JAL business class Melbourne - Tokyo. Is it worth it?

[Shan Man]

Anybody been to Okinawa? Jetstar have cheap flights from Tokyo and it seems tropical and beach, so my girlfriend can get a few days of beach time.

Okinawa is great, but more tropical than tokyo. I spent two days there but it wasnt enough, trip o the aquarium is a day on its own by bus and even then its a squeeze to see everything there.
Both JAL and ANA offer explorer fares for visitors to japan which are great value and earn Qf points and status credits.

JAL offer flights from Haneda to Naha (okinawa) on widebodies which if your staying in tokyo will save you both time and train fares to go out to Narita to get on a Jetstar sardine can.

JAL Japan Explorer Pass

 

[travelislife]

Yep the fixed price Y10,800 sector fares for foreigners on JAL and ANA are awesome, I am always amazed how few people (including travel agents!) I have spoken to have no idea about them.

 

[RooFlyer]

I flew Jal's 787-8 J HND-LHR last month, the seats are amazing, comfortable & the window seats feel like a suite with direct access to the aisle and it being enclosed. Japanese service is always top notch and hard to beat.

Doing LHR-HND in J in a couple of weeks and really looking forward to it. Will have pics etc in my current TR, if anyone's interested.

Re ATMs; haven't been to Japan in a while and had forgotten the cash-dominance thing. I'm only there for a day; there must be an ATM at HND arrivals, surely, for a bit of cash?

I'm staying at the Royal park Hotel The Haneda, at the airport. Any reports on this?

 

[love_the_life]

Doing LHR-HND in J in a couple of weeks and really looking forward to it. Will have pics etc in my current TR, if anyone's interested.

Re ATMs; haven't been to Japan in a while and had forgotten the cash-dominance thing. I'm only there for a day; there must be an ATM at HND arrivals, surely, for a bit of cash?

I'm staying at the Royal park Hotel The Haneda, at the airport. Any reports on this?

If you have trouble finding an ATM for cash withdrawals at the airport (though assume there will be some) , 7Eleven stores have international card ones, even in small stores so there is probably one there. We found them one of the most reliable places to get cash. We also found that credit cards were readily accepted in main cities.

 

[kpc]

Re ATMs; haven't been to Japan in a while and had forgotten the cash-dominance thing. I'm only there for a day; there must be an ATM at HND arrivals, surely, for a bit of cash?

I withdrew JPY from a Citibank ATM at Hnd arrivals

 

[MEL_Traveller]

yes, can confirm ATMs at HND

 

[Dannyism]

I'm planning on booking a J award MEL-HND on JL for easter 2019. There will be tough competition for the flights so hopefully no trouble getting them.

 

[Himeno]

I withdrew JPY from a Citibank ATM at Hnd arrivals

Almost all the ATMs at the major international ports are connected to the international network. Doesn't mean that same brand of ATM is able to accept non JP cards in the city.

Outside of the airports, ATMs with 7Eleven or Post office branding will work with overseas cards. Other ATMs might, but it isn't guaranteed.

The first time I was in Japan was the start of my 2nd trip overseas on my own. I figured I could just do what I'd done in the US the year before and access cash from any ATM as needed.
I had enough AUD converted to JPY to get me to where I was staying. I spotted an ATM outside and went to use it after I'd checked in. Didn't work.
Went across the road to a bank. Not able to help.
Needing to get a power adapter (my 3 pin US adapter not working in the 2 pin JP plugs), I used the rest of my cash to get to a busier part of the city which would have more options to get cash and would have the adapters.
In Akiba, I found a store that sold the adapter I needed and asked if they took card. The staff said nope, and directed me to the post office (and showed me where the post office was).
Was surprising to find out that not only did the post office run a bank, but that it was also the only place to get cash with an overseas card. (7Eleven started taking overseas cards a few years later)

International capable ATMs are rare enough that their locations are marked on the tourist maps handed out at the Tokyo Tourist Info offices.

 

[JFi]

Yep the fixed price Y10,800 sector fares for foreigners on JAL and ANA are awesome, I am always amazed how few people (including travel agents!) I have spoken to have no idea about them.

If you are using the Explorer fare on a route which costs 10,800 yen, you might also want to take a look at the Oneworld Yokoso fare oneworld Yokoso/Visit Japan Fare - JAL

Some blackout dates and conditions like flying Oneworld to/from Japan but it's booked as flexible economy. There is a booking fee, from memory around $60 and you need to call up. Explorer fare is booked in G class which I believe doesn't earn anything. Please do let me know if I'm wrong though so I can save some $$ lol

I used this rather than the Explorer fare from HND - cough and that gets 20SC each way. There's also more availability on flight times than Explorer and flights can be changed. I was told your first flight can't be changed to a later flight but can be changed to an earlier one at the airport if there is space. Subsequent flights can be changed earlier/later. Might not be for everybody but if you are not going to use a JR pass and want some SCs, this can be an option.

 

[travelislife]

If you are using the Explorer fare on a route which costs 10,800 yen, you might also want to take a look at the Oneworld Yokoso fare oneworld Yokoso/Visit Japan Fare - JAL

Some blackout dates and conditions like flying Oneworld to/from Japan but it's booked as flexible economy. There is a booking fee, from memory around $60 and you need to call up. Explorer fare is booked in G class which I believe doesn't earn anything. Please do let me know if I'm wrong though so I can save some $$ lol

I used this rather than the Explorer fare from HND - cough and that gets 20SC each way. There's also more availability on flight times than Explorer and flights can be changed. I was told your first flight can't be changed to a later flight but can be changed to an earlier one at the airport if there is space. Subsequent flights can be changed earlier/later. Might not be for everybody but if you are not going to use a JR pass and want some SCs, this can be an option.

I generally use the ANA ones. Less restrictive and no booking fees.

 

[Jack_OC]

The CX lounge is small and CX178 departs about 10 minutes before JL774. The lounge is likely to be busy.

When I used JL774 about 2 weeks after it started last September, I used the QF F lounge, then moved across to the JL lounge closer to the flight.
With the recent changes to the MEL international QF flights, I'm not sure if the QF lounges would still be open that late.

The last time I flew on JL774, I was kicked out of the QF F lounge well before boarding, as it was closing. I assume the QF J lounge was also closed or closing, as they recommended I move to the Marhaba lounge, which I did. The Marhaba lounge is not great. As the OP has no status, I would recommend going to the QF J lounge until such time as it closes.

EDIT: since the OP is new to this, just to clarify that you can move between the various lounges that you have access to - so feel free to try them all if you wish!

 

[Himeno]

The last time I flew on JL774, I was kicked out of the QF F lounge well before boarding, as it was closing. I assume the QF J lounge was also closed or closing, as they recommended I move to the Marhaba lounge, which I did. The Marhaba lounge is not great. As the OP has no status, I would recommend going to the QF J lounge until such time as it closes.

EDIT: since the OP is new to this, just to clarify that you can move between the various lounges that you have access to - so feel free to try them all if you wish!

When I got JL774, QF9 was delayed and the QF lounges were open later then normal (for the time). I moved across to the Marhaba lounge just before QF9 was called for boarding and spent about 20 minutes there before JL was called.

 

[chodo]

So it's now a week until we fly out! Very excited to say the least and planning on checking in as early as possible so that we can make use of both lounges.
I have logged into the Japan Airlines website with the booking ID and the only seats available are the seats suitable for infants. Is this because we are still a week out from flying? Or have the other passengers already selected their seats and there's not much left apart from these seats suitable for infants?
If I do have the choice of choosing any seat, are any better than others? For the view of Tokyo as we land?
Any more tips would be greatly appreciated!

Cheers

 

[RooFlyer]

Have just completed LHR-HND ( B787) and then HND-HKG (B777) in J and both flights superb. Will be in my current TR when it catches up.

I was able to buy all my train tickets ( Shinkasen and Tokyo local) using cards at the JR ticket offices. ATMs sparse, but certainly at HND and 7/11s surprisingly common. Shinkasen bloody expensive!

What plane model are you on chodo?

 

[MEL_Traveller]

So it's now a week until we fly out! Very excited to say the least and planning on checking in as early as possible so that we can make use of both lounges.
I have logged into the Japan Airlines website with the booking ID and the only seats available are the seats suitable for infants. Is this because we are still a week out from flying? Or have the other passengers already selected their seats and there's not much left apart from these seats suitable for infants?
If I do have the choice of choosing any seat, are any better than others? For the view of Tokyo as we land?
Any more tips would be greatly appreciated!

Cheers

Unfortunately it means all the 'better' seats have been taken. Seat selection for the best seats goes as soon as people make their bookings. The window seats are the pick of the bunch - super long and ultra private (better than some first class suites). If you are travelling as a couple the seats in the middle are a good choice, but of course no window views.

Keep checking ans also ask at the airport, a window plus aisle might open up. They're slightly off-set making conversation a little more difficult, but you'll get the benefit of a window.

 

[chodo]

@RooFlyer we are on the 787 both ways

 

[Himeno]

If we had the date of the flight, someone could check the seat map and what fares are still for sale. It's possible better seats will open up closer to the flight, but at this stage, it's unlikely. There could be 'blocked' seats that someone of your status or fare class can't select until check in opens.

Flying into Narita, you don't get much of a view of Tokyo. NRT airport is about 60kms east of Tokyo, depending on transport method used, it takes 38-90 minutes to reach the city. Don't try to pick seats based on 'getting views of Tokyo on approach'.
Save your aerial view of Tokyo for the Sky Tree Observation deck.

Here is a map of the rail options between Tokyo and NRT
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipe...19px-Railway_routes_to_narita_airport.svg.png
The Keisei Sky Access line to Nippori and Ueno stations (NE of Tokyo) is the fastest (38 mins to Ueno).
The JR Narita Express is the 2nd fastest (60 mins to Tokyo Station, then loops clockwise around the city to other major stations).
Both Keisei and JR also have normal commutator train service which take about 90 minutes to the eastern areas of Tokyo.
Tokyo Sky Tree is by Oshiage Station.

There are also a number of bus options to major train stations and selected hotels. Airport Limousine Bus-Airport Transport Service Co., Ltd

 

[RooFlyer]

In that case Mel_Trav is right, again. But I was on an inside aisle and it was perfectly OK! Totally private to person next door, if you require that.



Make sure you choose the Japanese options for meals Sorry for the orientation.

 

[RooFlyer]

I found this web site pretty informative: Zooming Japan Day trips from Tokyo.

 

[sjk]

7, 10, 13, 16 would be my recommendations there.