Around the world part 4: Seoul to Tokyo

After a few days of hiking and shopping in Seoul, it was time to return to the United States.  My onward flight left from Tokyo Haneda airport, so I needed to get there with enough time to spare to clear transit security, and in addition, I was unsure if I would need to collect and recheck my bag.  There were two flights on Japan Airlines to Tokyo that would work, but I decided to book the earlier flight just in case.  Because from Tokyo, I’d be taking what was, for me, the most important flight of the trip. 

My flight left pretty early in the morning (7:50 am), so the only way to the airport was by taxi.  I wasn’t sure how long everything would take, so I left what I thought was plenty of time (90 minutes).  There was a sign at check-in warning us that the immigration and security lines were usually very long (45+ min) in the morning.  And they were exactly as long as described. 

After I cleared immigration and security, the flight was ready for boarding.  Japanese punctuality meant that, unfortunately, boarding started perfectly on time and that left me only enough time in Gimpo airport to scan the documents required for me to get my tax rebate.  And since I stopped for that, I was one of the last to board the 787 because the line had process had been so efficient. It also meant that I skipped the lounge at Gimpo. So for the purposes of scoring this flight at the end, I’m just copying over the score from the next flight. If I ever make it back to Gimpo airport and am able to check out the Korean Air lounge, I’ll come back and update the overall score.

Upon boarding the aircraft, I turned left toward my seat (4A) and was instantly very impressed by the sleekness of the cabin. The aircraft is only 5 years old, and JAL has kept the cabin spotless. It was awesome to see lie-flat seats for just a 2-hour flight.

I don’t usually sit in the middle of cabins, but since the seats are reverse herring-bone, all the seats are equivalent. While I appreciated how large the TV was, it meant that I really only had a view out one window.

Waiting for me at my seat were slippers, a pillow, a day blanket, and (flimsy) headphones, which is amazing for a 2 hour flight.  The thing that really struck me about the seat was the location of the tray table to the right of the screen.

There was no amenity kit, but shortly after taking my seat, the extremely friendly and attentive flight attendants came around to introduce themselves.  One of them came with a basket to offer the individual contents of amenity kit. I selected a toothbrush and an eye mask, which are the two amenities from these kits that I most frequently use.

I had read online that the seat was remarkably hard compared to competitors’ products.  And that was, in fact, true.  Now, on a two-hour flight, this was not a problem even remotely.  I actually found the firm seat quite comfortable for sitting up. However, I can definitely understand how it would be a problem on a longer flight.

I have one complaint about the seat’s design though. The tray table and literature stowage area are basically directly in front of you and are hideous.

Shortly after takeoff, service began.  I ordered the bibimbap, which was brought out promptly along with a small glass of sake. Given this was an 8 am flight, it was interesting to be served bibimbap, but I was not about to complain.

The meal was fantastic, as was the sake. I especially appreciated the unique plating of the dishes and efficiency of service. Given that this flight was merely short-haul business class, I was extremely excited for what awaited me on my next flight in long-haul first class.

In summary, this short flight from Seoul to Tokyo blew me away.  I knew going in that Japan Airlines was a top airline and that regional business class in Asia is some of the best in the world. Even with high expectations, it was still great.  I was unable to visit a lounge in Seoul because of how long the security line took, so I will give it the score of the Tokyo lounge (4/5) for now.  Having this lie-flat seat on a two-hour flight was amazing (5/5), as was the service for such a short flight (5/5).  The meal service was also excellent given the flight length (5/5). Similarly, I couldn’t ask for more in terms of IFE (5/5).  That gives the flight an overall score of 24/25, making it one of the best of 2024.

I booked this flight somewhat last minute with cash.  The flight cost around $335.  I had originally intended to book something with miles, but I ended up wanting an earlier flight and thought I was going to need some extra BA Tier Points (more on that when the 2025 flights start up).  This flight, unfortunately in this case, credited based on distance and class of service to British Airways for a total of 1 715 Avios and 40 Tier Points.  I also earned around 1 600 Amex points, for a total return of 14%, which is decent, but I also probably should’ve booked this flight further in advance anyway.