lAzyTraveler

I just saw this on JL's site:
"JAL will start to sell paid lounge services at the JAL Sakura Lounge for international flights at Haneda Airport."

Ghoulish

Up next, selling out to Priority Pass.

lAzyTraveler

You think? I guess ANA is offering it to both cash and PP customers?
At least this offer is available only at HND and limit to JL002, JL016, JL051 customers....

Ghoulish

If this new revenue stream doesn't result in an immediate revolt by existing status holders and premium flyers, why wouldn't they expand it?

JAL is hardly in a position to turn down money, and once you stop protecting exclusivity in exchange for a small fee, you "can't become a virgin again".

I mean, they don't even make them join Mileage Bank, which would at least be something.

dvs7310

The price is in line with the US as well, $50-60 is quite normal for lounge access if you don't have it already from status or class of service. But isn't the Sakura lounge extremely crowded already? This is after all the country that invented virtual lifetime status for ANYONE by allowing you to reach mid-tier once and then getting a credit card, which maintains your status for life if you pay the annual fee. I find the OW Sapphire and *G lounges to be pure hell in Japan because of that.

I remember loads of times going into the NH business lounge at HND late evening and it was standing room only when I was UA 1K (since *A doesn't have a third upper tier like OneWorld). The only time I've ever experienced that with JL was this year Golden Week because the Sakura lounge was still closed, so all of the Sapphires (and once a year flyer JGC credit card holders) were still in the First lounge after travel had picked up again. JGC and SuperFlyers are programs that had a purpose once a long time ago, but need to be abolished, the overcrowding at the Sapphire and *G level are absurd now.

lAzyTraveler

Hmmm.. I thought this was only available at HND but seems like they've been already offering it at NRT... lol

CPH-Flyer

It started in Bangkok, Manila, and Honolulu, then slowly spread to Japan....

Now that the sattelite building is used for departures again in Narita, they can just open the Sakura lounge out there for paying customers only, or force them to go there during peak.

Unimatrix One

I've lived in Japan for over 20 years and while the JL and NH lounges are often crowded, I don't find them to be any worse than lounges in the US and Europe, which are also often crowded.