You Trip Report

	DATE	FLIGHT NUMBER	SEAT	AIRCRAFT
31 Oct 23	JL 1	17K	787-9
CLASS	VIEWS	LANGUAGE	AUTHOR
Premium Economy	9884	English	jetsetpanda

Prologue:

Welcome to this exciting RTW (Round the World) trip where I had the opportunity to sample Premium Economy long haul on 3 different airlines (JL, SQ and BA).

My first destination was HKG where I met with family. Originally I was looking for one way fares but I happened to find availability using award miles through the AS program. It so happens that only Premium Econ inventory was available for the day that I wanted to fly and since this was on JL I did not think twice before grabbing it.

I have flown on JL F, J and Y in the past so this was a new cabin experience for me.

Arrived at the airport early just when the check in counter was opening.

I love the sight of an empty check in counter. It was still early so not many people checking in yet.

The agent was polite and efficient. Some were dressed in costumes for Halloween.

JAL Premium Econ pax have access to lounge but unfortunately the JAL lounge in SFO was closed. BA was the default lounge but since I've read stories of overcrowding I decided to just go to the VS Clubhouse

VS Clubhouse SFO recently joined Priority Pass and I was able to access it this way.

The lounge was fairly empty.

Self service beverages which was not there on previous visits.

Menu ordering from QR code. One thing that I noticed is that the choices were more limited. Perhaps this is only during Priority Pass members hours. I'm still surprised that such a nice lounge is available to Priority members.

I ordered a tomato soup and chicken salad.

The gate was very near the BA lounge so I stopped by to check it out quickly.

It was not too crowded as expected.. Maybe the decoration scared some people away.

On second thought maybe I should have come here instead of stopping at VS. :P

The gate had a festive ambiance.

Time to board.

FA greetings at the door and walking to the Premium Econ cabin.

Pillow blanket amenity kit headphone and slippers already at the seat.

Good amount of space in the bulkhead. The cabin was not completely full but I had a neighbor.

Taxiing out.

Take off.

It's always a beautiful sight when you leave SFO on a sunny day.

Seat pocket contents.

Service started with a round of packaged towels served with a smile.

Let's check out the menu.

JL Premium Eco. serves the same meals as Y.

Skytime drink with snack.

Chicken dish.

Miso soup is offered by the FA when she gives you the tray.

Green tea after meal service.

WC.

Bidet included.

Afterwards I took a walk in Y and the cabin was very empty. I decided to move to the back and get a row for myself to stretch out. Since the meal service in Premium Eco was the same as Y there was no major loss by switching cabins.

Poor man's J class. :)

Snack basket in the galley.

I had a chat with one of the crew and told her how much I enjoyed flying JL. To my surprise she presented me with a card later in appreciation.

This was a very special and memorable gesture. You don't need to be a VIP with JL to be treated like one.

I rested a bit and soon it was time for the pre-arrival snack.

Not much in terms of food but it was OK.

Basket of candies was offered before arrival in HND.

Arriving in HND.

Gorgeous view of Mt. Fuji.

I was treated to some fantastic views on descent.

Landing in Tokyo.

========== San Francisco Intl Arpt (SFO) - ==========

Security/Immigration efficiency: 9/10

Access and parking: 10/10

Services and activities: 10/10

General cleanliness: 10/10

========== Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse ==========

Staff Service: 10/10

Entertainment: /10

Business Center: /10

Food: 8/10

Lounge Design: 10/10

Spa and Bathroom: 9/10

Wifi: 9/10

========== British Airways Terraces Lounge ==========

Staff Service: /10

Entertainment: /10

Business Center: /10

Food: 9/10

Lounge Design: 8/10

Spa and Bathroom: 0/10

Wifi: 0/10

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

Cabine comfort: 10/10

Crew: 10/10

Entertainment: 9/10

On-time performance: 10/10

Appetizer: 0/10

Starter: 10/10

Main Meal: 9/10

Main Meal-2: 0/10

Cheese: 0/10

Desserts: 9/10

Alcohols: 0/10

Mid-flight snack: 9/10

Breakfast or light meal before arrival: 8/10

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

Security/Immigration efficiency: 10/10

Access and parking: 10/10

Services and activities: 10/10

General cleanliness: 10/10

Summary:

I really enjoyed this first leg of my trip and JL proved to be a solid and reliable choice.

Premium Econ was a good experience but there is no difference between catering from Y. That means that catering in the back is so good that it can be used for Y+.

The main asset with flying a Japanese carrier is the exceptional customer service that one can get and JL did not disappoint in that regard. I was touched by the small gesture of a written note which made this trip extra special and truly memorable.

11 Comments

Thomas — Dec 03,2023

JL at its best my friend.
Thanks for sharing.
Reply
Bibopaul — Dec 04,2023

Magnifique ^^
Reply
Vendredi13 — Dec 05,2023

Woof ! JetSet !

Good job.
I love the colors and calm of the Virgin lounge.
I would have tasted the St Emilion red wine at the BA lounge. Thanks for the photo ;)

On board, first time I heard someone downgrade by himself ! This report is collector:)
And... consequently: too bad you paid for this Y+ product.
Beautiful aerial views of San Francisco and Mount Fuji.

Thanks my friend for this great report.
Reply

jetsetpanda — Dec 07,2023

Oauf

"On board, first time I heard someone downgrade by himself"
There is a "first" for everything :P

Sitting by the window was worth it for this flight.
Casper — Dec 06,2023

Gracias Amigo!
It was once again a pleasure reading you.
Reply

jetsetpanda — Dec 18,2023

Hola Casper,

Thanks for reading and commenting.
jetsetpanda — Dec 07,2023

Thank you everyone for your comments.
Reply
Capoune — Dec 18,2023

Hi Panda!!
Thank you for sharing with us this very nice review!!!
VS lounge looks nice and JL in premium economy is a very good surprise!
The seat seems to be very comfortable et the meal is very nice.

Thank you my friend
Reply

jetsetpanda — Dec 18,2023

Salut mon ami,

Yes VS lounge is a really beautiful one even if the catering is limited for Priority Pass users.

JL Y+ is a good product but considering that the meals are the same as Y if the back of the plane is wide open I would rather sit there than pay the premium. Main advantage of flying Y+ with JL is the access to the lounge.
Emile — Dec 31,2023

Soo great Adan..
Reply
SERGE13 — Dec 04,2023

wouah great flight..
I understand you had enjoyed.
Thank you for all pictures.
Reply