Japan Airlines Boeing 777-300ER Business Class Review [SFO to HND]

Airline: Japan Airlines (JL)
Aircraft: Boeing 777-300ER
Flight #: JL1
Route: San Francisco International Airport (SFO) to Haneda Airport (HND)
Date: February 24, 2024
Duration: 11 hours, 25 minutes
Cabin and Layout: Business class, 49 seats, 2-3-2 configuration (JAL Sky Suites)
Seat: 12K
Cost: 60,000 Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan miles or from $8,889 cash

Japan Airlines (JAL) is widely regarded as one of the best airlines in the world thanks to its fantastic inflight catering and hospitable service. This is especially true for JAL’s long-haul flights in a premium cabin.

With an Alaska Airlines loyalty program devaluation on the horizon, I thought it was the perfect time to redeem Alaska miles I had been sitting on for a few months.

I considered a few destinations but ultimately decided to go back to my favorite country, Japan. Best of all, I would have the chance to fly on one of my favorite airlines: Japan Airlines.

I flew in Japan Airlines first class in 2022 and loved it. However, I wanted to fly in business class this time around to see how it compared to the incredible first class experience I’d had.

Let’s take an in-depth look at how I booked this award ticket and the entire experience from the lounge in San Francisco to the Japan Airlines flight itself.

Booking Japan Airlines Business Class

With Japan Airlines being part of Oneworld, there are several airline loyalty programs you can use to book Japan Airlines business class awards. Of course, you can use Japan Airlines’ own loyalty program, JAL Mileage Bank.

However, you can also use Oneworld partner programs to book Japan Airlines awards, as well. Some popular programs for booking Oneworld partner awards include Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan, American Airlines AAdvantage, British Airways Executive Club, and Qantas Frequent Flyer, among others.

I chose to go with the Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan program for 1 major reason: an impending devaluation.

For the longest time, Alaska Airlines miles have been some of the most valuable, thanks in part to the program’s favorable award charts. However, they’re also relatively difficult to attain, as the Mileage Plan program lacks major transfer partners.

The Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan program has been loved by many for its fantastic award charts with numerous sweet spots, easy-to-use search engine, long list of airline partners (both in Oneworld and outside of any alliance), and its incredibly generous stopover policy. However, a lot of the program is set to change with the upcoming overhaul.

Hot Tip:

Check out our guide on some of the best ways to redeem Alaska Mileage Plan miles for maximum value. It is worth noting that pricing may be different with the upcoming program overhaul.

In March 2024, Alaska Airlines is changing to a distance-based redemption system, meaning that award pricing will be determined by the distance flown.

Since I knew this major devaluation was imminent, I began comparing the current award pricing to the newer rates. After researching, I decided it was time to redeem Alaska Airlines miles.

I was thinking of taking a trip to Japan later this year, but this devaluation pushed me to go earlier. I started looking for award availability directly on Alaska’s site. JAL typically releases a good amount of award seats to partner programs.

Although I live in Chicago, I decided to look up award space from either Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) or San Francisco International Airport (SFO), as I was going to be in the Bay Area for a few days at the end of February.

Luckily, I was able to find award space from San Francisco to Tokyo Haneda Airport (HND) on the exact day I was planning on returning to Chicago. This one-way business class award could be booked for 60,000 Alaska miles and $19 in taxes and fees.

After the upcoming changes to the Alaska award charts, this exact route between San Francisco and Tokyo will price at 75,000 miles, a 25% increase.

Before completing the booking, I remembered that Alaska has an incredibly generous stopover policy, where you can essentially visit 2 destinations for the price of 1. Best of all, Alaska allows for stopovers on one-way awards. Stopovers are an incredible perk when it comes to award bookings, though most loyalty programs do not allow for them.

Since I had never been to Seoul, I decided to look for award space between Tokyo and Seoul after spending a few days in Tokyo. Fortunately, I was able to find award space relatively easily, thanks to Alaska’s intuitive search engine.

Through Alaska, I was able to add a connecting flight from Tokyo to Seoul’s Gimpo International Airport (GMP) for no additional miles.

The one-way business class fare from San Francisco to Tokyo would have set me back $8,889. Cash prices on last-minute long-haul business class tickets already tend to be quite high, but I booked this award about a week before departure, which meant the cash price for this itinerary was probably inflated. Typically, these one-way business class tickets go for around $5,000.

Using $5,000 as a base guideline, I was getting an astounding 8.3 cents per point with my Alaska miles. This was significantly higher than our valuation of Alaska miles at 1.8 cents each. Using the actual (inflated) cash price of $8,889 I would’ve had to pay at the last minute, the value of my redemption came to a jaw-dropping 14.8 cents per point. Either way, I was coming out ahead — way ahead!

I used my Chase Sapphire Reserve^® to pay the taxes and fees for this award ticket, which came out to $45 (including the $12.50 partner award booking fee). The Chase Sapphire Reserve card is my go-to card for airfare purchases thanks to its impressive travel insurance and protections.

San Francisco International Airport

After spending a wonderful day in San Francisco catching up with a friend, it was time to head to San Francisco International Airport (SFO), where I was flying from. Fortunately, my friend was able to drive me directly to the airport.

Check-In

Japan Airlines operates out of the International Terminal at SFO. The check-in counters for Japan Airlines were in aisle 8.

Although I always check in for my flights before arriving at the airport, I could not do so for this Japan Airlines flight.

There were 8 check-in counters (4 for economy) and separate queues for which class you were flying in. Surprisingly, check-in agents were at each of the 8 counters.

From San Francisco, Japan Airlines operates 2 daily flights to Tokyo: 1 to Tokyo Haneda and another to Narita International Airport (NRT). These flights depart within 45 minutes of each other, so you can expect check-in and bag drop to be extremely busy.

Fortunately, I was the first in line, as I got to the check-in counter just as the JAL agents were setting up. As I made my way to the check-in counter, I was greeted by an incredibly welcoming Japan Airlines representative.

Within 2 minutes, she verified my passport and checked me in for the flight. She promptly handed me my boarding pass and told me which lounge I had access to. I was honestly quite surprised by how quickly she was able to get everything done.

I then headed directly to the security check. It was not too busy at 8:30 a.m., so security went by rather quickly. I do have TSA PreCheck, which expedited the security screening. After clearing security, I collected my bags and headed toward the lounge.

British Airways Club Lounge

With the Japan Airlines Sakura Lounge at SFO permanently closed, JAL business class passengers can now use the British Airways Club Lounge instead (BA is a Oneworld partner airline). The lounge is on the lower level, near gate A5 in the International Terminal’s A Concourse.

As I walked in, I saw 2 check-in counters with an illuminated British Airways sign. A lounge representative quickly scanned my boarding pass, and I was allowed inside.

The lounge was 1 level down from the check-in desk. The elevator was directly to the left of the reception area.

As I got off the elevators, I was greeted with 1 of the 2 main rooms in the lounge. A massive couch was in the middle of the entrance, with 3 low-back barstools on the back wall.

As I walked further inside the lounge, I entered a small dining area with a few round dining tables.

Behind the dining area, was a fully stocked bar with Betty Buzz bottled cocktails.

The lounge also featured a self-service bar with a huge selection of wine, beer, soft drinks, juices, and citrus water.

A wide selection of alcoholic beverages was available.

The bar opened to an entrance to the second room. Against the left wall was seating with small marble side tables separating the seats.

In the center of the second room was another seating area with about 20 armchairs. These were surprisingly comfortable, although they were tightly crammed together.

This counter had high-top counter seating, with vertical wood beams dividing the sections. The counter was sectioned off, and each cubby featured a power outlet.

Behind the divider was another seating area with several more armchairs and side tables with small lamps.

The lounge’s main self-serve buffet was across from this seating area. Fortunately, the lounge had an ample selection of food to choose from in the lounge, both hot and cold.

Each seat in the lounge had a QR code that took you to the menu to order food directly to your table. However, JAL and other non-British Airways business class passengers could not use this feature, which I found surprising.

The hot buffet had roasted garlic chicken, curry tofu with spinach, and steamed rice.

Vegetarian options included spring rolls and roasted brown sugar-glazed carrots.

You could also pick from 2 types of sandwiches:

• A vegetarian option with chickpea fritters, lemon tahini yogurt, red onion, cucumbers, lettuce, and tomatoes in a spinach wrap
• A chicken salad sandwich with arugula, celery, and dried cranberries on multigrain bread

A small dessert section featured triple-chocolate brownies and chocolate chip and oatmeal raisin cookies. The cookies seemed quite fresh and were delicious.

Fresh fruit salad with strawberries, blueberries, and grapes was available.

The lounge also featured a coffee machine and a machine dispensing sparkling wine and sparkling water.

After walking around the lounge and seeing what it had to offer, I grabbed a plate of food. I got steamed rice, garlic chicken, spring rolls, and a chicken sandwich. The garlic chicken and spring rolls were quite tasty.

I was the first person to enter the lounge for the day, and it was empty for nearly 30 minutes. However, it got extremely busy and reached maximum capacity around 10 a.m. when the 2 flights to Tokyo left within 45 minutes of each other. An EVA Air flight to Taipei left right around the same time.

Overall, the British Airways Club Lounge was a nice way to spend 3 hours. There were several comfortable seats and a great selection of food and beverages. Wi-Fi was also available, and there were power outlets throughout the lounge.

However, the lounge did not offer any showers, and there were only 2 bathrooms for over 150 people, which resulted in lines.

Boarding at SFO

After a few hours in the lounge, it was time to head to the gate. I headed downstairs to gate A11, where my flight to Tokyo was scheduled to depart.

Before I reached the gate, I caught a glimpse of the beautiful Japan Airlines 777-300ER that would be taking us to Tokyo.

A few moments later, the boarding process began. Passengers in groups 1 and 2 were allowed to board first.

The boarding process was hectic, as groups lined up near the gate entrance. The Japan Airlines gate agents had to make a few announcements asking passengers to take a few steps back from the gate entrance and only board when their boarding group was called.

Although it was hectic, the Japan Airlines representatives did a great job. Overall, boarding was completed in under 30 minutes. This was surprising, given the number of passengers on the flight.

On Board the Japan Airlines Boeing 777-300ER

As I boarded the Boeing 777 through door 2, I turned right to go to my seat, 12K. I specifically picked this seat because I wanted a window seat and to be at the back of the cabin. Although I was concerned that it would be noisy, as my seat was near the galley, it was not an issue.

I quickly stowed my carry-on bag in the overhead compartment and put my personal item near the footwell of my seat.

I immediately began to examine the seat and cabin. The seat felt comfortable enough, but the path to the seat was narrow.

The Japan Airlines 777-300ER’s business class was divided into 2 cabins, each with a 2-3-2 configuration. Although this may not sound great, all business class passengers had direct aisle access.

This was because this aircraft was fitted with the Sky Suite, the name Japan Airlines uses for Apex Suites. With its brilliant design, the staggered suites allowed for a ton of privacy while also ensuring all business class passengers have direct access to the aisle.

There were a total of 49 business class seats. The smaller cabin, between door 1 and door 2 (right behind the first class cabin), had a single row with 7 seats. The larger cabin, behind the galley, had the remaining 6 rows, for a total of 42 seats.

Business Class Seat

As I started looking at the details of the Sky Suite, I noticed how much space there was. I initially thought the 2-3-2 layout would feel incredibly cramped, as many other airlines flying the 777-300ER offer a 1-2-1 configuration.

However, that was not the case. There was plenty of space for me to get comfortable. According to Japan Airlines, the business class seats are 20.5 inches wide.

Although the seat was comfortable and wide, the narrow path to the window seat was not. The design of the seats was interesting, but I wish they had added 1 fewer row of seats to allow for more space to get to the window seats.

With the cabin being arranged in a 2-3-2 configuration, seats were awfully close to each other.

Fortunately, the seats featured a retractable privacy divider, which I consider an absolute necessity for those traveling alone.

The privacy divider went up to the upper edge of the seat, allowing for maximum privacy and enhancing overall comfort and relaxation.

Next to the sliding partition was the seat’s touchscreen IFE remote control. I found the remote mounted in the perfect spot, easy to reach without me having to lean forward.

The controller was relatively outdated but easy to follow, with a few clickable buttons. I only used the controller a few times, primarily to view the different flight maps available.

The seat had a decent-sized screen, although it was far from the seat. A small table was in front of the monitor, which could be used as a storage area.

Below the IFE was the seat’s ottoman and footwell. I could not reach the ottoman when fully seated, as it was quite far from the seat. Below the ottoman was enough space for me to store my camera and laptop bag.

An armrest was on the left side of the seat, below the seat’s IFE controller. I also found the swiveling tray table inside the armrest.

The tray table was fairly large and quite sturdy. The tray table could not be raised or pushed away from the seat.

However, the tray table could swivel 90 degrees. I did not find this particularly useful, as there was not enough space to get out of the seat even when the tray table was rotated.

The seat’s universal power outlet, an RCA video jack, and a USB-A port were also on the left of the seat in front of the tray table compartment. I liked the placement of the power outlet, as it could firmly hold my MacBook’s power brick in place.

On the back side of the same panel were the controls for seat adjustment. The controls were easy to use, and the buttons illustrated exactly what would happen when pressed.

I loved the placement of the seat controls, as they were easily within reach. However, they were noticeably worn from years of use.

On the left, behind the privacy divider, was another panel with a reading light and a headphone jack.

As I mentioned, the Japan Airlines 777 seats were also fully lie-flat. On the seat control panel was a button to turn the seat into a bed. The bed combined with the footrest under the monitor and provided plenty of space,

Japan Airlines provided a duvet and a thick Airweave mattress pad, which I found comfortable and cool. However, the provided pillow was on the softer side. I had to fold the pillow in half to get some rest, which wasn’t ideal.

I found the bed extremely comfortable, although I felt it was a bit cramped, especially around my shoulders.

Overall, the Japan Airlines Sky Suite business class seat was spacious and comfortable. This was my first time flying an Apex Suite product, and I enjoyed it more than I thought I would.

Although the cabin felt crowded (I mean, there were 42 seats in the bigger cabin), the seat had a ton of privacy, thanks to the design and the retractable privacy dividers.

I would be absolutely thrilled to fly in another Apex Suites product to see how it compares to the Japan Airlines version. Not a bad way to spend nearly 12 hours across the Pacific.

Food and Beverage

Although Japan Airlines is known for its consistent business class product and incredible inflight service, the onboard meal service may be its biggest selling point. Japan Airlines takes great pride in the country’s culinary heritage, and this commitment is displayed in its business class menu.

For me, the most important aspect of a flight experience is the onboard cuisine. Japan Airlines offers some of the best food in the sky and did not disappoint on this flight.

Inflight Dining Experience

After taking pictures of the seat and cabin, I browsed through the menu, which was already placed on the seat prior to departure.

Shortly after I settled into my seat, a flight attendant came by and offered a predeparture beverage, with the choice of orange or apple juice.

However, I declined, as I wanted my usual Coke Zero. I also went with the SKY TIME original drink, which contained a peach and grape mix. The flight attendant said it would be brought shortly after takeoff.

Although I had flown Japan Airlines in a premium cabin before (JAL first class in 2022), I forgot how diverse the onboard food was.

Japan Airlines allows business and first class passengers to pick between the washoku (Japanese cuisine) and international cuisine menus. There was also an entirely separate à la carte menu.

The menu also featured an extensive wine and beverage selection that included premium Japanese sake and international wines.

After looking through the menu, I went with the Japanese menu. However, since I don’t eat pork, I asked a flight attendant if I could mix and match both cuisines. The flight attendant said it was not a problem as long as there were enough meals for all the first and business class passengers. A few moments later, she returned and said it would be OK.

Meal service began shortly after we reached cruising altitude. The lunch service consisted of an appetizer, a main course, and a dessert. I could also order coffee or tea for after the meal.

The à la carte menu ranged from soup and sandwiches to rice bowls and noodles.

Less than 20 minutes after takeoff, the Japan Airlines cabin crew began the meal service.

They first brought out beverages accompanied by ramekins of olives and cashews, walnuts, pistachios, and macadamia nuts. 

Shortly after, the flight attendants brought out the appetizer. The Japanese appetizer consisted of 6 dishes:

• Kobashira, the muscle of a surf clam, marinated in sweet vinegar sauce
• Japanese omelet, sweet black beans, and a prawn simmered with pickled burdock root
• Grilled chicken with sweet soy sauce and sauteed dried radish
• Deep-fried tofu with crab and Chinese cabbage
• Red bell peppers with dried bonito flakes
• Salt-grilled yellowtail with pickled-radish yogurt sauce

Everything on the plate was delicious. I particularly enjoyed the grilled chicken with sweet soy sauce and the salt-grilled yellowtail. It was evident that much thought and care went into the preparation of each dish.

A flight attendant then brought me the international appetizer as well. I was not expecting to try both appetizers, so I was incredibly thankful.

The international appetizer was a plate of seared tuna niçoise and Caprese salad with honey mustard balsamic dressing. The tuna was fantastic, but the salad was bland despite the dressing.

At this point, I was already starting to get full, and we hadn’t even gotten to the main course.

For that, we had a choice of seared Chilean sea bass or prime beef tenderloin. I went with the latter. The tenderloin was accompanied by Bordelaise sauce, pumpkin conchiglioni, and green beans.

At this point, I was so full that I knew I had only a little room for dessert — in this case, a simple strawberry panna cotta.

As I mentioned, JAL also offered a separate à la carte menu. After a few hours of rest, I decided it was time to try the à la carte menu.

I went with the chicken and vegetable teriyaki bowl and the tomato soup for my first selection from the à la carte menu. The teriyaki bowl came with carrots and mushrooms. Overall, it was fantastic and incredibly filling.

About an hour later, I requested a smoked salmon and cream cheese bagel. However, the bagel did not have cream cheese and instead contained tomatoes. The bagel did not taste good whatsoever.

About 2 hours later, I decided to try out a few more things from the à la carte menu, as nearly everything I had eaten up to this point was fantastic.

I ordered 2 more items from the menu: the vegetable lasagna and the vegetable curry.

The vegetable lasagna was simply delicious and the best part of the entire meal service.

The vegetable curry contained potatoes and onions and was also quite delicious. I also requested steamed rice.

For the final part of the meal service, I ordered ice cream. The flight attendant served me vanilla Haagen-Dazs.

Overall, the Japan Airlines inflight cuisine was fantastic and the highlight of my Japan Airlines experience. The food selection was extremely diverse, and everything, minus the bagel, was delicious.

The entire inflight dining experience lived up to the hype. These may have been the best business class meals I have ever had on a flight. The food was what I would expect at a high-end Japanese restaurant.

Amenities

Japan Airlines offered several amenities for business class passengers. This included a wide selection of inflight entertainment, an amenity kit, slippers, headphones, and complimentary Wi-Fi.

Inflight Entertainment

Although I barely used the IFE during the flight, it was nice to follow our plane’s flight path now and again. The monitor screen was a good size (23 inches) but quite far from the seat.

The IFE had a good selection of Japanese, American, and international movies and TV shows. However, I had all my TV shows loaded on my MacBook.

Noise-Canceling Headphones

Japan Airlines also provided noise-canceling headphones. However, I found them uncomfortable and did not use them once after trying them out.

Amenity Kit

Japan Airlines also provided business class passengers with an amenity kit from Japan’s Heralbony brand. The pouch was relatively simple but still felt high-quality.

The amenity kit contained tissues, a toothbrush set, a sleeping mask, and earplugs. It also included more unusual items, such as a phone stand and a USB-A-to-Lightning charging cable, neither of which I had ever seen in an amenity kit before.

Japan Airlines also provided business class passengers with slippers, which proved to be useful when I headed to the lavatory. The slippers were also nice and comfy, and even came with a shoehorn.

Onboard Wi-Fi

Japan Airlines offered passengers free inflight Wi-Fi for filling out a survey.

I found the entire process to be extremely cumbersome. For example, there was a section where you had to select your top 5 priorities when choosing an airline. You then needed to rank them from 1 to 5.

After taking nearly 5 minutes to complete the unnecessarily long campaign survey, I could finally connect to the onboard Wi-Fi.

However, saying I was disappointed in the onboard Wi-Fi would be an understatement. I conducted a speed test and got an abysmal 0.61 Mbps download speed.

The Wi-Fi was good enough to send messages (with a delay in actually being sent), but it was not useful for anything else. This was a major disappointment.

Japan Airlines also offered Wi-Fi plans for purchase. However, at these speeds, I could never recommend anyone purchase a plan.

Eye Mask

In addition to the sleeping mask in the amenity kit, Japan Airlines also provided gentle steam eye masks about 45 minutes before landing.

The steam eye mask was supposed to relax tired eyes, relieve strain from blue light exposure, and help release tension and stress. However, I’m not entirely sure the mask did anything for my eyes.

Service

I loved everything about the business class experience on Japan Airlines. A big part of that came down to the service of the friendly and courteous cabin crew.

The flight attendants worked hard and went out of their way to make sure I enjoyed my experience. They consistently stopped by to ask me if I needed anything and quickly fulfilled all of my meal requests.

I happened to mention to 1 of the flight attendants that I was looking forward to flying on a Japan Airlines Airbus A350-1000 flight in the near future.

The Japan Airlines cabin crew gave me a model of a Japan Airlines A350. I thought this was a kind gesture showing how much Japan Airlines cares for its passengers and takes pride in its service.

Arrival at Haneda Airport

Ahead of arriving, the flight attendants handed passengers immigration forms. I filled it out before landing, as I wanted to get through immigration as quickly as possible.

We arrived in Tokyo a few minutes ahead of our scheduled arrival time. Although Tokyo Haneda is a massive airport, we had a relatively short taxi to the gate.

After thanking the cabin crew for the final time, I headed up the jet bridge to the airport terminal. From a window in the terminal, I could see the Japan Airlines 777-300ER that brought us to Tokyo.

I quickly ran to get ahead of the large groups of people. Unfortunately, the immigration lines were quite packed. It took about 25 minutes to clear immigration once I got in a foreign passport line.

Final Thoughts

This Japan Airlines business class experience was phenomenal — it was everything I’d expected it to be. Everything on the flight was amazing, from the comfortable business class seat and bed to the unbelievable inflight dining to the professional and courteous cabin crew and the service they provided.

The food was amazing, among the best I have ever had on a flight. The extensive menu had so many options, and it was great that I could try so many of them.

The business class seat on the Japan Airlines Boeing 777-300ER may be aging, but the quality comfort was still there. I consider Japan Airlines among my 3 favorite airlines and cannot wait to fly business class with them again. However, the next time will have to be aboard the brand-new Airbus A350-1000.