Rumor: JL to restart KIX-LAX in 2015? [Now Confirmed]
Apr 20, 2015, 1:09 pm
#287
Join Date: Apr 2014
Posts: 46
I switched to this flight from my original JL SFO=>HND=>KIX on F for the HND flight as the timing of the flight works better for my schedule. Staying awake at the airport for a 1:30AM flight out of SFO just seemed a little grueling for me.
It was a trade off between having their lie flat seat on the 777's, or better meal service and having the energy to stay awake to enjoy any of the entertainment/meal options.
It was a trade off between having their lie flat seat on the 777's, or better meal service and having the energy to stay awake to enjoy any of the entertainment/meal options.
Apr 26, 2015, 9:00 pm
#289
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: SNA/LAX
Programs: Hertz PC, Hilton DMD, IHG Spire Amb, Bonvoy Titanium Elite & WoH Globalist
Posts: 8,076
Took the JL060 (KIX-LAX) the other day (Saturday April 25 Japan time) with wife and two kids (ages 4 & 6) and it was a great flight, kind & hospitable crew headed by Ms. Ono, reasonable flight time of 9.5 hours, no turbulence, 788 metal & comfy seats, etc.
Sublime food offerings especially the eggplant dish served anytime you ask 1.5 hours before landing. The only bad part is that the flight did not last long enough for us to enjoy more
More flight photos including menu photos can be found here: https://www.flickr.com/photos/kalboz...7651798665608/
Thank you Japan Airline - Thank you Ms. Ono & crew for the great service
Sublime food offerings especially the eggplant dish served anytime you ask 1.5 hours before landing. The only bad part is that the flight did not last long enough for us to enjoy more
More flight photos including menu photos can be found here: https://www.flickr.com/photos/kalboz...7651798665608/
Thank you Japan Airline - Thank you Ms. Ono & crew for the great service
Last edited by Kalboz; May 1, 2015 at 9:59 am Reason: To correct the date!
Apr 30, 2015, 4:01 pm
#290
Join Date: Jun 2001
Location: LAX
Programs: AA Gold (prev. Ex Plat for 10 years); DL Plat; UA Gold; Hilton Diamond
Posts: 2,338
I just completed this as a roundtrip LAX-KIX-LAX in business class.
Both flights have a full decadent meal service after takeoff. Lunch on the way (LAX-KIX), dinner on the return. I had the Japanese meal sets on both flights and cannot say enough about the food. It was an exciting tasting menu of Japanese delicacies. See Kalboz's post above for photos of the western menu.
Beyond the initial service it's a lengthy menu of anytime fare and if you desire something prior to landing, be sure to let them know at least 90 minutes before landing. They did seem to strictly cut off food orders at that point to begin the cabin for arrival. They were very attentive to the cabin, though, particularly in the morning on KIX-LAX, to ensure everyone who had awakened received a meal.
The meals were - in a word - superb. I've had a handful of trips on JAL in the last 24 months in business class and while their hard equipment and lounges are not exactly state-of-the-art, the meals and crews on board are an utter delight. IMO, JAL's service rivals or surpasses that on CX. Don't even get me started on the meal quality comparison. JAL wins hands down on that front.
Some pointers for the return flight from KIX. There are limited dining options inside the secure area of the airport. If you are hungry, there is a giant arcade of shops and restaurants on Level 3 of the terminal landside. You can check in, go down the escalator to eat, then go through security and immigration to the gate.
The Sakura Lounge in KIX is terrible. It's due for a refurbishment but it definitely needs a facelift. You are better off dining landside before going to the gate.
I will be excited to try the new seating on the 787, but even the current Shell Flat NEO is comfortable. I was once again very impressed with JAL. This is a convenient flight if you are not headed to the Tokyo area. We were from the plane to our hotel in Kyoto within 3 hours. Landed 6, checked in at the hotel at 9.
Major ^^^
Both flights have a full decadent meal service after takeoff. Lunch on the way (LAX-KIX), dinner on the return. I had the Japanese meal sets on both flights and cannot say enough about the food. It was an exciting tasting menu of Japanese delicacies. See Kalboz's post above for photos of the western menu.
Beyond the initial service it's a lengthy menu of anytime fare and if you desire something prior to landing, be sure to let them know at least 90 minutes before landing. They did seem to strictly cut off food orders at that point to begin the cabin for arrival. They were very attentive to the cabin, though, particularly in the morning on KIX-LAX, to ensure everyone who had awakened received a meal.
The meals were - in a word - superb. I've had a handful of trips on JAL in the last 24 months in business class and while their hard equipment and lounges are not exactly state-of-the-art, the meals and crews on board are an utter delight. IMO, JAL's service rivals or surpasses that on CX. Don't even get me started on the meal quality comparison. JAL wins hands down on that front.
Some pointers for the return flight from KIX. There are limited dining options inside the secure area of the airport. If you are hungry, there is a giant arcade of shops and restaurants on Level 3 of the terminal landside. You can check in, go down the escalator to eat, then go through security and immigration to the gate.
The Sakura Lounge in KIX is terrible. It's due for a refurbishment but it definitely needs a facelift. You are better off dining landside before going to the gate.
I will be excited to try the new seating on the 787, but even the current Shell Flat NEO is comfortable. I was once again very impressed with JAL. This is a convenient flight if you are not headed to the Tokyo area. We were from the plane to our hotel in Kyoto within 3 hours. Landed 6, checked in at the hotel at 9.
Major ^^^
May 1, 2015, 11:49 am
#291
Join Date: Apr 2014
Posts: 46
Thank you both for your reviews! I'm taking this flight in a little more than a week from LAX to KIX and looking forward to it. How was the passenger load on the flight? I just checked on mine a few days ago and found plenty of award availability.
Just to be clear, the "second" meal that is featured on the menu LAX=>KIX that is broken down between Japanese and Western have to be requested and not regularly served?
Thanks!
Just to be clear, the "second" meal that is featured on the menu LAX=>KIX that is broken down between Japanese and Western have to be requested and not regularly served?
Thanks!
May 1, 2015, 12:18 pm
#292
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: SNA/LAX
Programs: Hertz PC, Hilton DMD, IHG Spire Amb, Bonvoy Titanium Elite & WoH Globalist
Posts: 8,076
I just completed this as a roundtrip LAX-KIX-LAX in business class.
Both flights have a full decadent meal service after takeoff. Lunch on the way (LAX-KIX), dinner on the return. I had the Japanese meal sets on both flights and cannot say enough about the food. It was an exciting tasting menu of Japanese delicacies. See Kalboz's post above for photos of the western menu.
Beyond the initial service it's a lengthy menu of anytime fare and if you desire something prior to landing, be sure to let them know at least 90 minutes before landing. They did seem to strictly cut off food orders at that point to begin the cabin for arrival. They were very attentive to the cabin, though, particularly in the morning on KIX-LAX, to ensure everyone who had awakened received a meal.
The meals were - in a word - superb. I've had a handful of trips on JAL in the last 24 months in business class and while their hard equipment and lounges are not exactly state-of-the-art, the meals and crews on board are an utter delight. IMO, JAL's service rivals or surpasses that on CX. Don't even get me started on the meal quality comparison. JAL wins hands down on that front.
Some pointers for the return flight from KIX. There are limited dining options inside the secure area of the airport. If you are hungry, there is a giant arcade of shops and restaurants on Level 3 of the terminal landside. You can check in, go down the escalator to eat, then go through security and immigration to the gate.
The Sakura Lounge in KIX is terrible. It's due for a refurbishment but it definitely needs a facelift. You are better off dining landside before going to the gate.
I will be excited to try the new seating on the 787, but even the current Shell Flat NEO is comfortable. I was once again very impressed with JAL. This is a convenient flight if you are not headed to the Tokyo area. We were from the plane to our hotel in Kyoto within 3 hours. Landed 6, checked in at the hotel at 9.
Major ^^^
Both flights have a full decadent meal service after takeoff. Lunch on the way (LAX-KIX), dinner on the return. I had the Japanese meal sets on both flights and cannot say enough about the food. It was an exciting tasting menu of Japanese delicacies. See Kalboz's post above for photos of the western menu.
Beyond the initial service it's a lengthy menu of anytime fare and if you desire something prior to landing, be sure to let them know at least 90 minutes before landing. They did seem to strictly cut off food orders at that point to begin the cabin for arrival. They were very attentive to the cabin, though, particularly in the morning on KIX-LAX, to ensure everyone who had awakened received a meal.
The meals were - in a word - superb. I've had a handful of trips on JAL in the last 24 months in business class and while their hard equipment and lounges are not exactly state-of-the-art, the meals and crews on board are an utter delight. IMO, JAL's service rivals or surpasses that on CX. Don't even get me started on the meal quality comparison. JAL wins hands down on that front.
Some pointers for the return flight from KIX. There are limited dining options inside the secure area of the airport. If you are hungry, there is a giant arcade of shops and restaurants on Level 3 of the terminal landside. You can check in, go down the escalator to eat, then go through security and immigration to the gate.
The Sakura Lounge in KIX is terrible. It's due for a refurbishment but it definitely needs a facelift. You are better off dining landside before going to the gate.
I will be excited to try the new seating on the 787, but even the current Shell Flat NEO is comfortable. I was once again very impressed with JAL. This is a convenient flight if you are not headed to the Tokyo area. We were from the plane to our hotel in Kyoto within 3 hours. Landed 6, checked in at the hotel at 9.
Major ^^^
More photos can be found here: https://www.flickr.com/photos/kalboz...7652304423975/
Traveling home with wife and two kids after 3-weeks whirlwind tour of SEA and we were exhausted, so we decided to stay at the airport and its Sakura Lounge (in the South Wing near Gate 30) during the 12 hour layover. What a mistake that was!!!
The Sakura's old carpeted floors were filthy with food crumbs at opening (7 AM)! Really! They did not have time to vacuum the place the night before or per-opening? The floors remained filthy until we left at 4 PM!!! The furniture and ambiance at the lounge is 1980s leftover. The food consisted of curry goup, clam chowder or better defined as potato chowder, rice triangles, steamed rice, tiny "sandwiches" of an unknown stuff ... just crappy food unworthy to be associated with culinary Japan or Japan Airlines. Staff inside the lounge serving the people was very attentive, but the front desk was clueless. For instance, we asked for showers and they said we had to go to the North end of KIX for our free showers. After 20-minutes walk/train ride we reached the said showers which were coin-operated and no attendant present. We contacted the adjacent KIX North Lounge (which looks much nicer and strangely enough caters to OW's partner CX) and were told that we needed $5 equivalent in Japanese Yen in order to operate the shower. No problem expense-wise, but we did not have any local currency. Fail on the part of Sakura Front Desk staff.
May 1, 2015, 12:40 pm
#293
Ambassador: Japan Airlines
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: LAX
Programs: JAL Mileage Bank, JMB Diamond, oneworld Emerald, Bonvoy Platinum
Posts: 16,397
I assume you were referring to C not Y. It's a la carte after first meal service. You can request for anything you want and as much as you want till 90 minutes before landing. There are more options on top of the Japanese and Western sets. Usually the CA will ask you for last order if you are awake but other than that, there's no set 2nd meal time.
May 1, 2015, 2:43 pm
#295
Join Date: Jun 2001
Location: LAX
Programs: AA Gold (prev. Ex Plat for 10 years); DL Plat; UA Gold; Hilton Diamond
Posts: 2,338
Thank you both for your reviews! I'm taking this flight in a little more than a week from LAX to KIX and looking forward to it. How was the passenger load on the flight? I just checked on mine a few days ago and found plenty of award availability.
Just to be clear, the "second" meal that is featured on the menu LAX=>KIX that is broken down between Japanese and Western have to be requested and not regularly served?
Thanks!
Just to be clear, the "second" meal that is featured on the menu LAX=>KIX that is broken down between Japanese and Western have to be requested and not regularly served?
Thanks!
Meals are 100% a la carte and on demand after the main service. The Japanese/Western meal sets are pretty 'traditional' second meals, so if you're looking for a full meal tray either of those will be the way to go. Otherwise there is plenty of smaller snacks and the noodle bowls are actually fairly generously sized. I had the Japanese meal on my way to Japan for the second meal, and a bowl of noodles on my return.
I actually saw most passengers requesting noodles for breakfast prior to landing in LAX.
May 2, 2015, 12:41 pm
#297
Join Date: Jun 2001
Location: LAX
Programs: AA Gold (prev. Ex Plat for 10 years); DL Plat; UA Gold; Hilton Diamond
Posts: 2,338
They are both great. Food was better KIX-LAX, but only slightly. If you value sleep and want to maximize your daytime arrival in LAX, you might find that coach on KIX-LAX is the lesser of the two options (I find it hard to sleep in Y). I'd probably opt for LAX-KIX in Y, as it's a day flight and I stayed awake the entire time anyway to work, and go in J on KIX-LAX for the sleep.
May 5, 2015, 12:34 pm
#298
Ambassador: Japan Airlines
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: LAX
Programs: JAL Mileage Bank, JMB Diamond, oneworld Emerald, Bonvoy Platinum
Posts: 16,397
