With the bus ride being affordable, comfortable, and non-stop, it ended up being a great decision and I can only recommend taking the airline bus if you need to travel between the two airports.

the airline Connects London Heathrow and Gatwick Hourly, National Express Does So More Frequently

If you need to get from Heathrow to Gatwick or vice-versa non-stop, you have two options. You can either take a National Express bus or the airline bus. Both take about an hour (the exact duration depends on the time of the day and traffic conditions) and both operate the segment as part of longer routes.

While National Express buses run on the route multiple times per hour during the day, the airline runs once an hour for the best part of the day. You can check the schedule of the former here and of the latter here.

Both companies stop at Heathrow’s Central Bus Station serving Terminals 2 and 3, as well as at Terminal 5. Some National Express buses also stop at Terminal 4. All the airline buses, on the other hand, skip Terminal 4 but stop at Compass Centre on the north side of the airport, which is within walkable distance of some hotels including Hyatt Place London Heathrow Airport and Holiday Inn London Heathrow Bath Road.

At London Gatwick, both companies serve both North Terminal and South Terminal.

the airline Is Considerably Cheaper Than National Express

Without a doubt the main advantage the airline has over National Express is the cheaper fare.

It costs 15 GBP one-way between the two airports for adults. Fixed-date return tickets can be booked for 18 GBP and flexible return tickets for 20 GBP. Child fare is half of the adult fare. Tickets can be booked online, using the Oxford Bus app, or directly onboard a bus from the driver.

National Express tickets on the same route, for comparison, start at 22 GBP one-way when booked online in advance. Last minute, however, the tickets can cost as much as 29 GBP one-way.

My Experience with the airline: Comfortable Bus and Friendly Staff

Having gotten through immigration and customs around 7AM, I made my way straight to the well-marked the airline bus stop in front of Gatwick’s North Terminal. The bus arrived a couple of minutes later and its driver handled my baggage and sold me a ticket with a smile. We departed exactly on time at 7:05AM and arrived at London Heathrow’s Central Bus Station about five minutes ahead of our 8:20AM scheduled arrival time.

The ride onboard the well-maintained and clean Mercedes bus was comfortable. Especially so considering that the bus was not full and I was able to enjoy a pair of seats by myself.

Each seat offered a small tray table with a cup holder, as well as a seat pocket. Additionally, under the seats in front was a pair of USB-A charging ports, one for each seat.

Other Options for Traveling Between London Heathrow and Gatwick Airports

There are other ways to travel between Heathrow and Gatwick. For example, you could take the Underground to Victoria and then the Gatwick Express or a Southern Rail train. That said, they all not only cost more than the airline but also take longer and involve at least one stop.

As such, unless you have a lot of time and want to spend some of it exploring parts of London, taking either the airline or National Express bus is the only real option you should be considering.

Summary

If you need to get between London Heathrow and Gatwick Airports as easily and cheaply as possible, then I can only recommend taking the airline bus. With there being one bus each hour during the day, you should be able to catch a service that works for you.

That said, if you need to move between the airports as quickly as possible and National Express happens to have a better-timed service, then that is a great option too if you are willing to pay the premium.

The post Oxford Bus the airline: The Best Way to Get from London Heathrow to Gatwick and Vice Versa appeared first on KN Aviation.

Continue reading to see what routes the Korean Air 747s are being deployed on, how many airframes the airline operates, and what its Queen of the Skies retirement plans are.

Korean Air 747 Routes

At this point, three destinations are served by by Korean Air 747-8s out of Seoul Incheon, where they are based. Those include:

• Atlanta
• Paris Charles de Gaulle
• New York JFK

Later on, other routes might be added to the schedule. Now and then, the 747-8 is also used as a substitute aircraft on shorter high-density routes like Seoul Incheon – Tokyo Narita and Seoul Incheon – Taipei Taoyuan.

On flights from Seoul Incheon to Atlanta and Paris CDG, the Korean Air 747 is scheduled to appear daily until the end of the currently released schedule (October 2024). Chances are the aircraft will continue being deployed on those routes after that as well. The 747-8 is scheduled to operate the sole daily rotations on those routes – KE35/KE36 and KE901/KE902 respectively.

Korean Air serves the only other route operated using the A380, Seoul – New York JFK, twice a day. Until May 10, 2024, and after October 6, 2024, the 747 is scheduled to operate both rotations. Between those two dates, only KE85/KE86 is scheduled to be operated by the 747 while the KE81/KE82 rotation is scheduled to be operated by the A380.

Earlier this year, the 747s also served on:

• Korean Air’s single daily rotation between Seoul Incheon and Sydney (until January 15, 2024, out of Seoul, and January 16, 2024, out of Sydney)
• The airline’s daily flight to Honolulu (KE53/KE54) until March 30, 2023
• One of its three daily rotations between Seoul Incheon and Singapore, KE645/KE646, between January 17, 2024, and March 30, 2024, (a day later in the direction to Seoul)

Korean Air 747 Fleet

Korean Air has been using one variant of Boeing 747 or another continuously since 1973 when it put its first 747-200C into service. Since then, it also operated some other 747-200 subvariants, 747-300s, 747-400s, and 747-8s at one point or another.

Today, it operates a fleet of 747-400 freighters and 747-8 freighters and passenger aircraft. It is the only airline that uses both the passenger 747-8i and the cargo 747-8F.

Zooming in on active passenger aircraft, Korean Air received a total of 10 747-8s from Boeing between 2015 and 2017.

Nine of those continue to operate Korean Air’s scheduled flights while one, HL7643 (MSN 60410, delivered in 2017), has been re-registered to 22001 (a military registration) and is being used by the South Korean Air Force as its VIP transport aircraft.

It’s also worth noting that two of the nine, HL7630 and HL7638 appear to be currently inactive, presumably due to maintenanc. Another thing worth knowing is that another one of Korean Air 747-8s, HL7644, is the last passenger 747 ever built.

Below is a list of all Korean Air 747s (all 747-8s):

• HL7630 (MSN 40905, delivered in 2015)
• HL7631 (MSN 40906, delivered in 2015)
• HL7632 (MSN 40907, delivered in 2015)
• HL7633 (MSN 40908, delivered in 2015)
• HL7636 (MSN 60407, delivered in 2016)
• HL7637 (MSN 40909, delivered in 2016, inactive since August 2023)
• HL7638 (MSN 60408, delivered in 2016)
• HL7642 (MSN 60409, delivered in 2017)
• HL7644 (MSN 60411, delivered in 2017)

Korean Air 747 Seat Configuration

All Korean Air Boeing 747-8s are in the same 368-seat, three-class configuration. They are equipped with:

• 6 first class suites in a 1-1 layout (at the very front of the main deck)
• 48 lie-flat business class seats including 26 on the main deck behind first class in a 2-2-2 layout and 22 on the upper deck in a 2-2 layout
• 314 economy class seats in a 3-4-3 layout (2-4-2 in the very back of the aircraft)

Unlike Air China’s and Lufthansa’s first class on the 747, Korean Air’s 747 first class seats are suites equipped with doors. In business class, the Korean Air 747-8s are equipped with Apex Suites – arguably one of the best if not the best business class hard products around.

Korean Air 747 Retirement Plans

Having been built between 2015 and 2017, Korean Air’s 747-8s are fairly young. That said, with the airline making a transition from operating four-engined aircraft, it already has a timeline in place for the retirement of the Jumbo Jets.

Korean Air’s CEO Cho Won-Tae was interviewed by FlightGlobal. In the interview, he outlined the future of both quad jets the airline operates. At the time, Cho said, “the A380s will be leaving Korean Air’s fleet within five years, and the Boeing 747-8i fleet will also follow suit within ten years.”

With that, it seems like the last passenger 747 will leave Korean Air’s fleet by 2031 at the latest. As Korean Air’s A380s will be retired by 2026, the 747 retirement will also mark the end of the airline’s long history of operating four-engined passenger jets.

The timeline for Korean Air’s passenger 747 retirement was further clarified when on May 8, 2024, it was revealed that Korean Air will sell five of its 747-8s to Sierra Nevada Corporation, which will be modified into “doomsday planes” for the US Air Force.

The sale, valued at approximately 675 million dollars, is expected to take place in September 2025, at which point, the airline’s passenger 747 fleet will shrink to just four airframes.

Summary

Korean Air operates a fleet of just under 10 passenger 747-8s. The aircraft are primarily used on long-haul flights to the United States, Australia, and Europe, but they also appear on shorter flights within Asia. Currently, the aircraft serves Atlanta, New York, and Paris.

While the days of Korean Air operating passenger 747s are already counted, with the retirement expected to take place by 2031, it will still be possible to see and fly on them for quite a few years.

Originally published on 2023/12/15. Updated on 2024/05/09 with current routes and latest retirement plan.

The post Korean Air 747s in 2024: Routes, Fleet & Retirement Plans appeared first on KN Aviation.

Continue reading to find out what flights the Etihad A380 can be flown on, how many A380s it has in its fleet, and what the airline’s future plans with the A380 are.

Etihad Airways A380 Routes

In the past, Etihad Airways A380s could regularly be seen at several airports around the world including New York JFK, London Heathrow, Paris CDG, and Sydney.

When bringing the A380s out of storage, however, it seemed like Etihad Airways only had one goal in mind – to increase capacity on its flights between Abu Dhabi and London Heathrow.

More recently, reports about the airline also planning to reintroduce the A380 on other routes in the future with New York JFK and/or Sydney being the most likely emerged. On November 29, 2023, Etihad Airways confirmed those rumors with a press release saying the airline would start operating the A380 between Abu Dhabi and New York JFK from April 22, 2024.

With that, currently, three of Etihad’s four daily rotations between Abu Dhabi and London Heathrow – EY11/EY12, EY17/EY18, and EY19/EY20 – are operated using the A380.

The first of those was switched from Boeing 787 to the A380 on July 25, 2023. EY19/EY20 followed on August 1, 2023. Lastly, EY17/EY18 was upgauged to the A380 from November 1, 2023. The remaining rotation – EY25/EY26 – is scheduled to remain operated by the 787 for the time being.

Additionally, one of the two daily Abu Dhabi – New York rotations (EY1/EY2) is operated using the A380 from April 22, 2024. The other rotation – EY2/EY3 – continues to be operated by Boeing 787-9 aircraft.

Etihad Airways A380 Fleet

Etihad Airways received 10 Airbus A380s from Airbus between 2014 and 2017 – the same number as its rival Qatar Airways. The airline put all ten of the Superjumbos in storage once the pandemic hit the airline industry.

Four Etihad A380s were put back into service at this point. These four airframes also happen to be the most recently delivered ones. Namely, they are:

• A6-APG (MSN 198, delivered in 2016)
• A6-APH (MSN 199, delivered in 2016)
• A6-API (MSN 233, delivered in 2017)
• A6-APJ (MSN 237, delivered in 2017)

Etihad Airways A380 Seat Configuration

Etihad Airways’ A380s are equipped with 485 seats across three classes including first (9 seats + The Residence), business (70 seats), and economy (405 seats).

All of the aircraft’s economy class seats – and no business or first class seats – can be found on the main deck. Except for a couple of rows, they are in a 3-4-3 layout. All of the first and business class seats can be found on the upper deck.

There are three unique things about Etihad’s first class.

First, the seats – called First Class Apartments – are in a 1-1 single-aisle layout making Etihad Airways and Singapore Airlines the only two airlines with a single- rather than twin-aisle layout on the A380.

Second, together with Emirates’ A380s, Etihad’s A380s are the only aircraft operated by regular airlines to offer onboard showers to their passengers.

Third, at the very front of the upper deck, Etihad Airways A380s have The Residence which, as the name might suggest, is the largest “seat” that can be flown on a regular airline flight. I put “seat” in quotation marks since it’s actually an entire dedicated space with a living room, a bedroom, and even a private bathroom with a shower that can be used by up to two passengers.

While The Residence used to be a separate class with service differentiated from first class and including a butler, with the 2023 reintroduction of the A380, the soft product differentiation has been significantly downgraded.

Both business and economy class seats on Etihad’s A380s are nice but nothing that stands out from the competition too much. In business class, Etihad is using staggered seats on the A380.

Etihad Airways A380 Retirement Plans

As mentioned above, Etihad brought back into service four of its ten A380s. The remaining six airframes have been in storage since 2020 – these are also the first six airframes Etihad received from Airbus:

• A6-APA (MSN 166, delivered in 2014)
• A6-APB (MSN 170, delivered in 2015)
• A6-APC (MSN 176, delivered in 2015)
• A6-APD (MSN 180, delivered in 2015)
• A6-APE (MSN 191, delivered in 2015)
• A6-APF (MSN 195, delivered in 2016)

When all ten airframes were parked at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, Tony Douglas, the airline’s CEO, told The National that “We have now taken the strategic decision to park the A380s, I’m sure it’s very likely that we won’t see them operating with Etihad again.”

While the airline ended up reactivating the A380, it has done so in a very targeted way with just four airframes and just on its flagship routes to London Heathrow and New York. Considering that the four airframes that were brought out of storage for this purpose are also the newest airframes, it is unlikely more of them will be reactivated.

As for the A380s that are back in service, there are no official retirement plans at this point. With the airframes being just six or seven years old, chances are they will continue to operate for quite some time – that is as long as Etihad can make the economics work.

Summary

With Etihad Airways reactivating some of its A380s, all of the airlines other than those that retired the type for good – i.e. Air France, China Southern Airlines, Malaysia Airlines, and Thai – have the Superjumbo in service now.

While originally it looked like Etihad would only be using it on its flagship route to London Heathrow, the aircraft is now also being deployed on the Abu Dhabi – New York JFK route. At this point it is unlikely the aircraft will be put on other routes.

To see what other airlines operate the A380, check this article.

First published on 2023/08/04. Updated on 2023/11/27 to include Etihad Airways’ latest A380 fleet, routes status, and retirement plans; on 2023/11/30 to include upcoming New York JFK route information, and on 2024/05/02 with New York JFK route status.

The post Etihad A380s in 2024: Routes, Fleet & Retirement Plans appeared first on KN Aviation.

Continue reading to learn all you need to know about JAL’s domestic first class including how much it costs, what aircraft and routes it is available on, what the service is like, and whether it’s worth the extra money.

How Much Does JAL’s Domestic First Class Cost?

When booking in advance, the difference in price between JAL’s economy class, Class J, and domestic first class varies depending on the flight and availability. That said, when upgrading on the day of your departure, the price is fixed and only depends on the route.

Until fairly recently, same-day upgrades from economy class to first class on JAL’s domestic flights used to cost just 8,000 yen regardless of the route. In other words, it used cost the same to upgrade on a sub-one-hour hop from Tokyo to Osaka as it did on a two-hour flight from Tokyo to Naha in Okinawa.

Since then, JAL not only increased the upgrade price but also split the pricing into two groups: Tokyo – Okinawa (Naha/Ishigaki) and all other routes. With that, the current same-day upgrade pricing from domestic economy class to first class is as follows:

• Tokyo – Okinawa: 13,200 yen (approx. 90 dollars)
• All other routes: 11,000 yen (approx. 75 dollars)

Same-day upgrades from Class J to first class cost:

• Tokyo – Okinawa: 9,900 yen (approx. 68 dollars)
• All other routes: 8,800 yen (approx. 60 dollars)

Which Domestic JAL Aircraft Have First Class Seats?

Only some of JAL’s widebody aircraft are equipped with domestic first class seats. All Airbus A350-900s and Boeing 787-8s and some 767-300ERs have them.

Both the 787-8s and 767-300ERs have one row of first class – the former in a 2-2-2 layout for a total of six seats and the latter in a 2-1-2 layout for a total of five seats. The A350-900s are the most premium-heavy domestic aircraft in JAL’s fleet with two rows of first class seats in a 2-2-2 layout for a total of 12 seats.

On the 767-300ERs, JAL uses its previous generation domestic first class seats while the A350-900s and 787-8s feature newer seats. In addition to being larger and reclining further than Class J seats, JAL’s domestic first class seats also offer more privacy, larger in-flight entertainment screens (except for the 767-300ER which doesn’t have them), and more storage space.

The one advantage that first class on the 767 has over the two newer types is the availability of the single seat in the center section of the aircraft.

In addition to the three domestic aircraft types in JAL’s fleet, the airline also sometimes uses its internationally configured 777-300ER on domestic flights. In that case, passengers can enjoy JAL’s international first class seat on short domestic flights like Tokyo – Fukuoka.

SINGLE

On Which Domestic Routes Does JAL Offer First Class?

JAL offers first class on only a very small portion of its extensive domestic network. The vast majority of the routes connect Tokyo with other major cities in Japan.

Currently, you can enjoy first class on the following domestic routes operated by JAL:

• Osaka – Naha
• Tokyo – Fukuoka
• Tokyo – Hiroshima
• Tokyo – Ishigaki
• Tokyo – Kagoshima
• Tokyo – Naha
• Tokyo – Osaka
• Tokyo – Sapporo

Not all of the flights on the above routes offer first class, though. For example, while essentially all Tokyo – Osaka flights are operated with first class-equipped aircraft, only two-thirds or so of the flights from Tokyo to Hiroshima and Kagoshima offer first class.

What Is JAL Domestic First Class Service Like?

Unlike Class J where the only real differentiation from economy class is seat size, JAL’s domestic first class product is differentiated from the other two classes throughout one’s journey, all the way from the departure airport to the arrival airport.

Ground Service

At Tokyo Haneda, Osaka Itami, Sapporo New Chitose, Fukuoka, and Naha Airports, JAL offers its domestic first class passengers dedicated check-in counters and security check area. These can also be used by oneworld Emerald members traveling in economy class or Class J.

The three other airports that have first class service – Hiroshima, Kagoshima, and Ishigaki – do not have dedicated check-in counters. That said, first class passengers are given priority at the regular check-in counters. These airports do not offer dedicated security check areas either.

JAL domestic first class passengers are also able to be among the first ones onboard their aircraft. Being part of boarding group 1, they can board right after preboarding (families with children, passengers with disabilities, etc.).

Lastly, those traveling on JAL domestic flights in first class get their checked bags handled with priority. This allows them to save some time at their arrival airport.

Baggage Allowance

Passengers traveling in JAL’s domestic first class can check in up to 45 kg of baggage for free as opposed to the 20 kg allowance that economy class and Class J passengers get. The maximum weight of each piece is limited at 32 kg.

The carry-on baggage allowance JAL offers its domestic first class passengers is the same as when traveling in the other two classes – up to 10 kg for a personal item and a larger piece of baggage combined. The maximum permitted dimensions of the carry-on bag are 55 x 40 x 25 cm.

While it would be nice if JAL proactively offered more carry-on baggage allowance to its domestic first class passengers, in practice, I never had an issue with taking all the baggage I needed onboard a JAL domestic flight regardless of my class of travel.

Lounge Access

Prior to departure, domestic first class passengers traveling on JAL can relax or get some work done in a lounge.

At Tokyo Haneda, Osaka Itami, Sapporo New Chitose, Fukuoka, and Naha Airports, JAL’s lounge access policy allows first class passengers to use JAL Diamond Premier Lounges. In addition to offering plenty of seating of all types (and even massage chairs), drinks, and packaged snacks, there are also more substantial bites to eat like bread and rice balls.

This is the one area where JAL completely outshines its competitor ANA as the latter only gives its Premium Class passengers access to its lower-tier ANA Lounges rather than the better ANA Suite Lounges.

At Hiroshima and Kagoshima Airports, only lower-tier JAL Sakura Lounges are available. While similar to the JAL Diamond Premier Lounges, the JAL Sakura Lounges only offer packaged snacks.

No JAL lounge is available at Ishigaki Airport.

JAL domestic first class passengers can enter lounges with one guest. Children under the age of three do not count as guests.

Meal Service

On all domestic first class flights, JAL serves a meal. What exactly is served and how substantial the meal is depends on the flight’s route and departure time. Generally, the following types of meals are served (all presented on a single tray):

• Breakfast on flights departing before 10:30AM
• Lunch on flights departing between 10:30AM and 4:59PM
• Dinner on flights departing at 5:00PM or later (6:00PM or later in the case of flights to/from Okinawa)

Interestingly, between January 1 and 3, JAL serves a special New Year meal to its first class passengers.

On some of the shorter routes, the menu might be slightly simplified (e.g. no soup). On routes other than Tokyo – Osaka and Tokyo – Hiroshima, instant cup noodles (ramen and udon) are offered on request too.

The latest menus can be found here (Japanese only).

Drink Service

Compared to economy class and Class J passengers, JAL’s domestic first class passengers not only get to enjoy an extended selection of soft drinks but also a selection of alcoholic beverages.

Cold soft drinks offered include Minute Maid 100% orange and apple juices, JAL’s signature Sky Time drink (currently with peach and grape flavor), sparkling and still water, Coca-Cola, Coca-Cola Zero, green tea, hojicha (roasted green tea), and ice coffee.

Hot drinks include coffee, black tea, green tea, hojicha, and consomme soup.

Lastly, alcoholic drinks offered in JAL’s domestic first class include champagne, red and white wine, Japanese sake and shochu, a selection of five different beers, and high ball. Non-alcoholic beer, red wine, and lemon sour are available too.

Other Onboard Service

In addition to serving food and drinks, there are some other aspects of JAL domestic first class onboard service worth knowing about. Among other things, the airline:

• Provides slippers and shoe horns
• Provides newspapers on flights departing before 10:30AM
• Provides cushions
• Stores passengers’ jackets

In-Flight Wi-Fi, Entertainment & Charging

Passengers traveling in JAL’s domestic first class can enjoy free onboard wi-fi on all flights (with the exception of those operated by internationally configured aircraft). On A350-900s and 787-8s, in-seat entertainment is available too. Most of the content is in Japanese, though.

First class seats on JAL’s A350-900s and 787-8s are equipped with both USB charging ports and universal power outlets. On the 767-300ERs, on the other hand, they are only equipped with USB charging ports.

Is JAL Domestic First Class Worth It?

In the past when same-day upgrades on all routes were just 8,000 yen, they were a great deal, especially on longer flights like Tokyo to Fukuoka and Tokyo to Naha. Even after the recent round of price increases, JAL domestic first class can still be worth it depending on how much you value the priority you receive along the way, lounge access, and onboard meal.

That said, if all you really care about is having more space than in economy class, then you will most likely be better off saving some money and going with Class J.

Doing so will mean you won’t receive any differentiated service compared to economy class passengers. That said, Class J seats – while not as large as first class seats – are more than comfortable enough for even the longest domestic flights in Japan.

The post JAL Domestic First Class: All You Need to Know appeared first on KN Aviation.

Continue reading to learn more about our experience and the things you need to know when traveling on Jeju Air with a baby.

2 Ways You Can Travel with a Baby on Jeju Air and the Infant Fare

The definition of infant on Jeju Air (like on ANA for example) varies slightly between domestic and international flights:

• Domestic flights: At least seven days and under two years old
• International flights: At least 14 days and under two years old

Newborns under seven days old on domestic flights and 14 days old on international flights need a medical certificate to travel. Children that reached two years need a child ticket until they become 12 years old. From 12 years old onward, a regular adult ticket is required.

As for infants, i.e. babies under the age of two, two ways of travel are permitted:

• Infant on lap: Your baby will not have their seat and will instead need to spend the flight on your lap (hence the name). In this case, your baby’s ticket will be free on domestic flights and 10% of the adult fare on international flights (with babies exempted from some taxes, etc., the total ticket price will most likely be less than 10% of the adult ticket price).
• Infant in seat: To reserve a seat for your infant you will need to call Jeju Air and pay the child fare.

On short flights, you should be fine with flying with your baby on your lap. On longer flights, you should strongly consider booking a seat for your infant as Jeju Air doesn’t offer bassinets (more about that in the next section).

You will also need to book a seat for your infant if you want them to fly in an approved car seat or if you are the only adult traveling with two infants (only one infant on lap is allowed per adult). In the latter case, you will need an approved car seat too since infants cannot travel in their own seats otherwise.

One more thing you should keep in mind is that Jeju Air only allows one lap infant per row of three economy class seats. As such, if you are a family of four traveling with two lap infants, you will not be able to sit next to each other unless you travel in BIZ LITE seats.

Baby Bassinets on Jeju Air

Like many other low-cost airlines (and many full-service airlines on narrowbody aircraft), Jeju Air does not offer baby bassinets on its flights.

In general, that is not an issue given that most of the airline’s flights – both domestic around Korea and international to destinations in Japan and some in China – are relatively short. For example, our flight from Seoul to Shizuoka was about an hour and a half long, and at that duration, it was perfectly manageable without a bassinet.

That said, if you are flying between Seoul and Southeast Asia (Bangkok, Siam Reap, etc.) or the Pacific (Guam and Saipan), you might want to consider airlines offering bassinets. These flights can be well over four or even five hours long and at that point I would only consider flying with a lap infant without a bassinet as the very last resort.

Flights from Seoul to Hong Kong, Macau, and parts of mainland China can add up to over four hours of sitting on a plane too when accounting for the time it takes to board and get off.

Infant Baggage Allowance and Stroller Usage on Jeju Air

Whether a Jeju Air infant ticket includes free checked baggage allowance or not depends on the route and fare type:

• Domestic infant tickets do not include free checked baggage allowance regardless of fare type
• International infant tickets excluding flights to/from Guam and Saipan booked in BIZ LITE or FLYBAG fare come with 10 kg of free checked baggage (no pieces limit)
• Infant tickets to/from Guam and Saipan include two free checked bags (up to 23 kg each) when booked in BIZ LITE fare and one free checked bag (up to 10 kg) when booked in FLYBAG fare
• International infant tickets booked in FLY fare do not include free checked baggage allowance

Separately from the above, you will also be able to check in a stroller free of charge. The stroller will be tagged at the check-in counter but you will be able to use it up to the aircraft’s door (unless it can fold to a carry-on size). You will then generally be able to pick-up your stroller at the aircraft door when you arrive at your destination.

In terms of carry-on baggage, Jeju Air’s website does not specify what carry-on baggage allowance infants get. However, it says (italics mine) “Each person can carry 1 carry-on suitcase baggage and extra baggage (laptop, briefcase, handbag) into the cabin, in addition to your carry-on baggage.”

As such, presumably, the same restrictions apply to your infant’s carry-on baggage as to your own:

• One main carry-on bag (up to 40 x 20 x 55 cm)
• One personal item (up to 35 x 15 x 40 cm)
• Combined weight of no more than 10 kg

We had no problem taking all of the carry-on baggage we had with us onboard.

Baby Carrier Usage on Jeju Air

When traveling with an infant, a baby carrier can be a lifesaver, both during the flight but also during take-off/landing if your infant doesn’t like being restrained with the standard seatbelt extension. That said, some airlines like Jetstar Japan prohibit the use of baby carriers onboard.

Luckily, we had no issues using our baby carrier on our Jeju Air flight. In fact, Jeju Air didn’t provide us with a seatbelt extension either so the baby carrier was a perfect way to keep our daughter secured throughout the flight.

Baby Meals on Jeju Air

Being a low-cost airline, Jeju Air doesn’t offer free meal/drink service (other than water). While it does have an extensive buy-on-board menu, you would be hard-pressed to choose something your baby might be able to eat.

As such, in addition to baby milk and water (liquids restrictions at security do not apply to your baby’s drinks and food), you will also want to make sure to bring onboard some snacks and/or more substantial food if the flight is during your baby’s meal time.

Seoul Incheon Airport Baby Facilities

If you are departing from Seoul Incheon Airport and want to give your baby a chance to move around a bit, make sure to visit one of the airport’s playgrounds. There are multiple throughout the terminal that Jeju Air uses. We visited two of them and they were both quite nice.

Diaper changing and other baby-related facilities are fairly abundant at the airport too.

Summary

Being a low-cost carrier mainly operating short-haul flights and only operating narrowbody aircraft, Jeju Air does not offer baby bassinets. Because of that, you might want to avoid flying the airline with your baby on some of its longer routes like Seoul – Bangkok. On shorter flights (personally, I’d say up to two hours), holding your baby on your lap is not much of a deal.

Other than that, flying with a baby on Jeju Air is perfectly fine. Just make sure to check your baggage allowance and to stock up on baby snacks/food before heading to the airport.

The post Flying on Jeju Air with a Baby: Bassinets, Baggage, Strollers, Meals & More appeared first on KN Aviation.

I wrote this guide since infant-related policies and service vary depending on the airline. Continue reading to learn all you need to know before booking a LOT ticket for your baby – and to see what your experience will likely be like.

2 Ways You Can Travel with a Baby on LOT and the Infant Fare

LOT Polish Airlines, like other airlines, considers babies under 2 years old to be infants. The airline only transports infants under 7 days old with special permission from a doctor. Children aged 2 to 12 need a child fare ticket. Children above 12 years old need a regular ticket.

With that, there are two ways you can travel with your (under 2 years old) baby on LOT:

1. Infant on lap: In this case, your baby’s fare will be 10% of the adult fare plus any applicable taxes and fees on international flights. On domestic flights your baby will travel for free. Because infants are exempt from some paying some taxes and fees, the total cost of your baby’s international ticket will generally be less than 10% of your ticket’s total cost.
2. Infant in seat: Because a seat will be reserved for your baby in this case, the ticket will be more expensive; 75% of the adult fare plus any applicable taxes and fees on international flights and 60% on domestic flights to be precise.

When traveling with an infant on lap, you will be able to book a bassinet for your baby on a first come, first served basis. Only one infant on lap per adult is permitted. Additional infants will need to have a seat booked and will need to be secured in a car seat or other such approved device.

Baby Bassinets on LOT

In case you are traveling with a lap infant on LOT, you will want to reserve a bassinet ahead of time if possible. Here’s all you need to know about doing so.

LOT Only Offers Bassinets on Its 787s

Like other airlines, LOT operates multiple different aircraft. However, it only offers baby bassinets on Boeing 787s (both 787-8 and 787-9), which it uses on long-haul flights. In other words, you will not be able to use a bassinet on LOT’s Embraer E-Jets (E170/E175/E190/E195) and Boeing 737s (737-800s and 737 MAX 8s).

Given that the E-Jets and 737s mostly operate short-haul flights around Europe, you will be just fine even without a bassinet most of the time (like we were on our flight from Warsaw to Vienna).

That said, the LOT 737s also fly from Warsaw to Cairo and Dubai. With these flights being about three and a half and five and a half hours long, you will want to have a bassinet if traveling on them with a lap infant. As such, if you are considering taking one of those routes, you might be better off looking at other options like, in the latter case, Emirates.

You should also keep in mind that the bassinet size – and thus the height and weight of the baby it can accommodate – varies between airlines and even aircraft types within a single airline’s fleet. In the case of LOT, the bassinet is 84 cm x 40 cm and can fit up to 12 kg babies that are at most 75 cm tall.

LOT Doesn’t Charge Fees for Reserving Bassinet-Compatible Seats

Nowadays, it is not unusual for airlines to charge fees for assigning bassinet seats. That’s because bassinet seats are in bulkhead rows that typically provide extra legroom and cost more to reserve due to that.

Fortunately, LOT allows passengers traveling with lap infants to book bassinet-compatible seats free of charge. Specifically, LOT will allow you and one other adult on the same reservation to choose these seats in advance. You can do so up to 24 hours before departure but if possible, do so at least a week before your flight.

For example, if you are traveling with your partner and a baby, you will be able to sit next to each other and have a bassinet, all free of charge. But if you are traveling with your partner, your older child, and a baby, you might have to pay extra seat selection fees if you all want to sit together.

For reference, when looking at Turkish Airlines as an option for the trip for which we eventually picked LOT, Turkish wanted over 500 dollars in seat selection fees if we wanted a bassinet and sit next to each other on two long-haul flights.

LOT Can Confirm Your Bassinet Reservation Before Payment

Before buying our flights, I called the LOT call center to ask if the bassinet seats were still available on the flights I was planning to take. The friendly agent asked me if I had a temporary booking code so that he could look into it.

While initially I wasn’t sure what he was asking for, it turned out that LOT provides a temporary booking code one step before you have to pay for your reservation. Once I found it (easy to do once you know it exists), I gave it to the agent who was immediately able to confirm that bassinet seats were still available on the two long-hauls we would be taking.

Not only that, but the agent was also able to assign the seats to us using the temporary booking code, eliminating the extremely small but non-zero chance that someone would snag the seats between me finishing the payment and calling the LOT call center again to reserve the seats.

All I had to do after hanging up was finalize the booking – i.e. pay – and we were good to go.

Infant Baggage Allowance and Stroller Usage on LOT

LOT offers a generous infant baggage allowance. Lap infant tickets booked in the Economy Saver fare come with a free carry-on baggage allowance including:

• Main carry-on bag (up to 8 kg and 55 cm x 40 cm x 23 cm)
• Personal item (up to 2 kg and 40 cm x 35 cm x 12 cm)
• Necessities bag with baby food, diapers, etc.

Other fare types also provide infants with a 23 kg checked baggage allowance.

For comparison, EVA Air does not give lap infants a full carry-on baggage allowance, instead only allowing a necessities bag on top of the adult’s carry-on allowance.

In addition to the baggage above, you will also be able to check in a foldable stroller or a car seat free of charge when traveling with LOT, regardless of your baby’s ticket’s fare type.

By default, your baby’s stroller will be tagged at check-in but you will be able to use it all the way to the departure gate where you will hand it to one of the ground staff members. Depending on the airport, you will have to do so either at the gate itself or at the aircraft door.

The same applies to pick-up – you will generally be able to get your stroller right after getting off the aircraft. That said, some airports (like Vienna) do not do that, instead only allowing you to pick up the stroller in the baggage claim area.

In case you, for some reason, prefer to just leave your stroller at the check-in counter, let the check-in staff know and they will arrange for that.

Baby Carrier Usage on LOT

When flying with a lap infant on LOT, you will be provided with a seatbelt extension that can be used to secure an infant to your seatbelt. On overwater flights, you will also be handed a baby life vest.

That said, like on EVA Air and unlike on Jetstar Japan, for example, you will most likely be able to use your baby carrier during take-off and landing (and in-flight) instead. I say “most likely” as we could do so on all three of our LOT flights but on the first flight we took, the flight attendant first had to confirm with the chief purser.

Because of this, I highly recommend taking a baby carrier with you onboard if you have one. Using it during take-off and landing can be much more comfortable than using the seatbelt extension, and it can also come in handy in flight.

Baby Meals on LOT

On flights that LOT serves full meal(s) to adults, it also offers the option of reserving a baby meal for your infant. If that’s something you are interested in, make sure to reserve the meal in advance (ideally when booking the bassinet), as otherwise your infant will not be provided anything to eat.

The baby meal will consist of jars of baby food and some juice.

Oh, and your baby will also receive a bib when traveling on a LOT flight with a meal service – how cool and cute is that?!

Just keep in mind that depending on your baby’s age, the provided food might not be solid enough, might be too sweet, and so on.

On both of the flights, like on our previous flights, we ended up feeding my daughter her usual travel meal sets we bought in Japan rather than the provided baby food. In case you are wondering, baby food, the water you will use to make your baby’s milk, and so on are not subject to the regular “100 ml or less” rule related to carrying on liquids.

Other Things to Know When Traveling on LOT with a Baby

Lastly, below are a couple of other things related to traveling with infants on LOT that didn’t fit into one of the sections above.

LOT Gives Children Gifts

Like many other airlines, children including lap infants get a variety of gifts when traveling on LOT Polish Airlines. What exactly your baby will get depends on when you take your flight, the flight’s duration, and so on.

My daughter got:

• A pair of socks and a bib on our flight from Tokyo to Warsaw
• A stuffed LOTEK (the airline’s mascot), a couple of booklets with activities, and a set of crayons on our flight from Warsaw to Vienna
• A stuffed LOTEK on our flight from Budapest to Seoul

I found it interesting that she got the most things on the shortest of the three flights.

Separately, LOT also has some downloadable content like coloring pages on its website. As an aviation enthusiast, I will definitely print the content out at a later point when my daughter grows up a bit, regardless of whether we will be flying on LOT or not.

LOT Lounges Don’t Have a Children’s Area But Warsaw Airport Does

Neither of the two LOT lounges at Warsaw Airport (Mazurek and Polonez) has a dedicated kids’ space. That said, you can, of course, still visit the lounge with your kids.

In case you have a longer transit, though, you might also want to spend some time at one of Warsaw Airport’s three playgrounds, which include:

• Monkey Grove: Near gates 36 and 39 in the Schengen departures area and gate 20 in the non-Schengen departures area
• Dreamliner Plane: Near gate 1 in the Schengen departures area

The latter is better if your baby is still relatively small.

LOT Has Diaper Changing Tables on All Aircraft

Regardless of what LOT aircraft you will be traveling on, its lavatories will be equipped with diaper-changing tables.

That said, because aircraft lavatories are small, the changing tables are small and difficult to use comfortably. As such, if you are traveling on a short one- or two-hour flight, I recommend changing your baby’s diaper just before boarding so that you will not have to do so onboard.

Summary

All in all, the basics of traveling on LOT with a baby are the same as they are on other airlines.

That said, some things positively distinguish LOT from some of its peers with the two most notable ones being:

• Free bassinet (and related adult seats) reservation even before completing a booking
• Free carry-on baggage allowance beyond just a necessities bag

The post Flying on LOT with a Baby: Bassinets, Baggage, Strollers, Meals & More appeared first on KN Aviation.

Continue reading to learn more about JAL first class including what routes it is offered on, which aircraft feature first class seats, and what the service is like. Keep in mind that this article focuses on international first class rather than domestic first class.

International Routes with JAL First Class

Nowadays, JAL offers international first class exclusively out of Tokyo Haneda Airport. While first class is mostly available on long-haul flights to premium destinations in the United States and Europe, JAL also resumed intra-Asian first class service recently.

Currently, JAL international first class is available on flights to/from the following seven destinations out of Tokyo Haneda (all operated by the 777-300ER unless otherwise noted):

• Bangkok Suvarnabhumi: One of two daily rotations (JL31/JL34)
• Dallas Ft. Worth: Sole daily rotation (JL11/JL12); will switch to the A350-1000 every other day once JAL receives its third A350-1000 and daily once it receives its fourth
• London Heathrow: One of two daily rotations (JL43/JL44)
• Los Angeles: Sole daily rotation (JL16/JL15)
• New York JFK: Both daily rotations (JL4/JL3 and JL6/JL5); JL6/JL5 currently operated by the A350-1000 every other day from January 24, 2024, and daily from February 2, 202
• Paris Charles de Gaulle: Sole daily rotation (JL45/JL46)
• San Francisco: Sole daily rotation (JL2/JL1)

Additionally, as reported by Executive Traveller, JAL will also start offering first class on its sole daily rotation from Tokyo Haneda to Sydney (JL51/JL52) from May 31, 2024.

JAL Aircraft Equipped with First Class Seats

Until recently, the Boeing 777-300ER was the only aircraft type in JAL’s fleet featuring international first class. At the end of 2023, however, the first of JAL’s new flagship A350-1000 joined the airline’s fleet. As the A350-1000s will, over time, replace the 777-300ERs, they feature first class seats too.

On all the other aircraft (787-8s, 787-9s, 767-300ERs, and 737-800s) that JAL uses on international flights, business class is the highest class of service.

Boeing 777-300ER

Currently, JAL operates 13 777-300ERs (registered JA731J through JA743J). All of these are in the same configuration, featuring 244 seats including eight in first class, 49 in business class, 40 in premium economy class, and 147 in economy class. The first class cabin at the front of the aircraft consists of two rows in a 1-2-1 layout.

At this point, the first class seats used on JAL’s 777-300ERs are not exactly cutting edge and are starting to show their age. While the airline named them JAL SUITE, they do not feature doors (to be fair, the naming was done before doors on aircraft seats were commonplace).

That said, the seats are still very comfortable. They are large, turn into a comfortable bed, and despite lacking doors offer more than enough privacy.

Airbus A350-1000

At this point, JAL only has two A350-1000s in its fleet (JA01WJ and JA02WJ) but it has an additional 11 on order. Like the 777-300ERs, all of JAL’s A350-1000s will be in the same configuration. The JAL A350-1000s seat a total of 239 passengers including 6 in first class, 54 in business class, 24 in premium economy class, and 155 in economy class.

Given the 777 seat’s age, JAL decided to equip its A350-1000s with brand new seat types in all classes. In first class, the airline opted for a spacious 1-1-1 layout.

The new JAL first class seats are equipped with all the latest technology one would expect (wireless charging) and perhaps not expect (speakers built into the headrest and communication with flight attendants via a tablet). They also turn into a considerably larger bed than the 777 seat does (not that that bed wasn’t large enough). Last but not least, they feature doors.

JAL International First Class Service

When traveling in JAL international first class, you can expect great service throughout your journey – both on the ground and in the air. While JAL lacks some of the bells and whistles offered by the likes of Emirates first class, it still offers a solid product.

Below, I give you a brief overview of what you can expect. For a better idea, though, I recommend reading a detailed review of my JAL first class flight from Tokyo to New York.

Ground Service

At your departure airport, you can expect the usual perks like priority check-in, security (where available), and boarding.

Your checked baggage will also be handled with priority, appearing on the belt at your destination faster than economy class passengers’ baggage (how much or if at all faster will depend on how well the service gets executed which can vary greatly).

Additionally, as per JAL’s lounge access policy, you will have access to (mostly first class) lounges at your departure airport.

If you are departing from Tokyo Haneda, you can use the JAL First Class Lounge. On flights to Haneda, JAL first class passengers are provided access to mostly other oneworld members’ lounges such as:

• American Airlines/British Airways Soho Lounge at New York JFK Airport
• American Airlines Flagship First Dining at San Francisco Airport (I reviewed the one at New York JFK here)
• British Airways Galleries First Lounge at London Heathrow Airport
• Qantas First Lounge at Los Angeles Airport

In Paris, JAL first class passengers can use the Air France Business Class Lounge while in Bangkok, the airline operates its own JAL Sakura Lounge.

Meals and Drinks

Unfortunately, full-on dine-on-demand is not available in JAL first class. Instead, the airline offers a choice of a Western and a Japanese course meal for the two main meals.

The one thing that I found unfortunate (although others might welcome it) was that rather than offering regular caviar service on flights out of Japan, the airline offers a more “creative” caviar dish. The quality of the food is great and the volume is more than sufficient.

If you find the volume of the main meals insufficient or get hungry during the flight, JAL also has an a la carte mid-flight dining menu. That menu consists of items ranging from a rice bowl all the way to lighter items like sandwiches.

JAL also offers an extensive drink menu in first class. As a non-drinker, I appreciated that in addition to premium alcoholic drinks, JAL first class also has a premium non-alcoholic option – Queen of Blue ice tea, which the airline serves in wine glasses.

Other In-Flight Service

JAL first class passengers get complimentary wi-fi access throughout the flight (otherwise the wi-fi costs about 20 dollars). You will also be provided with a decent pair of noise-canceling headphones to use with the in-flight entertainment system. While the in-flight entertainment selection is not great (especially if you do not speak Japanese), it is better than it used to be.

Lastly, you will also get pajamas (I took them home and wear them to this day) and a well-stocked amenity kit.

JAL First vs. Business Class: How Do They Compare?

Unsurprisingly, JAL’s first class is considerably better than its business class in all aspects. JAL first class’s main benefits compared to its business class are:

• Considerably larger seat: While JAL uses the excellent Apex Suites which do not have tight foot cubbies in business class on its 777-300ERs, the first class seats offer considerably more space and comfort. On the A350-1000s, the difference will be even more pronounced as business class leg space will be restricted in the new seat’s bed position.
• Better lounge: On the ground in Tokyo and at some outstations, the lounge you will be invited to as a first class passenger will be considerably nicer than its business class counterpart. Unfortunately, JAL doesn’t offer things like airport transfers, private transfers to aircraft, etc. to its first class passengers.
• Better in-flight service: While JAL’s business class meals are good, its first class meals are even better. The same applies to the drink menu. JAL first class amenity kits are also better stocked than business class ones (although the latter contain pretty much everything one would need even on the longest flights). Business class passengers do not get pajamas, though.

Summary

Currently, JAL offers international first class on flights to seven destinations in the United States, Europe, and Thailand. Additionally, it will add first class on flights to Sydney from the end of May 2024.

Two types in the airline’s fleet – 777-300ER and A350-1000 – are equipped with first class seats. JAL is currently in the (years-long) process of replacing the former with the latter. While the 777s feature fairly outdated open seats, the A350s will feature large suites with doors.

In terms of onboard service, JAL first class lacks dine-on-demand at this point. Still, its meals – and other in-flight and ground services – are competitive.

First published on 2024/01/25. Updated on 2024/01/29 with information about Sydney route.

The post JAL First Class Routes, Seats, Service & Other Things to Know appeared first on KN Aviation.

Continue reading to learn all you need to know about ANA Premium Class including which aircraft and routes it is available on, what types of seats it offers, what service it comes with, and whether it’s worth the extra cost.

How Much Does ANA Premium Class Cost?

When booking ANA Premium Class flights in advance, the difference in price compared to economy class varies depending on the route, available fare types, date, and specific flight. That said, when upgrading on the same day (or up to two days before departure in the case of ANA Mileage Club members), the upgrade fees are fixed.

In the past, there was one same-day upgrade fee that applied to all routes. A few years ago, that changed and the pricing was segmented by flight length – i.e. upgrades on shorter flights became cheaper while upgrades on longer flights became more expensive.

Same-day upgrades from economy class to Premium Class now cost:

• 4,000 yen (approx. 28 dollars)
  • Osaka – Kochi and Matsuyama
  • Sapporo – Hakodate, Kushiro, Memanbetsu, Nakashibetsu, Rishiri, and Wakkanai
  • Fukuoka – Goto Fukue, Miyazaki, and Tsushima
  • Naha – Ishigaki and Miyako
• 6,000 yen (approx. 42 dollars)
  • Tokyo – Akita, Hachijojima, Komatsu, Niigata, Noto, Odate Noshiro, Sendai, Shonai, Takamatsu, and Toyama
  • Osaka – Fukushima, Hagi Iwami, Kagoshima, Kumamoto, Miyazaki, Nagasaki, Niigata, and Oita
  • Nagoya – Akita, Fukuoka, Kagoshima, Kumamoto, Matsuyama, Miyazaki, Nagasaki, Niigata, and Sendai
  • Sapporo – Akita, Aomori, Fukushima, Komatsu, Niigata, Sendai, and Toyama
  • Fukuoka – Komatsu
• 8,000 yen (approx. 56 dollars)
  • Tokyo – Hagi Iwami, Hakodate, Kochi, Kushiro, Mombetsu, Nagoya, Nakashibetsu, Okayama, Takamatsu, Tokushima, Tottori, Wakkanai, Yamaguchi Ube, and Yonago
  • Osaka/Kobe – Akita, Aomori, Fukuoka, Hakodate, and Sendai
  • Nagoya – Asahikawa, Hakodate, and Memanbetsu
  • Sapporo – Fukuoka, Hiroshima, and Okayama
  • Naha – Hiroshima, Iwakuni, Kumamoto, Matsuyama, Nagasaki, Niigata, Shizuoka, and Takamatsu
• 11,000 yen (approx. 77 dollars)
  • Tokyo – Hiroshima, Iwakuni, Kagoshima, Kumamoto, Matsuyama, Miyazaki, Nagasaki, Oita, and Osaka
  • Osaka – Ishigaki, Miyako, and Naha
  • Fukuoka – Miyako and Naha
• 15,000 yen (approx. 105 dollars)
  • Tokyo – Fukuoka, Ishigaki, Miyako, Naha, Saga, and Sapporo
  • Sapporo – Fukuoka, Kobe, Nagoya, Naha, and Osaka
  • Naha – Sendai

Upgrades done in advance cost 1,000 yen (approx. 7 dollars) less.

Which Domestic ANA Aircraft Have Premium Class Seats?

ANA has Premium Class on all of the jet aircraft it uses on domestic flights. In other words, the only aircraft in ANA’s fleet that do not have Premium Class are its Bombardier Dash 8 Q400 turboprops.

The seating layout, and number of Premium Class seats depends on aircraft type and configuration:

• Boeing 787 (all in a 2-2-2 layout)
  • 787-8 (335-seat configuration, 78P): 12 seats
  • 787-8 (240-seat configuration, 78M): 42 seats
  • 787-9 (395-seat configuration, 789): 18 seats
  • 787-9 (375-seat configuration, 78G): 28 seats
  • 787-10: 28 seats
• Boeing 777 (all in a 2-3-2 layout)
  • 777-200ER (405-seat configuration, 772): 21 seats
  • 777-200ER (392-seat configuration, 722): 28 seats
  • 777-300: 21 seats
• Boeing 767 (all in a 2-1-2 layout)
  • 767-300ER (270-seat configuration, 76P): 10 seats
  • 767-300ER (202-seat configuration, 76E): 35 seats
• Narrowbodies (all in a 2-2 layout)
  • 737-800: 8 seats
  • A320neo: 8 seats
  • A321-200: 8 seats
  • A321neo: 8 seats

What Are ANA Premium Class Seats Like?

Currently, ANA has five types of Premium Class seats in service. All of those are considerably larger than its economy class seats, recline more, and offer more privacy. All Premium Class seats are also equipped with universal power outlets. With the exception of some 737-800s, they are also all equipped with USB charging ports.

The different Premium Class seat types differ in the material they are upholstered in, color, and some of the features they offer:

• 777-200ER (722), 787-9 (78G), and 787-10: These aircraft are equipped with ANA’s latest Premium Class seat model. Rather than being blue, like the previous models, they are grey. They are equipped with 15.6-inch touchscreens.
• 737-800 (non-refurbished), 767-300ER (76P), 777-200ER (772), 777-300, 787-8 (78P), and 787-9 (789): These aircraft feature ANA’s original leather Premium Class seats. The seats lack electrical reclining and personal screens.
• 737-800 (refurbished) and A321neo: These aircraft are equipped with seats upholstered with blue cloth. They have considerably smaller privacy partitions than the two types above. They are equipped with personal screens.
• A321ceo: These aircraft are equipped with seats similar to the above but without any privacy partitions and personal screens.
• 787-8 (78M): These aircraft were originally used on international flights around Asia and so are equipped with ANA Business Cradle seats. The seats recline considerably more than standard Premium Class seats. They are equipped with personal screens.

What Is ANA Premium Class Service Like?

In addition to offering a larger, more comfortable seat onboard, ANA Premium Class service is considerably differentiated from its economy class counterpart throughout the journey.

Ground Service

At many departure airports, ANA Premium Class passengers can enjoy priority check-in and security. The way this works depends on the airport.

Major airports including Tokyo Haneda, Osaka Itami, Fukuoka, and Sapporo New Chitose have Premium Check-in Areas with staffed desks, check-in kiosks, and a dedicated security checkpoint. The checkpoint also leads directly to ANA Lounges at these airports. It’s worth keeping in mind, though, that occasionally, the regular security lanes might be quicker.

In Naha, there is a dedicated security checkpoint for, among others, ANA Premium Class passengers but check-in has to be done in the regular check-in area. That said, like at other airports that lack dedicated check-in facilities, there are desks reserved for Premium Class passengers.

ANA Premium Class Passengers also get to board earlier than economy class passengers. That said, rather than being Group 1, which is reserved for ANA Mileage Club Diamond members (the airline’s frequent flyer program’s top-tier status holders), Premium Class passengers board as a part of Group 2 (together with Star Alliance Gold members)

Lastly, since Premium Class passengers’ checked baggage gets handled with priority, it comes out on the belt at the arrival airport earlier than that of economy class passengers without a frequent flyer status.

Baggage Allowance

ANA Premium Class passengers get extra baggage allowance compared to economy class passengers. They can check-in up to 40 kg of baggage (with each piece weighing a maximum of 32 kg) for free compared to the 20 kg that economy class passengers can.

Star Alliance Gold members get an additional 20 kg of baggage allowance for free for a total of 60 kg.

The carry-on baggage allowance ANA Premium Class passengers get is the same as that of economy class passengers. That is, a maximum of 10 kg combined for a personal item and a larger bag with the latter being at most 55 x 40 x 25 cm.

With that said, I never had an issue carrying all the baggage I needed onboard ANA domestic flights – whether traveling in economy class or Premium Class. As such, I wouldn’t worry about the restriction too much (within reason, of course).

Lounge Access

While ANA’s lounge access policy allows Premium Class passengers to use lounges, they can only use the lower-tier ANA Lounges and “shared lounges.” They cannot use the better ANA Suite Lounges which are reserved for ANA Diamond members.

In practice, this means that while ANA Premium Class passengers have access to lounges with a good variety of seating and a decent selection of drinks, they do not have access to lounges with food more substantial than small packs of rice crackers.

This is one of the weakest points of ANA Premium Class in my opinion and is in contrast with JAL’s domestic first class which provides access to its higher-tier JAL Diamond Premier Lounges.

Meal Service

ANA serves its Premium Class passengers a meal on all but the shortest routes. The meals themselves vary depending on the route, the flight’s date (the menu changes a couple of times each month), and the time of the day.

While in the past ANA used to segment the day into more parts, now it offers just two types of meals:

• Breakfast on flights departing before 11AM
• Lunch/dinner on flights departing after 11AM

The former typically consists of two types of sandwiches, soup, and fruits. The latter is more substantial and very Japanese – it consists of rice and a fairly large number of other dishes (albeit in small portions).

On very short routes like Sapporo New Chitose – Rishiri and Tokyo Haneda – Hachijojima, “today’s sweets” are served. Additionally, packaged snacks (rice crackers) are available to Premium Class passengers.

You can find ANA Premium Class menus for upcoming (and past flights) here. Unlike JAL’s, they are available in English.

Drink Service

The selection of drinks available in Premium Class is more extensive than that in ANA’s domestic economy class. While the availability of alcoholic beverages is the thing that stands out the most, the soft drink menu offers some extra options too.

Cold soft drinks available onboard include (those exclusive to Premium Class are in italics):

• Green tea
• Apple juice
• Orange juice
• Tomato juice
• Coca-Cola
• Coca-Cola Zero
• Still water
• Sparkling water (Perrier)

Hot drinks include:

• Coffee
• Black tea
• Green tea
• Consomme soup

Lastly, alcoholic drinks include:

• Sake
• Shochu
• White wine
• Red wine
• Sparkling wine
• Beer (Asahi Super Dry, Kirin Ichiban Shibori, Suntory The Premium Malt’s, Sapporo Yebisu Beer, Orion Draft Beer)
• Highball

Non-alcoholic beer (Suntory All-Free) is available onboard as well.

Other Onboard Service

In addition to food and drinks, ANA also offers its Premium Class passengers:

• Blankets
• Slippers
• Eye masks
• Ear plugs
• Mouthwash

In-Flight Wi-Fi, Entertainment & Charging

On all domestic flights in all classes, ANA offers a free, reasonably fast onboard wi-fi.

In addition to in-flight entertainment being available via streaming, as mentioned earlier, newer Premium Class seat types are equipped with personal screens too. Unlike in the past, there is now also a decent (for the length of domestic flights in Japan) selection of English content.

The only issue is that domestic flights around Japan are generally shorter than most movies. As such, you will either have to watch a movie across two flights or, if your aircraft is equipped with a personal screen, watch a movie from boarding until arrival.

Lastly, you will be able to keep your devices charged during your flights in ANA Premium Class as all aircraft are equipped with universal power outlets and the vast majority (the exception being some 737s) also have USB charging ports.

Is ANA Premium Class Worth It?

If you are purchasing Premium Class in advance, then whether or not it is worth it will depend a lot on how much of a budget you are traveling on and what the price difference between economy and Premium Class is when you are making your booking.

In most cases, however, I’d say you should just book economy class considering that flights around Japan are rarely longer than an hour and a half or two. That said, on longer flights like those between Tokyo and Naha or Ishigaki, the extra comfort might be worth it.

The case for upgrading is much stronger at the same-day upgrade fees if you are lucky enough to have an empty Premium Class seat on your flight. Especially so since ANA doesn’t have a mid-tier offering like JAL does in the form of Class J.

The post ANA Premium Class: A Guide to the Airline’s Domestic First Class appeared first on KN Aviation.

Unlike first class, Class J offers no differentiated service compared to economy class. That said, it does offer a considerably larger seat which can be valuable if you want to get some work done on your flight or simply have more space to relax. Not only that but it is also very reasonably priced.

Continue reading to learn all you need to know about JAL’s Class J including how much it costs, which aircraft and routes it is available on, and what you can expect in terms of service and comfort.

How Much Does JAL Class J Cost?

If you want to fly in Class J on JAL, you have two options: booking your flight in Class J from the get-go or upgrading on the day of your departure, subject to availability. The latter option is available from 3 hours until 20 minutes before your flight’s departure.

Same-day upgrade pricing for changing a ticket from economy class to Class J is fixed. The extra amount you will have to pay on top of economy class fare when booking Class J in advance varies. That said, it starts at the same amount as the same-day upgrade fees.

Until the end of March 2022, same-day upgrades from economy class to Class J cost just 1,000 yen regardless of the route. This presented great value even on JAL’s shortest routes and an amazing value on longer flights like Tokyo to Sapporo or Naha.

Currently, same-day upgrades to Class J cost either 1,100 yen (approx. 8 dollars), 2,200 yen (approx. 16 dollars), or 3,300 yen (approx. 24 dollars) depending on the route. Even at these prices, Class J still offers great value.

For 1,100 yen you can upgrade to Class J on the following routes:

• Amami: Tokunoshima
• Fukuoka: Amami, Izumo, Kagoshima, Kochi, Matsuyama, Miyazaki, and Tokushima
• Izumo: Oki
• Kagoshima: Amami, Tanegashima, Tokunoshima
• Naha: Ishigaki, Kumejima, Miyako
• Osaka: Fukuoka, Izumo, Kagoshima, and Kumamoto, Matsumoto, Matsuyama, Miyazaki, Nagasaki, Niigata, Oita, Oki
• Sapporo: Akita, Aomori, Hanamaki, Memambetsu, and Sendai
• Tokyo: Yamagata, Nagoya, and Komatsu

For 3,300 yen, you can upgrade to Class J on some of JAL’s longest domestic flights (mainly including travel to/from Okinawa):

• Fukuoka: Sapporo
• Nagoya: Ishigaki, Miyako, Naha
• Naha: Komatsu
• Tokyo: Naha, Kumejima, Miyako, Ishigaki

On all other routes, you can upgrade to Class J for 2,200 yen.

Which JAL Aircraft Have Class J Seats?

JAL’s entire domestic mainline fleet is equipped with Class J seats. Japan TransOcean Air’s Boeing 737-800s (the airline’s sole aircraft type) and J-Air’s Embraer E190s offer Class J too.

On all of the aircraft types where Class J is available except for Boeing 787-8, it offers one less seat per row than economy class. On the 787-8, Class J has two fewer seats per row than economy class. Arguably, Class J on J-Air’s E190 is the most comfortable as it is in a 1-2 configuration meaning the “A” seats have access to both a window and the aisle.

While on widebody aircraft, Class J is a separate cabin separated from economy class (and first class) by walls, on single-aisle aircraft it consists of larger seats in a cabin shared with economy class.

Below is a list of all the aircraft types in JAL Group’s fleet that feature Class J:

• Airbus A350-900 (391-seat configuration): 56 seats in a 2-4-2 layout (as opposed to 3-3-3 in economy class)
• Airbus A350-900 (369-seat configuration): 94 seats in a 2-4-2 layout (as opposed to 3-3-3 in economy class)
• Boeing 737-800 (including JTA aircraft): 20 seats in a 2-3 layout (as opposed to 3-3 in economy class)
• Boeing 767-300ER: 42 seats in a 2-2-2 layout (as opposed to 2-3-2 in economy class)
• Boeing 787-8: 58 seats in a 2-3-2 layout (as opposed to 3-3-3 in economy class)
• Embraer E190 (operated by J-Air): 15 seats in a 1-2 layout (as opposed to 2-2 in economy class)

On flights where JAL uses aircraft in an international configuration on domestic flights, international business class seats (and occasionally even first class seats if the 777-300ER is used) are offered as Class J seats.

Aircraft in JAL Group’s fleet that do not offer Class J are Japan Air Commuter’s and Hokkaido Air Commuter’s ATR 42s and 72s, Ryukyu Air Commuter’s Bombardier Dash 8 Q400CCs, and J-Air’s Embraer E170s.

What Is JAL Class J Service Like?

While Class J seats are considerably better than regular economy class seats, the rest of the service – both on the ground and in the air – is less differentiated. In fact, while in the past there used to be some differentiation, now there is none at all.

Lounge, Ground Service & Baggage Allowance

JAL’s domestic Class J tickets do not offer lounge access as part of the fare.

That said, there are multiple other ways in which you can enter the airline’s lounges before your Class J flight as per JAL’s regular lounge access policy. Those include:

• Being a oneworld Sapphire or Emerald member; the former can access JAL Sakura Lounges and “shared lounges” while the latter can also access JAL Diamond Premier Lounges
• Paying for access (only available at select major airports)
• Connecting to/from international business or first class on the same day/by 6AM the next morning

Alternatively, at some airports in Japan like Tokyo Haneda, Osaka Kansai, and Nagoya Chubu, some lounges (albeit not JAL Lounges) accept Priority Pass and similar memberships.

As with lounge access, Class J passengers do not receive any other special ground service on top of what economy class passengers receive. They cannot use priority check-in desks or security lanes, do not get to enjoy priority boarding, and their luggage doesn’t get handled with priority.

Class J passengers get the same baggage allowance as economy class passengers.

In-Flight Wi-Fi, Entertainment & Charging

All JAL’s aircraft that feature Class J are also equipped with free onboard wi-fi. Additionally, A350-900s and 787-8s are equipped with personal in-flight entertainment screens. That said, the selection of content is quite limited, especially if you do not speak Japanese.

In terms of keeping personal electronic devices charged, Class J on A350-900s and 787-8s offers both universal power outlets and UBS charging ports. On E190s, only universal power outlets are available. On 737-800s and 767-300ERs, only USB charging ports are available.

Onboard Service

Until March 2011, Class J passengers were served both packaged snacks and drinks. Now, only drinks are offered.

Unfortunately, the drink service saw a slight downgrade at the end of March 2023 too. Until then, there used to be one extra “Class J special” drink type on top of the regular economy class selection. The drink, most recently vegetable juice, changed every now and then.

Currently, the drink selection in both economy class and Class J is the same. Hot drinks offered include coffee, green tea, and consomme soup. Cold drinks include water, green tea, Coca-Cola, Minute Maid 100% apple juice, and JAL’s original Skytime drink. The flavor of Skytime changes from time to time; now the drink’s flavor is peach and grape.

Is JAL Class J Worth It?

Back when upgrades to Class J on all routes were just 1,000 yen, it was absolutely worth it trying to upgrade on the day of your departure regardless of the route you were flying on. While the price has increased since then, I still think in most cases, paying the same-day upgrade fee is worth it if there is availability.

The service you will receive will be the same as when flying in economy class. Class J passengers get no priority check-in, boarding, or similar. They do not get lounge access either.

However, the extra space you will have will be more than worth the upgrade cost. Especially so if your flight is longer than an hour and happens to be relatively full.

The post Class J: All About JAL’s Domestic Business Class appeared first on KN Aviation.