3:26 we had a morning flight arriving in Tokyo the following morning so I had a cunning plan- I pre- jet lagged by staying awake through the night before so I had no problem sleeping on the flight and woke up in Tokyo at 7am
That's definitely a good idea! They always say you should be well-rested before a long flight but it's not necessarily the best plan if you stay awake basically the whole time like I did...!
@@cakeswithfaces after staying awake the night before I’d have slept anywhere, definitely worked for us I’d say I had at least 8 hours of full sleep and woke up with a reset body clock for Japan time
As a group of big and tall guys, economy was never an option for us, it had to be premium economy for the larger seat/legroom. Of course, we were lucky and got bumped up to business class both ways. Lucky! :)
I think that, comfort wise, the JAL premium economy is the world's best with the "shell" encompassing the seat (allowing to recline without bothering or be bothered), the leg rest, the small privacy divider ar face height ang generally with a smaller, quieter "cabin" and much more space in general around the seat. As of now this is the only premium economy I'd actually choose to fly such a long way.
excellent video! We flew JAL PE from London in October. We found the seats great and enjoyed the amount of space that it gave us. We did it the other way round (that is overnight to Tokyo) and found that the use of the BA lounge nd being able to have a shower before the flight was great
Great review on both flights, you are so positive as we probably all should be because we can afford to fly around the World. We're flying premium back from London to Aus so really enjoyed you video, having lounge access is the reason we chose JAL such a bonus. Thanks for sharing your experience
I've flown to Tokyo a few times in business class. You get to sleep better as the seat will recline pretty much all the way so when you arrive you get a full day on your trip. Yes it's expensive usually over three thousand but you get an extra bag lounge access sleep and as I pick overnight flights in and out you gain a day without stress. I also recommend having your bags delivered to your hotel so you can start your holiday right away
We returned from Japan last summer on Premium Night Flight JL41. The magical thing with JL41 is that EVERYBODY is invited into the lounge, Economy passengers (as we were) as well as Premium Economy. We had a lovely time. This year we are flying via ICN with Asiana - a 40% discount to the Skyhub & Matina lounges is offered to Asiana transit passengers on presentation of a boarding pass.
I flew to japan with China Eastern from gatwick only cost £550.00 on economy class my transfer was very quick at Shanghai and arrived at about late lunch time arrival!the entertainment on board was a little limited but watchable food was delicious and the cabin crew where wonderful!
Cool- We're flying with JAL economy class both ways. Morning outbound from Heathrow and early hours return. Not until October but excitement level is going up ( first timers) One of the comments was really useful about staying awake the night before to beat the jet lag😊
Yes I'd recommend that! On previous flights I was really tired before going, but this time I was well-rested (having been less stressed the week before!) 😅 and it was so much harder to sleep. Have a great trip!
I have taken this flight a couple of times in economy. The JL41 flight (JAL's midnight flight) includes only the breakfast meal because you get access to the lounge before the flight as they don't wish to disturb passengers while sleeping on the night flight. Lounge access is included in any class including economy which surprised me. It's advertised on their website. I usually opt for this flight to avoid paying for a hotel on my last day before heading back to UK and lounge access is a bonus! :)
I flew PEY return with finnair in November. We picked the 2 seats on one side and I really like the fact that the PEY cabin was separate from economy and we did not share the same bathroom. It was less noisy, bathroom always free and the seats were so comfy. Food was ok (nothing super special) but the additional leg space and recline were really worth it. We managed to sleep quite a lot during both trips. For such a long flight it was worth it.
Glad you enjoyed it, thanks for the review! Maybe it depends on the plane, but with JAL on this flight, the bathroom was shared with economy. I felt bad for the people in the front row of economy who had people waiting for the bathroom in front of them (made a note not to book those seats in future!).
I generally try to fly JAL business via miles, but I got lucky a few years ago and got a first class via miles on my birthday. Both selections have fantastic food, and as a big/tall guy the 1st class is definitely more comfortable, but business is also good. I don't think I'd be comfortable at all in the regular economy. I did that a few times when I was younger and thinner and it worked, but these days there just isn't enough room. :) The JAL Lounges at Haneda and Narita are great. I have a little tradition where I get their lounge signature curry rice as my last "farewell" meal to Japan.
On my last trip I discovered Finnair premium economy and I can't see myself going back to economy for long haul. I'm taller and it's so much more comfortable. Being in the smaller less crowded cabin also helps with my strong dislike of flying.
When traveling with Finnair to Japan, I always pay for the "extra legroom" seat in economy class. I have flown with JAL several times. JAL is a better choice than Finnair. I paid for premium economy with JAL, it was worth the price.
@@cakeswithfaces Finnair are awesome. With the current routes being flown there is a good chance you will fly over the North Pole on the return leg, and I believe you are given a certificate by the flight crew as a souviner for doing it. Plus, blueberry juice!!!! yum
First time flying JAL this coming Saturday, super excited cause it’s my first long haul since prepandemic and i finally went with JAL cause of the 2-3-2 configuration. Bought premium cause it was the only option and the same price as other airlines regular economy so it’s a bonus for me. Love how you did the comparison and love how the seats recline kind of like Willer bus style. Probably gonna stick with JAL moving forward if all goes well as I’ve researched and seen so far. I also like how their checked baggage is based on total sum of dimensions. Hope they have lots of western films as well as anime or Japanese dramas that would keep me pretty occupied vs. other airlines.
Have a great flight! That's great you got a good deal on premium - and the lounge is a lovely treat you don't get with premium on most other airlines. I really like ANA too, so they're worth looking at in future too.
@@cakeswithfaces I'm with OneWorld but love to try ANA int he future some time. JAL vs ANA love to get your view on this too. And thanks again great video 👍🏻
ANA premium also included lounges, but only in HND for me, they didn't have one in Frankfurt. If you break the price difference down per flight hour it stings a little less xD After the lounges, the next best thing to check out are airport shower facilities! Before the plague I used the ones at KIX and it was glorious to feel human and not disgusting again before getting on train. Also AFAIK JAL currently has a campaign where international arrivals can use showers in Narita for free (E: only business and up, they keep wording that weird. Still worth it).
Really useful insight video, especially as I hope to be booking my flights for next April in a couple of months. As we are a family of 4 and helping my adult kids with their flight costs then I suspect Premium Economy will be beyond our budget but may be worth the extra depending on the costs
Yes it's usually pricey for premium and hard to justify as it's not a huge upgrade. However if you're lucky and spot a deal, it's more comfortable for sure. Last year with BA it was only slightly more for us, but that's unusual.
The first time I went, we flew direct with BA. The visits after I've had to go via either Germany or Helsinki (I'm from up north, so it can get quite expensive getting down to Heathrow) and I can definitely say the direct flights spoilt me 😂 Now, it's usually a 32hr+ travel day/s and we have a tradition of getting out and heading to Animate or Yodabashi to keep ourselves awake 🤣 I think this time I'll be taking your advice and having a more chilled time and visiting the likes of Sugamo!
I love hearing about people's Japan traditions! :-) Direct flights are definitely less tiring, but even for me from Coventry it's annoying going to Heathrow and often needing an airport hotel if it's a morning flight, when you can fly indirect from Birmingham which is less than half an hour away!
Direct flight from Bangalore, India to Japan is little expensive actually. So I had to catch a connecting flight in Malaysia. And it took me 15 hours to reach Japan. Delhi has a direct flight that’s cheap though. Direct flight from most Indian cities takes around 8 hours. But direct flights from Bangalore and Mumbai are slightly expensive.
It's tricky isn't it, when flights are so much more expensive now than they used to be. Indirect flights often cost less, but are more tiring than flying direct.
@@cakeswithfaces yeah. it sure is. But considering the fact that India is much closer to Japan compared to the UK. I mean it’s on the same continent. Indirect flight from India takes same amount of time as a direct flight from UK to Japan. Ngl. But even 8 hour flight time which direct flights take from India is also long tbh.
Was another fun video you two especially when you were flying back to UK on the plane, good job sitting there and filming with the camera, delicious food and drink too, 👏👏👏
The last couple of times I've gone to Japan has been in Premium Economy both with JAL and ANA and it was much better to be honest. I felt more relaxed than in normal economy with the slightly better legroom and seat. Next year I'll probably try out Business Class to see how that is.
Thanks Amy for mentioning the difference in the prices and what the flights offer and which is better but as long as I enjoy flight safe and sound no problems doesn’t matter matter to me 👌👌👌
As someone who is quite tall, it was always hard to do 11 hours to Japan when it was possible to fly over Russia. With the extended flight times now that Russian airpsace is avoided, economy is just not an option for me - 14/15 hours cramped in a seat would not be fun, so Prmium Economy is the lowest class of travel I would consider now. Thankfully , I've been lucky enough to get some deals on Business class and that makes an incredible amount of difference (as you would expect). Good to know about the JAL Lounge option, will keep that in mind for my next trip.
You’re like me very courteous to other travelers behind & very careful when reclining, unlike the “gentleman” in front of me when we traveled to Japan, he reclined his seat fully before the seatbelt sign was off & stayed there for the whole flight, didn’t even sit up at meal times 😡
Ah nooo, that's so annoying when that happens, isn't it! I'm always happy when there are the shell-back seats that slide forwards to recline instead - so much more considerate for the person behind you.
I'm keen on wanting to travel to different places from here on in now I'm in my 30s, preferably once each year due to saving up, starting with Tokyo next year.
It's certainly an excellent economy seat. Yes, the seat configuration depends on the plane. Originally we booked two seats in a row of 3, but luckily they changed the plane and we ended up with the two-seat configuration.
Are you a woman? Are you short? I can't see how people make this kind of comment like you do. Airline seats continue to get narrower with less leg room, while humans get taller.
I'm afraid it's either Air Asia or Cebu Pacific (Asian equivalent of Ryanair and Easy Jet) for me ;) Maybe one day I will get to fly on JAL or ANA when I visit my folks in the UK from the Philippines. Cool video though, Amy.
I am always hunting the best business class flights and at the moment LHR>PVG with Virgin and then a quick hop PVG>HND on ANA (eco) is pretty good value if you can use points on the Virgin flights. You can do 6 days in PVG visa free so a few nights there and then onto Japan. I am doing it in a few months and total cost was £3700 for 2 pax for all 4 flights. SAS is another option but prices are currently c.£2500 ppn. You are super lucky to have done the artic route. Some airlines give you a little certificate to say you have been to the north pole.
Good tip! I have lots of Virgin miles from credit cards, it was annoying when they stopped flying to Japan, but so far I've used them for trips to the USA. Last year with BA we did the same round-the-world trip, with the arctic on the way back. I feel short-changed we didn't get a certificate then either!
@@cakeswithfaces We live quite close to Manchester Airport and there is meant to be a new service starting soon direct to PVG on one of the Chinese carriers. We used Cathay last year to get to Japan and went MAN>HKG>NRT for about 2500ppn in business. Same route now is 4k ppn, ouch. Only issue with Virgin is we have to get the LHR. I would love if they start Japan routes again, but with the situation with RU I highly doubt its going to happen. Their A350-1000 from LHR to NRT/HND would be amazing. Ahh one can but dream!!
Last November I flew with JAL from London Tokyo. To Tokyo economy class back to London Premium Economy. Upgrade my eco ticket (HND airport) to a premium eco ticket for £222. It was worth the price.
Wow, it was so empty in the lounge, we went to the Sakura lounge before our flight last June and it was rammed! Only about 10 seats available when we got there. It quickly cleared out though as we also had the 1am flight back to Heathrow 🙁 If we are travelling to Asia though I much prefer a flight leaving UK in the evening
That's how I'd expected the lounge would be! An evening flight makes it much easier to sleep. I've done daytime flights before and didn't find them as tough as this one - I must have been more well-rested this time. Normally everything's a last minute panic before going away and I'm more exhausted! 😝
I flew Japan airlines before in May and August of 2022 from Honolulu to Manila via Narita and Manila to Honolulu via Narita with Honolulu to Narita and Narita to Honolulu operated by the Boeing 767-300ER, Narita to Manila is operated by the Boeing 787-9 and Manila to Narita is operated by the Boeing 787-8, all 4 flights is good and okay.
My pleasure. But last May, I flew Zipair, including a ex Japan airlines, Boeing 787-8 from Honolulu to Tokyo for the 1st time, flight is 90% full, flight is good and okay, 8 hours, the wifi is free for the whole flight, but it's slow because it's almost a full flight, but okay. When are you gonna fly Zipair to Honolulu?
Best time to visit Honolulu, Hawaii is October or November and spring. Greetings from Honolulu. Almost 1 month ago, I flew Jetstar, Boeing 787-8 from Sydney to Honolulu, flight is 90% full, flight is good and okay, 9 hours, I slept 2 hours, it's good and okay. 1 way, I pay less than $300 to $400, it's cheap. I am back in Honolulu.
Amy and I found the JAL PE seats comfortable in the default position but the recline uncomfortable and awkward. She’s tiny and I’m larger but neither of us were comfortable. Food was just ok, the service was amazing. Lounge access a nice add on for PE. Would we fly JAL PE again? Probably not. May try ANA next time.
Not sure if it’s been mentioned in previous comments but I think the bulk in the seatbelt contains an airbag like you would have in the car. Glad you “enjoyed” your flights; we’re heading back to Japan in November routing through Abu Dhabi.
@@cakeswithfaces In premium seats, the airbag fills the gap between the passenger and the seat in front. In economy, when you adopt the "brace position" as described on the safety card, there isn't a gap... Some premium seats also have a shoulder strap like you have in a car to work with the airbag. Happy travels Amy & Phil 👍
I nervously watched this as we are flying premium with JAL on the same route in October. Relieved to see it looks good! Not looking forward to the length of the flight as then have to fly back to Scotland!
This is a super useful video! We took a direct BA flight this March in Economy and it was good, but the seats were a little uncomfortable. The staff definitely made up for it though, they were so lovely and accomodating. The plane we flew on had a 3-3-3 layout so on our next trip, we're thinking of flying JAL with the hopes of getting a 2 seat. Can I ask, is the seat price included with the economy fair or is it an additional fee? Also can you choose seats straight away when you book? I couldn't figure it out on the website. Thank you for such helpful content!
Originally our economy flight only had 3 seats left, but then they changed the plane for some reason and we ended up with a 2 seat! I thiiiink choosing a seat is included with JAL (it always annoys me when they make you pay extra, which most airlines seem to these days). There are some seats you have to pay for but there's a selection of free ones and it tells you clearly which they are. I think we chose them straight away, if not when booking then straight away after. BA codeshare with JAL so the seat selection was one of the reasons I chose the JAL flight, even though the time on the way there wasn't great.
I'm back now - I do all my editing when I'm back home (so as not to waste time in Japan when I could be doing things!). :-) The current version of my book was updated in September 2023, so it includes current info about the JR Pass, etc.
@@cakeswithfaces Economy was great for what it was! We’ve flown with ANA Econ several times. The return flight to LA seemed a bit lacking in Prem Econ & the lounge was pretty limited at LAX compared to JAL’s. The tabletops were stowed in the armrest, so it was always a hassle during mealtimes. I did like the wine selection from Business class as a Premium Economy perk, but I’m a lightweight as far as drinking goes. Otherwise, meals were the same as Economy. Amenities were offered as an as-needed option by being offered in a basket rather than given in a pouch like JAL. It was the small things that made me prefer JAL over ANA.
We tried premium economy on our third trip to Japan and it was a big improvement. As a tall, chubby, muscular man the larger seats were a huge relief - no more having to constrict myself for half a day for the benefit of my seatmates. Will you go back to economy seating now that you've tried premium?
I feel like Ppremium is the minimum space/comfort you really want, so I'd book it if possible, especially for such a long flight, but only if it's affordable. Sometimes it's a huge increase in price from economy that's hard to justify.
From the video I realized again that 'fly to Japan' is a big deal for foreigners who wanted to visit my country Japan. In this sense I'm lucky because I'm live in here Japan so I don't need to spend 'extra' money and time when I want to around this country than them :) In the contrast, I'm huge fan of the Scotch whiskey and want to visit there where the places of motherland them someday but it's requires huge cost to me.
Yes it's a huge deal, and exciting! No one appreciates the place they live in or visits their local tourist attractions that others travel thousands of miles to see. 😅
Hi! Fab video, I will be going to Japan later this year via premium economy, do you know if you have to book the lounges or can you just walk up with your boarding pass?😊
We are doing the same route as you guys in October! Did you have to collect your bags in Tokyo and check them back in at the domestic terminal before the Fukuoka flight? Or did they go straight through from London to Fukuoka? ❤
We picked them up and then checked them in again. The process was exactly the same as if you're just flying to Tokyo, then when you get to the arrivals hall (and are free to go!), follow the signs to the internal flights connection (there's a little map in the video - it's on the right when you get into the arrivals hall) and go to the mini check-in desk where they take your luggage for the domestic flight.
Did the same route with JAL back in November, very happy with the experience so we booked with them again, just a shame the price has gone up from about 1100 to almost 1500 each for the same 2 week period later this year! The outbound route is hard but definitely seemed much more bearable on the way back, after a whole day on the go in Tokyo I think I was asleep before the plane left the ground. Think I’ll investigate a manga cafe for a Power Nap and chill after we land in Tokyo and drop bags at the hotel next time round! Any experience with this?
Flight prices are crazy, and everything just gets more expensive as time goes on... 😭 The flight there was tough; I've done daytime flights before but I think I was just more well-rested this time so it was harder to sleep. Manga cafe is a good idea, as long as you can wake up from a power nap!! I usually plan in something chill, like just strolling around a quieter area. This time we walked around Fukuoka but ended up doing too many steps and it was kinda difficult to really enjoy it properly as we were so tired.
☺️ ¦ This is a very useful video Amy! As I am in the process of making a trip to Japan myself and it would be nice to find out the most comfortable way to travel. I feel the Premium economy is very inviting for a long journey like that. The recliners are a definite selling point on this I have to say. So will be aiming to grab that with proper saving as I want my adventure to be great from start to finish.
Thanks! Keep an eye on those flight prices and I hope you manage to get a good deal. Especially if you're taller, the recliners and extra legroom are a good benefit.
Ooh I've not tried KLM. Comfort is an excuse to upgrade to premium, but it can be really pricey so sometimes it's hard to justify! (That's why we only did one way - and for the video...!) :-)
Hi , we want to book next year for Japan , say to me for the seat people in front of us can’t « inclined » the seat no? As the seat can be inclined on the seat ? Ahah I don’t know if it’s clear , I am French sorry for my English 😂
Do you mean the seat where it slides forward to recline, instead of crushing the person behind you? In Premium, it was definitely that type of seat. In Economy, I *think* so, but not 100% sure. I don't remember being squashed by the seat in front! :-) I think it depends on the plane though. ANA definitely has this type of seat in Economy. Although it may depend on the type of plane.
Just poking around on the JAL website there was a $4000 USD difference between economy and premium. Premium looks great. Don't know if it's 250% better, lol.
Good video. The fact you got to use the business class lounge and got more sleep on the premium economy flight suggests that (sleep wise) it was worth the extra, yes no?
It's definitely more comfortable which makes it easier to sleep, although it's tricky to compare as the economy flight was during the daytime and the way back was at night so I was more tired.
@@cakeswithfaces That's a good point. I flew Economy to Kumamoto (via Haneda) on ANA last February, both evening flights and the flight and crew were brilliant and so was the food but the seats were excellent for legroom. I managed to get sleep on both flights but I also have very strong medication that makes me drowsy so they help. Sadly means I can't drink on the flight though!
@@cakeswithfaces Yeah, they aren't cheap as my ticket was 1150 quid for the return (though that did include the connecting flight.) I also had a poor experience getting assistance on the outward journey (because I've got a brain tumour) which I've been hassling head office about but the ground staff and cabin crew are brilliant and I loved the flight itself. I've been moaning on Tiktok about it and at some point I'll make a RU-vid video but overall ANA are (expensive but) brilliant (when their management and administration staff get their **** together.)
Awesome video again ❤❤❤. Im planning to book from Edinburgh. By any chance, do you know if I need to check in again in Heathrow if I have a connecting flight there. Was planning to book thru BA and they have connecting in heathrow. Thanks
Thanks! I always ask at check-in whether you need to collect the bags. Sometimes they route them through, but at Haneda we had to collect them, then check them in again at a smaller check-in desk for transfers.
@@cakeswithfacesthanks so much. By the way, do you use travel card when you go to Japan? I read some articles mentioning about travel card thus im a bit confused.
If being checked through there is an Airside Bus from T5 (BA) to T3 (JAL) - You'll need to redo security (because you are mixed with arrivals from elsewhere) but it's a separate transfer lane rather than entering the main security :)
Some economy tickets include lounge access - very unusual! You need to book the Flex Y fare: www.jal.co.jp/jp/en/inter/service/lounge/hnd/sakura/#:~:text=Criteria%20based%20on%20boarding%20class
No - but I'm always mindful about not disturbing other people, because that would be so annoying! It's pretty loud with the plane noise, so that's why I'm using the clip-on mic and actually talking quite quietly. Then I add voice-overs later for any other info that would be useful - it can be tricky to think of everything in the moment (especially when you're on a 14 hour flight!!). :-)
Yes, in August, although they may run out before that. They didn't say why (I'm thinking it may be because the license for the Sanrio characters is expiring, because it'll be exactly 5 years since it was introduced - but that's just my guess). Welcome Suica is still available, which is basically the same.
Personally I prefer ANA - they're probably my fav out of any airline, but they're not always the cheapest. The best service, excellent food (there were onigiri as snacks!), and the seats in economy seemed slightly more spacious and comfortable. But either is good!
I just flew JAL for the first time a few days ago, from Tokyo to Hong Kong, and was severely disappointed. My first time on a Japanese airline, I was expecting great things. Instead there was chaos at check-in at Haneda, long queues with no management or any clear information on which queue to join or where to go - luckily with my limited Japanese I could flag down a harried staff person and ask for help. Boarding was ludicrous: they divided us into five boarding groups which were slowly loaded onto the same buses, no PA announcements - only gate staff shouting in inaudible poor English, the final group 5 which included me numbered only about 10 people and we were forgotten about and had to ask the staff if we could now proceed through the otherwise empty gates. It was better on board, even in economy I had a personal staff person come and introduce themselves to me because I had ordered a gluten free meal. But the whole experience certainly did not tempt me to risk using JAL for long haul.
Oh no, sorry you had a bad time at the airport, that doesn't sound good. Last year there was a long queue for security at Haneda, but thankfully I've always found it pretty calm and organised there. Hopefully that was a one-off! I had the same with my veggie meal - as well as the sticker they came to see me at the start of the flight too to check everything was correct. :-)
I have noticed that among JAL and ANA ground staff, ANA has much better trained staff. Although I travel majorly on JAL due to miles redemption but ANA seemed to handle crowed effectively. Crowd at security is unavoidable unless you have a business or first class 😅
Golden “Week” effectively started on the 26th April this year so it was crazy busy when you went through HND. Am glad the experience was better on board.
I'd love to try ANA premium, I though their economy was excellent! Last year we were lucky to get BA premium for only about £100 more each, but I think that was a lucky one-off. 😅
@@cakeswithfacesANA premium economy has a couch like seat but it doesn't have shell reclining. I hate it when someone reclines fully on my seat. JAL premium economy has shell reclining so I don't need to worry about fully reclining and relaxing.😅
Wow, you broke a golden rule for Japanese etiquette, don’t talk so loudly in a public space, and during lights down. So rude and annoying, and I’m not even in the flight 😂
That would be very annoying, you're right. Because I was using a clip-on mic with noise cancellation (and I adjusted the sound when editing the video), it's tricky to tell from the video that I was actually talking very quietly. The plane noise is quite loud too. I'm always very conscious to not annoy other people when filming and on the plane - that would be very annoying!
It's hard to tell from the video as I was using a clip-on mic but I was talking very quietly. The plane noise is quite loud. I'm always very conscious not to annoy other people!
OMG. Your flight is so cheap compared to originating from the US. Many airlines night flights only have one main meal service. Even in business class, it's only one meal on a Japanese night flight. The big bulge in your seat belt is actually an air bag.
Really? I was always jealous of the cheap flights from California, but maybe that's just west coast? The flights are so much more expensive now than they used to be before 2020. It seems unfair that only premium gets an airbag. The belts in economy were regular thin belts.
Your round trip flight for two between LHR and HND was $3500 USD, right? That’s about 50% off from the US west coast in premium economy. Well… it was PE for one of your directions…
@@cakeswithfaces I just checked on Kayak. The cheapest roundtrip fare from SFO - HND is $1700 (thru HNL) for economy. Cheapest premium economy is $3141 thru LAX. The US has to start allowing more flights through China into the country to increase competition.
I'm sorry but humans did not evolve over 6 million years to prepare themselves to spend 16 hours in an airplane. I get stir crazy and can't sleep a wink. Better for me to muscle through the first day fueled by my own excitement.
