AIR MOS BURGER★JAL SPECIAL. Image by Japan Airlines.

Japan Airlines (JAL) will once again collaborate with Japanese burger chain MOS BURGER in its latest installment of the popular AIR SERIES, a special Economy Class and Premium Economy inflight meal which JAL collaborate with well-know restaurants and food chains. This will mark the 5th collaborate with MOS BURGER and JAL says this should be the most popular and classic hamburger since MOS BURGER was founded!

JAL First Class menu designed by Chef Naoki Uchiyama: US Prime Beef Fillet with Black Truffle Sauce. Image by Japan Airlines.

Japan Airlines (JAL) first rolled out the exclusive restaurant in the sky dubbed "JAL BEDD SKY AUBERGE" back in January 2013 to offer high quality inflight meals on flights to various destinations. From March 1 2015, JAL will further enhance its JAL BEDD SKY AUBERGE dining experience for those traveling from Los Angeles and Chicago, and those traveling on red-eye flights.

JAL will start serving a healthy "Tonkotsu style" ramen in First Class and Business Class.  Image by Japan Airlines.

Can you image a tonkotsu (pork bone broth) style ramen without pork or meat? That's exactly what Japan Airlines (JAL) will be serving from December 1 2013 on select long-haul flights to Japan. JAL has collaborated with a famous ramen place "Kyushu Jangara" in Japan to develop this healthy version of the classic tonkotsu ramen. This is probably JAL's response to ANA's collaboration with IPPUDO

JAL First Class dessert - Menu BEDD Désir. Image by Japan Airlines.

Japan Airlines (JAL) and JEAN-PAUL HÉVIN has teamed up once again to create some special desserts just for the First and Business Class passengers. This time, the world-renowned Japanese master chef, Mr. Seiji Yamamoto and Star Chef, Mr. Chikara Yamada will also participate in this collaboration as these desserts will be part of the JAL BEDD-SKY AUBERGE menus which they are in charge of.

JAL will be serving the special AIR YOSHINOYA on select long-haul flights for a limited time. Image by Japan Airlines.

Japan Airlines (JAL) will bring back the popular AIR YOSHINOYA once again as the 10th installment in the AIR SERIES, a special Economy Class and Premium Economy inflight meal which JAL collaborate with well-know restaurants and food chains. AIR YOSHINOYA will be served between September 1 and November 30 2013 on select long-haul flights from Tokyo Narita to Europe and the US.

JAL SKY SUITE 777 service will turn daily on the Tokyo Narita - Paris CDG route from August 15 2013. Image by Japan Airlines.

Japan Airlines (JAL) is running a campaigns for Premium Economy trial and lounge service trail on select routes to Europe and America. If you purchase a eligible ticket for travel between August 1 2013 and March 31 2014, you will be able to take advantage of these campaigns.

Double miles on select US routes operated by American Airlines. Image by Japan Airlines.

Japan Airlines (JAL) is running a campaign to give double miles on select flights between the US and Japan operated by American Airlines (JAL). The campaign will run from July 15 2013 till August 31 2013. In order to qualify for the double miles, you will need to a JAL Mileage Bank (JMB) member in either Japan Region or American Region. Also, pre-registration before flights is required.

Desserts at oneworld Business Class Lounge at Los Angeles TBIT

As promised before, this post will mainly consists of pictures of the food offerings at the oneworld Business Class Lounge at Los Angeles (LAX) Tom Bradley International Terminal (TBIT). I will start from the buffet area closest to the entrance which now is the dessert area. This used to be the place they put the champagne and wines. For desserts, there are 2 kinds of cookies, marshmallow, and some kind of brownie. There used to be one more item when I visited the lounge back in December 2012. I guess that got cut. You can also find plates, silverwares, and napkins here.

Dining area inside oneworld Business Class lounge at LAX TBIT

The oneworld lounge at Los Angeles (LAX) Tom Bradley International Terminal (TBIT) has not changed much since it opened in 2007. The most noticeable change over the years was the re-arrangement of the dining area. Since my last trip report on this lounge (note not since my last visit), they have replaced the individual dining tables with a long table. Wines and champagnes are also now placed on the table instead of the buffet counter.

Japan Airlines check-in counters at Los Angeles Tom Bradley International Terminal

My flight was on the day after the Boston Marathon bombings, so I went to the airport a little earlier than usual as I expected security was going to be crazy as everyone was supposed to be under high alert. But surprisingly, I didn't notice much differences at all. No long lines or extra cops to check your cars and everything seemed normal.

Japan Airlines (JAL) uses check-in counters located in aisle A, which is the one furtherest away from the oneworld lounge. Since my last visit in last December, JAL has slightly re-arranged its check-in area at Los Angeles (LAX) Tom Bradley International Terminal (TBIT). Before, it used to put the luggage tags next to the entrance of the Economy Class line. I thought that was good as passengers can grab a couple of those and fill out the tags while waiting in line. However, now the tags are only available at the counters. So you either go take some from the counter and wait in line or fill them out really quick while you are answering all those questions during check-in. Not a big deal for me as I usually grab a whole bunch of them and save them for my next trip :)

Japan Airlines (JAL) has finally announced the specific rollout dates for its inflight Wi-Fi service, JAL SKY Wi-Fi, for its European routes. Passengers traveling between Tokyo Narita (NRT) and London (LHR) and Frankfurt (FRA) will be able to enjoy this paid service from April 17 2013, initially on alternate days only. After this, JAL will further expand this service to flights between NRT and Paris (CDG) in mid-August (hint: that's probably when CDG is getting the SKY SUITE 777 (SS7) service ;))

SKY MAP, part of the new JAL SKY SHARE service. Image from Japan Airlines

Japan Airlines (JAL) is going to roll out a brand new inflight service called JAL SKY SHARE this spring for a limited time. Via the innovative JAL SKY SHARE, you can send personalized postcards and video messages to friends and families using photos taken during your flight. A youtube video summary will also be sent to you upon arrival. But in order to enjoy this service, you will need to be one of the paying customers of the JAL SKY Wi-Fi service as you will need to upload and send pictures via Wi-Fi during the flight.

JAL SKY SUITE 777 rollout schedule leaked? Image from Japan Airlines website

[Update: The leaked schedule is indeed the correct one. JAL has issued a press release to confirm this schedule]

Couple of days ago, I noticed that Japan Airlines (JAL) has updated its website to include a more specific rollout schedule of the SKY SUITE 777 (SS7), the brand new international long-haul products JAL currently uses on the Tokyo Narita - London Heathrow route. It listed the months which JAL SKY SUITE, the new business class seat, will be rolled out to the New York JFK, Paris CDG, Los Angeles, and Chicago routes on the Japanese version of the JAL SKY SUITE seat details page. But then the info has since then be removed from the page. So is this a leaked schedule or the schedule has changed?

JAL to server "AIR MOS Teriyaki Egg Burger" on select long-haul flights. Image from Japan Airlines

Japan Airlines (JAL) announced today it is going to collaborate with MOS Burger once again in the next dish of the popular AIR SERIES. For a limited time, JAL will serve a teriyaki burger with egg from MOS Burger as the second meal on select long-haul flights departing from Tokyo.

JAL will be serving the finest Miyazaki beef on international first class for a limited time. Image from Japan Airlines

As reported before, Japan Airlines (JAL) will be launching the brand new international long-haul products, dubbed "SKY SUITE 777" (SS7), on the Tokyo Narita - London Heathrow route on January 9 2013. At the same time, JAL will be renewing its inflight catering service with the help of 4 celebrity chefs. To celebrate the launch of the new and improved products, JAL will be serving the Miyazaki beef on select international First Class flights between January 9 and March 31 2013.

JAL to introduce Air Kentucky Fried Chicken on select flights. Image from Japan Airlines

Say hello to Colonel Sanders when you board Japan Airlines (JAL) flight next time. JAL announced today it is going to collaborate with Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) Japan to serve Air KFC on select international flights departing from Japan between December 2012 and February 2013. Air KFC is the 7th dish in the popular JAL Air Series which JAL cooperates with popular restaurants and food chains in Japan to bring familiar tastes onboard for its customers.

JAL to serve Jean-Paul Hévin macarons in First and Business Classes for a limited time. Image from Japan Airlines

Japan Airlines (JAL) and award-winning master chocolatier Mr. Jean-Paul Hévin have decided to collaborate once again (for the 3rd time) to create some special treats for passengers flying on JAL international premium classes. During December and January, JAL will be serving macarons from Jean-Paul Hévin in First Class and Business Class on select flights departing from Japan.

Special upgrade discount campaign on Europe and North America routes. Image from Japan Airlines

Japan Airlines (JAL) has just announced a rather amazing upgrade campaign for JAL Mileage Bank (JMB) members in the American and Europe/Middle East/Africa regions as part of the Thanks to 25 million JMB members! celebration. For a limited time, you can save up to 20,000 miles when upgrading from Economy to Business class on JAL flights between Japan and North America and Europe! However JAL is only running this campaign for a very limited time! Below are the details

AA32 on June 2 2012

AA32 flight path (Source: FlghtAware)

Flight: AA32
Date: June 2 2012
Aircraft: Boeing 767-200
Seat: 7A (Business Class)
Scheduled Departure Time: 13:45
Actual Departure Time: 13:40
Scheduled Arrival Time: 22:07
Actual Arrival Time: 21:58

The boarding time listed on my boarding pass is 13:15, 30 minutes before the scheduled departure time. So I walked over to gate 46A at around 13:15 and was expecting a line and chaos around the gate. To my surprise, AA had finished boarding everyone who waited at the gate already!? There was again no line at the gate. I guess they must have started boarding much earlier. And the flight ended up departing right on time and arrived JFK a bit early! (Somehow FlightAware's departure and arrival times are different than the ones listed on AA website)