Trip to Europe on JAL

Ouabain

Ouabain

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So....my partner and I are accompanying one of our kids on a football tour of Europe in December.

The itinerary has been released, and we are flying SYD --> HND --> LHR outbound, and CDG --> HND --> SYD for the return leg.

All flights are with JAL.

We have status (OWE for myself and OWS for my partner) with Qantas, but are plebs with JAL.

Given the length of the flights and the pretty icky departure times we are keen to try and upgrade.

Whilst I feel that this is a problem that can be overcome by simply throwing money at it, I want to make sure i am not missing any obvious upgrade pathways?
 
The only upgrade pathways that I know of are
1. Upgrade to Premium Economy at check-in. This is a fixed price (e.g. AU$450 for SYD-HND pp)
2. Use the JAL Plusgrade system to bid for an upgrade - you can cash bid for an upgrade to PE or J, but only if booked on certain fare classes
 
encryptededdy said:
The only upgrade pathways that I know of are
1. Upgrade to Premium Economy at check-in. This is a fixed price (e.g. AU$450 for SYD-HND pp)
2. Use the JAL Plusgrade system to bid for an upgrade - you can cash bid for an upgrade to PE or J, but only if booked on certain fare classes
Click to expand...
Thanks.

Would rather not leave it to chance at check in - especially if checking in with a tour group.

Any idea what fare classes are ineligible for upgrade?
 
Looks like the 'Upgrade to PE at Check-in' is still doable? (pending availability obviously)
 
Also before you go too upgrade crazy, let me just say if its a 787 the Y seats (especially in bulkhead with OW status) is huge amount of legroom and quite comfy. JL Y is arguably the best in the world and for good reason.

Of course J will still be better but i don't think bulkhead Y is that much better than PE especially since you already have lounge access (JL PE allows lounge access).
 
I'm not certain of the practicalities but from first principles:
Transfer Amex MR to Marriott Bonvoy
If points upgrade award seats available, transfer Marriott to JMB
Upgrade via JMB

Would depend on a speedy transfer time* from Marriott to JMB as they would be stuck there if you lost the availability

*TPG says 48 hours
 
andye said:
I'm not certain of the practicalities but from first principles:
Transfer Amex MR to Marriott Bonvoy
If points upgrade award seats available, transfer Marriott to JMB
Upgrade via JMB

Would depend on a speedy transfer time* from Marriott to JMB as they would be stuck there if you lost the availability

*TPG says 48 hours
Click to expand...
Thanks. Would cost/likelihood also not depend on my status with JAL? (which is none)
 
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Quite frankly your chance of getting a points upgrade on JAL are the same as that Melbourne store Nunn & Buckleys though it had the names the pther way around.
As for paid upgrades Jal always has a lot of high status members. Traveling SIN -HND=BKK on planes with no first class there are usually more than 10 Japanese citizens plus a few OWEs Many more in the J queue.

If you transferred points what would you do with the now Marooned points.

But a couple of tips one of our grandaughters had a similiar trip in Y. She wanted to sit with her friends. I got the PNR from her mother and did seat selection so she was. She asked if I could put a couple of them down the back. I didn't comply.
Second even Y pax get lounge access to the sakura Skyview lounge for evening flights.


So your children can go with their friends to the lounge in HND.
Amongst the reasons JAL is often voted the World's best economy cabin.
 
I’ll follow along as I’m flying JAL F to Europe in around 3 weeks all being well the 777 gets redirected to SYD-HND As scheduled

Also watch out for the 8 or 16 hour layover in Tokyo on the way over !
There is a transit capsule hotel inside international terminal
 
Last edited:
drron said:
Quite frankly your chance of getting a points upgrade on JAL are the same as that Melbourne store Nunn & Buckleys though it had the names the pther way around.
As for paid upgrades Jal always has a lot of high status members. Traveling SIN -HND=BKK on planes with no first class there are usually more than 10 Japanese citizens plus a few OWEs Many more in the J queue.

If you transferred points what would you do with the now Marooned points.

But a couple of tips one of our grandaughters had a similiar trip in Y. She wanted to sit with her friends. I got the PNR from her mother and did seat selection so she was. She asked if I could put a couple of them down the back. I didn't comply.
Second even Y pax get lounge access to the sakura Skyview lounge for evening flights.


So your children can go with their friends to the lounge in HND.
Amongst the reasons JAL is often voted the World's best economy cabin.
Click to expand...
Y lounge access is restricted to full Y (flex) tickets which often sell for more than discount J tickets hence why they have lounge access.
 
CaptJCool said:
Also watch out for the 8 or 16 hour layover in Tokyo on the way over !
Click to expand...
I have an 8 hour layover in HND next week and will enter JP and head over to the Villa Fontaine Grand Haneda Airport to use the Onsen and get something to eat and then head back to the airport. It may not be for everyone but will work for me as I will not have the family in tow.
 
A pretty good selection of restaurants on the ground floor of the centre that the Villa G F is in. Best to go out and take an escalator down. We will be there again at the end of June.
But in the future we'll probably go back to the Royal Park. Just suits us better
 
elanshin said:
Y lounge access is restricted to full Y (flex) tickets which often sell for more than discount J tickets hence why they have lounge access.
Click to expand...
No, there's a special exception for JL41 where all pax get access since they don't really serve any food after takeoff and the lounge is mostly emptied out anyway.
 
drron said:
Quite frankly your chance of getting a points upgrade on JAL are the same as that Melbourne store Nunn & Buckleys though it had the names the pther way around.
As for paid upgrades Jal always has a lot of high status members. Traveling SIN -HND=BKK on planes with no first class there are usually more than 10 Japanese citizens plus a few OWEs Many more in the J queue.

If you transferred points what would you do with the now Marooned points.

But a couple of tips one of our grandaughters had a similiar trip in Y. She wanted to sit with her friends. I got the PNR from her mother and did seat selection so she was. She asked if I could put a couple of them down the back. I didn't comply.
Second even Y pax get lounge access to the sakura Skyview lounge for evening flights.


So your children can go with their friends to the lounge in HND.
Amongst the reasons JAL is often voted the World's best economy cabin.
Click to expand...
Yeah, figured as much. Ah well.
 
Matt_01 said:
I have an 8 hour layover in HND next week and will enter JP and head over to the Villa Fontaine Grand Haneda Airport to use the Onsen and get something to eat and then head back to the airport. It may not be for everyone but will work for me as I will not have the family in tow.
Click to expand...
the Onsen there is magnificent, isn't it!
 

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