What's JL F like?
Mar 30, 2015, 9:31 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2004
Programs: UA 1K 2MM, BA Gold, SQ TPP
Posts: 1,487
What's JL F like?
Am wondering if it is worth trying to burn some Avios before BA's devaluation 28 April.
Particularly interested in comparison with CX (since they are also OW) and NH (the rival Japan-based airline).
I've done NH F both to and from Japan. I thought the flight from NRT was only so-so, but the flight to NRT I was the only one in F and it was excellent ...
Have only done long haul CX F once, and that was like 5 years ago ...
Particularly interested in comparison with CX (since they are also OW) and NH (the rival Japan-based airline).
I've done NH F both to and from Japan. I thought the flight from NRT was only so-so, but the flight to NRT I was the only one in F and it was excellent ...
Have only done long haul CX F once, and that was like 5 years ago ...
Mar 30, 2015, 12:13 pm
#3
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2000
Posts: 16,093
Am wondering if it is worth trying to burn some Avios before BA's devaluation 28 April.
Particularly interested in comparison with CX (since they are also OW) and NH (the rival Japan-based airline).
I've done NH F both to and from Japan. I thought the flight from NRT was only so-so, but the flight to NRT I was the only one in F and it was excellent ...
Have only done long haul CX F once, and that was like 5 years ago ...
Particularly interested in comparison with CX (since they are also OW) and NH (the rival Japan-based airline).
I've done NH F both to and from Japan. I thought the flight from NRT was only so-so, but the flight to NRT I was the only one in F and it was excellent ...
Have only done long haul CX F once, and that was like 5 years ago ...
Here is how I would rate JL using the metrics suggest by Skytrax on a scale of 1 to 10:
JL FIRST CLASS LOUNGE (NRT)
Lounge comfort, space: 7
Staff & Service Efficiency: 9
Washroom, shower facilities: 6
Staff & Enthusiasm, Attitude: 10
Dining options / Food Quality: 7
Staff & Problem Solving: N/A
Internet / WiFi options: 9
Staff & Language Skills: N/A
Quality of Drinks/ Variety: 8
Entertainment Options: 6
Business Services (fax, printing, etc.): 9
JL FIRST CLASS CABIN
Seat Comfort: 9
Service Efficiency: 9
Comfort & Blankets, Pillows: 8
Enthusiasm, Attitude: 10
Inflight Entertainment: 7
Interaction with PAX: 8
Washroom Cleanliness & Amenities: 8
Cabin Presence thru Flight: 9
Cabin Cleanliness and Condition: 9
Responding to Requests: 9
Quality of Meals served: 10 (ex-Japan) / 8 (ex-USA)
Language Skills: 8
Dine-on-Demand efficiency: 8
Consistency amongst Staff: 9
Newspapers and Magazines: 8
Friendliness and Hospitality: 10
Quality of Drinks/ Variety: 10
Bed Comfort: 8
Amenities & Gift Quality: 9
For comparison, here is how I would rate CX:
CX FIRST CLASS LOUNGE (HKG)
Lounge comfort, space: 7
Staff & Service Efficiency: 8
Washroom, shower facilities: 9
Staff & Enthusiasm, Attitude: 8
Dining options / Food Quality: 9
Staff & Problem Solving: 8
Internet / WiFi options: 9
Staff & Language Skills: 8
Quality of Drinks/ Variety: 8
Entertainment Options: 7
Business Services (fax, printing, etc.): 8
CX FIRST CLASS CABIN
Seat Comfort: 10
Service Efficiency: 7
Comfort & Blankets, Pillows: 9
Enthusiasm, Attitude: 8
Inflight Entertainment: 9
Interaction with PAX: 8
Washroom Cleanliness & Amenities: 9
Cabin Presence thru Flight: 7
Cabin Cleanliness and Condition: 9
Responding to Requests: 8
Quality of Meals served: 7 (to everywhere else) / 9 (to HND)
Language Skills: 9
Dine-on-Demand efficiency: 8
Consistency amongst Staff: 8
Newspapers and Magazines: 8
Friendliness and Hospitality: 9
Quality of Drinks/ Variety: 9
Bed Comfort: 9
Amenities & Gift Quality: 7
The categories in blue are the ones I came up with in addition to what Skytrax uses. Both comparisons used recent flights in 2015.
Mar 30, 2015, 6:25 pm
#5
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: YYZ
Posts: 1,666
JL F was absolutely spectacular - my NRT-ORD flight back in August stands among my most memorable flights.
Once on board, the bed is one of the most comfortable in the sky, the food and beverage is simply one of the best in the world (beating the likes of SQ, EK, CX, LH by a mile), and the crews were wonderful in their proactive service. Where JL F is weak in is their ground service - their lounges are nothing special and there's nothing in way of assisting arriving/departing passengers.
Not to self-plug, but here's a review I've done of both NH F and JL F head to head:
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/trip-...f-vs-nh-f.html
Once on board, the bed is one of the most comfortable in the sky, the food and beverage is simply one of the best in the world (beating the likes of SQ, EK, CX, LH by a mile), and the crews were wonderful in their proactive service. Where JL F is weak in is their ground service - their lounges are nothing special and there's nothing in way of assisting arriving/departing passengers.
Not to self-plug, but here's a review I've done of both NH F and JL F head to head:
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/trip-...f-vs-nh-f.html
Mar 30, 2015, 8:40 pm
#6
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2004
Programs: UA 1K 2MM, BA Gold, SQ TPP
Posts: 1,487
JL F was absolutely spectacular - my NRT-ORD flight back in August stands among my most memorable flights.
Once on board, the bed is one of the most comfortable in the sky, the food and beverage is simply one of the best in the world (beating the likes of SQ, EK, CX, LH by a mile), and the crews were wonderful in their proactive service. Where JL F is weak in is their ground service - their lounges are nothing special and there's nothing in way of assisting arriving/departing passengers.
Not to self-plug, but here's a review I've done of both NH F and JL F head to head:
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/trip-...f-vs-nh-f.html
Once on board, the bed is one of the most comfortable in the sky, the food and beverage is simply one of the best in the world (beating the likes of SQ, EK, CX, LH by a mile), and the crews were wonderful in their proactive service. Where JL F is weak in is their ground service - their lounges are nothing special and there's nothing in way of assisting arriving/departing passengers.
Not to self-plug, but here's a review I've done of both NH F and JL F head to head:
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/trip-...f-vs-nh-f.html
Mar 30, 2015, 8:45 pm
#7
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: IND/NYC/MEX
Programs: AA PPro BA Bronze SPG Gold HH GLD Hyatt Exp
Posts: 1,133
The seat is super comfy and the champagne is good. I definitely agree about the cabin being hot. Next time I don't think that I'll wear the pajamas.
Mar 30, 2015, 10:34 pm
#8
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2000
Posts: 16,093
I don't agree with the comment that Japanese are like robots. Maybe it was joke, it's hard to tell; however the truth is, the F class FA are very accommodating. But as always, YMMV, there is bound to be some inconsistency between flights and depending on the crew. In my three JL F Class flights this year, the service has been consistent but I could still pick up tiny bit of inconsistency between flights such as when the PJ was given and when the amenity gift and welcome gift are passed out. What's important is there are no extremes, which often happens with North American carriers; you could get an excellent crew on one flight then run into a group of prison matrons on the next. For what it is worth, my mother who is in her 60s flew by herself on JL F only a couple of days ago and she told me some pretty amazing stories what happened to her trip. In NRT, she went to do some shopping after leaving the JL F lounge. By boarding time, she suddenly realized her passport was no where to be found. She couldn't remember where she could have left her passport because she had been to many different shops. So she told one of the JL staff by the gate, the staff immediately reassured her by telling her not to worry and that she will help her. Then they went to trace step by step together where she might have been to, asked many shop keepers. Eventually, it was discovered that she placed her passport too deep in her purse when she was paying for something earlier. The dedication of JL ground staff and the care shown was nothing short of amazing. In most U.S. or Canadian airports, the likely reaction would have been: "This is your problem, not mine, now don't bother me, I am busy." It's doubtful that a robot can be empathic.
Then once she boarded the flight, the real test began. Unlike most pax, she doesn't drink any alcohol and she can't drink anything with caffeine, so no coffee and no tea, this means, that beautiful wine list in First Class is no good. You'd think the purser will only serve her water in this case, not a chance. I don't know how the purser did it, the crew managed to make up drinks from the menu, and recommended several different options creatively. She said at first she was afraid to try fearing she wouldn't be able to sleep, but they managed to prepare very tasty tea and coffee using what, I don't know because I wasn't there and she could still sleep. Then the crew improvised and came up with nicely plated fruits and even colorful cakes which I didn't even know JL carries any cakes on board because I haven't seen any cakes on JL F this month and it's not on the menu so not sure where the crew got their cakes from. The flight was actually quite full, 6 or 7 pax out of 8 seats but she was the only woman, yet they still managed to give her so much attention is nothing short of amazing. Again, if this had been on United or any other North American carrier, the most likely reaction of FA to a passenger who refuses to drink alcohol, tea or coffee is just to serve them water and maybe juice but nothing else, they wouldn't have bother with such a complicate case because it may cut into their chatting time with each other.
As for ordering from the menu, she told me it felt like she had a personal chef onboard. All she had to tell the purser was that she wanted the Western option (because I told my mother to pick the Western option for this month) and she didn't want any beef, the rest is up to the purser. Amazingly, the purser ran with the idea and prepared an elaborate 6 course meal like a table d'hote. When she told me what happened to her, I was amaze. In my mind, if the flight were relatively empty, I could see a passenger being given so much attention but no, it was fairly full. So when she told me all other pax were men, I figured perhaps the purser and other FAs, who were all women, felt more at ease with her being a woman as Japanese men in F cabin can be a little stern and not easily approachable, just a guess. This is to show the FAs in the F cabin is anything but robotic, they are proactive, creative and have great problem solving skills. YMMV but I think JL has come a long way from the legacy day prior to bankruptcy as far as the service is concerned.
Mar 30, 2015, 11:23 pm
#9
Join Date: Jul 2012
Location: San Francisco, CA
Programs: Jose Cuervo Gold, Bud Light Platinum, Schwab 401K, VW Bug 2MM
Posts: 1,099
I have flown both JL and NH F ORD-NRT. Did not find the cabin too hot, and the service was comparable, although I felt the food was better on NH. And the amenity kit is nicer 
Also, they did not confiscate my PJs. Not sure why that happened...
Also, they did not confiscate my PJs. Not sure why that happened...
Mar 30, 2015, 11:44 pm
#10
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2004
Programs: UA 1K 2MM, BA Gold, SQ TPP
Posts: 1,487
The cabin temperature was fine to me as long as I was seated. When in sleeping position, the bed + pillow + large blanket = overheat I don't think it was due to the PJ.
I don't agree with the comment that Japanese are like robots. Maybe it was joke, it's hard to tell; however the truth is, the F class FA are very accommodating. But as always, YMMV, there is bound to be some inconsistency between flights and depending on the crew. In my three JL F Class flights this year, the service has been consistent but I could still pick up tiny bit of inconsistency between flights such as when the PJ was given and when the amenity gift and welcome gift are passed out. What's important is there are no extremes, which often happens with North American carriers; you could get an excellent crew on one flight then run into a group of prison matrons on the next. For what it is worth, my mother who is in her 60s flew by herself on JL F only a couple of days ago and she told me some pretty amazing stories what happened to her trip. In NRT, she went to do some shopping after leaving the JL F lounge. By boarding time, she suddenly realized her passport was no where to be found. She couldn't remember where she could have left her passport because she had been to many different shops. So she told one of the JL staff by the gate, the staff immediately reassured her by telling her not to worry and that she will help her. Then they went to trace step by step together where she might have been to, asked many shop keepers. Eventually, it was discovered that she placed her passport too deep in her purse when she was paying for something earlier. The dedication of JL ground staff and the care shown was nothing short of amazing. In most U.S. or Canadian airports, the likely reaction would have been: "This is your problem, not mine, now don't bother me, I am busy." It's doubtful that a robot can be empathic.
Then once she boarded the flight, the real test began. Unlike most pax, she doesn't drink any alcohol and she can't drink anything with caffeine, so no coffee and no tea, this means, that beautiful wine list in First Class is no good. You'd think the purser will only serve her water in this case, not a chance. I don't know how the purser did it, the crew managed to make up drinks from the menu, and recommended several different options creatively. She said at first she was afraid to try fearing she wouldn't be able to sleep, but they managed to prepare very tasty tea and coffee using what, I don't know because I wasn't there and she could still sleep. Then the crew improvised and came up with nicely plated fruits and even colorful cakes which I didn't even know JL carries any cakes on board because I haven't seen any cakes on JL F this month and it's not on the menu so not sure where the crew got their cakes from. The flight was actually quite full, 6 or 7 pax out of 8 seats but she was the only woman, yet they still managed to give her so much attention is nothing short of amazing. Again, if this had been on United or any other North American carrier, the most likely reaction of FA to a passenger who refuses to drink alcohol, tea or coffee is just to serve them water and maybe juice but nothing else, they wouldn't have bother with such a complicate case because it may cut into their chatting time with each other. As for ordering from the menu, she told me it felt like she had a personal chef onboard. All she had to tell the purser was that she wanted the Western option (because I told my mother to pick the Western option for this month) and she didn't want any beef, the rest is up to the purser. Amazingly, the purser ran with the idea and prepared an elaborate 6 course meal like a table d'hote. When she told me what happened to her, I was amaze. In my mind, if the flight were relatively empty, I could see a passenger being given so much attention but no, it was fairly full. So when she told me all other pax were men, I figured perhaps the purser and other FAs, who were all women, felt more at ease with her being a woman as Japanese men in F cabin can be a little stern and not easily approachable, just a guess.
This is to show the FAs in the F cabin is anything but robotic, they are proactive, creative and have great problem solving skills. YMMV but I think JL has come a long way from the legacy day prior to bankruptcy as far as the service is concerned.
I don't agree with the comment that Japanese are like robots. Maybe it was joke, it's hard to tell; however the truth is, the F class FA are very accommodating. But as always, YMMV, there is bound to be some inconsistency between flights and depending on the crew. In my three JL F Class flights this year, the service has been consistent but I could still pick up tiny bit of inconsistency between flights such as when the PJ was given and when the amenity gift and welcome gift are passed out. What's important is there are no extremes, which often happens with North American carriers; you could get an excellent crew on one flight then run into a group of prison matrons on the next. For what it is worth, my mother who is in her 60s flew by herself on JL F only a couple of days ago and she told me some pretty amazing stories what happened to her trip. In NRT, she went to do some shopping after leaving the JL F lounge. By boarding time, she suddenly realized her passport was no where to be found. She couldn't remember where she could have left her passport because she had been to many different shops. So she told one of the JL staff by the gate, the staff immediately reassured her by telling her not to worry and that she will help her. Then they went to trace step by step together where she might have been to, asked many shop keepers. Eventually, it was discovered that she placed her passport too deep in her purse when she was paying for something earlier. The dedication of JL ground staff and the care shown was nothing short of amazing. In most U.S. or Canadian airports, the likely reaction would have been: "This is your problem, not mine, now don't bother me, I am busy." It's doubtful that a robot can be empathic.
Then once she boarded the flight, the real test began. Unlike most pax, she doesn't drink any alcohol and she can't drink anything with caffeine, so no coffee and no tea, this means, that beautiful wine list in First Class is no good. You'd think the purser will only serve her water in this case, not a chance. I don't know how the purser did it, the crew managed to make up drinks from the menu, and recommended several different options creatively. She said at first she was afraid to try fearing she wouldn't be able to sleep, but they managed to prepare very tasty tea and coffee using what, I don't know because I wasn't there and she could still sleep. Then the crew improvised and came up with nicely plated fruits and even colorful cakes which I didn't even know JL carries any cakes on board because I haven't seen any cakes on JL F this month and it's not on the menu so not sure where the crew got their cakes from. The flight was actually quite full, 6 or 7 pax out of 8 seats but she was the only woman, yet they still managed to give her so much attention is nothing short of amazing. Again, if this had been on United or any other North American carrier, the most likely reaction of FA to a passenger who refuses to drink alcohol, tea or coffee is just to serve them water and maybe juice but nothing else, they wouldn't have bother with such a complicate case because it may cut into their chatting time with each other.
As for ordering from the menu, she told me it felt like she had a personal chef onboard. All she had to tell the purser was that she wanted the Western option (because I told my mother to pick the Western option for this month) and she didn't want any beef, the rest is up to the purser. Amazingly, the purser ran with the idea and prepared an elaborate 6 course meal like a table d'hote. When she told me what happened to her, I was amaze. In my mind, if the flight were relatively empty, I could see a passenger being given so much attention but no, it was fairly full. So when she told me all other pax were men, I figured perhaps the purser and other FAs, who were all women, felt more at ease with her being a woman as Japanese men in F cabin can be a little stern and not easily approachable, just a guess. This is to show the FAs in the F cabin is anything but robotic, they are proactive, creative and have great problem solving skills. YMMV but I think JL has come a long way from the legacy day prior to bankruptcy as far as the service is concerned.
No one doubts the inferiority of US-based carriers. Was more curious about how people feel about JL vs NH and JL vs CX (or even JL vs SQ)
Apr 15, 2015, 5:11 pm
#12
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: Tokyo
Programs: JAL Metal Card (OWE), SAS Eurobonus Gold (*G), Marriott Titanium (LTP), Tokyu Hotels Platinum
Posts: 21,092
Apr 15, 2015, 5:18 pm
#13
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2000
Posts: 16,093
LAX-NRT-LAX will be served by the above pictured F cabin. Furthermore, out of LAX, you can use the Qantas First Class lounge which is newly opened earlier this year and is as good as the renown Qantas First Class lounge in Sydney. Many people believe the Qantas First Class lounge in LAX is the best airline lounge in North America.
Apr 15, 2015, 9:41 pm
#14
Community Director Emerita
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Anywhere warm
Posts: 33,737
Thank you, CPH-Flyer and Guava. That's very helpful. Ad I agree that the Qantas lounge is the best in the US. I had the pleasure of using it last month. It was such an upgrade on what there used to be in the International Terminal I was in shock. The food was excellent in the F restaurant.
Apr 20, 2015, 10:19 am
#15
Join Date: Sep 2013
Location: London, UK
Programs: Ronin - churn and burn
Posts: 701
Having recently flown JL F LAX-NRT and later HND-LHR, here are my observations:
The seat and bed are super comfortable. The middle seats are considerably hotter than the windows. No problem if you wear the PJ pants and a regular t shirt though.
The FAs were very friendly and engaging. When I mentioned that I liked the cedar chopsticks they gave me two sets as a gift. They made conversation about travels etc.
I got to keep my PJs but my GF had hers confiscated ex-LAX (she didn't tell me until after the flight, otherwise I'd have asked for them back as I'm not sure that they reuse them).
The HND lounge is spectacular. Probably my favourite in the world right now. For me, it beats the likes of DOH, VS clubhouse LHR, TG BKK, The Private Room and The Wing. Riedel glassware, runway views, massages, live chef station, John Lobb shoeshine service. The list goes on...
Ex LAX things are worse. The QF lounge was nice enough but no runway views or notable food and drink items. No ground services etc. I actually prefer the QF J lounge in HKG, although having beenin the AA "flagship lounge" in JFK I do get that this lounge outperfroms vs its US peers
The catering was significantly worse ex-LAX too. In some cases I had exact replicas ex-HND and the difference freshness and attention to detail was significant.
The amenity kits are awesome (ex-LAX this is thew one thing that I preferred). Loewe is a seriously good brand and the additional Shiseido kit was a great bonus.
The PJ's are also super high quality and I've worn the pants for lounging around the house since coming home (don't get them confiscated!)
Comparisons to CX F:
I think I prefer the CX seat. Obviously more private wth 6 vs 8 people. The service on both airlines is equally good.
I prefer JL HND lounge to The Wing.
F&B is better on JL
Aesop toiletries are my favourite ever but the Loewe kits are amazing... so a draw.
The seat and bed are super comfortable. The middle seats are considerably hotter than the windows. No problem if you wear the PJ pants and a regular t shirt though.
The FAs were very friendly and engaging. When I mentioned that I liked the cedar chopsticks they gave me two sets as a gift. They made conversation about travels etc.
I got to keep my PJs but my GF had hers confiscated ex-LAX (she didn't tell me until after the flight, otherwise I'd have asked for them back as I'm not sure that they reuse them).
The HND lounge is spectacular. Probably my favourite in the world right now. For me, it beats the likes of DOH, VS clubhouse LHR, TG BKK, The Private Room and The Wing. Riedel glassware, runway views, massages, live chef station, John Lobb shoeshine service. The list goes on...
Ex LAX things are worse. The QF lounge was nice enough but no runway views or notable food and drink items. No ground services etc. I actually prefer the QF J lounge in HKG, although having beenin the AA "flagship lounge" in JFK I do get that this lounge outperfroms vs its US peers
The catering was significantly worse ex-LAX too. In some cases I had exact replicas ex-HND and the difference freshness and attention to detail was significant.
The amenity kits are awesome (ex-LAX this is thew one thing that I preferred). Loewe is a seriously good brand and the additional Shiseido kit was a great bonus.
The PJ's are also super high quality and I've worn the pants for lounging around the house since coming home (don't get them confiscated!)
Comparisons to CX F:
I think I prefer the CX seat. Obviously more private wth 6 vs 8 people. The service on both airlines is equally good.
I prefer JL HND lounge to The Wing.
F&B is better on JL
Aesop toiletries are my favourite ever but the Loewe kits are amazing... so a draw.
