You Trip Report

	DATE	FLIGHT NUMBER	SEAT	AIRCRAFT
24 Nov 16	JL 46	2K	777-300ER
CLASS	VIEWS	LANGUAGE	AUTHOR
First Class	91684	English ,Spanish	jetsetpanda

Prologue:

Hello and welcome to this trip report in First with JAL

I took this trip in 2006 and at the time I redeemed 70,000 miles from my AA account before the increase in award levels. It now costs 90,000 for a F class award from Europe to Japan.

On my day of departure I checked out of the hotel and locked my bags in the luggage holding area inside Gare du Nord while I went around town to do more sightseeing and shopping. Upon my return to the station by 15:00 I retrieved my bags and navigated through the maze to take the train to CDG. I can see how going through Gare du Nord can be a frustrating experience for the first time visitor - signs are not clearly marked long waits at the elevators that are as slow as snails ticket machines that do not accept any payments except for local debit cards or coins crowded spaces that would take the ability of an acrobat to pass through and the patience of a saint. I take the train to CDG and once I get off at T2 I head to the JL counter at T2E.

I arrive at the JL counter which is handled by AF. The agent at the F class desk greets me with a smile and after verifying my information hands me an AF boarding pass. I was slightly disappointment since I was expecting a JL one. While exiting I am thanked in Japanese by a JL agent when I make my way to the premium line - Access no1.

Access no1 with friendly agents and officer. How refreshing! Unfortunately there was only 1 booth that was staffed for "priority" pax so it took a few minutes to clear.

Staff at the security line were nice and one of them even wished me a nice flight. I had to pinch myself and check if I was really in CDG. Once in the other side you encounter a few high end shops for any last minute purchase. I bet any wife (or mistress) would appreciate these gifts.

The lounge consists of two sides. The left one has a second floor offering a more private environment. The right side seems more open and contains the showers in the back. Check-in was cordial and I was told that both sides were the same. JL uses the AF lounge but unfortunately F pax don't get to see the AF Premiere lounge. Instead they use a cordoned off area within the right side area as I discovered when I was exploring this side of the lounge.

"First Class" corner. :(

Looking outside from the inside.

I requested a shower and was immediately escorted to one by a staff. I like that AF provides a little pouch with L'Occitane toiletries and a wrapped set of nice towels. The shower room was roomy and well appointed but the air vent was dusty. The dust accumulates over time so a periodic check from time to time would be advisable.

Yuck!

Buffet.

My snacks

As much as I wanted to linger in the lounge I decided to leave for the gate at 50 min. before dept. The terminal was eerily empty except for the gate area. Once there boarding has already started and I made the line for the F pax. There were two agents checking the boarding passes and passports. There was a separate jetbridge for F pax and when I got closer to the entrance the purser steps out of the door into the jetbridge and welcomes me by saying "You must be Mr. jetsetpanda - welcome aboard" with a radiant smile. Oh this was going to set the tone for a wonderful flight. I just knew it deep inside me.

I tried to store my luggage in the overhead bin and a FA advised me that I was welcomed to place it under the foot stool in front of my seat. The brown leather seat was roomy and as comfortable as it looked. On the side the Bose headphones Loewe amenity kit and Shiseido skin care set were already placed.

Welcome drink.

Seat controls.

Take off - Bye Paris.

Right after take off a FA noticed that I did not opened my slippers so she took them out of the bag and handed them to me. I was not offered pajamas but the FA asked me if I wanted to change into more comfortable loungewear and I declined. Maybe she meant the pajamas.

Menu.

Amuse bouches - radish with cream cheese & mini quiche served with beverage of choice.

Hot towel to start the meal.

At one point the FA takes my meal order and I chose the duck with foie gras and truffle sauce. I love duck foie gras and truffle so this was triple feast. Besides what could be more representative of a F meal than this dish? I was really looking forward to the main dish when minutes later disaster strikes. The purser comes and kneels besides me. In a very apologetic way she explains to me that only 2 duck dishes were loaded and that 2 of the passengers have pre-ordered this meal ahead of time so my highly anticipated dish was now an unfulfilled wish. Now that I think about it I should have pre-ordered my meal. I knew about this service but out of laziness and thinking that an airline like JL would have a 100% choice for F pax I did not do it. My assumption proved to be wrong and lesson learned. I could see that the purser was terribly sorry and felt uncomfortable with this situation. She offered me the other two dishes or even a mix and match with the Japanese items. In the end I went with a seafood theme and had the cod in boletus broth with the Japanese lobster dumpling.

Sushi "Te-Maki" with Caviar de Sologne. The FA brings the caviar and shows me how to assemble the first roll with chopsticks. She gets the seaweed places some rice in the middle spoons some caviar along the rice and asks me to roll it up and enjoy. I must admit that this is an unconventional way to enjoy caviar but it actually worked. The crispiness of the seaweed makes a good contrast to the blandness of the rice and the taste of the caviar is somehow enhanced.

Appetizer - a mix of different things.

I love foie gras.

Cod with boletus broth. Delicious fish with firm flesh and cooked just right. The broth was flavorful and I used the bread to soak it up. I thought that there was too much salad on top though.

This was followed by the Japanese main dish which was served with miso soup. There was a comforting quality to this dish and the pairing with pickles was brilliant. Lobster dumpling with white miso and deep fried taro & spinach.

Pickles.

The FA's kept the glasses refilled and at this point I was drinking Royal Blue tea "Queen of Blue". After the meal the FA brought me both the verrine and Japanese desserts. The terrine was deliciously creamy and the yumochi made with sticky rice had a yuzu (citrus like) flavor which was refreshing. When my tray was cleared I was handed a bottle of water.

I couldn't sleep too well and eventually got up to read. A FA saw me awake and chatted with me for a few minutes. When I mentioned that I had trouble sleeping she said that probably the cabin was too warm but I assured her that was not the case and that I always have a hard time sleeping in planes. We started talking about food and I told her that I enjoyed pickles so a few minutes later she surprised me by bringing me a plum pickle. It is precisely this kind of unexpected service that makes JAL so special and endearing. I called it the "wow" effect.

Snacks.

WC.

Midflight snack.

Ramen set.

Pre-arrival meal - Curry rice.

Right before arrival FA's bid farewell to each passenger individually. The purser along with the other 3 FA's that were working the F cabin thanked me for flying JL with a bow.

Gorgeous view of Mt. Fuji.

========== Paris Charles De Gaulle (CDG) - ==========

Security/Immigration efficiency: 9/10

Access and parking: 9/10

Services and activities: 9/10

General cleanliness: 10/10

========== Air France Lounge T2 Gates - K ==========

Staff Service: 8/10

Entertainment: 8/10

Business Center: /10

Food: 7/10

Lounge Design: 8/10

Spa and Bathroom: 6/10

Wifi: 9/10

========== Japan Airlines - Airline ==========

Cabine comfort: 10/10

Crew: 10/10

Entertainment: 8/10

On-time performance: 10/10

Appetizer: 10/10

Starter: 10/10

Main Meal: 9/10

Main Meal-2: 9/10

Cheese: 0/10

Desserts: 9/10

Alcohols: 10/10

Mid-flight snack: 8/10

Breakfast or light meal before arrival: 10/10

========== Haneda Arpt (HND) - ==========

Security/Immigration efficiency: 10/10

Access and parking: 10/10

Services and activities: 10/10

General cleanliness: 10/10

Summary:

JAL offered a top notch product in F and it was a pleasure to fly with such a professional and attentive crew. The Japanese excel at customer service and it is not surprising that this quality is also found aboard their airline, particular in the uncanny way in which they can anticipate customer's desires and expectations.

Catering was excellent with meals that were well presented and delicious. The issue that I encountered was a bit of a letdown and it is always disappointing to not have your first choice of meal, especially when flying F. The crew did its best under these circumstances and this could have been avoided if I had pre-ordered my meal in advance. I was always under the impression that JL catered a full choice for all passengers in its F cabin but it seems that is no longer the case.

20 Comments

Thomas — Aug 04,2019

Many Thanks Adan :)
A truly F service done by the crew but it was expected. It's a big regret not to have taken JL when I was a OW flyer. HArd to find an award seat in advance.
Where were you headed after that flight ?
Reply

jetsetpanda — Aug 04,2019

Salut Thomas,

You are most welcome. It's always a pleasure to share. ;) Perhaps you will have the opportunity to try JL in the future.

I stayed in TYO for a few days and then continued to BJS to catch UA back to SFO. At the time there was a decent one way out of BJS.
Emile — Aug 04,2019

Wonderful YTR Panda!
Yeah, it's a bit annoying not to get your first choice. Looks like there is a mistake on the date.
See you soon Adan and keep up the great work.
Reply

jetsetpanda — Aug 04,2019

Hi Emile,

First world problems I guess. ;) Anyways I ended up sampling two main courses so it was not that terrible at the end.

Glad you enjoyed this TR and thank you for your kind words. They're really appreciated.
Casper — Aug 04,2019

Another great YTR, thanks Adan for the report since there was no JL TR.
You are greedy, 2 main courses. How was the seat ?
Casper
Reply

jetsetpanda — Aug 05,2019

Hi Casper,

Glad that I was able to contribute with a new airline. Watch out for another JL one soon. ;)

Ha ha. I appear greedy but I actually did not eat everything on the 2 main courses. I had to save room for dessert. ;)

The seat was wonderful as expected. So spacious and comfortable. F seats should always be "thrones" for the person using it, don't you agree?

Thanks.
Flyera — Aug 04,2019

Your miles were well spent. Thank you Adan for this stunning review.
Reply

jetsetpanda — Aug 05,2019

Hey there AAFlyer,

No regrets whatsoever and you are most welcome.
Vendredi13 — Aug 04,2019

Ouaaaf ! Jetset' :))

I love duck with foie gras and truffle sauce too !
I would have ordered the same meal;) (Next tuesday I will go and refill my Duck-Foie-Gras-basket in The Landes (South west of France:))

Not having it your duck foie gras in a F class is absolutely unbelievable. Especially leaving from France. They have it ! You are not leaving from London..
And how was lobster ? I clearly don't see it on your (beautiful) pictures....
Good point, the warm (leaving) welcome from security officers at CDG..

That's it for the woof effect^^
Thanks, Adan, For this beautiful YTR ! See you soon !
Reply

jetsetpanda — Aug 05,2019

Woaf mon cher Francis.

"I would have ordered the same meal;) (Next tuesday I will go and refill my Duck-Foie-Gras-basket in The Landes (South west of France:))"
- I have always said that great minds think alike. Happy hunting and enjoy!

Next time I am in France I will have my craving for foie gras satisfied before taking a flight. What would it take to be served foie gras in a plane? Fly AF F?

The lobster was a dumpling so it means that it's been ground and made into a ball. Kind of like meatball or sausages, you don't really see the ingredients because it is well mixed but I trust that it was lobster. :P

I guess there is always hope to find good staff at CDG. ;)

See you around. By the way do you use Twitter? Thanks.

Vendredi13 — Aug 06,2019

Woof Jetset' !

Basket filled:)) You can come in Toulouse !
Yes I have a twitter account. I don't use it. I will activate it at the end of this week;)

See u soon, Jetset' !

jetsetpanda — Aug 08,2019

Woof Bon appetit!

See you on Twitter. ;)
GG_007 — Aug 04,2019

Thanks for sharing this FR

All begins with the great RER experience ;)

"I had to pinch myself and check if I was really in CDG."
How naughty you are !

"I bet any wife (or mistress) would appreciate these gifts."
I'm still waiting for mine :(

The JL "lounge" is a total disgrace.

"The dust accumulates over time so a periodic check from time to time would be advisable."
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tH2w6Oxx0kQ

"Maybe she meant the pajamas."
Hum you should have been more curious

"an airline like JL would have a 100% choice for F pax"
You are absolutely right : that's really a shame

"the purser was terribly sorry and felt uncomfortable with this situation"
Still not enough to commit seppuku ;)

"I love foie gras."
You're not alone... :)

"I thought that there was too much salad on top though."
Japanese people looooooooove salad

All in all you were still able to have a good meal

"Snacks."
Not on par with KL's ;)
Even if dry natto is a must !

Your marks for the AF lounge are very nice because it should have
been a First Class lounge

By the way why didn't you take cheese, you the cheese lover

See you soon for another of your great reports

Reply

jetsetpanda — Aug 05,2019

Bonjour Gilbert,

"All begins with the great RER experience ;)"
- And why not? i've been called "bohemian" by someone else on another site for flying F and using public transportation to get to CDG. I'd like to think of myself as well grounded and versatile. ;)

"How naughty you are !"
- Life is not fun without some degree of naughtiness, don't you agree?

"I'm still waiting for mine :("
- Your gift? :P

"The JL "lounge" is a total disgrace."
- Not even the wines are redeeming? I'm not an expert but there were so many that looked worthy.

Nice song by the way, I guess we shouldn't be too offended by dust - "for you are dust, and to dust you shall return.” according to a verse in the Bible. It's part of us after all. :P

"Hum you should have been more curious"
- It was "lost in translation" like the movie. I should have asked for one. Darn!

"You are absolutely right : that's really a shame"
- Lesson learned - Nobody is perfect but some are more "perfect" than others.

"Still not enough to commit seppuku ;)"
- Good thing I was not a paying pax. :P

"You're not alone... :)"
- maybe in the US. If I say that in SFO they would probably kill me for animal cruelty. ;) I should live in more "enlightened" environments.

"Not on par with KL's ;)"
- Dutch "treats" are hard to beat. ;)

"Even if dry natto is a must !"
- It is no comparison to the fermented and natural ones.

"Your marks for the AF lounge are very nice ..."
- I honestly enjoyed the lounge despite not being escorted to the AF Premiere one. It was a new experience for me.

"By the way why didn't you take cheese, you the cheese lover"
- After caviar, appetizers, 2 main courses and 2 desserts do you think I have room for cheese? ;) Something has to give.

See you around and thanks for stopping.
AntoinePil — Aug 05,2019

Nice YTR and great experience on board Panda! A little bit disappointed for the "F" lounge.
Flying F with AF doesn't require the same level of miles.... 320 000 miles for PVG --> CDG =(
Reply

jetsetpanda — Aug 06,2019

Salut Antoine,

That kind of award miles for AF makes JL look like a basement bargain! Wow!

Thanks for visiting and see you around.
Capoune — Aug 06,2019

Thank you Adan for this wonderfull report!
You are lucky you had a very nice expérience at CDG?
No luck with the meal but great crew made this flight mémorable.
Thank you for sharing with us this first ever JL TR!
Reply

jetsetpanda — Aug 07,2019

Hi Seb,

I find the AF @ CDG decent for the most part. The crew can sometimes make all the difference.

Thanks for commenting. It's a pleasure.