hvd

I will be posting a trip report in the next day or two on our flight SFO to NRT. In my opinion JAL is in some ways better than Cathay. This is meant as very high praise indeed. Major drawback was tattiness of cabin and difficulty to use of entertainment system. But service, which I think is the best in the air more than made up for it. Food was also superb. In this category matched Cathay. Felt lined drawer for eye glasses and other valuables was best design feature on any airline. Oops I seem to be slipping into my trip report.

Guy Betsy

Until JAL upgrades their First Class cabins and their seats, at last count, CX still has a better product. Just.

The video system on JAL too seem a tad old. But overall JAL does give a good product. That's when having codeshares with AA flight numbers come in handy!

Kaoru Kanetaka

If you thought the food out of SFO was superb, I would be very anxious to find out what you would think of the meal out of NRT on JAL first. How could AA serve such a mediocre meals on their internatinal flagship first class when they include such prominent chefs on their culinary advisers including Alice Waters! Do you suppose Alice could be helping JL flights out of SFO??

RTWSTARALLIANCE

I just did JAL from JFK to NRT to JFK. I was disappointed. The seats in F were nice but stiff. CX more comfortable. The FA were also nice but stiff. Not as stiff as SQ
but stiff. CX and NH much better and friendlier. Video system was old to bad. Need dvds and I do not think they changed the selection on return. Same old stuff. I have another award F flight and I am thinking about cxl.

hvd

Did the NRT-BKK run in first and found the food to be really remarkably good. When I have a little more time I will be commenting on why I think the JAL service is actually better than CX. Mind you I have 3 CX first legs coming up and might change my mind. Put simply, though, the CX service is too friendly and in your face. I found that JAL was simply perfect. I had some reservations about no pre-takeoff service but have reconsidered in light of the overall philosophy of place that seems to prevail on JAL. In other words I found that I appreciated JAL's allowing me to create my own space without intrusion pre-takeoff. Although I agree that the cabins are getting a bit old I think that JAL is the only airline that doesn't give you the "jammed in a submarine with no air" feeling. The color scheme, arrangement of seats (I've now experienced two different arrangements) and simple amenities like the aforementioned space for glasses combine to give a great feeling of spaciousness. More about all of this in a trip report eventually to be posted.

AA2MM

OK HDV : now the holidays are over..back
to your trip report yet ? (:
I have a FC reservation on JL in May..still
undecided if I want to keep it , or just go
back to my old love CX .
Help me decide ? thanks

hvd

Just back in NYC and haven't quite got the time for full trip report but I would highly recommend going JAL. My trip concluded with three CX first segments most of which were perfectly fine CX but I find myself really looking forward to my next JAL trip. Although the JAL cabin design is somewhat idiosyncratic the constant is a feeling of spaciousness which is a welcome relief from the more cramped "submarine" feel that CX first has. Even the two by two seating on our NRT-BKK first class flight felt more spacious. There was virtually a ballroom in the center of the cabin.

The bathrooms seemed to be a foot or two deeper and a foot or so wider than CX which combined with a triptych style mirror also gave a great feeling of spaciousness. Additionally they provide a fold down floor covering which keeps your trousers off the bathroom floor when you are changing into your clothes at the end of your trip. The bathrooms are meticulously maintained but you know how they can get a little bit sloppy at the end of a flight. This little bit of thoughfulness is typical of the graciousness of the JAL experience.

The sleeping suits are the nicest I've experienced. Peculiarly they are just on loan for the flight but if you are like me you already have more than enough CX and or BA pyjamas at home.

Another note of graciousness was the Christmas menu complete with holly wreath decoration and turkey dinner made available on our 12/24 flight SFO-NRT. We have flown a number of airlines on Christmas eve and this was the first time that I have seen this. It's true that the turkey was the only disappointing food item on our flights but in this case it definitely was the thought that counts. In this same vein we really appreciated the crew giving us their remaining egg nog when they heard that we would be going to a little Christmas get-together in Tokyo.

The food, other than the turkey, was easily the best that I have eaten on an airplane. Though I am far from an expert on Japanese cuisine the Japanese meals that I had were truly first rate with the dinner on the NRT-BKK run a notch better than that on the SFO-NRT run. I think, and have been told, that generally the Japanese food is better ex-Japan. My wife ate from the western menu and was very surprised to be asked how she wanted her beef done, and more surprised when she got exactly what she ordered. It was, by the way, easily the best beef I have ever tasted in the air. I would have found it perfectly acceptable in a good restaurant. The wine list, though without the Lynche Bages was really commendable and properly varied - I will eventually scan it on here. Also, as I noted elsewhere the availability of some very fine sakes was also a wonderful treat particularly with the caviar service.

The FA's were remarkably attentive without being in the slightest bit intrusive. On both of our flights they had to deal with particularly demanding passengers and did so with a wonderful calm dignity that kept the cabin in wonderful shape. On our NRT-BKK run the difficult passenger was a very young toddler and mother. The FA's were active in helping keep the child calm. They also managed a very complicated food service where every passenger was getting different courses at different times all perfectly in keeping with their own pace. I have never seen any other airline carry this off with such aplomb.

I still love CX but JAL is really remarkably special. There is still more to say but I really need to get some work done.

AA2MM

HVD : thanks for the "quick" report !!!
YES : I will definitely keep my reservation
on JL then , based upon your recommandations
Again , many thanks

trav2000

The JAL website suggests that 005/006 have different F cabins that other JAL flights. Does anyone have any factual knowledge of this? If so, is it worth taking 006/006 over 047/048 just for this reason.

Also, any comments of JALWAYS Biz class? JAL only has 1 flight per day from NRT to BKK that has F. All of the other flights are operated by JALWAYS with no F.

hvd

As to 006, although I haven't taken it, if you get the new configuration which does not run every day the answer is definitely yes. It is supposed to be wonderful. Don't know the JALways flights but found the JAL NRT_BKK to be wonderful.

hbiglin

I've take JL005/006 and the F seats or outstanding. They are pod seats which you can see a picture of on JAL's website. My understanding is all of the 005/006 flights have the new F seats.

trav2000

This is my point. On my outbound flight the configuration is K27. On the return, L03. The website doesn't show either configuration. Clearly, flights 005/006 do not always have the same configuration.

hbiglin

Well, I also called JAL customer service to confirm that the flight I wanted had the new seats, which they were able to confirm. But if there is a last minuet change of equipment, you never know.

Chiangi

JFK-NRT 005/6 has the latest version of F seats. I took it in June last year. It is a lot different from other airlines' F. Also, it's the toilet! JL has a little window. If I recall correctly, LH also has one in a F toilet cabin in the upper deck?

hvd

Again 005/006 does not run new configuration every day. I'm not sure of the schedule, however.