JAL First Class: LHR-HND B777-300ER

I had been planning a round-the-world trip and was thrilled to book a First Class seat on Japan Airlines latest plane, the A350-1000, using miles. Securing JAL First Class with miles can be a challenge, as you typically need to book either a year in advance or at the last minute (within 14 days of departure). I managed to reserve a one-way First Class ticket from London Heathrow (LHR) to Tokyo Haneda (HND) for 123,750 British Airways Avios miles plus $533.30 in taxes. I transferred miles from CapitalOne to top up my British Airways account. All 4 seats that remained for sale in F class, were available using miles at 14 days prior to the flight. It was available to book at 12AM London time via American, Cathay Pacific and British Airways. Unfortunately, Alaska Airlines didn’t show any availability, which was a bit of a letdown since I have plenty of Alaska miles.

Japan Airlines started flying their A350-1000 to London on October 24, 2024 every other day, but in late November due to plane JA05WJ being stuck at JFK for maintenance issues for 5 days they reverted 3 flights back to the 777-300ER. Unfortunately, my flight was impacted and I was downgraded from the A350-1000 to the old B777-300ER which I had flown twice already. Sometimes it doesn’t go as planned, but I was still flying First Class so I can’t complain. As of January 2025, JAL now operates the A350-1000 everyday, but demand has gone way up so finding award seats is much harder now.

After a wonderful stay at the brand new Park Hyatt London River Thames, I headed to the airport via the tube on a windy & rainy day in London. I checked in at the JAL First Class counter and then proceeded to the Cathay Pacific First Class Lounge which I believe is better than the British Airways Galleries First Lounge. I had a snack and drink while relaxing in the lounge, but saved room for the inflight dining.

Boarding commenced on time for JL44 and I found my seat at 1A which would be my home for 13.5 hours. I was served champagne as a pre-departure beverage and all of the amenities were provided at my seat including PJ’s to sleep in. It was a full flight with all 8 First Class seats occupied. An inflight WiFi voucher was at my seat which was valid for 1 device for the entire flight with unlimited usage which is a nice perk in First Class. As of October 1, 2024, JAL includes WiFi to all passengers, but with time limits for Economy and Premium Economy passengers: https://press.jal.co.jp/en/release/202409/008311.html

After takeoff, dinner was served, as it was an evening departure. I chose the Japanese course, which I highly recommend when flying with JAL or ANA. The meal began with a delightful amuse-bouche paired with a glass of white wine. This was followed by an array of appetizers, a delicate clear soup, and a selection of assorted seafood. The main course featured a mouthwatering wagyu beef steak, which was absolutely delicious. For dessert, I enjoyed a refreshing mango jelly accompanied by a black sesame bean sweet bun (Gomatsumi), a perfect end to the meal.

I was very fortunate to be flying during November 2024 when JAL was offering 2 rare Japanese whisky’s. Both Ichiro’s Malt Chichibu Single Malt JAL Exclusive 2024 and Suntory Hibiki 100th Anniversary Blend were being served. I enjoyed both of them very much. Ichiro’s was a bit stronger similar to Yamazaki whereas the Hibiki was closer to Hibiki 17 which I prefer.

JAL was offering First Class passengers the opportunity to purchase the Hibiki 100th Anniversary Blend bottle via inflight duty free. I was able to preorder it online prior to the flight, but pre-order wasn’t required. It was a strict limit of 1 bottle per passenger. 4 other passengers purchased one during the flight. The flight attendants were advertising it after the meal service and they had it on display outside the restroom.  It was 60,000 yen for the bottle which included a Hibiki gift bag and a JAL 70th Anniversary furoshiki (Japanese wrapping cloth). The Ichiro’s bottle was on sale for pre-order if you had a flight in December so unfortunately I couldn’t buy a bottle of it.

After a restful 7 hours of sleep on the plush mattress pad, I woke up for a light meal prior to landing into Tokyo. I started with fresh fruit and then had the a la carte Japanese meal. It included halibut fish, egg roll, vegetables, rice and miso soup. A perfect way to conclude the flight!

As we were landing, we had beautiful views of the mountains north of Kyoto and Mt. Fuji.

Conclusion: It was another fantastic flight in First Class on Japan Airlines and I can’t wait to try their A350-1000 soon. The rare Japanese whisky’s available to consume onboard and the Hibiki 100th Anniversary Blend available for purchase made up for the equipment swap due to maintenance on the A350-1000. The service was top notch and I wouldn’t hesitate to fly JAL First Class again. This is one of the best uses of your miles!