Continuing on from our previous JAL flight from Sydney to Haneda, this time we would be flying on a 777-300 the rest of the way to New York.  After about an hour and a half in the lounge I was excited for this next leg and to also be having a window seat.

Airline and Flight #

JAL | JL 0004

Aircraft

Boeing 777-300

Airport and Terminal

Departure: Haneda Airport, Tokyo Japan| Terminal 3

Arrival:      JFK Airport, New York, USA |Terminal 8

Scheduled Departure Date and Time

Wednesday 14th February 2024| 1945 / 7:45 pm 

Scheduled Arrival Date and Time

Wednesday 14th February 2024| 1840 / 6:40 pm 

Scheduled Flying Time

12 hours 55 minutes

Luggage Allowance

Carry-on:

Business class passengers flying internationally are allowed one cabin bag when flying JAL weighing up to 10kg (22lbs)

Checked baggage:

Business class passengers are allowed a generous 3 bags of checked luggage at a weight of up to 32kg (70lbs) each.

Fun Facts

• Founded in 1951, JAL joined the Oneworld airline alliance in 2007
• This JAL aircraft was painted in Oneworld colours in March 2022
• JAL is Japan’s national airline
• JAL is headquartered in Shinagawa, Tokyo with its main hubs in Haneda and Narita in Tokyo and Kansai and Itami airports in Osaka

Check-in and Security

JAL advises passengers to check in online up to 24 hours prior to departure using the app or the website. For Business class passengers check-in closes 60 minutes prior to departure.  Seats can also be selected or changed here.  Check-in can also be done at the counter inside the airport which opens three hours prior to your flight’s departure.  The counter is not usually displayed until the day of the flight.  We checked in for this flight in Sydney along with our flight to Haneda and given our boarding passes for this flight also.

Lounge

JAL uses the Sakura lounge at Haneda airport located on the fourth level of terminal 3.  Opening at 6am, the lounge stays open until the last flight of the day.  There were some good views out the windows but I was a little disappointed in the selection of Japanese food on offer with the western menu being over represented.  In saying that, the curry was very tasty.

Seating

Layout – This JAL Boeing 777-300 is a wide bodied jet with 152 seats.  In rows 5 to 12 there are 49 Business Class sky suites arranged in a 2-3-2 configuration with all seats having direct aisle access due to the seats being slightly staggered, allowing a narrow right angled corridor from the window seat.  

Features – Known as the JAL Sky Seats, each lay flat seat bed is made from a navy blue cloth with a leather piece of material over the headrest.  Seat width is 52cm between the armrests and 65cm when the seat is fully reclined.   There is plenty of room for your feet when the seat is reclined which is not the case with a lot of airlines.  Seat length is 188cm when fully extended in its horizontal position.  Retractable privacy partitions offered privacy from your neighbour and there were the usual features like personal lights, USB charge outlets, coat hook, and a control panel to adjust your seat which also included a massage function (not so usual).

On our seat was  an Airweave pillow, a blanket, Sony noise cancelling headphones, slippers, a menu and an amenity bag.  Mattress toppers were available in the overhead compartments but as this was a daytime flight we didn’t use them.  A bottle of water was also supplied and staff came around loaning out cardigans to Business class passengers.

We were seated by the window in seats 10K and 10H.

Tray tables – The tray tables were one of the best I’ve seen in Business class.  They were easy to take out and put away by opening the little cocktail tray and pressing down on it gently allowing the tray to pop up so you can pull the tray up and fold it down.  It could be moved back and forward and you could swivel it for ease of leaving your seat whilst your tray was set up if needed.  The tray was equally nice and easy to put away. 

Storage – Seat storage isn’t the most generous in JAL’s business class cabin.  There was some storage on the table in front of the entertainment screen and also under the ottoman.  A small ledge just below the privacy divider acts as a cocktail tray or somewhere to store your phone, watch or similar.  There is also a storage bin above your seat behind you which is not easy to spot at first.  A round knob on the outside panel of your seat provided storage for a hanged garment.

Amenity kits – The pattern is designed by Atsuhito Fujiki with products by welfare company Heralbony.  My bag was quite attractive whilst my husband’s was more masculine looking.  Unlike all the others I’ve seen, this one contained no lotions or potions like lip balm and moisturiser which I was a bit sad about. Just a packet of tissues, ear plugs, an average quality eye mask, a plastic toothbrush and mini toothpaste, a plastic foldable phone stand which hubby found quite useful and an iPhone USB charging cable which was also a practical idea.  More so if it sped up charging.

Cabin Comfort 

The Good:

• Plenty of leg room, even when the bed is in its lie flat position
• The pillow was nice and soft with its flanelette feel pillowcase
• Slippers were great for having something to quickly slip on when getting out of your seat
• A cardigan lending service made it more comfortable when the temperature dropped
• The bed once laid flat was wide and comfortable with plenty of room for your feet
• Large windows that let in natural light and allow you to get a great view outside

The Bad:

• No individual airflow above seats to adjust temperature
• Not a lot of storage space
• No pyjamas for Business class passengers

In-flight Entertainment

Power

• A USB port and AC power outlet were located just under the table in front of the entertainment screen.  I used the cable supplied in the amenity bag as well as my own and in both cases charging was slow.  The socket for the AC power supply can only accept a 2 pin European plug, a 2 pin US plug (Japan) and a 3 pin US plug.

Reading Material

Skyward, an inflight magazine along with an inflight shopping catalogue are stored in the magazine holder of each seat along with the safety card and air sickness bag.

WiFi

• Wifi is available and costs $10.15 USD per hour or $18.80 USD for 24 hours which is quite reasonable for a long flight.  If you pay with your JAL card you get a 10% discount.  I didn’t purchase Wifi on this flight as I found the inflight entertainment good enough to keep me occupied for the ten hour duration.

Entertainment System

The MAJIC inflight entertainment system contains a range of movies, documentaries and TV shows to watch as well as games, news and audio.  With its large 23 inch screen, you’re sure to not miss a thing.  The flight map on this aircraft was quite dated and unfortunately didn’t show much, nor was it interactive.  There was a decent range of good viewing options which kept me occupied during the course of the flight. The liquid crystal remote was mounted on the seat divider but wasn’t that responsive.  Sony noise cancelling headphones are provided for Business class passengers on JAL.

Catering

Menus

• The menus were fairly plain looking and contained a Japanese set menu and a western style set menu with two main dish options.  The Japanese appetiser was Irodori Gozen – a selection of seasonal colourful delicacies followed by steamed rice and a selection of accompaniments including Steamed Chicken with Red Miso, Cauliflower & Broccoli, Deep-fried Black Cod with Seri Greens & Starchy Sauce and Ren’s Special Curry. There was also Miso Soup, Kounomono (Chinese Cabbage, Cucumber & Simmered Kelp) and for dessert Kanmi (“Hojicha” Tea Pudding. The International menu contained Scallop & Northern Shrimp Salad with Radish Vinaigrette for the appetiser and a choice of Roast Beef Fillet with Burdock Sauce & Horseradish Potato Purée or Olive Flounder & Black Truffle Cotelette with Yuzu Chili Flavoured Sauce as the mains. Special Breads (Petite Ciabatta & Petit Fig Bread) accompanied the meal and dessert was a Hazelnut Opera Cake (containing alcohol). Tea and coffee rounded off the meal service.   The second meal offering was an A La Carte menu with a mix of Japanese and International cuisine.  Beverages included a selection of Champaigns and western and Japanese wines, sakes and shochus, three cocktails, an assortment of spirits and liqueurs, sherry and four Japanese beers,.  There was also a non alcoholic beer and wine and a selection of soft drinks, teas and coffee.

Food/Drinks  

• Shortly after taking our seat we were offered a small orange juice or champagne in a plastic wine cup.  Once the plane was in the air and the seatbelt signs turned off, staff came around with hot towels prior to taking drink orders.  I thought I should try the JAL Original Drink which was a “Sky Time Peach & Grape Mix”.  It was very nice.  A dish of olives and warm nuts accompanied drinks.   For dinner I went with the International menu this time starting with the Scallop & Northern Shrimp Salad with Radish Vinaigrette.  From the mains I chose the Roast Beef Fillet with Burdock Sauce & Horseradish Potato Purée.  Breads accompanied the meal and for dessert I had the Hazelnut Opera Cake and a tub of caramel ice cream.  I enjoyed the meal immensely, except perhaps for the uncooked scallops in my salad. An announcement was made about chocolates being handed out due it being Valentines Day.  These were what was contained in the red packet seen in the appetiser photo.  A few hours prior to landing I chose the Miyazaki Wagyu Curry which was delicious, followed by another tub of ice-cream (vanilla this time) and a cheese plate with fruit which tasted ok.

Restrooms

A Business class restroom was located at the front left of the plane and two between the two business class cabins.  There were some spare toothbrushes available along with some mouth wash, hand soap and moisturiser as well as a spray bottle that I assumed staff used for cleaning.  The toilet contained a bidet and staff did a good job during the flight keeping the room clean which I always appreciate.

Service  

The service was friendly and efficient, just as you would expect from a Japanese carrier.  The drinks trolley came around frequently and the restroom was kept clean throughout the flight.

Pros

• The food was beautifully presented
• The entertainment screen was nice and large
• The flight ran on time
• Anytime dining was available
• Restrooms were kept lovely and clean
• The crew were friendly and efficient
• The seats contained a back massage function
• Tray tables were easy to pull out and put away

Cons

• I was disappointed in the selection of the Japanese Main – one choice being offal
• Welcome drinks were served in small plastic glasses
• Seats didn’t contain much storage space
• The cabin felt cramped with the extra business class seating in each row
• No hand or surface sanitisers were given out
• Flight map old fashioned and provided little detail
• Remote for entertainment system not very responsive
• The panelling around the seats was showing its age
• No pyjamas are available for Business class passengers

Conclusion

I enjoyed this flight even more than the last JAL flight from Sydney to Haneda.  The food was more to my liking, I loved having a window seat where you also had direct aisle access and the beds were spacious and comfortable.  We saw some beautiful sunrises and sunsets as well as passed over picturesque snow capped mountains.  It’s a pity JAL don’t distribute pyjamas to Business class passengers but the slippers and loan of a cardigan were appreciated.