First time in JAL Business - Questions
 

Hello,

I'm flying an award ticket in AA/JL Business next week. Our itinerary is as follows.

DCA-ORD (AA First)
ORD-NRT (JL Business)
NRT-ITM (JL Coach)

NRT-ORD (AA Business)
ORD-DCA (AA First)

After reviewing the JAL Guide, I still have one question concerning lounge access. We have three hours between the time that we arrive into NRT and the time that we depart for ITM. The guide mentions how there is a Sakura lounge in the domestic departures area, but will we be able to get into it since our onward segment is coach? We will have just come off a business segment, but I'm not sure how that works, and I doubt it will take us three hours to get through customs etc.

Also, in ORD, I had read a while back that the Sakura lounge was under construction and that business passengers were being directed to an Air France lounge - is that still the case?

We have no oneworld status, so all lounge access will be based solely on this ticket. Any information that can be provided on the lounges that we will be able to access in NRT, and the quality of them, would be greatly appreciated. This is our first time in JL Business, so if there is any other information that might be helpful, feel free to pass it along! We are already in the upper deck for the ORD-NRT flight, which I decided to try out after reading the seating thread here.

Hi

I have found the following:

http://www.jal.co.jp/en/inter/lounge/topics/2003_06/

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Lounge service for passengers connecting between international flights and domestic Japan flights is provided

1. When making a same day connection from a JAL group domestic Japan flight to a JAL group international First/Business Class flight.


2. When making a same day connection from a JAL group international First /Business Class flight to a JAL group domestic Japan flight.

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Your conncetion is case 2, so I guess you probably need to show them your ORD-NRT business class boarding pass:)

Narita domestic lounge has shower facilities and a business corner, and it gives you free internet access (inquire at the entrance), according to JL's Japanese site.

kojiro

New JAL lounges are supposed to open July 19th...until then, they are very underwhelming. We just flew ORD-NRT-PEK and PVG-NRT-LAX in business...the AA Admirals Club at Narita is much, much nicer than any JL lounge that we saw, but perhaps that will change with the new lounge. You should have access to the Admirals Club based on being in JL business.

Sakura lounge at ORD is very underwhelming. Small and dark - there is a selection of free self-service drinks and some snacks, but nothing to write home about. It is almost directly in front of the security checkpoint in the International Terminal at ORD.

I have a thread over in the AA forum comparing JL and AA transpacific business service. IMO, JL is much better...and JL has started to upgrade their meal service, starting w/ the ORD-NRT leg.

I would really appreciate your thoughts on JL in J vs AA in F on the ORD-NRT run. I may have a choice between the 2 next month. Thanks.

Agreed that that particular lounge isn't much. There is another one further down the concourse on the right but I think it's just for First and Global Club. Still the same drinks and some occasional sandwiches.

Can't wait to see the new lounges in Narita but won't get the chance until Sept.^

Having done both, I would choose jal j vs. aa f only because a bad jal crew is still much better than a bad aa crew. I had the same option for an August trip (lax-nrt-sin). When the crew is in a "bad mood," it's horrible and you feel like a sucker for paying that kind of money IMO. Unless the aa seat is of extreme value, jal is the best bet...and you still get the same class-mileage bonus.

Are you sure you guys are talking about the new JL lounges at ORD? Your descriptions sound like the old lounges. JL recently renovated and re-opened their ORD lounges. I haven't used the new ones yet. Historically, they used three different lounges: An actual JAL lounge (the one described by Black Adder), the Air France lounge, and the Swiss lounge (the one right in front of the security checkpoint).

We just went through there on 6/29, and were directed to the Swiss lounge...we got there pretty early from our connecting flight and the lounge was empty, but full by the time the flight departed. JL currently only has 1 flight a day from ORD - do they really have a dedicated lounge to themselves?

I've been the in the Air France and the Swiss Air lounges but not recently. I was in the actual JAL lounge in January and March but have no idea when it was renovated. It's nice enough, quite roomy, comfortable chairs, desks for computers and quite good selection of drinks. No free internet though and for some reason my Sprint wireless card wont connect from there but will from the Swiss Air lounge, go figure. :p