Valerie and I are heading from Sapporo down to Osaka today on Japan Airlines’ 737-800 in J-Class. The domestic Japanese airline market is extremely busy. Sapporo to Osaka market has a mix of airlines serving it with departures running almost every 20 minutes all day. Osaka has two major airports, ITM and KIX. Our destination today is ITM as it’s a little closer to the city center.
We chose JAL because the timing was right and so was the price. I normally wouldn’t spring for any sort of premium cabin on such a short flight, but I had some JAL credit I needed to burn so we’re flying in J Class.
Bottom Line: JAL J-Class is not really worth paying extra for. The seats are a little wider but the service is the exact same. On a short flight, I wouldn’t pay extra for J class over standard economy on JAL.
Japan Airlines 737-800 J-Class Boarding
Our JAL Boeing 737-800 waiting at the gate here at CTS.
Boarding started right on time. For our 12:35 departure, group 1 was called at 12:15. By 12:25 we were completely boarded. Japan just does things differently and it works, seriously, this whole flight was boarded in 10 minutes.
Japan Airlines 737-800 J-Class Cabin
J-Class on the JAL 737 has 4 rows of 5 seats. There are 2 seats on the left and 3 on the right. It’s a little odd, I don’t think I’ve ever seen a 5 abreast seating on the 737.
We’re in the last row in the 4 row cabin. The seating is a 2-3 arrangement so if you’re on the right hand side, there’s a middle seat. Let left hand is just 2 seats so perfect for Val and I traveling as a pair.
Japan Airlines 737-800 J-Class Seat Comfort
We found our seats on the left hand side of the J class cabin. J class on JAL is kinda like a premium economy on these domestic flights. There’s one less seat per row and a little more leg room.
The JAL 737 doesn’t have in seat entertainment. There is a coat hook on the back of each seat, but this being the summer, we didn’t have coats.
The J-Class seats have power to charge devices, there’s both USB type A and type C.
J-Class on the 737 has seats that recline more than economy, there’s also an adjustable footrest. I’d say the seats are pretty comfortable, not amazing, but better than economy.
Like most domestic Japanese flights, there’s plenty of overhead bin space. We stowed our bags overhead and then small bags under the seats. There’s no special boarding zone for J class. 1-2 are elite status holders. 3 is window seats, 4 is middle seats, 5 is aisle seats.
JAL 737-800 Departure and Take-off
With the plane boarded in less than 10 minutes, The safety video was shown as we pushed back.
The ground crew waved goodbye to us as we pushed back and pulled away.
We taxied to the runway and the flight attendants gave their welcome and did their safety checks. There’s a pretty diverse fleet of planes here at CTS. Big widebodies running down to Tokyo and Osaka are somewhat common. Then there’s small ERJ and Q400s making hops to smaller airports in the north. The rooftop observation deck is also worth the visit.
We tookoff towards the South and quickly climbed as we turned slightly South West towards Osaka.
JAL 737-800 J-Class In Flight Review
While there’s no in seat entertainment on the JAL 737, there are flip down monitors that show a moving map and information about the flight.
Outside we had reached the cruising altitude and it was a nice smooth day for a flight.
I reclined my seat and extended the leg rest, these seats are pretty comfortable.
I signed into the free wifi and was able to do a little surfing around. The speed was decent enough for some browsing but not streaming.
JAL 737-800 J-Class Drink Service
The flight attendants soon came through the cabin offering a drink service.
JAL J-Class drink service is the exact same as what you’d find in economy. There’s not much selection, Juice, Water, Tea. I went with water.
JAL 737-800 Lavatory
The Lavatories on the JAL 737 aren’t huge but they were clean. There are 3 lavatories on the plane, 1 in the front and 2 in the rear. I went to the rear as it was unoccupied.
I headed back to my seat with about 35 minutes left in the flight.
JAL 737-800 Approach and Landing ITM
Outside it looks like Osaka is blanketed in clouds today. The flight attendants passed through the cabin a few times to collect trash and made a few announcements.
We dropped under the clouds and got a nice view of Osaka as we came into the airport. Looks a little rainy today.
Finally, we landed in Osaka right on time.
Japan Airlines 737-800 J-Class Final Thoughts
Japan Airlines is a great airline, but their domestic service is pretty basic. Japan Airlines’ 737 is used almost exclusively on domestic flights. These tend to be about 2 hours in flight. J-Class’s 2-3 seating configuration is a little odd for a premium cabin, I wouldn’t want to spend more money just to sit in a middle seat. For two people, the 2 seat side of the cabin is pretty nice. The service is the exact same as you’d get in the economy cabin, at least it’s cheap. On a short flight, I still don’t think it’s worth the money.
The JAL J-Class is a bit of an odd ball, I like the extra space and leg rest, but I’m not sure I’d spring for it again.
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