richiealexander

Will try the new intra-Asia routes that serves F on JAL, after getting the information that JAL serves their 777 from HND-BKK, I went to book it via Avios and cost me around 51.500 for one way trip.

I choose HND-BKK segment instead BKK-HND, since I would like have an experience with JAL F lounge, also take a sip of that Salon Champagne!

The availability to redeem this segment its quite rare I can say, I found that around May 2024 there's much availability.

SKT-DK

I just found this today as well, for a flight BKK-HND soon-ish, but decided it was not worth it on the night flight where catering is highly limited, and likely no Salon ex-BKK. Good that F is back, but I would not spend extra for it unless it is on a day flight.

Greenpen

As far as I can see, it is the day flight JL31 that has a F cabin. The night flight, JL33, is operated by a B787 without a F cabin. I have been looking for a F redemption on JL31 but they are rare and seem only to appear shortly before the date of the flight.

JL33 departs at 00.45 and arrives at 05.00, very awkward times! Causes potential hotel problems both before departure and after arrival, and a short flight at a time when you just want to sleep!

dvs7310

JL 33 (and the reverse JL 34) are really timed as an O&D flight as are a lot of HND flights to SE Asia, and are perfect for that, they can work for international connections, but that's not what the timing is for. You can work in Tokyo all day, get a good nap (hopefully) on the plane and arrive in Thailand early (or SE Asia) to start the next day there or head off on a mid-morning flight to somewhere else in Thailand. It's not ideal for hotels as O&D but isn't supposed to be. Usually though in Bangkok I've been successful at getting super early check-ins, but that's at Hiltons, Marriott's where I'm also a status member, not at a backpackers or budget hotel. In Tokyo using this flight as a tourist might want to just pay for an extra night and check out at 9pm-ish if having the room all day is important (Japanese hotels have excessively early check-out times so sometimes I pay for an extra night even if I'm going to the airport at 4pm-ish). The other solid use case for the red-eye flights is when you've got a domestic connecting flight in the daytime (on either end). Some people might come from Sapporo, Fukuoka, etc. in the late day to connect to this, exactly the same in Thailand on the reverse flight, you might be coming from Phuket, Samui, or Koh Chang in the daytime and if you only had the choice of the early flight would have to go to Bangkok the night before, losing a day in your holiday destination. With the redeyes you can squeeze every last minute into your holiday and arrive back in the morning just in time to go to the office for work again. (remember a lot of Japanese take REALLY short holidays so that extra option really helps them get a lot more out of a short vacation time)

SKT-DK

Very much agree, these timings are not awkward at all - only for award travellers… in fact they work perfect for business travellers.

lsquare

Is this a good value redemption?

richiealexander

Definitely not worth it if you are flying from BKK-HND, yes its confirmed no Salon from BKK, therefore I took the HND-BKK instead.

Yes, I treat this as a joy flight and kinda a trial phase to exp first class of JAL, since this is the only shortest and cheapest redemption.

Indeed! Its a rare redemption, for me its like finding a good treasure, since I've been collecting miles especially during those pandemic days, and now its time to burn that miles!

Since I am based on Asia for me its a worth it redemption.

dvs7310

I'd say prepare to be quite underwhelmed depending what other F you've experienced already, especially the lounge, but I do hope you enjoy it. It's a notch on the belt if nothing else.

lsquare

Why do you say that?

dvs7310

It's all about the onboard service level in JL F, and of course they are extremely good at that. But the seat is quite outdated and tired, zero privacy. The adjustments seem to be getting worn out pretty badly now as well, I've had a lot of experience in that seat, both on long haul F tickets and intra-Asia on C tickets when Emerald members could select them as a business class seat. You have to really coax the seat to move around sometimes, trying back and forth multiple times while the bottom gets caught up in the tracks.

JL's F lounge never was what I'd call a premium F lounge like CX, QR, LH, etc. but is even less so post-pandemic. Lounge food selection is mostly very nice Japanese, but there's not a very wide variety nor much in terms of western tastes. Pre-pandemic there were always bottles of Yamazaki 18 sitting around for self pour, these days there are a couple of nice aged Scotches but no premium Japanese whiskey in the lounge anymore. I don't know if the JAL's Salon have re-opened or not, they weren't being used last time I departed NRT and HND but that was Q3 and Q4 last year, that would make a night and day difference in the perception for those who want a premium drink, I'll be at the HND one next Thursday so will see. If JAL's Salon is still closed, I actually prefer CX's business lounge over JL's F lounge at HND now that CX is open again.

Onboard, again, service is top notch as is their Japanese whiskey (always something pretty premium available) and Sake selection. Seems the OP is interested in Salon (champaign) which is definitely very nice as well. I'm not a fan of their F menu onboard, but most other people seem to be quite pleased with it, so will rate that good as well.

Finally, JL's F ground service is zero if that's something you are interested in. No premium check in area, no escorts at any point, no being driven to the plane in a Porsche, etc.

I'm not saying they have a 'bad' F product, just it's not nearly as premium as I think a lot of people have in their imagination if they've never experienced it before. QR's Q-Suite (business class) experience tops JL's F experience in my opinion.

Greenpen

I agree with the comments about the ground service for JL F being mediocre. Seems like a Japanese thing as I remember being very disappointed with ANA’s (HND) idea of a F lounge too, albeit I have only visited once.

But to compare QR’s claustrophobic little box, drinks and food with what you get in JL F is very idiosyncratic indeed!

It is quite some time since I last flew F but will be doing so in early September (LHR-HND) so will acquire an up to date view then! Also hoping to get HND-BKK in F too.

waribai

I'll be flying BKK-HND in F on an Avios award booking in August. Despite, the absence of any tangible benefits in BKK or HND upon arrival, it was the only avios availability I could find. I'd rather that than an Economy cash flight......Will they let me into the F lounge at HND for breakfast as I will be continuing onto FUK in JL economy on a separate booking or do the bookings have to be linked to avail of the lounge facilities?

CPH-Flyer

You can't access the international departure area with a domestic connecting flight. You'll have to pass through immigration and customs and go to the domestic terminal. The domestic lounges are not so exciting.

waribai

Yes. I meant the domestic F lounge not the international one.

dvs7310

In BKK, I don't know if they'll let you in or not, but try the QR lounge before you go to the JL lounge. On the OneWorld Lounges page it says OneWorld First and Business class ticketed revenue customers only. I don't know if they'll know you're on an award ticket or not, I've only been there on revenue tickets, but it's a very nice lounge if you can get in. The BKK Sakura lounge on the other hand is pretty sad and unfortunately the CX lounge will be closed by that time of night. If you have a Priority Pass, the Oman Air lounge is a bit further walk to Concourse E. I haven't been to it yet, but it has to be better than the Sakura Lounge, the pics look pretty decent. I'll try it in late August since a friend and I are departing near the same time but they won't be on OneWorld.

If your profile is up to date you'd get the JL F lounge at HND anyway as OneWorld Emerald. But like CPH-Flyer mentioned, the domestic lounges are pretty spartan. The F lounge does have a decent mid-range whiskey if that's your thing. Seems to vary a bit by airport but I've seen Fuji Sanroku Premium and Suntory Chita, I want to say there was another variety last year at HND but I forget now. There's not much in terms of breakfast unfortunately. Some rice crackers, onigiri (rice balls wrapped in seaweed), I think some American style sushi rolls, and I forget if they still have the Japanese curry in the domestic lounges or not. Having said that if you buy something in the terminal you can eat it in the lounge, it's pretty common. Some of the fast food is actually downstairs by the train gates before you go through security, but there are no restrictions on liquids on domestic flights, so again there you can get whatever you want and carry it in to the lounge if you prefer Starbucks per se vs. the cappuccino machine in the lounge.