Japan Airlines - JAL

...flights to head off to Japan to treat my girlfriend and decided to spend some airline miles to get there. The best availability for us was to fly with JAL and using miles allowed us to fly in business class for practically free, otherwise we'd have been sitting in the back. So my review is based purely on the experience of JAL in business class. == Booking == Well I booked our flights on the telephone with American Airlines, so can't say much about ...
...I did however call JAL as I was unable to view my booking on their site (different booking system to AA) and the very helpful staff were able to provide me with a booking reference and some guidance for the website so that I could pick seats in advance. The hours are limited for calling their office in the UK but the staff are very helpful. Booking can also be done online of course. == Checking in == Check in for our outbound flights was easy as ...

non_sense 26.03.2009 · Read full review
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Review of Japan Airlines - JAL

...We decided to fly Japan Airlines firstly because it was the cheapest we could find and it had a stop off both ways in Tokyo, somewhere my girlfriend and I were interested in visiting. We hadn't flown with them before, but I have travelled with many other Airlines such as Quantas, Monarch, Virgin Atlantic, British Airways and Leisure. We didn't know what to expect but I knew people that had flown with them and they said it was their favourite Airline, ...
...that the leg room on Japan Airlines Planes is the biggest, Quantas I found, being the smallest. Not only is the leg room a comfortable size, they supply you with a foot rest aswell. I cannot put into words the excellence of the check in. As always and unlike my girlfriend I am always on time or very early. On this event we were 6 hours early (i like being in airports-call me sad-but I do) We looked up at the board a couple of hours later and it ...

Derek300 09.05.2003 · Read full review
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Review of Japan Airlines - JAL

...sample different airlines. So far, Japan Airline (JAL) has been my favourite. I have flown with JAL to Narita, Sydney, New York and San Francisco numerous times, and they have never disappointed me once. The ground crew are extremely efficient and courteous. On one of our frequent trips in and out of Australia, we always have to fly to Sydney because its the main hub for JAL. Our baggage would have been checked all the way to Narita in Japan and ...
...5 hours waiting time in Japan but this extra time was slowly eroding as we wait in San Francisco. Once back at the terminal, JAL allowed us to buy meals at their expense (as long as it did not exceed a certain amount of $15 per person). We were also told to be back at the boarding gate within 2 hours. So, a meal and another wait. This time round, we managed to take off after a 5 hour delay. No doubt we were worried that we were going to miss our ...

petitesquirt 06.03.2003 · Read full review
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Review of Japan Airlines - JAL

Maybe I just got lucky and got the worst aircraft that JAL own or maybe I'm just so used to really GOOD Airlines (such as SIA, Thai and Cathy) that I found JAL to be horrific...and horrific is being nice...so lets get on with the details... My flight was a 6pm flight from Bangkok to Narita Economy class; it's a 6-hour flight. First the seats, small, very very small, with leg room that an 8-year-old child would find tight. I am not overly tall but ...
...front of me if I tried to sit straight in my seat, My knees had to be jammed into the seat in front higher than my own seat, if I sat slightly sideways i could squeeze my feet onto the floor, just. Foot rests, no idea couldn't reach the floor to find out. And so we took off...and then it got really bad...the smoking started. I swear every person in smoking class must have had 4 or 5 cigarettes in their mouths waiting for the "no smoking" light to ...

khunKwai 30.08.2000 (16.02.2002) · Read full review
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Review of Japan Airlines - JAL

...the pleasure of travelling on Japan Airlines for quite a while. However, my memories of their service which, "captivates the essense of the East" is still with me. They are quietly efficient. THe air craft are in excellent condition. The crew were always attentive without being intrusive. Transfers and ground handling was excellent. It is not a cheap airline to travel on but the money spent is well worth it. The food was of a very high standard and ...

Shrimathi 15.08.2000 · Read full review
Review of Japan Airlines - JAL

...the most likely choice, but Japan Air is an excellent way to get cheaply to Australia and New Zealand, provided you don't mind changing planes in Japan. On the way home, the flights do not connect properly, so they put you up (free) in a 4 star hotel in Tokyo for the night! Where is the best place to buy tickets on JAL? This is my best advice based upon 10 years experience of selling discounted airline tickets - but if you think you already know ...
...to buy it for this airline, then skip to the last paragraph! Lets face it, all airlines can get you from A to B, sometimes you have to change at C, sometimes you have to hang around at C, but if price is your main concern, read on .... First, as an ex-travel agent, let me explain how the system works. Nearly all airlines belong to a cartel known as IATA, which amongst other duties, helps to regulate the official prices between each pair of worldwide ...

travel-expert 13.07.2000 · Read full review
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Review of Japan Airlines - JAL

...Japan, I mostly go with Japan Airlines. Japan Airlines has what a passenger would want on an airline. I purchased my ticket on Japan Airlines ticket center. Unlike many airline ticket centers, I was quickly served by a very polite operator and soon had a ticket from Vancouver to Tokyo and back. At $2000, it is quite pricey. The operator gave me a $100 discount for I have flown on Japan Airlines before. My tickets came through courier in two days. ...
...quick to respond to any passenger concerns. They also gave everyone a complimentary drink during the commotion. Japan Airlines handles everything well. They should be a role model to many airlines. (especially for the smaller Asian airlines.) Japan Airlines is the best choice if its with your options. ...

cyclone88 03.11.2002 · Read full review
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Review of Japan Airlines - JAL

I flew JAL from Sydney to London and it was the best flight I ever experienced. To start it all of the price was only beaten by Garuda - but then I'd rather do the journey by rowing boat than to fly with them! Since JAL did not have a direct flight to London we got a free nights accomodation at their own Tokyo Nikko hotel (4-star) including breakfast. The planes (both legs of the flight) were clean, the staff were very friendly and (since I am a ...
...area in the plane. Mind you - my wife does not smoke and still she had no probs with the plane being overly smokey. There were personal TV's with some great movies to watch (they even had 4! newly released blockbusters eg. "As good as it gets", which came out just shortly before our flight). The food was pretty much the best airline food I have ever tasted - and they offer both traditional japanese and western style food. Also the ground staff ...

saxon 11.11.2000 · Read full review
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Review of Japan Airlines - JAL

...flights, including the stopover in Japan on the outward flight made my arrival in London almost bearable. Flying through the day, staying in a hotel at JAL's cost, then continuing the flight the next day was certainly a big plus. For that reason alone I would travel with JAL again. Unfortunately the same is not on offer on the return flight from London to Brisbane. I felt had nothing to complain about with regard to the food. It was much the same ...
...was enough in quantity for me. But I doubt there would be enough for a hearty eater. However the staff were so attentive and caring that I have no doubt they would find more if it was required. I can't fault them on their attitude, friendliness and attention to detail. Leg room - there is never enough no matter who you fly with! but because you are flying through the day I found sleep was not so much of an issue. I spent quite a lot of time wandering ...

justoz 04.11.2007 · Read full review
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Review of Japan Airlines - JAL

I decided to travel to Australia last year on a very tight budget, so I booked my flights through one of those travel companies advertised in Sunday newspapaers. My flight cost me just over £500, which was great, but the flights themselves were not so great. There was not much leg more and the seats were very narrow. For a long legged European this made for a very long, uncomfortable flight, although on 2 of the 4 flights I did have a row of seat ...
...ordered Westerian food, as I don't eat fish. When I got on board the first flight, the western dish was fish!! I had to eat the Japanese dish, which made me violently ill. On the flight back to London from Japan, again I had ordered Western food. There were only about 100 people on the Jumbo jst back, but by the time I was served my dinner, they had run out of Western food. I wasn't offered any alternative, and I sat starving on the plane home. ...

SuzanneU 02.08.2000 · Read full review
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Review of Japan Airlines - JAL

Route flown : Narita - Seoul - Narita --- Check-in and Boarding --- The staff is wonderfully polite. The check-in agent looked at me and asked me if I would like a seat next to the emergency exit since it would provide me with better leg room. I pounced on that idea and thanked her very much for her thoughtfulness. Boarding with no problems. --- Aircraft --- A B747-300 with some 500 seats reminded me that Japanese are rarely as tall as me and ...
...asked me if I would like a seat next to the emergency exit... As though the lenghth restriction wasn't enough, the width (pitch) was awfully narrow too... Anyhow, the lovely stewardess smiling wonderfully to me right accross me in her jumpseat helped me forget it. We had to wait for little while since the pilot only said after all that announcements made in Japanese : "technicar probrem wait prease". Another 15 minutes : "stir technicar probrem ...

MuratM 16.04.2004 · Read full review
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Review of Japan Airlines - JAL

...business class to Osaka with Japan Air Lines last year and their service cannot be faulted. All business class passengers are offered a "menu" of services from which you can choose two options. They offer things like hotel discount in japan, vouchers for rail travel, extra points on the frequent flyer programme and chauffeur transfer. I went for the chauffeur transfer and a car and driver arrived at my home, transported me straight to the check in ...
...the check in staff were polite and courteous. The place was modern, with the latest in flight entertainment systems. There is a choise of Japanese or Western food, both of which are excellent and well presented. The flight attendants are attentive but not overly so - they will leave you alone if you don't want to be bothered. The only bad thing was the safety briefing - the tape had been very badly dubbed into English which made it good for a laugh ...

moraghewat 28.06.2000 · Read full review
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Review of Japan Airlines - JAL

...leg of the tour was Japan to London. I assumed that Japan Airlines would be a pleasant change, a country of efficiency and technological brilliance! and boy I was wrong. Being a large chap of 6'4" my experience with JAL was more a chronic nightmare. During my visit to Tokyo, I noticed that many things are not built for the taller gentleman, no doubt due to the distinct lack of 6 foot + members within the populous. This mentality of catering for ...
...above all my claustrophobia! I managed to wrangle temporary ownership of a far more luxurious stewards chair, aswell as a large amount of larger and jack Daniel’s to make that journey all the more pleasurable. I sign off by saying, if you are tall DO NOT TRAVEL ON JAPAN AIRLINES, ...

GMoney 23.07.2002 · Read full review
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Review of Japan Airlines - JAL

...tiring, and the stay in Japan was very confusing for 2 confused non-Japanese speaking tourists. We got off the plane in Narita after around 10 hours of travel, with only an overnight bag (our bags had been sent direct to London on our request), wandered around the airport going through customs, and finally found our hotel bus. This took a while to get to the hitel, where there was a fair queue to check in, as a large number of ppl off our plane were ...
...dinner was hard to find due to languauge problems and expensive food, but we managaed. The next day we explored Narita via the free hotel bus. This was an experience as it was our firts time in such a non-English speaking city (very hard to get landmarks when you acn't read the signs!!!!) All in all. It was an experience I was glad of but I don't know if I will do it again. The best part was that even with economy seats, we managed to have a seat ...

treefern 19.08.2000 · Read full review
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Review of Japan Airlines - JAL