Review of Japan Airlines flight Boston Tokyo in Business

Airline Japan Airlines
Flight JL 7
Class Business
Seat 7K
Aircraft Boeing 787-8
Flight time 13:55
Take-off 29 Oct 15, 13:30
Arrival at 29 Oct 15, 16:25
JL   #8 out of 96 Airlines A minimum of 10 flight-reports within the past two years is required to appear in the rankings. 172 reviews
NGO85
By SILVER 9635
Published on 9th December 2015
Background:

This series will cover a recent trip back to the US that required me to be in the greater Los Angeles and Boston areas.

Part 1 – NGO-NRT [JL 3084, Boeing B737-800, ClassJ] – http://flight-report.com/en/report-12225.html
Part 2 – NRT-LAX [AA 170, Boeing B777-200ER, Business] – http://flight-report.com/en/report-12253.html
Part 3 – LAX-BOS [B6 288, Airbus A320, Economy] – http://flight-report.com/en/report-12303.html
Part 4 – BOS-NRT [JL 7, Boeing B787-800, Business] – You are here
Part 5 – NRT-NGO [JL 3087, Boeing B767-300ER, Economy] – http://flight-report.com/en/report-12450.html

This report will cover the 14-hour flight from Boston to Narita on JL. Since I flew BOS-HKG on CX earlier this summer (http://flight-report.com/en/report-12199.html), this will be a good opportunity to compare the offerings of these fierce Asian OW competitors.

The travel agent gave me the most direct routing for this segment since I didn’t have time to do a BOS-JFK or BOS-ORD flight in order to get onto a different JL TPAC flight. When given J tickets, I don’t complain because regardless of the product J > Y, but it was a little disheartening when I pulled up my JL record online and saw this:

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Those not familiar with JL, there are two different B788 configurations. One has 6 rows of J and one has 7 rows of J. The difference: flatbed versus angle lie-flat. Yes, JL continues to install angle lie-flat seats on their long-haul aircraft. NRT-BOS and NRT-SAN are two of those lucky routes that get stuck with angle lie-flat B788s. So this report will cover the B788s installed with the JAL Shell Flat Neo seat.


Pre-flight:

My day started early, catching the 7:00am Amtrak Acela Express in New London, CT for the trip back to Boston.

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Arriving at Boston South Station, I switched to the Silver Line to the airport. Terminal E is the last stop and I was deposited in front of the terminal at 10:40am (the JL counters open at 10:30am). Stepping inside the international terminal, very quiet midday.

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Both business class agents are busy so I have to wait 5 minutes to get checked-in. The agent was chatty; he was asking me about Nagoya since he was going there on vacation in November.

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He handed me my boarding passes and reminded me that we will be using the BA Terraces Lounge.

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FIDS. PD dominates the daytime activities.

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Security is a ghost town; they even closed off the priority lane since there is no one in sight.

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Clearing security, I’m dumped into a familiar drab Terminal E.

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My gate today will be E7.

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Our bird today (JA843J) is of course present since she spent the night in BOS last night.

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A reminder of the mileage haul to come.

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Since I still have 2 hours before boarding starts, I decide to do some spotting before heading to the lounge. PD is the only other carrier operating midday from Terminal E. The little PD Dash8 is hiding behind the jetbridge, but the EK B772 is proudly on display across the way at Terminal D. I decide to spot from this window since there was a line of sight to an active runway, but the weather was a little troublesome.

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B6 E190 lifting up.

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AA B738 in tin can livery taxing to the runway as a DL ERJ-175 lands.

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A rare spotting! A little 9K (Nantucket Airlines) Cessna 402 taxing to the runway before taxing off, it used about 30% of the runway.

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UA A320.

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DL B738 in SkyTeam special livery.

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US ERJ-190, B6 ERJ-190, and DL B717.

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B6 ERJ-190 and AA B752 with winglets. Then the AA B752 lifting off, I agree with Kevin, the B752s look great in the new livery.

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DL MD-88.

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AA CRJ-200.

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PD Dash8 and B6 ERJ-190.

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AS B739.

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With that, I packed up and went to the lounge. The lounges at BOS are located downstairs.

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After walking down the long dark hallway, we reach the BA Terraces Lounge adorned with our JL FA cutout. There was a BA agent working the front desk, she took my boarding pass, marked my name off her list and then pointed me in the direction of the dining room.

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JL B788 model on display at the check-in desk.

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When I went to the buffet area, there was a crowd so no photos, but the options were poor. It was salad and one hot item (rice and curry). The curry didn’t look very good, so I just prepared a salad with a bowl of fruit. The salad at least looked to be of good quality and I washed it down with a Samuel Adams. While I was eating, I booked my SK ticket that will be covered in the next series.

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The rest of the seating area and the meager snack/drink options.

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About 5 minutes before the boarding time I packed up my stuff and headed to the gate.




——————————-

Japan Airlines, JL 7
Equipment: Boeing B787-800 [JA843J, delivered June 2013]
Departure: 13:30 (ATD: 13:41)
Arrival: 16:25 (ATA: 16:16)
Flight time: 13:35


Boarding was called right on time. Special assistance boarding was followed by JL/OW elites and business class. My boarding pass was scanned by the same agent that checked me in. He wished me a safe trip home. Reaching the mouth of the beast, the purser and 2 FAs are there to greet me with big smiles and a konnichiwa.

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The purser welcomes me on board, checks my boarding pass, then hands me off to one of the FAs who walks me to my seat. She took my backpack and placed in the overhead bin, introduced herself, and then asked me if I needed anything. Preplaced on the seats are pillow/duvet and amenity kit. The headphones are preplaced in the side storage compartment.

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Taking my seat, the pitch in the bulkhead is very generous and it allows enough space for me to get out without disturbing my seatmate when the seat is in bed mode. No need for acrobatics today.

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The pocket contains coat hangar and slippers.

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The FA returns and brings me a The Japan Times and then fans out some magazines for me to choose from. I take a National Geographic to peruse during boarding.

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The JL dolls in the galley during boarding. Wish I had noticed them while I was walking by earlier. ?????

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Great view from my seat.

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So the biggest complaint about JL is that they do not offer a pre-departure beverage or oshibori. I don’t know why, but that is their service protocol and it really does start the trip with a real negative feeling. If you don’t want to offer alcohol for tax reasons, fine, but you should at least offer something to drink. It’s almost a 30-45 minute wait from boarding to pushback.

We eventually close the front door, the FAs bow, the safety video fires up, and we begin our push back.

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We taxi past a DL B764 on our short taxi to the runway.

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Turning on to the runway.

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The GE90s wind up and we are off. Breathtaking aerial shots of Boston on departure.

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We make a sharp left-turn towards the Atlantic Ocean before looping around towards New Hampshire in a 270-degree turn.



The packed duvet (really nice) and the pillow. The pillow was the thinnest J pillow I have ever seen before. This was thinner than a Y pillow and provided no padding.

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TUMI amenity kit. Nice bag that I’ll repurpose, but completely void of any contents.

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Sony noise-cancelling headphones.

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Arrival documents were distributed once the FAs were released as they prepared the galley for service.

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This is when the FAs came through with the pre-departure, I mean POST-departure drink tray (water, orange juice, champagne). I grabbed champagne.

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This was followed by an oshibori on a platter.

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Crossing over the Fall foliage in New Hampshire.

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There is one big disadvantage of the bulkhead seats, and that is the IFE. The IFE for the bulkhead seats (10.6”) is smaller than all the other seats (15.4”) and the resolution is not as good. I find Magic-V to offer a pretty poor selection. Very limited movie and TV show selections.

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The IFE is controlled by this little guy or you can just use the touch screen.

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Standard Airshow offering.

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I was intrigued by the “eBooks” listing on the home screen. Opening up that option, we find manga, manga, manga! I guess JL knows who their customers are and don’t want to deprive them of their late night manga reading in the conbinis.

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Menus were distributed by the purser as the champagne glasses were cleared. The purser introduced herself and welcomed me on-board. JL caters this flight in their typical fashion. They do one meal service after takeoff and then the rest of the flight is on-demand catering. The purse personally took my order for the meal; I obviously requested the Japanese meal, which I will accompany with imo shochu.



The FAs then come through the cabin and offered sweaters. JL and NH are the only carriers that I’ve ever flown that offer sweaters to premium cabin passengers. I always get cold on the plane, so I happily took the JL-branded Mr. Rodger’s sweater.

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Cabin shot pre-meal.

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The wing as we cruise towards Canada.

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Linens are laid.

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The amuse bouche is presented along with some otsumami, a glass of water, and a glass of shochu.

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The amuse bouche is nicely presented and both tasted good, but I preferred the mushroom flan with feta cheese and truffle oil. That was very tasty. The crab, avocado, and grapefruit dish was also good. The grapefruit was thankfully not too sour.

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The otsumami. Mmm, natt?!

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After the amuse bouche was cleared, the FA brought out my bento box. A delicious seafood filled offering. The presentation is superb, but the inclusion of a packaged little plastic bottle of soy sauce is not so attractive. I know this is standard protocol for Asian carriers, but it would be nicer if it were served in a small dish.



My water and shochu glasses were promptly refilled.

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I like the crane-shaped hashioki, a nice homage to the JL logo.

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It was completely inedible…

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After clearing my bento box, the FA then returned with my Chilean sea bass main that was served on a tray with rice, miso soup, and pickled vegetables. I really like the rice bowl. The presentation of the main was a little average, but the fish was good and cooked well as were the tofu and shrimp.

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Napkin details, and yes it had a buttonhole.

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JL has had an identity crisis in the past 10-15 years and the remnants are still present with these two different glasses. Thankfully they have returned to their tsuru logo.

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As my tray was cleared, the FA took my after dinner drink orders. Coffee with the really good panna cotta. It was so nice to get a real dessert on an Asian carrier instead of the standard ice cream offering (which will make a cameo later).

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Meal service concluded with oshibori on platters.

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After meal service the cabin lights were dimmed. What really angered me is that when JL turns off the cabin lights they also lock the windows! And since this is a B787 with the dimming windows it means that I was forced into darkness until the cabin was prepared for landing. No chance to crack the shade and snap some wing shots. Marathon would not be a happy camper.

A coffee as I finish my movie.

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Water bottles were distributed.

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As we were leaving the Hudson Bay, I got ready for a nap.

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The lavatories were pretty standard issue for a B787. At least JL opted for the bidet toilets, but no heated seat :(

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Toothbrushes and mouthwash were available in the lavatory.

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Before we nap, a quick seat tour. The seat guide.

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The seat tour starts with the controls located on the armrest.

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The IFE folds out from inside of the sliding middle console.

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The privacy divider between the two seats is not very large, but there is a reading light. When upright there is not a lot of privacy, but once you go into bed mode, the seat sinks down and you are hidden from your neighbor.

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There is a storage compartment under the armrest for small personal items.

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A blurry shot of the seat fully reclined. It was pretty flat and I didn’t get any wedgie effect so it wasn’t that steep (I’m also not heavy enough to slide).

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There was an additional panel to control the seat that was more accessible when in bed mode.

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I slept for about 4 hours as we crossed Canada and were soon approaching Alaska.

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Wing shot through the dimmed glass.

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I pressed the call button in order to get some food. I ordered magurotatakidon and hot tea. The FA returned about 5 minutes later with my tray and an oshibori on a platter. This was delicious, I can’t really say much more about it. I almost ordered another bowl it was that good.

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After I finished my donburi, I decided to order ice cream and a fruit plate for dessert. I at least got a laugh when she brought the ice cream. It was “Stephen Colbert’s Americone Dream” flavored Ben & Jerry's.

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After my ice cream, my fruit plate was served along with a cup of coffee. More scrambling of the JL logos on the cutlery.

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Another water bottle and an eye refresher were given to me as the FA cleared my tray table.

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On to the seat back contents.

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The safety card for this B788.

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I napped again until we were leaving Russia.

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I wandered into the galley, here is a cell-phone shot of the bar area.

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I was grabbing a truffle when an FA came up and started talking to me. She was asking me if I wanted a cheese plate since I already had the fruit plate. I don’t normally eat cheese plates, but why not. She brought out my cheese plate along with a glass of port wine, water, and another oshibori. A decent offering.

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The movie selection was so poor that I ended up watching Austin Powers. As we were crossing Hokkaido, the FAs came through the cabin announcing that it was last order. I wasn’t really hungry, but I had seen my seatmate get a curry earlier in the flight that looked good so I decided to try that.

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The seafood curry was served with a glass of orange juice, garnishes, and yet another oshibori (JL must have a really high laundry bill). The curry was very good.

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As meal service on this flight concluded, we were given water bottles for arrival. They must have finally run out of the Crystal Geyser bottles because I was given an Asahi bottle.

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We approached Narita from the eastern coast of Honsh?.

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Japan is almost always cloudy.

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Finally, the lock on the window dimming was removed and I can take real shots of the wing.

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Crossing into Chiba-ken.

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Beautiful wing at dusk.

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Sunset arrival into Narita a little bit ahead of schedule.

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The FA that was making the announcements during the taxi didn’t sound right, her voice kept cracking. Something suspicious was going on…

GK A320 with sharklets.

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AA B788.

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We pull into Gate 74 in between the AA B788 and a CX A333.

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As we are waiting in the galley to deplane, I see the same FA that was doing the cabin announcements during the taxi. I ask her if she is alright and she just starts crying. Another FA tells me that this is her last flight. On carriers like JL, we take their service for granted, but it is a touching moment when you see how much their job means to them. I give her an otsukaresamadeshita as we deplane.

On the way to immigration, a shot of the CX A333.

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Immigration was very quick (there is almost never anyone in line for special re-entry). It’s a 15-minute wait for bags. The lines for customs were long; there are always a handful of people that didn’t fill out the customs form before deplaning that causes a traffic jam. No questions today. I find that when you show the residence card to the customs officers, they just wave you through like any Japanese passport holder. That concludes this report and tune into the final part of this series for a look at the domestic JL Sakura Lounge at NRT and the return to NGO.
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Verdict

Japan Airlines

8.0/10
Cabin6.0
Cabin crew10.0
Entertainment/wifi7.0
Meal/catering9.0

British Airways Club World Lounge

6.2/10
Comfort5.0
Meal/catering5.0
Entertainment/wifi9.0
Services6.0

Boston - BOS

7.9/10
Efficiency10.0
Access9.0
Services5.0
Cleanliness7.5

Tokyo - NRT

8.5/10
Efficiency10.0
Access7.0
Services8.0
Cleanliness9.0

Conclusion

As is often the case with JL: a mediocre hard-product and a great soft-product. Angle lie-flat seats on a 14-hour flight is far from ideal. What the seat and IFE lacked, the crew and catering made up for. Having completed both BOS-HKG on CX and BOS-NRT on JL, my conclusion is that CX has the better hard-product and JL has the better soft-product. Pick your poison.

Cabin comfort: A 1-year-old B788 with a >5-year-old cabin, what is JL thinking? Not only that, but why on earth are you putting B788s with flatbed seats on regional routes like NGO-BKK, but angle lie-flat seats on ultra long-haul NRT-BOS routes? The flight was 100% full and the 2-2-2 does feel tight. Being in the bulkhead, I was not trapped in my window seat. Window dimming is locked during the flight.

Crew: Wonderful JL crew. Not incredible chatty (as is customary for Japanese carriers). They purser was omnipresent throughout the flight personally welcoming passengers and handing out menus. The FAs were very attentive even with the full cabin. No complaints and no negative interactions with any crewmembers.

Meal and catering: No pre-departure drink, shame on you JL. The Japanese meal was excellent and was capped with the best dessert I’ve had this year. I like the on-demand catering concept and there was a quite thorough menu to choose from. I pretty much grazed for the rest of the flight. The donburi was fantastic and the curry was also really good.

Entertainment: Newspapers and magazines distributed. The screen for bulkhead seats is small for current standards (other seats get 15.4” screens). The content of [i]Magic-V[/i] was weak unless you are a huge manga fan. Lots of room for improvement in this area for JL.

On-time performance: Perfect: left on time and landed a little bit early.

Related

32 Comments

If you liked this review or if you have any questions, don’t hesitate to post a comment below !
  • Comment 152173 by
    cobra 3582 Comments
    Thank you Mickael :)

    This flight remember me full of good memories, when 2 years ago, i was upgraded from Y to J ^^ !^^

    BA lounge is far from being sexy !

    What a shame JL use those old fashion seats on a so young bird !
    On 777, i enjoyed a 2-3-2 seats, those with a grey thrash can style !

    Catering on JL businesse class, was my top culinary achievement on board of an aircraft.
    Entrée bento seem really good, we say on my country (and i'm sure in a lot of places), that you begin to eat with your eyes !:)
    Nice shot red leader !^^

    Meal on demand seem pretty decent, On my CDG-HND flight, i chosen a domburimeshi (salmon roe, urchin, seaweed.....), i nearly could see the angels :))

    This fuc.... blue window without handcontrol made me a bit disappointed. Passengers are not cargo parcels !

    Very touching, this FA last flight ! Working for JL seem to be something for a japanese !

    Next time, you may try JL on a new cabin, to have a near perfect flight? ^^

    See you later (maybe in Japn on january :))
    • Comment 330264 by
      cobra 3582 Comments
      It is reminds me a lot of the Mos Eisley Cantina

      Ya, but the only good question: Did you shot first Mickael? :))))
    • Comment 330117 by
      NGO85 SILVER AUTHOR 1963 Comments
      Ohisashiburi Cobra^^

      when 2 years ago, i was upgraded from Y to J ^^ !^^
      - You have been very lucky with upgrades, EY to F also^^

      BA lounge is far from being sexy !
      - It is reminds me a lot of the Mos Eisley Cantina^^

      On 777, i enjoyed a 2-3-2 seats, those with a grey thrash can style !
      - Not the SkySuites?

      Catering on JL businesse class, was my top culinary achievement on board of an aircraft.
      - But not a score of 10 for no pre-departure service :( Catering on JL is very good, even on ex-US routes^^

      i chosen a domburimeshi (salmon roe, urchin, seaweed.....), i nearly could see the angels :))
      - oishii yo^^ We only had maguro donburi, but it was still delicious. But many poisonous ebi lie in wait for you in JL catering ;)

      Passengers are not cargo parcels !
      - I was shocked, this is my third time on B787, both UA flights did not lock the windows.

      Working for JL seem to be something for a japanese !
      - A very special moment indeed.

      Next time, you may try JL on a new cabin, to have a near perfect flight? ^^
      - Next time will be a different carrier ;)

      See you later (maybe in Japn on january :))
      - Let me know if you pass through town^^
    • Comment 330118 by
      NGO85 SILVER AUTHOR 1963 Comments
      Thank you very much for stopping by and commenting Bo!

      The seats are a big letdown on this flight. I think the NRT-DFW route will have the SkySuites configured B788s since it will be into AA's hub. The TSN-NGO route sounds exciting, finally another reporter will come to NGO (a really great airport)! I look forward to your reports!
  • Comment 152194 by
    757Fan 632 Comments
    Excellent report! What great photos and descriptions from your flight with JAL, I thought I was flying along as well too.

    The food looks delicious, and way better than what an US carrier would offer on this route. I'm surprised though that no drink service is done before takeoff ... this does seem strange. They also lock the windows? You cannot open them at all? This seems to be rather intrusive; If I'm at the window, I want to be able to look out the window if I want too. I don't know if I would like not being able to look out at all during the flight.

    Great you got on a 787. I need to plan a trip on that aircraft soon! Looking forward to your next report.

    Best,

    Matthew
    • Comment 330120 by
      NGO85 SILVER AUTHOR 1963 Comments
      Thank you for your comments Matthew!

      I thought I was flying along as well too.
      - That's the goal, a complete experience :)

      The food looks delicious, and way better than what an US carrier would offer on this route.
      - Comparing NH/JL business class catering to the US carriers is not a fair comparison ;)

      They also lock the windows? You cannot open them at all? This seems to be rather intrusive; If I'm at the window, I want to be able to look out the window if I want too. I don't know if I would like not being able to look out at all during the flight.
      - I was absolutely shocked. This is only my third time on a B787, the other two flights with UA, the window was not locked. From other reports I've seen on other carriers, I haven't seen people mention the windows locking. It must be specific to JL. I wonder if they only do it in the business cabin in order to ensure that business passengers are able to sleep.

      Great you got on a 787. I need to plan a trip on that aircraft soon! Looking forward to your next report.
      - They are becoming more and more common on long thin routes ex-US.
  • Comment 152204 by
    jetsetpanda 2283 Comments
    Yes, JL continues to install angle lie-flat seats on their long-haul aircraft
    - This is indeed perplexing and disappointing, especially when you look at its Asian competitors.

    When I went to the buffet area, there was a crowd so no photos, but the options were poor.
    - Most BA lounges seem to be just marginally better than U.S. domestic ones.

    TUMI amenity kit. Nice bag that I’ll repurpose, but completely void of any contents.
    - It's hard to believe that JL didn't use to give amenity kits in J. Is the kit JL branded inside with the logo?

    This is when the FAs came through with the pre-departure, I mean POST-departure drink tray (water, orange juice, champagne). I grabbed champagne.
    - They never did pre-dept. drinks which is a big letdown. If the U.S. carriers can do that, why can't JL? Your glass has the old Seasons logo from J class.

    I always get cold on the plane, so I happily took the JL-branded Mr. Rodger’s sweater.
    - Aren't Japanese carriers notorious for raising the temperature onboard? Some people complain that it can get uncomfortably warm.

    The amuse bouche is nicely presented and both tasted good, but I preferred the mushroom flan with feta cheese and truffle oil.
    - Sounds premium and delicious.

    After the amuse bouche was cleared, the FA brought out my bento box. A delicious seafood filled offering.
    - That is a treat!

    Coffee with the really good panna cotta.
    - They seem big on panna cotta. I also had that type of dessert when I flew them in 2011.

    At least JL opted for the bidet toilets, but no heated seat :(
    - Do you think passengers take a bit longer because of this extra feature? :P

    The curry was very good.
    - I love having pickles with curry rice. The second meal served a la carte is genial and it's great to have the flexibility to order whatever you want.

    Another FA tells me that this is her last flight. On carriers like JL, we take their service for granted, but it is a touching moment when you see how much their job means to them. I give her an otsukaresamadeshita as we deplane.
    - That cultural difference is one of the reasons why customer service in Japan so wonderful.

    I am glad that I took CX on my last leg from HKG-SFO. I had the option of flying JL via HND and thought about it for a moment but decided for CX in the end. I can tell you that I slept very well on my way home.

    Thank you Michael for this revealing and excellent FR. I personally would prefer flying JL on a daytime flight.
    • Comment 330121 by
      NGO85 SILVER AUTHOR 1963 Comments
      This is indeed perplexing and disappointing, especially when you look at its Asian competitors.
      - Not just Asian competitors, but US competitors too. Even UA only sends flatbeds to Asia these days; AA is a different story ;)

      Most BA lounges seem to be just marginally better than U.S. domestic ones.
      - I think this is also a BOS effect too, none of the lounges at BOS look nice. They are all in this dark corridor in the basement with no windows to the real world.

      It's hard to believe that JL didn't use to give amenity kits in J. Is the kit JL branded inside with the logo?
      - Yep :) there was a JL logo inside of the bag. I'll send you a pic later.

      They never did pre-dept. drinks which is a big letdown.
      - It really doesn't make sense at all. I understand no alcohol, but if you aren't going to serve drinks pre-departure, then at least put a water bottle in the seat pre-departure. Water bottles weren't distributed until after the meal. I cannot give JL a 10 for catering if they don't correct this.

      Aren't Japanese carriers notorious for raising the temperature onboard? Some people complain that it can get uncomfortably warm.
      - I get cold really easily, not enough meat on my bones ;) I was freezing on UA.

      Sounds premium and delicious.
      - They use a lot of good products in J, which is always a good sign for catering. You aren't getting boring ingredients like on US carriers.

      They seem big on panna cotta. I also had that type of dessert when I flew them in 2011.
      - They like custards and puddings here so it's not a surprising selection. It's just nice to see a real dessert since ice cream is often the status quo.

      Do you think passengers take a bit longer because of this extra feature? :P
      - Wait til you see the SK toilet :) The highlight of that flight, lol.

      The second meal served a la carte is genial and it's great to have the flexibility to order whatever you want.
      - There was also a large selection and it sounded like it was all well stocked. It's a premium experience to just press a call button and get served whenever you want.

      That cultural difference is one of the reasons why customer service in Japan so wonderful.
      - It was a very special moment and part of the reason why I have so much respect for the FAs here.

      I am glad that I took CX on my last leg from HKG-SFO. I had the option of flying JL via HND and thought about it for a moment but decided for CX in the end. I can tell you that I slept very well on my way home.
      - HND-SFO is now on a B77W with SkySuites so you would have had a flat-bed. I looked at this flight for Christmas, but it's too short! A waste of a J experience to only fly for 7-8 hours, lol.

      I personally would prefer flying JL on a daytime flight.
      - Just make sure it isn't domestic ;) Thanks for all of your comments and support Adan, until next time.
    • Comment 330153 by
      jetsetpanda 2283 Comments
      I cannot give JL a 10 for catering if they don't correct this.
      - Perfectly justified.

      Wait til you see the SK toilet :) The highlight of that flight, lol.
      - Oh this sounds intriguing. i can't wait. ;)

      See u soon.
  • Comment 152210 by
    Numero_2 TEAM BRONZE 10416 Comments
    Thank you for sharing !

    Great aerial pictures taken during the flight.

    Are the lounges in BOS all located on a basement level ?

    JL should be ashamed to order new planes equipped with non full flat seat in business class...

    After the TK-too-fat-Y-pillow, here's the JL-too-thin-J-pillow. lol

    Headphones are the same as the ones provided in NH premium economy.

    As usual for JL the Japanese food options are exquisite.

    The movie selection was so poor that I ended up watching Austin Powers. -> At this point I'd prefer to nap again. lol

    This flight might have been excellent if only the hard product was up to date...

    See you !
    • Comment 330122 by
      NGO85 SILVER AUTHOR 1963 Comments
      Great aerial pictures taken during the flight.
      - :( Only take off and landing because of the retarded locked windows. I always like taking pictures at the North Pole^^

      Are the lounges in BOS all located on a basement level ?
      - They are all located downstairs in the same dark corridor (LH's Business and Senator Lounges are right next to the BA Lounge). None of them have windows, it is really a dark, sad place... much like the Plaza Premium Lounges^^

      JL should be ashamed to order new planes equipped with non full flat seat in business class...
      - Makes no sense at all. And the route selection for this plane is very poor, for a regional Asian flight, it is fine (for example, they use this on KIX-TPE), but not for TPACs.

      After the TK-too-fat-Y-pillow, here's the JL-too-thin-J-pillow. lol
      - It was thinner than any Y pillow I've seen before...

      Headphones are the same as the ones provided in NH premium economy.
      - Not surprising NH and JL both use Sony for their headphones.

      As usual for JL the Japanese food options are exquisite.
      - Maybe not up to your fine Swiss tastes, but perfect for me^^

      This flight might have been excellent if only the hard product was up to date...
      - How I longed for the SkySuites... maybe soon ;) (or maybe not, lol)

      Merci Clement^^
  • Comment 152240 by
    lagentsecret 12186 Comments
    Thanks for sharing this FR

    The lounge is average at best

    On board the seat is a shame

    Great aerial vies from Boston

    Japanese catering is almost always a feat on JL

    Not only the movie selection but also the musical one is very poor

    See you for another report
    • Comment 330123 by
      NGO85 SILVER AUTHOR 1963 Comments
      Thank you very much for stopping by 007!

      It was very similar to your JL 9 experience, good food and service, but average seat.

      The lounge is average at best
      - I don't think there are any good lounges at BOS based on peeking in the windows of the other ones on my way to the BA Terraces Lounge. The salad was edible, but that's it, lol^^

      On board the seat is a shame
      - I didn't pay for the ticket, so I'm not going to complain, but only SkySuites should be operated to the US in the modern era... I avoided JL for my return for Christmas because of the seats. I could not justify spending my own money on an angled seat.

      Japanese catering is almost always a feat on JL
      - Superb offering, but no PDB.

      Not only the movie selection but also the musical one is very poor
      - SK's IFE will be even more exciting, lol^^
  • Comment 152250 by
    KévinDC TEAM SILVER 6668 Comments
    I'm not even trying to read them in order anymore--especially since they have no logical order LOL

    I like the decor of the Terraces lounge, but it seems really dark--there were no windows IIRC; is that still the case? A shame they don't do pre-departure drinks. I get not being able to open alcohol because of customs, but at least orange juice and water. You are right that it can be a long time to wait from start of boarding to takeoff and the 1st service. They could at least put a bottle of water on the seat like many airlines do.

    It is crazy to me that JAL, from the most technologically advanced country in the world, on one of the newest and advanced aircraft, installed angled lie-flat seats on some 787s! I feel sorry for Business class pax from SAN to NRT--the experience starts with the Airspace lounge that has even less food than an Admirals club...there's literally just crackers and cookies. Then to get on a plane with angled lie-flat seats--ugh.

    Great planespotting, of course. Those houses across the water must have a great view of the runway activity, though I imagine it must be noisy to live there. Awesome shots of Boston on takeoff!

    The catering looks superb. That Bento box is beautiful. But yes, it is a shame to cheapen it with a vulgar soy sauce packet.
    but it would be nicer if it were served in a small dish. - yes, though that could get messy in turbulence. They would use those little plastic capsules with screw tops or glass viles I've seen in Japan before. Had there been a PDB, the catering would have been a perfect score! I like that aside from the 1st meal, the rest is on demand. This gives it a very premium feel as on-demand dining is usually reserved for International First class.

    Aside from the seats everything looks great! Thanks for sharing!



    • Comment 330125 by
      NGO85 SILVER AUTHOR 1963 Comments
      I'm not even trying to read them in order anymore--especially since they have no logical order LOL
      - They are in order now! I'm finishing them off in order now. I am not doing the SK reports until this series is over.

      but it seems really dark--there were no windows IIRC; is that still the case?
      - Yeah, all of the lounges are in the basement so there are no windows. It is just not a good atmosphere. Lounges need natural light. It shouldn't feel like night at 11am...

      I get not being able to open alcohol because of customs, but at least orange juice and water. You are right that it can be a long time to wait from start of boarding to takeoff and the 1st service. They could at least put a bottle of water on the seat like many airlines do.
      - No water bottles were distributed until after the first meal. Japanese rarely drink so maybe they don't have a problem with being dehydrated, but not me! I am always pounding water on flights, I hate feeling dried out.

      installed angled lie-flat seats on some 787s!
      - The SkySuite was introduced before this plane was made so there is absolutely no excuse. AA has angled seats on NRT-LAX, but that is also an old plane, so it is marginally forgivable. It's like putting a Civic engine in a Ferrari...

      I feel sorry for Business class pax from SAN to NRT--the experience starts with the Airspace lounge that has even less food than an Admirals club...there's literally just crackers and cookies. Then to get on a plane with angled lie-flat seats--ugh.
      - Big sigh of relief! I almost had booked that flight for Christmas so you are helping to relieve some of that uncertainty with my routing selection. Airspace Lounge => even the name sounds cheap.

      Those houses across the water must have a great view of the runway activity, though I imagine it must be noisy to live there. Awesome shots of Boston on takeoff!
      - I'd buy one of those houses. I can't imagine BOS has that much traffic, but maybe nighttime is busy? I see a lot of FedEx planes there so there might be heavy night cargo activity...

      yes, though that could get messy in turbulence. They would use those little plastic capsules with screw tops or glass viles I've seen in Japan before.
      - It was a screw cap plastic bottle inside of the paper wrapper. The argument about turbulence is valid, but they also serve miso soup which would have the same risk ;)

      Had there been a PDB, the catering would have been a perfect score! I like that aside from the 1st meal, the rest is on demand. This gives it a very premium feel as on-demand dining is usually reserved for International First class.
      - Exactly, not a 10 experience when there was nothing pre-takeoff. It does feel very premium when you just press a button whenever you want, ask for food, and immediately have it served. Some carriers advertise on-demand dining, but I find that it's never as fluid as how JL executes it.

      Aside from the seats everything looks great!
      - That was my conclusion too, if it was a SkySuite B788 then it would have been perfect.

      Thanks for all of your comments Kevin!
    • Comment 330130 by
      KévinDC TEAM SILVER 6668 Comments
      They are in order now! I'm finishing them off in order now. I am not doing the SK reports until this series is over.
      - Oh good. I just need some order from the madness in this world :-P j/k I actually don't really care, keep em guessing, lol. I am looking forward to the SK reports to see what you impression is of the A340. My guess is you weren't too impressed with the interior.

      Big sigh of relief! I almost had booked that flight for Christmas so you are helping to relieve some of that uncertainty with my routing selection. Airspace Lounge => even the name sounds cheap.
      - I'll be doing a review of the Airspace lounge in an upcoming report, though lord knows when I'll actually post it, lol. The decor was ok and the staff was friendly...that's about all the positive things I can say about it.
    • Comment 330150 by
      NGO85 SILVER AUTHOR 1963 Comments
      My guess is you weren't too impressed with the interior.
      - The free upgrade helps me forgive a little ;) It will be soon, the report is written and will be out maybe tomorrow.
    • Comment 330151 by
      KévinDC TEAM SILVER 6668 Comments
      Oh yes, an upgrade always helps! Even if it's angle-lie-flat, which I believe is what's on SK A340s. I guess I'll find out when you post!
  • Comment 152257 by
    MrMax 142 Comments
    I agree with you, the only bad thing about the 787 is that they dim the windows automatically, making it hard to see out. This didn't work in my favour on a OAK-OSL redeye (on NAS).
    • Comment 330051 by
      KévinDC TEAM SILVER 6668 Comments
      Ooh, that's a route I'd love to see a FR on. Did you take pics to post a FR on that flight?
    • Comment 330126 by
      NGO85 SILVER AUTHOR 1963 Comments
      Thank you very much for your comment. I think this must be carrier dependent. I've only flown two carriers on a B787, but UA did not lock the windows and JL did. Other reports I've read did not mention having the windows locked during the flight.

      As Kevin said, any NAS report?
  • Comment 152335 by
    airtraveladdict 117 Comments
    Nice report!
    I don't get why JL is still installing old angled beds on some dreamliner.
    but on other dreamliners, they are installing sky suites, it makes the fleet so inconsistent.
    JL need to learn lessons from NH, and standarised their fleet.
    Apart from that, the onboard service looks nice, but no champagne at the start... how weird.
    The ground service is poor though, BA lounges are so cheap.
    • Comment 330127 by
      NGO85 SILVER AUTHOR 1963 Comments
      Thank you for stopping by and commenting!

      they are installing sky suites, it makes the fleet so inconsistent.
      - This has been a big JL problem for a long time, there are just so many different product floating around. The domestic fleet is in all kinds of shambles. You should never have to guess what you are going to get when you book a flight. This actually played a role when I was booking tickets for Christmas, JL got scrapped because it was too much work trying to build a routing that did not have a crappy seat for one of the TPACs.

      Apart from that, the onboard service looks nice, but no champagne at the start... how weird.
      - No champagne is okay., but you have to serve something...

      The ground service is poor though, BA lounges are so cheap.
      - BOS Lounges are all bad.
    • Comment 330172 by
      airtraveladdict 117 Comments
      Thank you for stopping by and commenting!

      This has been a big JL problem for a long time, there are just so many different product floating around. The domestic fleet is in all kinds of shambles. You should never have to guess what you are going to get when you book a flight. This actually played a role when I was booking tickets for Christmas, JL got scrapped because it was too much work trying to build a routing that did not have a crappy seat for one of the TPACs.
      Yes JL fleet is too confusing. I am trying out their First product in a few days time. So I will be keen to see how it goes.

      No champagne is okay., but you have to serve something...
      Yeah orange juice or water or some juice.

      BOS Lounges are all bad.
      How disappointing as a passenger that none of the airport lounges are decent. I guess when they are all bad, there isnt really competition so nobody works hard to improve.
    • Comment 330209 by
      NGO85 SILVER AUTHOR 1963 Comments
      How disappointing as a passenger that none of the airport lounges are decent. I guess when they are all bad, there isnt really competition so nobody works hard to improve.
      - You also have to remember that BOS-Europe routes are really short (often shorter than transcons) so they might take that into consideration and have domestic lounge standards, lol.
    • Comment 330227 by
      airtraveladdict 117 Comments
      I guess I'm just a piggy who loves a nice lounge with lots of food lol
  • Comment 152344 by
    Rl 777 802 Comments
    Thank you for sharing another FR with us!

    Your ride definitely looked good in that weather, too bad those boarding bridges were in the way.

    Nice spotting shots from BOS :).

    Absolutely spectacular shots after take-off from BOS!

    It's a shame they operate 788s with these seats on routes like BOS-NRT and SAN-NRT, it certainly creates some type of inconsistency in their long-haul offerings.

    The catering was a big plus on this flight. The presentation and quality of the food offerings looked great. The only minus is the exclusion of a pre-departure drink.

    The IFE screens are also 10.6 inches in Y in QR's 787s, it's disappointing to see the same screen size for the bulkhead seats in JL J.

    Stunning sunset arrival into NRT!

    Have a good one, see you!


    • Comment 330128 by
      NGO85 SILVER AUTHOR 1963 Comments
      Thank you for very much for your comments!

      Your ride definitely looked good in that weather, too bad those boarding bridges were in the way.
      - It was the last gate so you couldn't get a shot from the other side so I was stuck with those two photos. It was heavy rains that morning, but the weather cleared up by lunchtime.

      Absolutely spectacular shots after take-off from BOS!
      - Very lucky to be on the right side of the plane, I was expecting us to take off in the other direction actually based on my last flight from BOS.

      It's a shame they operate 788s with these seats on routes like BOS-NRT and SAN-NRT
      - I guess they figure on a thin route there is no competition so they can do whatever they want. CX just broke that monopoly at BOS and sends a 4-cabin plane to BOS, so they are going to force JL's hand. I can't see JL keeping this cabin on this route for much longer (but the cabin was 100% full so they are still getting passengers).

      The presentation and quality of the food offerings looked great.
      - You should never expect anything less than excellent for Japanese food. JL and NH catering are always superb because that is their cultural identity.

      The IFE screens are also 10.6 inches in Y in QR's 787s, it's disappointing to see the same screen size for the bulkhead seats in JL J.
      - A fold-out 15 screen would be huge, lol. So I understand why they do it, but it also shows that all seats are not created equally. Given the poor quality of content on JL's Magic-V, I really didn't need the screen since there was nothing to watch :(
  • Comment 152351 by
    aussenrist 225 Comments
    Thanks for sharing this detail report with nice pictures!

    Initially I was highly anticipated for this report because I assumed that you would have the Skysuite for this flight :P
    Unfortunately it was a shell flat J. Maybe JL is the sole operator for this route so they don’t need to place the best product for its passengers. BTW it is weird for JL still installs these J seats on the new 787s together with no self-control window dimming LOL

    IMO the lounge is a little bit dark (no windows?). Nice view and spotting of the BOS runway with the suburb behind and downtown during takeoff!

    “We find manga, manga, manga!” --> I immediately associated with ONE PIECE LOL! The IFE content looks inadequate for non-Japanese passengers.

    Although no pre-depart drinks, the food looks really decent and delicious (with your nice photos^^). My mouth is watering even I just see the pictures especially the Kobachi bowls and Maguro Tataki Don :P

    Look forward to your next report!
    • Comment 330129 by
      NGO85 SILVER AUTHOR 1963 Comments
      Thank you very much for stopping by!

      Initially I was highly anticipated for this report because I assumed that you would have the Skysuite for this flight :P
      - Life is full of disappointments :)

      Maybe JL is the sole operator for this route so they don’t need to place the best product for its passengers. BTW it is weird for JL still installs these J seats on the new 787s together with no self-control window dimming LOL
      - CX joined the market in May of this year so there is now competition within the oneworld alliance. JL should be feeling heat soon since CX sends B77Ws with First class cabin and Cirrus seats in J.

      IMO the lounge is a little bit dark (no windows?).
      - Very dark and bland. It's like sitting in a closet. Terminal E at BOS is very old and needs to be redone for BOS to be a real international airport. Most of their routes are just short TATLs so maybe the current offering is acceptable?

      “Although no pre-depart drinks, the food looks really decent and delicious (with your nice photos^^). My mouth is watering even I just see the pictures especially the Kobachi bowls and Maguro Tataki Don :P
      - I would have rated it a 10, but no PDB is a part of in-flight service and it was not present. The food was all very delicious! Good quality products and good presentation, everything you expect from Japanese food.
  • Comment 155561 by
    dw55 45 Comments
    Thanks for the great pictures and thorough review! The food offering is much better than the SFO-HND route. How's the angle flat seat for sleeping?
    CX J has better seats, but JL wins on catering and crew service, I think.

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