Japan Airlines was Eric and my first class experience, and we flew this flight as part of our trip to Tokyo in March 2019. We were very lucky to have scored first class flights on Japan Airlines to Japan for cherry blossom season. We had no expectations for first class going into this experience, and after the flight, we knew that it would be hard to go back to economy. The food on this flight was plated beautifully, and we got to enjoy daylight on the flight, which made the experience even more wonderful!
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Japan Airlines First Class Booking
There are a few great ways to book Japan Airlines first class, either through Alaska Airlines, or through American Airlines. Alaska Airlines would charge 60k miles, while American Airlines charges 80k. Since we had a plethora of AA miles, we decided to book through them. Taxes and fees were only $5.60 per person. We made our booking around seven months before the flight.
Often times, securing first class award availability requires booking right when space gets released around a year prior to the flight. I got lucky and somehow found these two seats for cherry blossom season after checking for award space on British Airways (back then, American Airlines did not show Japan Airlines award availability on their website). Although I couldn’t find award availability from my home airport SFO, LAX was just a quick flight away, so repositioning there was not a problem.
Origin: Los Angeles International Airport (LAX)
Destination: Narita International Airport (NRT)
Flight Number: JL61
Date: Friday 22 March 2019
Scheduled Departure: 1:00pm
Scheduled Arrival: 4:45pm+1
Duration: 11:45hr
Cabin: First
Aircraft: 777-300ER
Tail Number: JA732J (One World livery)
Japan Airlines First Class Check-in
After we arrived to LAX, we wanted to do a proper first class check-in and receive a physical boarding pass to commemorate our first class flight together. Since we had allotted a long connection for the repositioning flight, the Japan Airlines counters were not open yet.
And of course, we waited at the First Class line, and we were served very quickly.
First Class on Japanese airlines gave us lounge access, the Qantas International First lounge, which is located right after security on Level 5 of the international terminal.
Japan Airlines Boarding
Boarding was straight forward, and of course, first class is among the first to board. We made sure we were the first ones to board the plane, since we wanted the experience of being first on the plane!
The flight attendant greeted us at the end of the jet bridge right outside the entrance of the plane, and guided us to our seats.
Japan Airlines First Class Cabin & Seats
The Japan Airlines first class seats situated in a 1-2-1 configuration. We chose seats 2 A/D so that we would have a window seat experience, as well as an aisle seat experience.
They are a smooth dark brown leather, and very spacious.
There are warm reddish wood accents that decorate the surrounding area of the seat.
The dark wood tones are really representative of Japanese design.
The table that is situated right below the IFE slides along the track, and allows for sharing a meal with another passenger when they sit on the ottoman situated at the foot of the seat.
Upon request, the flight attendant will set up the bed for you. A mattress pad is first placed, and then the plush blanket on top. I asked for two pillows to make my sleep much more comfortable. Unfortunately, the cabin temperature was on the warmer side, so the blanket on top was a little excessive.
And we had no problems fitting both of us in one seat together for a short nap… until the flight attendant told us that the pilot did not approve of this. Oops.
And I was totally not expecting a bidet in the bathroom!
Japan Airlines Departure from Los Angeles
Headphones, amenity kit, beauty kit, and slippers were already placed at our seats, and the menus were passed out to us.
Wifi cards were also handed out, giving us access to complimentary in-flight wifi for the duration of our flight, and there was no data cap either!
Japan Airlines First Class Meal Service
Around 1.5hrs into the flight, the meal service began. Since this was our first premium flight together, of course we wanted to try as many items as we could. The strategy was for one person to order the Japanese menu, and the other to order the Western menu.
The meal started with amuse bouche, which was prosciutto wrapped orange, and shiitake mushroom with cheese.
I tried the Royal Blue Tea, and it was the best drink on the flight. I definitely drank through at least a few bottles of it.
The Japanese starter contained 5 adorably arranged appetizers, arranged left to right: bamboo shoots and asparagus with Japanese pepper miso; Japanese omelette topped with caviar; squid stuffed with braised soy pulp; shrimp patty with Japanese style salad; sea-bream marinated with sweet soy sauce. It was a very refreshing start to the meal!
For the western starter, it was a celery root and pear vichyssoise, and also contained potatoes and chives.
Can’t have an airplane meal without a selection of bread! We chose the warm white bread, and the garlic bread because we couldn’t resist the smell.
For the western menu hors d’oeuvre, we got the poached lobster with cocktail mousse with marinated trio color of cherry heirloom tomatoes.
Of course, we had to get the caviar course. It came with unique accompaniments: egg yolk mascarpone cheese cream, smoked sturgeon, and potato blini.
The Japanese menu “Owan” course was a Japanese clear soup with deep fried lobster.
Then continuing with the Japanese “Mukozuke” course, which was seared tuna, abalone, sea urchin, and specially-made soy sauce. Eric thought the wasabi was sea urchin, so it was a surprise palette cleanser for him ha!
Following that was the “Azukebachi” course, which was smoked salmon and scallop with citrus soy jelly.
We were definitely getting full by the time we arrived to the main course. We had no idea how much food they would be serving in first class. For the western menu main course, we chose the BBQ oriental lamb chop, paired with a chickpea galette, and sumac spiced greek yogurt in a tomato. Unfortunately, the lamb chop was quite dry.
For the Japanese main course, Eric got the “Dainomono” course of braised beef short ribs in Japanese broth with seared tofu, the “Hanmono” of seasoned rice with bamboo shoots, “Tomewon” course of miso soup and Japanese pickles.
Of course, we had to try their cheese course as well. It was served right before dessert, and we ate it with some bread.
Finally, we made it to the dessert course. The Japanese dessert was a MORIHACHI toki suzuyaka (Japanese jelly) with noto dainagon (beans), and a matcha flavored rakugan. It was super refreshing! The western dessert was raspberry cream, strawberry tart, and black sesame green tea cake.
We got sencha, as well as coffee to go with the desserts.
Japan Airlines First Class Mid-flight Snack
After a quick nap, we couldn’t resist ordering a mid-flight snack. We got an order of the “JAL Original Healthy Ramen Noodles from Kyushu Jangara”, which according to their menu, is vegetable based, achieving umami without the use of meat. They served the noodles with a side of sesame seeds, and it was delicious.
We also couldn’t resist the salmon and salmon roe rice bowl. It still fascinates me that airlines are able to serve such delicious slices of raw fish 30000ft in the air.
We took a chance with their assorted season fresh fruit, and it was pretty standard.
Finally, we wrapped up the snack with a chocolate chip vanilla ice cream. The flight attendant adorably told us that she made a strawberry heart just for us.
Japan Airlines First Class Breakfast
Breakfast was served approximately 1.5hrs prior to landing. Like before, we got both the western breakfast, and the Japanese breakfast.
The western set plate was a bacon, ham, and egg burrito, served with ketchup, and a side of greek yogurt with berry sauce. I was surprised that the burrito would be this delicious, but maybe the novelty of eating this food on the plane played a role.
The Japanese set plate contained grilled sea bass “saikyo miso” flavor, spinach with tofu sauce, steamed rice, miso soup, and Japanese pickles. It was beautifully presented, and a perfectly balanced breakfast. Really puts the western meal to shame when put next to each other.
Of course, I ate breakfast with another glass of Royal Blue Tea, and tried their kiwi juice.
Japan Airlines First Class Landing
Prior to landing, we made sure to try the moisturizing face mask that was included in the amenity kit.
Japan Airlines First Class Service
We had great service throughout the flight. Even though English is not the first language of any of our flight attendants, they made an effort to make small talk with us, and kept checking up on us to make sure that we were enjoying the journey.
When we sat side by side on the lie-flat bed, we could tell that the flight attendants were fascinatingly observing us, likely because they probably don’t often see the passengers sitting in one seat together for most of the flight. They were so excited that it was our first class flight that they even gave us a small toy model plane of the plane!
Summary
Suffice to say, our Japan Airlines first class flight was life changing, not only because it was our first premium class flight together, but also because this flight set the bar for us on our flight going forward. We had only really known economy prior to this experience, and we knew that it would be extremely difficult to sit in the back of the plane again.
The first class experience was even more magical that we expected, and honestly, there’s nothing more fun than enjoying it all with someone you love! Everything combined made this flight a journey we will never forget, and I would gladly go out of my way to take another Japan Airlines first class flight.
