TheBeerHunter

My husband and I are on this flight in coach in a few days. Our flights are looking full too. Here's to wishful thinking...

richonlybyname

Reviving an old thread here. But as a data point, I got upgraded from economy (booked in L class) to business on my first ever flight with JAL on Friday NRT-ICN. I'm OneWorld emerald. Upgraded at checkin, reason given was that economy was full.

CPH-Flyer

NRT-ICN is probably going to be very light on JMB elites. They will almost all be on the HND-GMP route.

Toki

That only depends on the luck of overbooking.
I've been upgraded even Y award but only at overbooking situation.

ORDPLATAA

Traveling Feb 18 NRT-PEK on JL869 on an "O" class ticket. Looks like they are offering the 2nd J cabin as Y as I was able to select seats 8HK during the online check-in process. Flight is zeroed out in EF - looks like it is full in back. Can't imagine there is a great deal of J traffic NRT-PEK on a Saturday night. As a OWE (AA) - any chance we might be in line for an OpUp if Y is, indeed, oversold? Believe me - very happy to have snagged the J seats even if Y service - but you can't blame a guy for asking!

ChampagneSocialist

I'm flying out on a Sunday next month on JL414 HEL-NRT in PE (E fare basis) with BA Silver (OWS). Both the Y and PE cabins look fully sold out but plenty of seats left in J, so *fingers crossed* I may just have a little chance for an op-up...

OTOH, looking at the AY 73 flight on the same route departing 5 minutes earlier, that has lots of Y still available. So I'm guessing there is a strong preference for Japanese locals to fly JL metal instead of AY (interestingly seeing a similar pattern for ex-LHR BA vs JL flights too). Hopefully I won't be up against too many JMB Elites!!

CPH-Flyer

There is also the point that JMB members can request upgrades for points at check in if they are in booking class K and above. While Y and PY are full, a few numbers of these requests may tip the picture.

But let us know how it goes.

ChampagneSocialist

Thanks, I shall! This will be my first time flying JL internationally - having multiple, very positive experiences with JL domestic in Y (award tickets using BA Avios ) and the Sakura lounges - so I'm very excited even if "only" in PE.

econometrics

Have an update from your trip? If no upgrade, how was PE?

ChampagneSocialist

Thanks for asking, good timing as I'm heading to the airport (LHR) and just received the following email - they have reassigned me from my preselected JL bulkhead seat on the NRT-CGK leg. Should I get my hopes up!!!??? *Doki doki*

Flight:JL0729/13MAR
Name: SOCIALIST/CHAMPAGNE

Web Check-in service is not available by reason that your seat number has been changed for seat re-arrangement. Please check-in at least 60 minutes (45 minutes for First Class and Executive Class but 60minutes rule is always applied to all the booking classes for the flight departing from Beijin Airport) prior to the departure time. If you missed this, we cannot provide you the seat which you have assigned at Web Check-in in case that you could not receive your boarding pass. Please also be reminded that you cannot go to security check directly without boarding pass.

ChampagneSocialist

When I checked on ExpertFlyer yesterday both my flights (JL414 and JL729) looked quite full, JL414 had J 4 seats left, 2 PE appears to have just popped up (was 0 a few weeks ago), 0 Y. JL729 a similar story except 0 PE and a small handful of Y .

​​​​There is currently a fascinating thread on the BA forum where someone tracked ExpertFlyer everyday and observed the fluctuations in seats on sale, fascinating how BA revenue management is thought to work and how airlines try to fill seats in any class at the last minute, and OpUp is one of the tools to help them achieve this (I.e. unsold F seats get reincarnated into Y as that's what would sell at last minute, if they do get sold they bump people up) ..

Anyhow just trying to not raise my expectations too much.. it could just be that they need to seat a family with young children together - this happened the last time I got the magic beep at check in on SQ PE ) (though at the check in desk and not T-27...)

ChampagneSocialist

No upgrade on the HEL-NRT as expected, and had a very pleasant PE flight on bulkhead seat of 787-8. Thoroughly excellent service. Food was *delicious* and in copious, considering it was supposed to be same as economy? Great hard product too. Everything about the flight was what I'd expect from PE, better than SQ (my only PE comparator) in every way.

BUT WAIT!! LHR and HEL ground staff were unable to issue my NRT-CGK BP. So when I rocked up to the NRT JAL check in desk T-2, I got Japanese airline's famously apologetic "I'm sorry we needed to resign your seat because of an oversell..” Ground staff had the new BP in his hand and I could see a big C printed on it.. tried my best to hide my smugness and say in broken Japanese “Oh it's really nothing..”!!

Good job this leg got upgraded and not the last one as PE would have been a bit of an anticlimax! Plus I'm knackered and starving and can't wait to stuff myself to sleep..

As an aside , NRT Sakura lounges are going some renovation so I got " upgraded" to the First Lounge! But I couldn't really make out much difference from Sakura business lounges...

Thanks all for the good vibes!!
​

CPH-Flyer

Which one of the Sakura lounges did you go to, and where did they send you?

jix

Here's the email I got.

-------------------------------------------------------------------

Thank you for your continued patronage of the JAL Group.

This email is being sent to inform you that The Sakura Lounge
located in the Satellite Building 3rd floor will be under renovation
and will be closed during the period below.

【 Under Renovation: “Satellite Sakura Lounge”】
March 12th, 2017 (Sun) to March 21st, 2017 (Tue)

During this renovation period, we would also like to invite our guests
departing from the satellite gates to Sakura Lounge in the Main Building.

We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience this may cause,
especially to our guests departing from the satellite gates.
We humbly appreciate your understanding.

ChampagneSocialist

Yes, exactly what Jix said.