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When I first got into points and miles, I learned about Japan Airlines First Class. It wasn’t the most modern first class product, but it was the big redemption I was working towards. Yet, somehow I always redeemed my points for different flights. But I finally redeemed my points for my number one sought after product.

Did Japan Airlines First Class stack up to my dream? 

Japan Airlines 777-300 First Class New York-JFK to Tokyo-HND: Review

Booking

I originally booked business class during a Japan Airlines flash sale. A few weeks prior to departure, I noticed a first class seat became available. I quickly rebooked. 

To book this flight, American Airlines was the go to points currency. This set me back 80,000 American Airlines miles and $5.60. Absolutely crazy considering the flight was going for $8,500 at the time of booking. 

Check-In

After leaving the Hyatt Regency JFK, I got to JFK Airport around four hours prior to my flight. I was really looking forward to my first experience in Japan Airlines First Class as I struggled to sleep the night before my flight.

Luckily the check-in desk was open. They even had the red carpet out. I provided my passport and was quickly checked-in. I wasn’t checking bags, but the agents put first class tags on both my carry-on and personal item. Not sure what these were for. 

After a few minutes, I was off to security and into the lounge. 

Boarding

Boarding began slightly late. But everyone was civil. Agents had lines set up for the different cabin classes. Everyone started lining up about ten minutes prior to boarding. Agents first called families and disabled passengers. First class passengers boarded after that. I boarded when first class was called. 

I headed down the jetbridge. When I arrived at the plane, a flight attendant asked for my seat number. 

“1A”, I said. 

Purser: “I’ve been waiting for you!” 

What a nice welcome and start to my flight. 

Seat

The cabin was arranged in two rows of 1-2-1 first class seats. All were full on my flight.

I assigned myself seat 1A at time of booking. The seat was incredibly large with tons of storage. It felt a bit hard at first, but was comfortable throughout the flight. Customization was excellent. There were a few preset seating options and you could adjust as much as you wanted.

Noise-canceling headphones were provided. Sound quality was good. Sometimes these over the ear headphones hurt my ears after a few hours. They did not. 

After lunch, I changed into my Japan Airlines provided pajamas. During this time the flight attendants turned my seat into the bed mode. You got a nice size comforter and two pillows (one soft and one hard). I wish all airlines provided blankets this large. First class passengers also had a choice of a firm or soft mattress pad. I went with the soft option. 

Looking back, there is one thing I should have done differently. I wish I never changed into the Japan Airlines pajamas and brought a pair of shorts. The cabin was hot throughout the flight and I felt uncomfortable. 

Bathroom

The first class bathroom was very large. It was easy to change into the provided PJs and back into street clothes prior to landing. Flight attendants cleaned the bathroom after every passenger. A bit excessive in my opinion, but that just describes the attention to detail that flight attendants have at Japan Airlines. A few amenities were provided including toothbrushes, mouthwash, body lotion and face serum. 

Food and Drink

Two meals were provided in-flight. Passengers had their choice of Japanese or Western Menu. 

First up was lunch. Lunch felt like it was 100 courses. In reality, it was five.

I started with prosciutto di parma, apricot mostarda and pea soup. I was slightly entertained that the pea soup was served in a coffee cup. Next course was white asparagus. It came with oranges and minced eggs. Then you have gnocchi with truffles. For the main course, I had the option of chilean sea bass or prime beef tenderloin. I went with the beef. It was juicy and well seasoned. There was only one option for dessert which was the mango passion fruit tart topped with chocolate mousse. 

The second meal was described as breakfast. I thought this was odd as we were landing in the early evening in Tokyo. I ordered the fruit and cheese plate. The fruit included a strawberry, grapes and melons. Hard and soft cheeses were provided as were a few types of nuts. The fruit was refreshing.

After “breakfast” a face mask was provided. It was fantastic, light and a great way to refresh my skin before landing. 

Japan Airlines 777-300 First Class New York-JFK to Tokyo-HND Bottom Line

While the seat isn’t as modern as other first class products like with ANA, this definitely lived up to the hype. Japan Airlines recently launched their new first class product on this route. Trying that is top of my redemption list. Other routes will still feature this older product for a while, but it was highly worth it. Apart from the seat, the service was the best I’ve ever experienced. 

One thing to remember, bring some shorts to change into. 

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The opinions in this article are the author’s and not those of a bank, credit card issuer, hotel, airline or other entity. This content has not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of the entities included within the post.