By Shawn Gallagher
I recently flew on business class from Tokyo to Chicago on Japan Airlines. As I said for that story, JAL is always likely to turn a long, tiring flight into a trip to remember. This still applied when I recently flew economy class from Tokyo to New York. This was the end of a 4 week trip to Japan, but the memories of the trip didn’t end until I landed in JFK.
Checking In
Tokyo has 2 major airports: Haneda and Narita. I flew out from Narita this day. As a general rule, Haneda is the closer and more convenient option of the two, although you aren’t totally out of luck if you end up in Narita. I go into detail about these two airports in this story.
Check-in was ok, nothing special about it. Since passengers going through Japan still need to have travel documents checked, I ended up waiting for a while. It took about an hour from when I lined up to when I finished checking in. The check-in process with American Airlines in Boston during the Christmas season ended up being quicker.
Boarding and First Impressions
Boarding began on time. JAL always begins theirs around a half hour before departure time. I made my way to my seat, 47C, while being greeted by the friendly flight attendants along the way.
This is JAL’s “Sky Wider” economy class seat. These were recently refurbished with a new design (beginning around 2019 and 2020), but the seat pitch and seat width dimensions have remained the same. The seat width on the 777 is around 47cm/18.5in, while the seat pitch is a comfortable 84cm/33in. The 787 is the same Sky Wider, but has a slightly wider seat width.
I’m 6’1 (around 184cm) tall, but I had no issues with the leg room in this seat. In addition to the great seat pitch, I was also able to stretch my legs under the seat in front of me. The seat features a 10.6 inch touchscreen monitor, a USB port in addition to the universal power outlet under the seat, a foldable tray table, and several pockets to store small items.
Waiting at my seat was a pillow that can also be used for the neck, and a blanket. I remember this pillow from my pre-pandemic JAL flights, but when I flew with them in December 2022 from Dallas, they had a smaller, less comfortable one. The pandemic hit airlines hard, and little things like that are differences I still notice today. I didn’t notice any effects of the pandemic on this flight though.
The Food Service
The first meal service (lunch) began around an hour after takeoff. They always begin with a drink and a rice cracker snack. I never get the rice crackers, but I’ve read elsewhere that they’re popular. A drink I like to get is Japan Airlines’ original “Sky Time Peach and Grape Mix.” The color might surprise some people, but it’s always been a favorite of mine.
This was the meal. The hot dish was a beef stew with eggs and rice. It came with a salad, some other smaller foods, and ice cream. I couldn’t really tell what I was eating with some of the small foods in the 3 boxes, but it was mostly good. If you have an upcoming flight, you can check your menu at this page on their website.
I always appreciate JAL offering metal cutlery, even in Economy.
The sun went down soon after, and darkness followed for the next 7 hours.
In Flight Entertainment and Other Amenities
This is JAL’s in flight entertainment system, called MAGIC. The 777 has MAGIC-5, and the 787 has the newer MAGIC-6, although the content is the same. The entertainment system itself isn’t anything spectacular. They have enough movies and tv shows, but not necessarily an abundance of them, meaning you might have trouble finding something you enjoy. I’ve noticed that the amount of video games on the IFE has gone down significantly since the pandemic; they now only feature 3 games. You can check online for the entertainment content on their website.
The restrooms were neat for an airplane. Nothing particularly special about them, but the Japanese style “Washlet” is a nice feature. They also had alcohol spray for your hands.
They had snacks displayed like this throughout the cabin. The flight attendants also would sometimes offer drinks if they spotted someone taking a look at these snacks, which I thought was a nice gesture.
Pre-Arrival Meal
The lights turned on around 3 hours prior to landing. It was time for the second meal.
The pre-arrival meal. It was some kind of pasta, along with vegetables and pudding.
The box had the pasta and the sauce in a separate container. I put the sauce in and mixed it, and then it was ready. It wasn’t a spectacular meal, but it wasn’t bad either.
Another Shoutout to the Legroom!
As I mentioned previously, I really appreciated the generous legroom as someone who’s 6’1/184cm. Instead of cramming as many passengers as they can, JAL seems to have taken a business model focused on customer experience. As the 777s retire and they turn to the new A350-1000s, I hope they continue to continue with this style.
A Surprise Present From The Flight Attendants!
I had a few conversations with the flight attendants during the flight. They also probably saw me taking pictures and videos of outside throughout the flight, and so they surprised me with this gift at the end of the flight. It was a nice handwritten letter and a JAL A350 model. It showed me yet again of their great service, and it was a great way to cap off my trip. Thank you Japan Airlines!
Concluding Thoughts
This was a very fun flight to board. The food and the entertainment could’ve been better, but it was definitely manageable. The views, the seat, and the service made it a flight to remember. If you value a comfortable ride with good service, Japan Airlines is the way to go.
All photos taken by the author.