Japan Airlines Business Class
Flying from Bangkok to Los Angeles with Japan Airlines for a two-week return trip home. Here’s what the 787 and 777 were like.
The Bangkok to Tokyo leg of my trip was a 6 hour flight on the Dreamliner, a 787-8. This particular plane had one of the older JAL business class seats, with a shell design that is common in outdated business classes. With that said, I actually found it to be not too bad overall.
The Seat: B-
Look, it won’t compare to any current business class seat like those you’ll find on Cathay Pacific, Qatar, Emirates or even China Eastern, but, for a lie-flat (not fully flat), shell seat, I thought it was pretty comfortable. You have ample leg room and sufficient storage space. Plus, no one was sitting next to me in this 2x2x2 layout cabin, which was a huge plus - having to climb over someone asleep from the window seat is not ideal. I was able to get a couple hours of sleep on this flight, which was just what I needed. So while the seat is definitely not in the same tier of 1x2x1 business class seats, I found it more spacious and comfortable than what you’d find on United’s old 787 Polaris business class or Air France’s old 777-200 business class.
The Food: B
I was excited to have some Japanese food on this flight, and while the flavors were certainly unique, there were a few that just did not taste good. With that said, I appreciated the diversity and at the end of the day, having some sake to wash it all down made the gross bites worth it.
Couple of these really hit, couple of these definitely missed.
The Entertainment: C+
Yeah this was where JAL struggled big time. The screen was an adequate size, but the offerings were far less than adequate. There were really only 2 or 3 movies I had any interest in watching. Maybe that’s a result of the movie industry being decimated by COVID and the simple lack of options in this day and age but still, gotta give us more than that.
The Service: B
Very respectful, as you would expect from a Japanese airline, but nothing over the top. No complaints at all, I just didn’t find the crew quite as attentive and professional as those on Qatar or Cathay or Emirates. The amenity kit on this flight was average BUT I was a big fan of the cardigan they handed out (I still wear mine now, a few weeks later)
Big fan of the provided cardigan!
Overall: B-
The old 787 JAL Business Class product should be avoided if you have the potential, because while it isn’t necessarily bad, it is not nearly on par with other carriers that can fly you across the Pacific, nor is it nearly as good as their 777 SkySuite product. Speaking of which:
This seat is what I was really excited for. A 2x3x2 business class product?? How could this be on par with 1x2x1 layouts you see on most carriers nowadays. I had to find out for myself on this 9.5 hour flight from Tokyo to Los Angeles.
The Seat: B+
Like I said, this cabin is a 2x3x2 layout, but the seats are staggered so that every seat has direct aisle access via a tiny little “hallway”, if you will. Each seat has a divider and the level of privacy is quite impressive. I thought this was genius frankly, and wonder why more airlines don’t take advantage of this layout. But, with that said, I was disappointed by how narrow the seat felt as a result, and the big time lack of storage space around the seat. There was no where to even put my phone during take off and landing for example. So while the level of privacy is top-notch, the seat simply felt a little cramped. Maybe that’s okay for the Japanese people with their sleeping pods, tiny ramen restaurants, and petit figures, but for me, I wanted a bit more more space.
The Food: B+
Similar to the first flight, I found myself impressed by the options but slightly unimpressed by a few of the flavors. With that said, the breakfast on this flight just before landing was fire. There is also a little snack basket in the middle of the cabin if you need a salty treat.
Don’t know why but Japanese omelette just hit different
The Entertainment: B-
These heated eye patch things were so nice after 9+ hours of flying, all airlines should provide them!
The offerings were the same as the first flight, BUT, this seat has one massive TV. The picture was crystal clear and I was thoroughly impressed. Again though, needed more options for things to watch.
The Service: B+
This cabin crew was a bit more attentive than the previous flight as well, and much more personable. They would engage in conversation which I appreciated, but provided me with plenty of privacy as well. In terms of the amenity kit, I found it to be solid, providing just what you needed, along with a few surprises (see image on right).
Overall: B
Look, it’s a unique product and I respect the ability to create direct aisle access and privacy from a 2x3x2 layout. But at the end of the day, the lack of storage space, crammed feeling, average food, and sub-par entertainment selection would lead me to look elsewhere when flying across the Pacific.
