Review of Japan Airlines flight from Osaka to Los Angeles in Premium Eco

Before I knew it, it was time to board the flight that would take me back home to the United States. After an exciting day in Osaka, I made my way back to Kansai International Airport to board my Japan Airlines flight to Los Angeles.

BOOKING

I booked this flight via the American Airlines AAdvantage program for 50,000 miles and US $49.50 in taxes and fees. While American has completely ditched an award chart for their own flights at this point, you can still generally find partner airline flights at a predictable rate; you can also generally add positioning flights on American for no additional charge as well (this booking also included a hop back to DFW to get myself home).

CHECK-IN/AIRPORT

Japan Airlines allows you to check in online and obtain a mobile boarding pass, so along with my carry-on bag there was no need for me to stop at the check-in counter. After passing through the short security line, I was dumped into what is currently the longest airport terminal in the world–KIX terminal 1, at 1.7km long!

Unlike the second-longest airport (Detroit in Michigan, USA), Terminal 1 does not support walking all the way from one end to the other; the North Wing is completely walkable, but the South Wing requires the use of the automated shuttle. I didn't realize this and, anticipating the long flight ahead, tried to walk to my gate–only to realize that a wall prevented me from getting any further than gate 24.

Kansai Airport is certainly clean, but many things (such as the train, pictured above) just felt they hadn't been very well-maintained–paint was peeling on trim pieces, signs were outdated, and furnishings were clearly far from modern. The terminal could certainly benefit from a renovation to bring it up to the standards we expect from large, modern airports.

LOUNGE

Unlike most other airlines, JAL does include lounge access with a premium economy ticket. For my flight, this meant I had access to the Sakura Lounge, though I believe JAL has moved their contract to a different airline since my flight in June 2024. I don't necessarily blame them; this lounge was a bit disappointing. I grabbed a sad-looking plate of food (the bite was mine, of course)…

…and found one of the few empty tables. Understandably, the lounge can get fairly crowded, given that premium economy access adds a significant amount of eligible passengers, but there's a serious lack of seating given that I wasn't even here at a particularly busy time. On top of that, the amenities in the lounge are pretty much non-existent–there's a bathroom and a few business cubicles, and that's about it. I also found the sign outside the lounge particularly amusing, considering A) American Airlines hasn't flown to KIX since 2006, and B) they haven't used that logo since 2013.

BOARDING

Before too long, it was time to head back into the terminal and find my gate. Today's flight would be operated by JA-873J, a 6-year-old Boeing 787-9.

Boarding began right on time, 25 minutes prior to the scheduled departure. Premium Economy typically boards in Group 3; however, I was afforded Group 2 boarding thanks to my oneworld Sapphire status. I have to take a moment to appreciate how efficiently boarding takes place in Japan; the entire aircraft had been loaded with over five minutes to spare, and we were on our way with just a short wait for our ground crew.

My seat for this flight was 18A, a window seat on the left side of the aircraft. 

The seat was quite comfortable, with an above-average amount of legroom and a reasonable width. The reading light on the side of the seat was appreciated while I was eating my dinner. The seat had an extendable leg rest as well as a foot rest which came down from the seat in front of it. 

Upon boarding, I found a blanket and pillow, headphones, a small amenity kit and slippers waiting at my seat. The in-flight entertainment screen felt modern and responsive, though the selection of movies left a bit to be desired.

The meal was served around an hour after takeoff. I ordered the "Pork Shabu-Shabu with Sesame Sauce & Ginger Rice". The tray came with several side dishes, all still in their plastic packaging with lids.

Based on the menu, I had a choice of the same two dishes that were being served in Economy. This isn't 100% a bad thing, given that JAL's economy fare is pretty good, but it was a bit of a let-down for premium economy. That being said, the food was tasty (though nothing special), and my tray was cleared quickly after I had finished my meal. JAL offers UDON de SKY noodles as a snack during the flight, but I didn't feel particularly hungry again until the pre-arrival meal.

For breakfast, the flight attendants brought around a tray with chicken curry as well as a bell pepper salad and orange jelly.

The curry was quite good; I'm sure a big reason they serve it for breakfast is how easily it reheats. Again, the meal in its entirety felt just like an economy meal; JAL certainly has an opportunity here to add some sort of differentiation to Premium Economy meals–even something as simple as not having to remove the packaging would be a big step up.

It wasn't long before we started our descent into Los Angeles and I was finally back home on U.S. soil!

VERDICT

JAL Premium Economy is a perfectly pleasant way to travel, with a good set of passenger amenities and a comfortable seat. However, the food is certainly disappointing, feeling much closer to economy fare than most other airlines. Osaka's Kansai Airport also seems like it's stuck at the turn of the century. However, JAL's premium economy is still an enjoyable experience, particularly if you can find a good deal with your AAdvantage miles.