Is JAL Premium Economy Worth It? Japan Airlines 787-9 Premium Economy Review Haneda to San Francisco

We recently flew on JAL’s premium economy for the first time. In those post we’ll share our full review of the flight on the 787-9 from Haneda, Tokyo to San Francisco (HND-SFO) and our thoughts on whether or not Japan Airlines premium economy is worth it.

Whatever you might hear, premium economy is not the “new business class”. It won’t be for any long haul/international flight unless it offers lie flat seats. (And the chance of that happening is pretty slim.)

If anything, premium economy is Economy+, which puts it in a difficult category. Is premium economy worth the extra money for something slightly nicer? I think this depends on the airline.

Are Japan Airlines premium economy seats worth it? We think so.

Of course, the answer to this question of whether or not an upgrade to premium economy is worth it, will depend on you.

Our Flight Details: March 2023

• Japan Airlines 002
• Haneda Airport (HND) to San Francisco (SFO)
• 9.5 hr flight time
• Boeing 787-9 (type e71 – seat map)
• Seats 19H, 19K

Quick Summary: Japan airlines premium economy is an excellent option in general and especially for long flights originating from Japan during the day.

The extra perks usually offered to higher classes is what truly makes this experience “premium” and one of – if not the  – best in the industry.

That said, is it worth it? That will depend on what your travel priorities are and how much you like JAL’s own economy class.

Pros of Japan Airlines premium economy:
– Priority check-in
– Priority security lane (in select countries)
– Priority baggage handling
– Access to business class lounges (all countries)
– Priority boarding group
– Great seat with industry-leading leg room
– Decent tasting food
– Great service

Cons of JAL premium economy:
– Seat not comfortable enough to get good sleep
– Food is the same as economy
– Seat layout is similar to economy
– Movie selection was poor and entertainment OS clunky

Japan Airlines Premium Economy Check in at Haneda Airport

Out of the two major airports in Tokyo, Haneda is definitely the more modern and updated airport. We headed to Terminal 3 and to the Japan Airlines cluster of ticket agents.

There is a dedicated, clearly marked lane for Premium Economy ticket holders. Surprisingly, the service was slower than we anticipated but our ticket counter agent was kind and good to work with.

It should be noted that Premium Economy ticket holders get 2 bags at 50lbs per passenger. Business and first class passengers on JAL flights get 2 free bags at 70lbs per passenger.

One more quick check in note: because Haneda is a major JAL hub, you can check in well advance of your flight to drop off your bags and enjoy the lounge access.

This wasn’t the case when we checked in Hanoi, Vietnam where the ticket counter opened no more than 3 hours prior to the flight. Early check in is good to know for places with awesome airports (like Haneda or Changi in Singapore) where you don’t want to carry your luggage around with you and actually want to have time to explore these airports.

TSA Pre and Japan Airlines Check In

For US-bound ticket holders, specifically those with onward/connecting travel, we were surprised that when we got our tickets for our upcoming two flights, our JAL ticket had “TSA Pre” printed on the ticket, but not our domestic Alaska Airlines ticket.

Japan airports do not have TSA or TSA Pre so this was confusing to us (and the ticket agent). They saw that we had inputted our Known Travel number during the booking process but couldn’t figure out why it printed on one ticket (the one where TSA Pre is irrelevant) and not the other.

The desk agents couldn’t get this sorted so we figured we would use our Alaska Airlines app to get a different boarding pass online and sure enough, that worked. We got TSA Pre on the in-app boarding passes. Being that we had a somewhat tight connection in San Francisco, having TSA Pre was important to us.

The ticket agent also alerted us that we would have lounge access (JAL’s Sakura lounge) and provided a helpful map on how to get to the lounge. We were then directed to security.

Tip: How to get your Alaska Airlines (or any partner airlines) reservation code

One of the reasons we booked this flight through Japan Airlines is that they are partners with Alaska Airlines. We fly Alaska often so it was a good way to earn Alaska miles for all the flights.

When we made the booking online through the Chase Travel Portal, we were sent a confirmation number for our JAL reservation, but not Alaska. I had to call JAL’s customer service line in the US and request the Alaska Airlines reservation code.

This was important because it allowed me to add the entire booking to my Alaska account, which then allowed me to select seats for us and get our TSA Pre boarding pass for the domestic leg that we mentioned above.

When booking trips with multiple airlines, it’s always good to get the unique reservation code for each airline. Often times you’ll get more accurate information about that specific airline’s flight and have access to options (like choosing seats) that may not be available through the primary airline.

Security at Haneda Airport

We noticed there was no dedicated priority line at Security for those with premium economy tickets.

We had just flown JAL premium economy from Hanoi, Vietnam to Narita, Japan and were surprised to see a dedicated, express line at the Noi Bai airport in Hanoi. This helped us zip through the security line in Hanoi. Not be the case in Haneda.

One thing we noticed that was really nice during our security check in at Haneda is that you don’t have to take out any electronic devices. Not one.

For digital nomads like us, that was a welcomed policy and seemed to speed things up.

JAL Premium Economy Lounge Access Haneda Airport – Sakura Lounge

Having made quick work through customs and security, we followed the printed map to the JAL Sakura lounge. You’ll see signs for “Lounges” and head up an escalator to the area. If you’re looking for “Sakura Lounge” you might miss it.

The Sakura lounge we had access to is the same one for business class and premium economy ticket passengers.

There’s a separate First Class lounge but we didn’t get a chance to check that one out.

At the check in desk you’ll be asked to present your boarding pass. For those of you Priority Pass members wondering if you get access to this lounge, you don’t, unfortunately. In fact, we learned that Haneda airport does not have any lounges for Priority Pass members.

We have been fortunate to visit a couple of lounges at different airports around the world and we both agreed that this was one of our favorite lounges.

First off, it was HUGE with lots of different areas to relax in. It never felt crowded during the 3 hours we spent there.

The decor was modern and comfortable. Internet speeds were blazing fast. I also tested out the shower room and that was amazing – one of the best showers in any lounges I’ve seen.

JAL’s lounge has a minimal contact system. They encourage you to download and use their mobile app, JAL Lounge+ (iOS App Store). 

What I like about the app is that you don’t need to create an account to use it. Thank you JAL! Once you’ve downloaded and given it permission to your camera, you can scan a QR code on your table and scan your boarding pass.

From there, you can order food (though it’s not necessary to use the app for this) and book a shower room. You’ll get alerted through your phone when the shower room is available. I used the app while we were there and then deleted it after we left.

For food options, the JAL Sakura lounge had 2 areas in which you could order food from a set menu. The food was pretty good (except the french fries – don’t get those).

You can get as many items, as often as you want. The only downside is the menu was somewhat limited. Just don’t expect a huge spread with tons of options.

The self-serve drinks offerings were pretty good, and I especially enjoyed the automatic beer dispenser. I need one of those at home.

JAL Premium Economy Boarding at Haneda Airport

Knowing that JAL is pretty good about being on-schedule, we headed to the boarding gate to arrive at the scheduled boarding time.

One thing I really appreciate about JAL (and most Asian carriers) is their proactiveness to make sure things like boarding are clear and efficient.

Boarding takes place in groups. JAL proactively calls different groups up to get them lined up and then boarded.

Premium Economy ticket holders are categorized as boarding group 3, effectively boarding after anyone needing extra time (like people with disabilities, families with young children), first class, and then business classes.

JAL 787-9 Premium Economy Class Cabin

Our plane, the JAL 787-9 Boeing Dreamliner, was setup into 3 cabins (seat map of our plane): Business, Premium Economy, and Economy.

The business class cabin had an incredible 44 seats(!) split into two sections. These were the JAL Sky Suite (Collins Aerospace Apex) seats and looked pretty nice. I liked how even though it’s a 2x2x2 setup, people seem to have their own private area.

After the business class cabins, towards the middle of the plane, you arrive at the premium economy cabin. Here, 35 seats are arranged in a 2-3-2 layout.

There was more than enough overhead storage for bags. The cabin was right before the main cluster of lavatories (a row of 4 of them).

We were in the middle of the cabin on the right: seats 19H, 19K. I would probably choose these seats again, as we both like having our carry on bags with us and stowed under seats. If you are the kind of person that prefers a more open space, I would choose the bulkhead seats in row 17.

For couples, you’ll want to choose the window seats in A&C, or H&K. The worst seats in the JAL premium economy cabin would be any in the back, row 21, as it’s the closest to the lavatories.

Behind premium economy is the economy cabin with 116 seats in a 2x4x2 setup. From the quick peek I took, the economy section was large but looked fairly comfortable.

JAL has been applauded for being one of the few (if not only) economy cabins for international flights that operate a Boeing 787 in a 2x4x2 setup. Other airlines cram one more seat on the windows in a 3x3x3 pattern.

This is one of the reasons people wonder if JAL premium economy is worth it, especially for couples, as you could pay less and still have a private pair of seats to yourself.

JAL 787-9 Premium Economy Class Seat

Once we got to our seats, I was instantly impressed by the space, particularly the foot area. In the upright seated position, the seat pitch is 42” compared to 33” in economy.

It’s not worth comparing to business class. Overall, the premium economy seat felt pretty spacious.

The next thing to note is the recline. There are two buttons to press: one to recline the seatback and for the leg rest.

We didn’t realize reclining is a MANUAL process. I write this with laughter, as we both tried our buttons and couldn’t figure out why our seats wouldn’t recline.

This gave us a chance to test the call button. A stewardess showed us that you needed to hold down the button while pushing your body against the seat to make it recline down (or go back up). in other words, the button merely unlocks the seat position.

A similar method applied to the foot rest in which you pressed the button to unlock its position and physically lifted the leg rest.

This is a good example why we’d call this seat what it is: Economy+. It’s truly better than economy but the manual operations of the recline and leg rest left the experience some what less premium than it could have been.

The reclined seat angle was comfortable but not enough to get into a good sleeping position.

One thing we did like about the reclining seats is that they are in a shell, meaning that you cannot tell if the person in front of you is reclining or not. Their recline does not impact your space and thats nice.

One other surprising thing about the seat area is the tray table. It’s massive and sturdy. I’m not usually one to care about the tray table, but this one stand outs out to me.

There’s virtually no storage except for a small flap on the seat in front of you, two netted pockets to hold bottled water, power for each seat, and a 12.1” touchscreen IFE which we’ll talk about later.

One really strange design element is that the bracing to lock the seats into place on the floor allows for storage underneath one seat while the other has a metal bar preventing much under-seat storage. Just a heads up.

To conclude this section about the JAL premium economy seats: they were spacious and comfortable. They are great for a long-haul flight. However, if you’re looking to get some sleep on the flight, there’s no comparison to lie-flat seats that you’d find in business or first class.

JAL 787-9 Premium Economy Class Amenity Kit

When we arrived to our seats, we were met with a plastic bag extravaganza. There was a pillow, blanket, headphones, slippers, and an amenity kit.

This kit included a mask, toothbrush, ear plugs, and an eye mask. The slippers also came with a plastic shoe horn. Nothing fancy or worth noting here.

Japan Airlines Premium Economy Meals

Having flown JAL business class and economy before, I knew that in general, the food was going to be good. For premium economy I had no idea what the experience was going to be and truthfully it was adequate.

Again, it’s the Economy+ experience. The meals provided for premium economy are the exact same as economy, albeit presented in a slightly nicer way. I had the Beef Stew/Omelet entree.

Michelle had the Chicken and Lotus root.

We both felt they tasted pretty good. Just once again, nothing “premium” or exciting to report. It’s not an elevated experience from Economy, and it’s several steps down from the Business class experience.

Prior to landing, there was a second meal served that had a “fast food” vibe.

I give credit to JAL though. It was kind of an interesting experience as the meal came with instructions and you mixed a couple of things together in what can only be described as a to-go container.

Again, the food was good. Nothing amazing, but also not bad. Using the same food as economy felt strange and underwhelming though.

Side note: JAL does make their menu public and you can view their current offerings here.

JAL 787-9 Premium Economy In Flight Entertainment (IFE)

Overall the experience was going pretty good. The seat was comfortable. The food was decent. But man oh man, for a long haul international flight, the IFE was lacking.

The 12.1” touchscreen itself was fine. The picture quality was clear and bright. The movie selection was limited and also strange.

For example, they had the same movies showing up in the menu 3 times each, all in the same row. Who looked at that operating system and thought that made any sense?

Controls were buggy. I sometimes like to use those programs that show you your current flight status. Don’t even try with the JAL screens. Maybe I had a bad chair system. Either way, I could hardly get anything to work smoothly so I just abandoned the whole touch process.

Thankfully, there is a wired remote located in the side of the seat and that seemed to work well enough. The included headphones were also ok, not great. They got sound to your ears but that’s about it. That being said, I didn’t expect much here.

One simple fix to this experience is to offer a lot more movies. For a 10 hour flight, I expected more options.

Side note: JAL does make their entertainment offerings public and you can view their current offerings here.

JAL 787-9 Premium Economy Service and WIFI

I’ve come to expect great service from Japan Airlines (and most Asian carriers) and that was the case with this trip.

From the ticket agent at Haneda airport until the time we departed, the JAL staff were incredibly polite and helpful. On board, our call button was answered quickly and everyone we spoke with was very nice and helpful.

The lavatories were always clean when I went to use them. Any extra requests I made for things like drinks were always met with a happy-to-help tone.

People often underestimate the importance of great service and the value it brings to an overall experience. JAL definitely exceeded here.

As for the WIFI, I took a look at the prices and decided I didn’t need to get any work done on this particular flight. But here’s a pic of the available services.

JAL 787-9 Premium Economy: Is It Worth It?

This is a hard decision.

Our experience flying on JAL’s Premium Economy service was overall very positive. The perks that make JAL’s premium economy ticket special are the dedicated check-in counter lanes (and security when available) and the lounge access. We’re not aware of any other airlines that offer this to their Premium Economy passengers.

Onboard, the seats were pretty good, food was decent, and the service was wonderful.

If I were making a decision again as to whether or not I should purchase a Premium Economy ticket, I would use one of those decision making flow charts.

Here’s what I would suggest:

• Is money not an issue for you? —> purchase JAL’s Business/First class or Premium Economy
• Do you want to have the best sleeping option? —> go with JAL’s Business/First class for lie flat seats
• Did you find a really good deal or points offer for Premium Economy? —> go Premium Economy
• Is money an issue and you’re debating between Economy and Premium Economy? —> go with Economy
• Are you a couple looking for a nice experience and want to save money? —> go with Economy

It really depends on who you are and what your travel priorities are. I’m thankful we tried this experience because I’m convinced that if we fly with JAL internationally again, especially if it’s a trip that we don’t need to sleep on, we’ll probably go Economy.

The layout of the seats in Economy in the 2x4x2 is already enticing and again, the meals were exactly the same as Premium Economy. Though we loved JAL’s Sakura Lounge, we could live without it.

Japan Airlines 787-9 Premium Economy review: Final Thoughts

Ironically, Japan Airlines’ biggest competition for Premium Economy is its own Economy and Business Class offers.

JAL’s Premium Economy is only worth it if you can get a good deal for it. For example, if it costs significantly less than other airlines, if you find good value using points, or if you get upgraded from Economy because of status.

Otherwise, I don’t think it’s worth it. Better to save your points for Business class, or use points/cash for Economy.

What are your thoughts about JAL Premium Economy class? Let us know in the comments below.