JAL business class Melbourne - Tokyo. Is it worth it?

[AustraliaPoochie]

If you haven't, and this is your first trip to Japan, have a look at OnlyInJapan, no, not mine, and the many other Youtube videos.
Take cash with you, either AUD and change in the city, or JPY, as according to Youtube contributors, the Japanese are a very cash oriented peoples.
Slurping noodles! Now, that one would be offputting to most.
I am Asian, so have a bit of knowledge of chopstick usage, but no expert, ...
Youtube can be a time waster!
Lots of the shops seem to have western names on the front of the mega stores, so you can't go wrong.
Maybe also get a bit of usage to the JPY cash notes.
Going to Japan is on my bucket list, I plan to put in a visit, maybe when Christmas (long weekend) falls on the Thu and Fri or Mon and Tue, maybe 2021/2022.

 

[travelislife]

If you haven't, and this is your first trip to Japan, have a look at OnlyInJapan, no, not mine, and the many other Youtube videos.
Take cash with you, either AUD and change in the city, or JPY, as according to Youtube contributors, the Japanese are a very cash oriented peoples.
Slurping noodles! Now, that one would be offputting to most.
I am Asian, so have a bit of knowledge of chopstick usage, but no expert, ...
Youtube can be a time waster!
Lots of the shops seem to have western names on the front of the mega stores, so you can't go wrong.
Maybe also get a bit of usage to the JPY cash notes.
Going to Japan is on my bucket list, I plan to put in a visit, maybe when Christmas (long weekend) falls on the Thu and Fri or Mon and Tue, maybe 2021/2022.

DO NOT TAKE AUD CASH! Incredibly poor advice. The exchange rates are horrendous, you would lose 15% of your money. Best is just to withdraw cash from the ATM on arrival.

 

[Aeolus]

If you are using the Explorer fare on a route which costs 10,800 yen, you might also want to take a look at the Oneworld Yokoso fare oneworld Yokoso/Visit Japan Fare - JAL

About the Yokoso fare, the JAL call centre informed me that I need to have a return tix on the same booking number to qualify. Unfortunately I had 2 x separate LM award tix to/from Japan and didn't qualify. I ended up using QF points which is 14K points+ $4.50 which was good value for HND-OKA.

Anybody been to Okinawa? .

I went to OKA for the FT Japan Do this March. Don't miss the fish market - prices are much cheaper than mainland. The single line monorail gets you to most places around the town area but you will need a car or boat to go further out. Regretted not going to the aquarium due to time constraint. Heard the island hopping was great too. Also, if you are planning to stay at Hilton, unless you have a car, don't go for Doubletree Shuri Castle as it's a fair walk from the monorail (bus shuttle available but very limited). DT Naha on the other hand is right beside the station.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Also worth remembering that if you have any domestic flights on JAL (paid), the upgrade to First class (where offered) is a tiny Y8000, or to premium economy (Class J) for Y1000.

 

[Himeno]

Also worth remembering that if you have any domestic flights on JAL (paid), the upgrade to First class (where offered) is a tiny Y8000, or to premium economy (Class J) for Y1000.

JAL only sell the F, J and Y fare classes for domestic flights and offer cheap upgrades as above.
The QFF earn changes a couple of years ago were very annoying. Even if you pay for a business ticket, and sit in a business cabin, with the fare class being a business code, QF assumes you got the 1000JPY upgrade and you only earn for a W fare.

The first time I flew a JAL domestic sector as part of a business class RTW ticket, they tried to offer the Class J upgrade when I checked in before they noticed that I was already booked in business class.

 

[Jack_OC]

On seating options - I flew MEL-NRT again this week - I was alone and in one of the (very awesome) window seats. However, I noticed that while the middle seats seem to be good options for couples on paper, in reality there is a non-moveable partition beside the seat itself. There is also a moveable portion of the partition, but it's further forward, so as far as I can tell, both people would have to lean (a long way) forward in order to be able to see each other. Conversely, although the seats at the side are slightly staggered, that actually means the two people are more likely to be able to converse when the divider is down. I think you can kind of see what I mean if you look at the pics by Rooflyer.

Does anyone have any views on this and/or experience of sitting in the middle seats with a companion? I'm slightly concerned about this now, as I'm travelling with JAL again next month with my wife and kids, and we have currently selected 2 x 2 middle seats, but if we can't actually see each other we might be better off selecting seats down one of the sides?

 

[MEL_Traveller]

On seating options - I flew MEL-NRT again this week - I was alone and in one of the (very awesome) window seats. However, I noticed that while the middle seats seem to be good options for couples on paper, in reality there is a non-moveable partition beside the seat itself. There is also a moveable portion of the partition, but it's further forward, so as far as I can tell, both people would have to lean (a long way) forward in order to be able to see each other. Conversely, although the seats at the side are slightly staggered, that actually means the two people are more likely to be able to converse when the divider is down. I think you can kind of see what I mean if you look at the pics by Rooflyer.

Does anyone have any views on this and/or experience of sitting in the middle seats with a companion? I'm slightly concerned about this now, as I'm travelling with JAL again next month with my wife and kids, and we have currently selected 2 x 2 middle seats, but if we can't actually see each other we might be better off selecting seats down one of the sides?

That's a good data point and I was thinking the same thing as soon as I saw RooFlyer's picture! On JAL the window/aisle pair actually look better.

Oman Air's version of the seat is quite different with the divider between the two centre seats - only a small solid partition by the head as you can see in this picture by Lucky at OMAAT: Review: Oman Air Business Class 787 Frankfurt To Muscat - One Mile at a Time

 

[Himeno]

If you want a wifi router, you can get one from WIFI-HIRE.COM
pick up/drop off at NRT, can use almost anywhere in Japan.
11,800YEN for 18 days.
KOI2018 coupon code gives 1080 yen.

I used them last year. When I collected at HND, they made sure my phone was connected and the router was working before they completed the rental paperwork.

 

[Dannyism]

Edit: Never mind I answered my own Q.

 

[JFi]

Also worth remembering that if you have any domestic flights on JAL (paid), the upgrade to First class (where offered) is a tiny Y8000, or to premium economy (Class J) for Y1000.

I've never been able to upgrade because it's always full when I get to the airport
Is there any other way to do this? I know if you buy the ticket on their website you can choose but if on a return international with domestic leg or other fares like the Yokoso fare (so can't choose to buy beforehand), I haven't been able to find a way to upgrade besides at the airport.

 

[bernardblack]

My wife and I are booked on the SYD-NRT 787-9 flight with the similar but not identical business hard product. We've assigned window and adjacent aisle seats on the port side (8A, 8C) but the corresponding starboard-side seats are available (8H, 8K). Does anyone with experience on these routes see any advantage to one side of the other in terms of comfort, or possibly in terms of views on approach for the northbound SYD-NRT run?

 

[sudoer]

or possibly in terms of views on approach for the northbound SYD-NRT run?

Take the AC seat combination for the best views, the final approach usually looks like this:

 

[bernardblack]

Take the AC seat combination for the best views, the final approach usually looks like this:

View attachment 125463

Thanks. That's very helpful.

 

[sudoer]

Thanks. That's very helpful.

No problem, hopefully you catch a glimpse of Fuji, Sky Tree, or a nice sunset if you're flying later in the year.

If you happen to be taking any JAL domestic flights headed south, you can use this site to see which side Fuji will be on! JAPAN AIRLINES - Which Side is Mt. Fuji?

It's an incredible view on a clear day..

 

[tizey]

Interested if anyone knows... My googling proved useless. Booked jl774 MEL-NRT for early April 2019..

All JAL seatmaps I can find indicate that the 787-8 is the old 'neo class' angled flat seats in J, with two cabins encompassing 30 seats (2-2-2 configuration). It's a very didferend J config to the jl773 NRT-MEL I have booked for October this year.

The JAL website when I login to manage booking says it's a sky suites plane, but cannot find any review of the older 787-8 JAL planes flying this config with sky suites. I'm really hoping they are in the midst of refurbishing the old Neo class angled seats to the sky suites as the plan is to get some good sleep on this red eye.

Anyone know anything?

Furthermore, unable to select the window seats in this cabin at all - all have been blanked out for selection. Can select the aisle seats, but not direct window. No way they are all sold out the day the flight opened up.. I had these tickets booked within 5mins of flight opening up. are they holding these for status passangers?

 

[sudoer]

All JAL seatmaps I can find indicate that the 787-8 is the old 'neo class' angled flat seats in J, with two cabins encompassing 30 seats (2-2-2 configuration).

What date is it? If it's 30 seats in J then it looks like it will be shell flat neo

 

[MEL_Traveller]

What date is it? If it's 30 seats in J then it looks like it will be shell flat neo

Yes indeed. 38 J is the config for the apex suites.

In this case there is no reason to block all the windows for elites, because they aren't the best seats.

 

[RooFlyer]

Have just put up some pics and commentary on my JAL 787 J journey LHR-HND, if anyone interested: Twice around the world in 40 days

 

[tizey]

What date is it? If it's 30 seats in J then it looks like it will be shell flat neo

Well, that's what I thought, but the website definitely says sky suites and refers the apex setup. Even booking a revenue booking shows the same.

Time will tell. End of the day, the timing of the flight is what's crucial to us to maximise Easter school holidays. Neo angled flat is still better than Y!

 

[Himeno]

Interested if anyone knows... My googling proved useless. Booked jl774 MEL-NRT for early April 2019..

All JAL seatmaps I can find indicate that the 787-8 is the old 'neo class' angled flat seats in J, with two cabins encompassing 30 seats (2-2-2 configuration). It's a very didferend J config to the jl773 NRT-MEL I have booked for October this year.

The JAL website when I login to manage booking says it's a sky suites plane, but cannot find any review of the older 787-8 JAL planes flying this config with sky suites. I'm really hoping they are in the midst of refurbishing the old Neo class angled seats to the sky suites as the plan is to get some good sleep on this red eye.

Anyone know anything?

Furthermore, unable to select the window seats in this cabin at all - all have been blanked out for selection. Can select the aisle seats, but not direct window. No way they are all sold out the day the flight opened up.. I had these tickets booked within 5mins of flight opening up. are they holding these for status passangers?

JAL reconfirms which aircraft are operating which routes every 3 months. That's why they have dated route charts linked to the seat info pages. It is likely that the flight next year is too far ahead for the aircraft to be confirmed.

Only a small amount of the oldest 787-8s have the old Neo seats. These aircraft don't have premium economy.