A Japan Airlines Boeing 777-300ER on the taxiway at Sydney Airport in morning light

JL52 · Sydney → Tokyo Haneda · First Class

Song’s Regrets

A seat in Japan Airlines First Class, next to his long-time work colleague and friend. There are eight of those seats on the whole plane. Song passed.

Japan Airlines · JL52First
SYD
Sydney (Kingsford Smith)
09:25
HND
Tokyo (Haneda)
17:10
Passenger
SONG
Aircraft
Boeing 777-300ER
Seat
Empty
Fare
155,200 pts + $615
Did not
boardSeats nearly gone

This isn’t a review of Song’s flight, because Song wasn’t on it. It’s what other people have written about the same seat: Japan Airlines First Class on the 777-300ER, including passengers on JL52 itself. Menus and wine lists change, but you get the idea.

The day he missed

  1. Before 09:25

    The lounge

    A oneworld First ticket gets you into the Qantas First Lounge at Sydney, even when the flight is JAL. Breakfast before breakfast.

  2. 09:25

    Pushback from Kingsford Smith

    JL52 is a Boeing 777-300ER, and the whole First cabin is eight seats in a 1-2-1 layout. The seat is 23 inches wide and reclines to 79 inches.

    Source: The Points Guy; One Mile at a Time

  3. Wheels up

    Champagne

    JAL First has poured Salon 2007, Cristal 2009 and Taittinger Comtes de Champagne Blanc de Blancs 2007. Another flight got Cristal, then Bollinger Rosé 2006.

    Source: The Points Guy; One Mile at a Time

  4. Over the Coral Sea

    Caviar

    Served in the tin, with crispy rice wafers and a mother-of-pearl spoon.

    Source: One Mile at a Time

  5. Lunch

    BEDD Sky Auberge

    A Japanese course menu: kozara small plates with grilled lobster and fried soft-shell crab, a clear owan broth, sukiyaki-style beef, rice, then black sesame pudding. Or ramen, soba or udon whenever he liked.

    Source: The Points Guy

  6. Somewhere near Guam

    Japanese whisky

    On JL52 itself, one passenger was offered Hibiki 100th Anniversary and Ichiro’s Malt Chichibu, a 2024 JAL exclusive.

    Source: Australian Frequent Flyer forum

  7. Afternoon

    Pyjamas and a made-up bed

    “PJs were offered (and accepted)” on JL52. The crew make the bed and ask whether you want a soft or firm mattress pad.

    Source: Australian Frequent Flyer forum; One Mile at a Time

  8. 17:10

    Tokyo Haneda

    Nine hours and forty-five minutes after leaving Sydney: rested, fed, and in Tokyo in time for dinner. With his mate.

The seat

A JAL First Class suite by the window: a wide leather seat with a footrest, a dining table and a privacy divider
Seat 2K. Song’s view, had he turned up.
Looking across a JAL First Class suite toward the windows, with a large personal screen, headphones and a dining table
The colleague’s side of the cabin, with no one to talk to.

These photos show JAL’s 777-300ER First Class “SUITE” in 2009. The cabin has been refreshed since, and it hasn’t got any worse.

What people who went said

“Japan Airlines first class is spectacular.”

One Mile at a Time

“The food was exceptional, truly one of the best first class meals I’ve had in quite a while.”

One Mile at a Time

“PJs were offered (and accepted).”

A passenger on JL52, Australian Frequent Flyer

The price of regret

One-way First, Sydney to Tokyo, in reward points. It isn’t getting cheaper, Song.

  1. 202060,000AAdvantage milesWhen JAL first put First on Sydney
  2. 2024129,300Qantas Points + $103When First returned in June 2024
  3. This one155,200Qantas Points + $615Classic Reward, “Seats nearly gone”

The seat was there. The friend was there. The champagne was definitely there.

Next time, Song. Just book it.