Japan Airlines (JL)
- Location: Tokyo (NRT)
- Class: Business
- Access:
- OneWorld Emerald and Sapphire cardholders
- OneWorld First and Business class ticket holders
- Date: April 2014
At NRT we were able to use the superb JAL Business Class lounge. Having previously spent time in the ANA First Class lounge, I can unequivocally state that the JAL lounge utterly destroys it.
From the moment you see the Gold lettering on the grey slate wall, the JAL lounge’s elegance is readily apparent.
We were greeted by the receptionists at the first floor desk and then headed down the grand lobby stairs into the main lounge area.
I love the fact that there were large lockers available to store your hand luggage.
Given that we’d been on trains all day, Kamara and I were keen to get showered up before boarding our flight. My parents didn’t have long until their flight so they decided to just grab a quick bite and head straight to their gate.
The shower facilities were excellent. The shower room was ruthlessly clean and the water pressure would be easily capable of blasting the dirt from an off-road vehicle.
Buck Rogers toilet
After finishing my shower I waited for K on one of the seats facing the tarmac
The windows in the lounge give a sweeping view across a huge number of gates, seeing the sleek JL birds taxiing around was a great distraction for a couple of minutes.
Once K was done we headed back upstairs to the dining area.
The hot dishes included organic, preservative soups from Tokyo Soup Stock as well as the famous JAL Curry.
I’m not ashamed to say, I polished off a couple of large bowls, enriched with some slow cooked beef and red pickles.
Whilst many aspects of this lounge are impressive, the one that stood out the most to me was the bar.
The barman was remarkably polished.
I ordered a Chivas and a Hibiki on the rocks. At which point the barman stirred ice into a glass to chill it first, then drained the excess water, topped up the glass with fresh ice cubes and poured the Chivas. He then placed the bottle on bar, next to the drink, with the label facing me.
He then repeated the entire process with the Hibiki.
That, ladies and gentlemen, is how a properly trained barman makes a drink. I’m usually surprised to get service of that standard in regular bars, let alone in airline lounges.
That guy was a true consummate professional.
The result:
After finishing our whiskies we walked over to the satellite area where the Qantas lounge and gates were located.
- Part 1:
- Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse – London Heathrow Airport
- Part 2:
- Virgin Atlantic: Upper Class – London to Tokyo
- Part 3:
- Park Hyatt Tokyo
- Part 4:
- ANA Crowne Plaza Kyoto
- Part 5:
- JAL Business Lounge – Narita Airport
- Part 6:
- Qantas Business Lounge – Narita Airport
- Part 7:
- Qantas: Business Class – Tokyo to Sydney
- Part 8:
- Qantas: Business Class – Sydney to Melbourne
- Part 9:
- Park Hyatt Melbourne
- Part 10:
- Hilton Cairns
- Part 11:
- Windjana Villa, Mission beach
- Part 12:
- Park Hyatt Sydney
- Part 13:
- Qantas Business Lounge – Sydney Airport
- Part 14:
- Cathay Pacific: Business Class – Sydney to Hong Kong
- Part 15:
- Cathay Pacific The Arrival Lounge – Hong Kong Airport
- Part 16:
- Novotel Century Hong Kong
- Part 17:
- Cathay Pacific The Wing: First Class – Hong Kong Airport
- Part 18:
- Cathay Pacific The Wing: Business Class – Hong Kong Airport
- Part 19:
- Qantas Combined F and J Lounge – Hong Kong Airport
- Part 20:
- Cathay Pacific: First Class – Hong Kong to Tokyo
- Part 21:
- Conrad Tokyo
- Part 22:
- Tokyo sights
- Part 23:
- Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse – Tokyo Narita Airport
- Part 24:
- Virgin Atlantic: Upper Class – Tokyo to London
