London to Tokyo: BA v JAL

London to Tokyo: BA v JAL

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Sport_Turismo_GTS

Original Poster:

825 posts

28 months

Friday 18th March 2022
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Finalising flights to Tokyo for next year (using Avios): does anyone have any experience of First class in JAL v BA, or just go with the new BA Club Suites and save the Avios?!

Thanks

GT03ROB

13,207 posts

220 months

Friday 18th March 2022
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I've no experience of JAL, but BA Club Suites vs BA First, save the miles & use Club Suites.

Sport_Turismo_GTS

Original Poster:

825 posts

28 months

Friday 18th March 2022
quotequote all
GT03ROB said:
I've no experience of JAL, but BA Club Suites vs BA First, save the miles & use Club Suites.
Thanks.

I’ve previously found JAL business to be significantly better than BA club world (old style), so wondered if the JAL First product was a similarly superior experience. We aren’t short of Avios points, so happy to use them if it’s likely to be worthwhile!

Heathrow Terminal 3 is probably less convenient than Terminal 5, which is also a consideration.

GT03ROB

13,207 posts

220 months

Friday 18th March 2022
quotequote all
Sport_Turismo_GTS said:
GT03ROB said:
I've no experience of JAL, but BA Club Suites vs BA First, save the miles & use Club Suites.
Thanks.

I’ve previously found JAL business to be significantly better than BA club world (old style), so wondered if the JAL First product was a similarly superior experience. We aren’t short of Avios points, so happy to use them if it’s likely to be worthwhile!

Heathrow Terminal 3 is probably less convenient than Terminal 5, which is also a consideration.
The problem with BA, frankly is the crew & service standard. It's just too erratic. When they get it right it's superb, wrong & it's awful. Unfortunately this applies as much to BA 1st as the other classes.


DanL

6,177 posts

264 months

Friday 18th March 2022
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First hit on YouTube, so make of it what you will…



Haven’t done JAL first, have done BA. I’d go with JAL unless you’re determined to use the Concorde room.

Sport_Turismo_GTS

Original Poster:

825 posts

28 months

Friday 18th March 2022
quotequote all
DanL said:
First hit on YouTube, so make of it what you will…

Haven’t done JAL first, have done BA. I’d go with JAL unless you’re determined to use the Concorde room.
Thanks - I’ve viewed a few similar videos on YouTube.

Tempted to try JAL to see how it compares to BA First - Concorde room access isn’t an important part of the decision!

Xenobian

146 posts

25 months

Saturday 19th March 2022
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BA first is one of the most overrated products in the sky, really nothing special in my experience. JAL First however, is a much nicer experience so I would be more minded to look into that. I've done 5 or 6 returns with JAL in First, all great. As for BA, the best I could say is that it is OK (as first class goes).

The Concord Room is also hugely overrated. I'm grateful to BA to have a Concord Room card, and it's nice if you're a very frequent flier, but as with their cabins, it's really nothing so special.

shirt

22,508 posts

200 months

Saturday 19th March 2022
quotequote all
GT03ROB said:
The problem with BA, frankly is the crew & service standard. It's just too erratic. When they get it right it's superb, wrong & it's awful. Unfortunately this applies as much to BA 1st as the other classes.
This. When it’s like an airborne Butlins the flight seems to take twice as long. Tedious at best.

GT03ROB

13,207 posts

220 months

Saturday 19th March 2022
quotequote all
Xenobian said:
BA first is one of the most overrated products in the sky, really nothing special in my experience. JAL First however, is a much nicer experience so I would be more minded to look into that. I've done 5 or 6 returns with JAL in First, all great. As for BA, the best I could say is that it is OK (as first class goes).

The Concord Room is also hugely overrated. I'm grateful to BA to have a Concord Room card, and it's nice if you're a very frequent flier, but as with their cabins, it's really nothing so special.
Wouldn’t disagree with that at all.

In every class with BA I’ve had superb & frikking awful. There is a big gap between PE & CW, Econ to PE not a huge difference & CW to !st not a huge difference. The only real stand out experience in 1st was on a flight when there was only myself & wife in 1st to Caribbean. The guy had the right attitude & it was fun, worked thru the wine selection & fell off in St Lucia.

In the days of Concord it was different & concord service was a bit special.

Sport_Turismo_GTS

Original Poster:

825 posts

28 months

Tuesday 12th April 2022
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Managed to purchase two first class seats with JAL to Tokyo for 1/4/2023 - no BA reward reverse seats available, so I didn’t get to use my Amex 2-for-1 voucher this time. I can use the voucher for some winter sun instead!

Will try and book the return flights when they are released in 17 day’s time!

I hope JAL First lives up to the expectations you have set!

Sport_Turismo_GTS

Original Poster:

825 posts

28 months

Sunday 26th February 2023
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Only a few weeks to go - I will report back!

mikef

4,821 posts

250 months

Sunday 26th February 2023
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If you like Japanese food, the food in JAL First was stunning - although it’s 10 years since I was there on business

Sport_Turismo_GTS

Original Poster:

825 posts

28 months

Sunday 26th February 2023
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mikef said:
If you like Japanese food, the food in JAL First was stunning - although it’s 10 years since I was there on business
Yes, we are both big fans of Japanese food!

InitialDave

11,853 posts

118 months

Sunday 26th February 2023
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Sport_Turismo_GTS said:
Finalising flights to Tokyo for next year (using Avios): does anyone have any experience of First class in JAL v BA, or just go with the new BA Club Suites and save the Avios?!

Thanks
I didn't catch this thread before you booked, but for anyone else, be aware that BA are currently using the older, pre-refit planes for the London-Tokyo run, so you wouldn't have got the new club suites anyway.

Not flown JAL, but I've used ANA first, and if JAL are anything on a par with that, it should be excellent.

Sport_Turismo_GTS

Original Poster:

825 posts

28 months

Sunday 26th February 2023
quotequote all
InitialDave said:
I didn't catch this thread before you booked, but for anyone else, be aware that BA are currently using the older, pre-refit planes for the London-Tokyo run, so you wouldn't have got the new club suites anyway.

Not flown JAL, but I've used ANA first, and if JAL are anything on a par with that, it should be excellent.
I had a good business class trip with ANA for a business tour in Asia a few years back, so I imagine their first class is very nice!

djc206

12,241 posts

124 months

Monday 27th February 2023
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T3 lounge crawl!

DodgyGeezer

40,152 posts

189 months

Monday 27th February 2023
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really stupid question time.... are there any concerns about flying through Russian airspace given the current situation?

djc206

12,241 posts

124 months

Monday 27th February 2023
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DodgyGeezer said:
really stupid question time.... are there any concerns about flying through Russian airspace given the current situation?
JAL aren’t flying through Russian airspace but no not really

Sport_Turismo_GTS

Original Poster:

825 posts

28 months

Saturday 25th March 2023
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Just preparing for our flights on Saturday to Tokyo.

Any recommendations for restaurants in Tokyo, Kanazawa, Hiroshima, Kyoto? Could be places for casual lunch / dinner or more fancy places?

Keen to have a ‘high-end’ sushi experience, as well as more ‘normal’ food. Also, any recommendations for a seafood Teppenyaki (my wife doesn’t eat meat)!

Whoozit

3,581 posts

268 months

Saturday 25th March 2023
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I flew LHR-HND with JAL a few weeks ago for a first-time-ever trip to Japan, skiing in Hokkaido. The JAL economy service and seat were frankly one of the best I've ever had. The food was spectacular for "stuff-on-a-tray", the seat was Premium Economy in size and 6 foot me could stretch out, and the service unfailingly pleasant.

FYI the route out was UK-Turkey-Georgia-across the 'Stans-China. Return was Great Circle over the North Pole. So I can say I've circled the globe in two flights. Sadly there was zero aurora over the Pole that night.

Enjoy the flight in First. I'm envious.