JAL First Class Lounge at the Satellite Build of Tokyo Narita Airport

Starting on December 2 2012, Japan Airlines (JAL) will extend the operation hours of the JAL First Class Lounge at the Satellite Building at Tokyo Narita Airport. The satellite First Class Lounge will open from 7:30 till 19:00 while the First Class Lounge at the Main Building will remain open until the last flight of the day.

JAL has opened a brand new First Class Lounge at the NRT Satellite building on Dec 8 2010. There are enhanced dinning, business facilities, showers, massage, etc just like the one in the main building. This is to enhance the competitiveness of service offered by JAL. Now eligible passengers can relax in the satellite F lounge instead of the one at the main building if their flights departs there (no more leaving early to catch the train ).

But as a result, JAL is closing down the 4F F lounge in the main building, leaving only the 3F F lounge.

Source: JAL Press Release (Japanese, English)

Japan Airlines (JAL) and Vietnam Airlines (VN) has reached an agreement to expand their existing code sharing deal to include Nagoya-Ho Chi Minh City and Narita-Hanoi from October 1 2010. Ticket sales will start on August 5 2010. JAL will also retime its Narita-Honai flight on the same day it starts codesharing with VN on this route. Below are the schedules.

It sucks to be one of the cities on Japan Airlines' (JAL) chopping block because losing the direct flights to the cities means a blow to the local economy. That's why the local governments don't give up and keep protesting against the planned suspensions. Officials from 16 Japanese prefectures had a meeting with JAL executives and on the other hand Hawaii Tourism Authority has started an online petition to save the Narita-Kona once daily flight. Doesn't look like they officials will give up until the very last minute.

Local governments were scrambling to keep their Japan Airlines (JAL) routes after Yomiuri Online released the list of international and domestic routes that are on the chopping board. Japanese and overseas local government are working with JAL and are hoping to save their routes from the cut. Meanwhile other airlines are eager taking over JAL's route :(

Diamond Online reveal's Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism's (MLIT) original JAL suspension plan. This was the plan drafted by MLIT back in February 22 2010 but was allegedly replaced by the rumored suspension list reported by Yomiuri. There were 46 international routes on the chopping board in the original plan vs only 29 in the new plan.

JiJi.com reports that Japan Airlines (JAL) is planning to reduce frequency on 7 Narita routes from October, resulting a reduction of 40 weekly flights at NRT.

JAL First Class Lounge and Sakura Lounge at Tokyo Narita

Sorry i haven't been posting the trip reports lately. It's March now and I am still writing about my November trip! Well, I have been busy and Japan Airlines filing for bankruptcy didn't help either. Anyways, here's my report on the Sakura Lounge. I actually took the picture above a while back (more than a year ago) but the entrance/wall didn't change :P The Sakura Lounge and First Class Lounge share the same entrance and are located next to gate 61 at the main building. The Satellite Sakura Lounge is next to gate 92. But for this report, I will focus on the lounge at the main building as I only had enough time to visit one of them and the one at the main building is definitely better :)

Japan Airlines has reached code sharing agreements with Emirates (EK) and Fuji Dream Airlines (FDA). EK's agreement include the new Narita-Dubai service launched in March (as I tweeted a few days ago). While FDA's agreement covers the Shizuoka routes which JAL will withdraw from.

The newly extended runway B at Narita is finally open today. As reported earlier, Japan Airlines' charter flight to Hokodate was the first airplane to use to extended runway.

Narita Airport is currently extending its runway B to 2500m long, which will then allow heavy aircrafts to takeoff and land on the runway. Japan Airlines' charter flight departs at 07:00 to Hakodate will be the first heavy plane to use the extended runway, which is scheduled to open on October 22.

Japan Airlines flight 761 from Narita to Brisbane had to return to Narita after 80 minutes after takeoff due to an air condition problem.

Two months ago I posted about Japan Airlines is serving freshly baked bread at JAL's Narita lounge. I had the chance to taste the bread at both the NRT Sakura lounge and a Maison Kayser cafe in Ikebukuro's Sunshine City mall. And I found the bread at JAL lounge is actually fresher!!! The croissant at Sakura lounge is still crispy while the one I had at the cafe is a bit soft. But would I buy one next time I saw it in the store/cafe? Probably not. The croissant tastes good but there's nothing special to it. But would I have one if it's free? Yes LOL

Japan Airlines flight 011 has to cancel takeoff AGAIN today due to the SAME engine problem experienced yesterday. JAL has to cancel the flight and they are going to fly another plane to Mexico City so passengers can continue their journey tomorrow. This is kind of unusual for JAL but this is better than finding the problem while they are across the Pacific :)

Source: The Straits Times

Japan Airlines flight 011 on July 8 2009 from Mexico City o Vancouver, BC has to reject takeoff after engine problem. One of the four engines of the 744 did not reach takeoff thrust and the pilot has to return to the gate. According to JAL US website, the flight has to push back for 24 hours and so is the following flight from Vancouver to Narita.

Source: JAL America and Aviation Herald