains a hot cabin during their long-haul flights? I flew LAX to NARITA and back on my way to Bangkok in mid July. The temperature was a constant 76 degrees with a cabin filled with passengers and air that simply did not circulate enough! I flew JAL62 and JAL63 using a business class product. I thought for sure that in business class I would not have to deal with sweating nearly my entire trip. But this is exactly what happened on my flight there and back. JAL apparently likes to keep the cabin temperature at 76 degrees. I know because I asked. I also asked them politely a few times and forcefully one time to turn the A/C to 72 or cooler degrees just so air could circulate in the cabin. 76 degrees, to some, may not be too bad. But imagine an entire airplane whose cabin is filled with passengers all of whom are breathing and providing even more warmth for the cabin! The attendants did try to appease me but because they had limited English speaking skills, all they could tell me was that they would try. But nothing really happened or changed. I suspected that the stewardess either felt the air come on when it reached 76 degrees and thus ignored my requests or the attendants went back to their space near the galley which is apparently cooler than the rest of the cabin and thus ignored my requests again thinking I didn't know my temperatures! But is this normal for JAL on these long flights? This was the same on my way back home to LAX. It was hot hot hot.

LosPenguinosII

76F is around 24.4C, which, personally, is not HOT.
If it is set to 72F (~22C), I imagine many passengers feel 'chilly.'

DFWsakp

If the temp is maintained at 76 then that is actually very pleasant and it does not matter if there are 200 or 2000 people in the airplane. When you go to a mall there are 1000s of people there are the temp is maintained at 76 - 78 degrees. You may have some personal problem. Are you overweight by any chance? Sorry you felt Hot Hot Hot.

Ocn Vw 1K

Please follow the thread as it moves to the JAL forum. Ocn Vw 1K, Moderator, TravelBuzz,

KIXman

As far as I know JAL sets cabin temperature to 82F (28C).
It's possible that although while you were told that it was 76F, it was actually at 82F.

Whether or not 82F is hot or not can be debated, but considering that the Japanese government asks people to conserve power and set their air conditioning to 82F or higher during the summer months, the fact that they are asking people to make a sacrifice implies that 82F is hot.

OskiBear

IME, the cabin is hot on almost all Asian carriers.

If it's long-haul, I usually pack a pair of gym shorts and t-shirt that I can change into or I have difficulty sleeping.

I think there was a similar thread somewhere - either for one of the other airlines or in the genreal travel forum.

I personally find that Asians are either more tolerant of heat or less tolerant of cold (I say this as an Asian American who is always warm!). Whenver I'm in Asia, I find extraordinary that people are bundled up when I'm in just a regular shirt, no jacket.

The great exception to this, of course, are the ladies I encountered in Sapporo this past winter, in a snowstorm at the Snow Festival, while they were walking in short skirts! Quite impressive!!!

yannix

82F is warm .. at least for sleeping. I was quite amazed that while I was sweating and having difficulty sleeping (Only wearing t-shirt and jeans), the other passengers were using the JL-provided sweatshirts.

OskiBear

This is probably correlated with the discussion that often pops up about why Americans are so obssessed with ice and why we are often frustrated when it's not readily available overseas. Perhaps we need them to stay cool?

KPT

NH is not any better w.r.t this. 28C/82F is the standard temperature for air conditioned gov't buildings over there in the summer.

It's a trade-off between level of service and cabin comfort, I guess

kaka

1) I've once waken up in *sweat* on a JAL flight. i swear it was at least 28C as told temp cannot be tuned down (PS. sorry kixman my seatmate if anything unpleasant came up.

2) I think ANA do put different temperature at different sections of the cabin. I remember going to the front section of a 767 and it was *warm* yet very cool (and nice) at row 21.

3) Very recently on CX (an asian carrier), i was literally shivering as i woke up in the middle of the flight LHR-HKG. is good in a way i didnt sweat, just needed some warm tea!

4) i prefer it too cold than too warm. you can dress up for cold, but you cant really strip on flight, can you?

5) JAL usually have really warm cabins, besides my above mentioned flight, I've always had too warm to be comfortable flights, but never to that extreme as 1.

6) Air outside is -40C. The engine is a freaking furnace. they do not use more energy to make AC warmer or cooler inside.

JALPak

It does require energy to cool the compressed hot air

http://www.boeing.com/boeing/commerc...air/index.page

R&R

The problem of hot cabins and the sensation of coldness has been discussed at length in the past. Any temperature over 78 degrees and the DRY air decreases the exchange of Blood levels ofOxygen & Carbon Dioxide in the lower pressure cabins resulting in shortness of breath, headache, anxious feelings, etc.

Raising to a higher cabin temp is more a fuel savings move, then increasing comfort resulting in sweating and breathing problems, gasping for air. I can only guess how people with Chronic Pulmonary Disease must feel, when I can feel it with good lungs. There must be many who don't tolerate long distance flights, but the FA don't really understand it or forgotten and more likely to complain of difficult passengers.

Since the low Humidity level of heated air in the cabin at high altitudes is also important in the sensations of cold 'chilly' by many passengers, who complain about the temperature rather then knowing about humidity and oxygen exchange in the lungs. Isn't this reason for feeling better flying with higher cabin pressure and humidity technology in the new 787's, which many comment positively about after their 787 flights?
It is one of Boeing's BEST selling points for the 787's comfort!

Telling the Flight attendants that it 'feels' too cold is a subjective personal feeling, although many with Low Metabolism only add to the complaints! Better they wear a sweat shirt and use a blanket, then raise the temperature over 78 degrees! It is medically unsound to raise the temperature above 78 degrees and expect to sufficient oxygen from my experience. These are reasons I wear a wrist watch and have accurate thermometers at home, that give current constant temperature readings, while traveling and for comfort day & night.
Casio makes several accurate digital wrist watches under $50.00, that do the job accurately. At best, I can tell the FA to tell the Captain the cabin temperature is approaching 80 or even 70 degrees with accuracy. He will know what to do, even it they don't!!!!!

Airlines raising the temperature to 80-82 degrees should be reported to some governing Agency. It is interesting that most complaints on these Forums are about the Japanese airlines discomfort.

mikew99

Unfortunately, I think this is largely a cultural issue, and I think the only real solution is to avoid JAL and other airlines who tend to keep their cabins warm. I have never flown on JAL, but from the reports here, it sounds like I should try to avoid JAL whenever possible.

One of my worst flights ever was a seemingly never-ending SQ flight from SIN-LAX where I managed to get to sleep but soon woke up in a pool of my own sweat. There were no air vents and no relief from the heat for 17 hours. Never again!

I just got off of an AA transcon that (even thought the plane lacked air vents) was one of the most comfortable flights I've experienced. I would estimate the cabin to have been about 65F/18C degrees, which is very close to my ideal sleeping temperature. I imagine that some passengers were freezing to death, but I obviously agree with the thinking that it is a lot easier for them to get warm than for me to stay cool.

virmaior

I doubt that will matter to a Japanese pilot. Gov't buildings in Japan are also set to 28c. They don't exactly accept the science you're suggesting and may respond along the lines that Japanese people are different and the temperature is fine for them (I have not expertise to comment on that claim).

I cool-y agree but comparing JAL and AA for across the big lake, the service compensates enough that I put up with the inferno -- and come equipped with just shorts and a T-shirt.

R&R

It is more PHYSIOLOGIC then cultural, which has turned into a bad habit kept alive by unknowledgeable passengers! Basic Human Physiology 101.

I will bet it is more of a fuel $$ saving reason to ignore the discomfort caused to a majority of passengers, who don't know what is best for them or why they are so uncomfortable and short of breath.