Before I start this post, I want to address the elephant in the room: The state of domestic “first class” in my own country, the United States. Namely, that unless you happen to be flying on an internationally-configured plane, it’s shambolic. It’s literally just a bigger hot, and sometimes a hot (but not very nice meal).
On the other hand, the product I’m about to review—domestic first class on JAL’s A350-900—has a golden reputation. In fact, as I sat in the lounge at New Chitose Airport waiting to board my delayed flight to Haneda, I was literally anxious in anticipation of the trip.
Unfortunately, while not terrible, JAL domestic first class simply does not live up to the hype that’s been built up around it. I hope you’ll continue reading to allow me to explain my view in more detail.
Why I Flew JAL’s Domestic First in the First Place
My JAL domestic first class review is incidental, not intentional. After many months of plotting and planning you see, I finally found an award seat on JAL’s amazing international first class on its brand new A350-1000. However, in order to score that availability, I had to book a ticket that included a “married segment”—in this case, a domestic CTS-HND flight—on the front end.
Initially, I struggled as to whether I would even bother reviewing this product. The flight, while long by Japanese domestic standards, was pretty short. Additionally, because of scheduling, I ended up needing to fly the night before my international HND-DFW flight; a delay leaving New Chitose Airport meant that we didn’t even take off until just after sunset. In the end, however, I decided that sharing my experience would be worth it.
Things to Know About JAL’s Domestic First Class
The lounge is mediocre
One of the main differences between luxury air travel in Japan and elsewhere is that is skews much older and more male than it does elsewhere. These aren’t necessarily bad things, but I find that lounges in particular reflect this reality. This means a utilitarian space designed less for enjoyment or relaxing, and more to be used for only a short while, likely working the entire time.
(So is the cabin)
Another thing I found underwhelming about JAL first class? The seat! Even on the spacious A350, it’s in a 2-2-2 configuration, which doesn’t allow for much privacy or room to stretch out. This isn’t the end of the world, of course, given that you’re unlikely to be in the air for much longer than an hour. Still, it just doesn’t feel very premium, particularly not if you’ve paid cash for the fare.
The food is terrible
Whether in the lounge (where the closest thing to real food was curry rice and onigiri) or onboard, where the crew served me a hamburger “steak” with rubbery vegetables, JAL’s domestic first class meal was incredibly disappointing. I didn’t “need” this, of course—I wasn’t even especially hungry—but I was hoping there would be something to rave about, and I thought the food would be it.
The service is…fine
JAL’s first class service did what it needed to go. The cabin attendant who waited on me spoke good English (even though I spoke to her mostly in Japanese) and was as present as she could be, given that there were 11 other passengers for her to take care of. At the same time, there simply isn’t a lot of time for crew to dote over passengers, and frankly most were so busy due to working (all domestic JAL flights now feature free WiFI for all classes) that it didn’t matter.
The asking price is key
If you are interested in sampling JAL’s domestic first class, price should really be your determining factor. Ideally, you will buy a heavily discounted promotional fare, or upgrade at check-in if space is available. However, if you have to waste miles on the ticket or pay more than double the cost of an economy class flights, I simply don’t feel like the value proposition is strong, once again given the flight lengths we’re talking about.
NOTE: JAL’s “Class J” is Not First Class
JAL only offers “real” first class on a limited number of airplanes, such as the A350-900 that flies on trunk routes like HND-CTS and HND-FUK. On smaller planes, the highest class of service you can purchase is Class J, which is really more of a premium economy product. The good news is that Class J is very cheap. While prices can be much higher than economy when booking in advance, I’ve upgraded at the airport for as little as ¥1,000 one-way.
When comparing JAL first class vs Class J, there are a few other differences to be aware—it isn’t just a smaller seats that’s closer in size to economy than to anything resembling “first class.” For starters, on many short routes, you won’t get a meal. The reality is that due to how small Japan is, there just isn’t time for a full meal service, even in a smaller cabin. Secondly, you will generally earn the same number of miles on a Class J ticket as you do with an economy one.
Other FAQ About JAL’s Domestic First Class
Is JAL’s domestic first class worth it?
If you fly in JAL domestic first class under the same circumstances that I did—in other words incidentally, as a tag-on to an international first class ticket—I’d say it’s worth it, considering you don’t have to pay extra. However, unless you can score an extremely cheap upgrade, I don’t think the experience is worth the cash fare, given how short domestic Japanese flights are.
Is Class J the same as first class on JAL?
Class J is not the same as first class. While Class J offers a large seat compared to economy, it doesn’t include lounge access or a meal service. On the bright side, upgrades are cheap and readily available at the airport, often for pennies on the dollar of what you paid for your ticket.
Does JAL offer domestic first class?
JAL does offer domestic first class on busy routes served with widebody aircraft, such as Haneda-Fukuoka and Haneda-Chitose. On other routes, you can instead opt to upgrade to Class J, an economy-plus cabin notable mainly for its slightly larger seats.
The Bottom Line
JAL domestic first class is nothing to write home about, certainly not compared the carrier’s industry-leading international product. While it’s better that most comparable products in the US, and of course is superior to European-style business class, it simply doesn’t live up to the praise so many other bloggers have heaped upon it. In particular, I find the seating configuration and meal to be average; the domestic first class lounge is unimpressive, even if the dedicated security lane makes the experience at the airport a lot less painful than it otherwise would have been. Need personalized help planning your next trip to Japan? Commission a custom Japan itinerary today!
