susiesan

Except if you call in to the US number you will be on hold anywhere from 15-30 minutes before an agent takes your call. The phone system is overwhelmed with calls from people who used to be able to do their own researching and special requests online and cannot do so now. Apparently JL did not increase the staffing to answer the phones during their very long website service interruption.

RealHJ

It would be extremely irresponsible and disrespectful towards others to keep calling each day, stay on hold for close to an hour each time (you conveniently forgot about that part), and thus tie up the phones, just to check for availability. What you are suggesting here is truly putting yourself ahead of others; just not right. And plus, who has an hour to spend each day being stuck on hold (it's the worst with JMB Japan call center, of course - poorly trained agents who can't do the most basic simple reservation even after an hour long hold and have to have someone call you back a few hours later still just to do it, and whom I wouldn't trust to even know how to search for flight availability given the obvious total lack of training that JL does with its phone agents in Japan, but US is not that much better and still agents will often give you outright incorrect info, claim there is no availability when there clearly is on the site, give wrong info about various timelines and policies, etc.).

The responsible thing to do is to register for JL JP site and search on there, thus not tying up any meaningful resources and not impacting the service of other JMB members. Why end up costing JL $10s in US toll-free (if calling US) number charges each week by tying up the phones for some 5+ hours each week if calling daily to check for availability? And why be so inconsiderate towards others and tie up the phones on something that can be easily checked online?

And yes, the US call center closes at 10am Japan time, which is when awards are released - clearly so by design to make it extra difficult for AR JMB members to get any awards. As we all know, usually there is a very brief (few minutes) window of opportunity to book it then at 330 days out, before they are gone - most likely forever.

RealHJ

Oh it's not just now. It was already like that before this also. Rarely less than 15 minute hold. Often >30 minutes.

The Japan number is worse. There the hold times can be easily in excess of an hour, and JL has some completely untrained staff there who I doubt even know how to use a computer, so even when they pick up the phone, they can't do something as simple as a single JL flight one-way reservation and instead will get someone who knows how to do their job call you back later. Then by the time you are off hold and they call you back hours later, the flight that you wanted quite likely will be gone and booked and no longer available.

JL truly has some of the worst CS of any major airline and has a rather disrespectful (of their time & convenience) attitude towards its customers. That is unfortunate, as the JMB program is good, but JL's reservations operations are really horrendous. (I mean, it's practically unheard of to have a reservations line that only works a few hours a day vs. 24x7. In case of irrops, you are stuck waiting many hours until next day then due to that. And to arbitrarily and for no valid technical or other reason disable practically all online functionality! And even after an hour on hold, to have "res" agents pick up the phone who seemingly don't even know how to use their computer?)

susiesan

I discovered that long hold time recently when trying to call to request a special meal for an upcoming JL flight in February. I finally ended up sending an email to request it and did get an answer in 24 hours.

JALPak

US call center closes at 6pm Pacific which is 11am JST at the moment. You don't have to call every day if redeeming with JMB miles. Simply waitlist and you can check your status online. Calling in the early morning will greater reduce your wait time.

rufflesinc

I am using BA.com to search for JL award seats LAX/SFO/JFK/ORD-NRT/HND. Nothing. Not a single seat in PY, J or F in nov/dec 2016. Is something wrong?

Compare to 6-7 months ago when I booked flights for May 2016, I easily got 2 F seats on the exact dates I wante d...

JALPak

AA devaluation may have to do with this. Those people are trying to spend their dirt cheap miles to redeem awards at ridiculously cheap price before the changes go into effect.

RealHJ

Waitlist only lasts for 8 days, however. So, you would still need to call every 8 days to do a new PNR for the same flight waitlisted.

Waitlist used to last until a few days before flight, but as of Oct 1 (or was it Nov 1) it is now only good for 8 days.

JALPak

Not if you book in advance.

https://www.ar.jal.com/world/en/jalm...rd_application

rufflesinc

Gulity as charged! But I don't see ANY seats on JAL ex-US

nevermind! working now ...

RealHJ

It seems that JAL clears waitlists at 3 months before, then 1 month before, and then closer to flight time. It's more likely to clear closer in. But, for those times cannot effectively waitlist anymore. Have to time it, e.g. do 7 days WL a few days before the 1 month out date, for example.

But yes, you are right. Still if >3 months out then will WL until 82 days out. I just had such a WL expire recently and since then it's only good for 7 days to re-WL it, but I forgot that still >3 months out it'll stick for longer.

RealHJ

This is true, though I don't think that AA awards are "dirt cheap". Far from it. Actually are very pricey, at least many, relatively speaking (prior to most others' devaluations esp.). AA used to have nearly 2x higher award price in miles than JL (e.g. 50K w/ AA where it's 30K w/ JL). With the recent JL devaluation not so bad, but still, AA is normally considerably more pricey in miles (but less in fees, due to not doing JL's crazy YQ surcharges).

JALPak

You may want to consider switching carrier if you want to spend your miles before the aa devaluation and need to fly during that time

RealHJ

+1.

JL availability is generally very poor for cross-ocean flights and what little is there is usually all booked within a few minutes (sometimes seconds; if you're lucky, hours) of being made available.

Only way to possibly get it is to book it using your JL miles and waitlist it, then hope that it clears at the 3 months out mark or sooner (as at 82 days out the waitlist will be canceled). But even then, the odds are against you.

rufflesinc

I figured out what the problem was. Seems BA.com has a glitch where JL awards don't come up if you put in a date outside the 330 window and then try to select a date inside the 330 window.