Japan Airlines B787-8 Economy Class: London to Tokyo | THE WORLD'S BEST ECONOMY CLASS?

Today we will be travelling onboard Japan Airlines, which has been awarded by SKYTRAX as having the world's best economy class. Having travelled on every airline that flies between London and Tokyo (BA, ANA, and now JAL), how does it compare to other airlines, and does it deserve the title of being the world's best Economy Class and the best airline to fly this route?
Join me on this 12-hour flight from London Heathrow to Tokyo Haneda onboard one of Japan Airlines's Boeing 787-8 aircraft in Economy Class for this brutally honest review/vlog hybrid video.
日本語サブタイトル少々お待ちください.
Enjoy the video :)
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Legal stuff:
Music provided by KZbin Audio Library (with license)
and MusMus musmus.main.jp...
This video is not paid promotion/advertising with Japan Airlines. All opinions are my own.
This video is suitable for all audiences. The Russia-Ukraine war is mentioned in passing for information purposes only. Captions are dyslexia-friendly.
Tags:
#jal #japanairlines #londontotokyo #skytrax #economyclass #londonheathrow #heathrow #tokyohaneda #haneda #london #tokyo #boeing787 #flightreview #brutallyhonest #japanairlinesreview

[@patshozo9158]

I prefer the 787 for the higher air pressurization inside the cabin. All other planes are more difficult to rest due to the lower pressurization. Makes a difference in humidity, restfulness, and long haul flight comfort.

[@CaesarNeptuneStudios]

What about A350-900?

[@MaxsTransport]

Nice review. Especially how you showed us the WiFi speed at 9:50

[@ItsAllAboutTheJourney]

Thanks lol the WiFi never gave up

[@kaylacostin7276]

This was such an informative video! I’ll be flying to study abroad in japan in March and now I’m so excited for the adventure of the flight!

[@ItsAllAboutTheJourney]

Hope you enjoy your flight and your stay in Japan! It’s definitely a flight to look forward to.

[@gregoryfrasca252]

GREAT I AM HAPPY FOR YOU

[@SalomonAviationTravel]

Great video! I'll be flying with JAL from DFW to HND on their b787-9 Dreamliner in February and I can't wait :) Thanks for sharing!

[@ItsAllAboutTheJourney]

Enjoy your flight - (I’m sure you will)!

[@tacosarelife2106]

Seeing these kind of videos I’m actually looking forward to my flight to Tokyo on jal now

[@ItsAllAboutTheJourney]

You should definitely be looking forward to it! It will be a flight you will never forget.

[@gregoryfrasca252]

CONGRADULATIONS

[@randolphamos4627]

Looking forward to my flight next week to Manila via Narita on my favorite airline, JAL!

[@rajesh4cat]

Thanks I enjoyed watching your video. Well done!!!

[@ItsAllAboutTheJourney]

Thank you!

[@Pelow5]

Thanks for this. I'm flying this route in 2025. This gives me a honest review of what to expect. I read a lot of negative reviews of this carrier (mostly from those flying from the US to other destinations) and as getting worried!

[@ItsAllAboutTheJourney]

Glad you enjoyed the video! I'm surprised you've heard so many negative reviews about JAL. On my 20+ JAL flights within the past few years, I've found very little to complain about (and I'm quite hard to please!) Sure, their First and Business class products don't stand out above the rest (particularly on B777/787, but the A350-1000 soon to be introduced on the London route looks to change this) and perhaps the Economy fares are a little pricey, but nobody travels with JAL because they're cheapest option. You're in for a treat on your flight!

[@randolphamos4627]

I live in San Diego and I have always flown JAL to Manila with a short layover in Narita. I love this airline with it’s impeccable service and good food.

[@ItsAllAboutTheJourney]

I totally agree with you on this one. Never been disappointed with them.

[@randolphamos4627]

@@ItsAllAboutTheJourney I’m flying with them again in two days!

[@ItsAllAboutTheJourney]

@@randolphamos4627 Nice! Enjoy your flight!

[@indianairlines]

Really nice review. Thank you for a great presentation. It was very nice to watch.

[@ItsAllAboutTheJourney]

Glad you enjoyed!

[@rubikclockweights]

Thanks Im going next week, looks great !!

[@ItsAllAboutTheJourney]

Thank you! I can guarantee that it’ll be a very enjoyable flight!

[@heronaddict2]

Great video, thank you. I have booked my 3rd trip to Japan, on this particular flight (JL42 ?) but not until Sept 2023 ! Your flight seemed to take a strange route into Haneda, coming in from south west direction. I thought they came straight across the country from north west. A great shame about the plastic cutlery though. Chopstick option even ? WI-FI thumbs up. Not too expensive. Thanks again.

[@ItsAllAboutTheJourney]

Glad you enjoyed! Due to the Russia-Ukraine conflict Japan Airlines could not fly over Russian airspace. Normally the flight would fly over Siberia but this time we came down through Mongolia, China and South Korea coming in from the due west.

[@gregoryfrasca252]

VERY INTERESTING

[@ItsAllAboutTheJourney]

Thank you!

[@vinniechudam1835]

I've flown BA and ANA on the London-Tokyo route back when they operated the 747s and 777s. Both were fine. Would never consider flying BA on the Dreamliner. I've flown JAL a couple of times and they always impress. The JAL Dreamliner is unique in that the seat config in Economy is 2-4-2, every other carrier is 9 across. That alone makes JAL the best in the world on this specific aircraft type. Good food, good IFE, excellent seats and legroom. Winner in my book. Thank you for the review. Edit: Btw, I was in Tokyo 2 weeks ago and it was colder than London and snowing!

[@ItsAllAboutTheJourney]

Glad you enjoyed the review! I flew on BA’s Dreamliner before covid when they used to fly their Narita to London route. It wasn’t amazing, but it wasn’t terrible either - just doesn’t really stand out as much as JAL in both hard and soft product. I do agree with you that JAL just offers that just a little more extra space for you to spread out and have a rest on such a long flight. I’ve heard multiple remarks about BA’s 777/787 seats being uncomfortable - I can’t really compare this with JAL as it’s been ages since I flew with them on a long haul.

[@hiroko_9779]

Great video I’m flying out this Sunday to Tokyo, Haneda AP!

[@ItsAllAboutTheJourney]

Oh nice, have fun! I'm sure you will enter and leave the aircraft with a smile on your face.

[@lightning_gio]

Hi, great video! I enjoyed your review. I had a question: will the 787 really be replaced by the 777 by the time of this summer? I know there was a news about it being replaced even earlier, but checking on flightradar the 787 is still flying (JL42). Thanks have a good one!

[@ItsAllAboutTheJourney]

The 787-9 is indeed flying the route at the moment. The 777 was sort of phased out on JL41/42 at the beginning of January. I guess that the larger 777 was necessary to facilitate the larger demand of the winter season - looking at JAL’s website the 787-9 seems to be on the schedule for this summer. The 787-9 cabin is identical to the 787-8 but features a slightly longer economy cabin.

[@lightning_gio]

thanks a lot!

[@pauldevenish]

Hello 👋 I really enjoyed the video. I am planning to head to Tokyo next year and I'm deciding whether to go with ANA or JAL. As a Virgin Atlantic customer I know the 787 pretty well and it seems to be the same Recaro seats on the JAL aircraft, agree flying longhaul on them is a mixture of comfort and discomfort - I did 12hrs to Las Vegas from London. It's nice to see though that the 777 is now replacing the 787, so that'll help with the ANA comparison. The food looks amazing and I'm always one for trying new foods. Again, thanks for the vlog and sharing your journey. Keep up the good work. Liked 👍 and subscribed 🔔!

[@ItsAllAboutTheJourney]

Thanks for the feedback! Having flown with both JAL and ANA I much prefer’s JAL’s seats (if I remember correctly ANA’s 777 seats don’t recline…) but I am more partial to ANA’s food.

[@Raviation12]

why you had to rickroll me man? heh.. Jokes aside.. great video!

[@ItsAllAboutTheJourney]

Hahaha thanks! Was the first video I thought of to test the WiFi…

[@finnaaalllyyygoddamnn]

You did NOT just roll me 😤😤

[@duongjoseph]

I live in San Francisco, and I have always love JAL.

[@joaquinbariuan107]

nice video! hoping i can convince my parents to transit with japan airlines on the way to manila next july!

[@ItsAllAboutTheJourney]

Your parents will thank you later if you do decide to travel with them. The onboard experience was excellent.

[@edwinduval5613]

London to Tokyo. It's a dream!

[@ItsAllAboutTheJourney]

One day maybe…

[@christophergeorge8724]

Nice video

[@ItsAllAboutTheJourney]

Thank you!

[@pauldevenish]

Ah you see, T3 at LHR is my favourite, probably because Virgin Atlantic are based there and they satisfy my needs when I visit the USA.

[@ItsAllAboutTheJourney]

Have you seen inside Terminal 2 and 5? They’re much prettier and much more efficient in my opinion.

[@himera5288]

Hello! Thank you for this very informativ Video. Was there any vegetarian food to choose from?

[@ItsAllAboutTheJourney]

You can order “special vegetarian meals” from JAL’s website when you book. The vegetarian menu actually seemed to be better out of London than out of Tokyo.

[@LWR1]

Good video- if you really want to see an airport that looks like a hospital, go to Jersey!

[@ItsAllAboutTheJourney]

Thanks! Oh god, just looking at some pictures of Jersey airport now…

[@rubikclockweights]

I've been and come back lol.., went on a 777, my videos are up, in the process of making more, be great if you swing by and make a comment !

[@dougwint]

Doing this flight in a couple of weeks , will be a 777-300 however.

[@ItsAllAboutTheJourney]

Enjoy your trip!

[@A-Newb-Trys]

Flying JAL next week. Never been on such a long haul. Did you see many people use laptops/laptop charging points by seats?

[@ItsAllAboutTheJourney]

Most people used USBs to charge their phones etc. I didn’t see very many people with laptops on the plane.

[@sanjayg5780]

Thanks for the great video. For the first time I will be flying with JAL to HAN with a stop over in NRT in an economy class and I have a nagging lower back problem and I wanted to ask you how comfortable are they for lumber support? Thanks again.

[@ItsAllAboutTheJourney]

JAL’s seats are good, but after the 11 hour mark or so on my flight even I started to get lower back pain from staying in the same position for so long. JAL do provide cushions so you could use that as a support.

[@sanjayg5780]

@@ItsAllAboutTheJourney Are you allowed to moved around for stretching?

[@ItsAllAboutTheJourney]

Yeah I guess so - nobody on my plane was told off for it.

[@vincentgunawardena1277]

The inflight entertainment system looks the same as Sri Lankan airlines

[@duaneowens7777]

hey great flight. How was the customer service on there? Are they lenient with checked bags? Would they allow 2-3 kg overweight.

[@ItsAllAboutTheJourney]

I’m not too sure about overweight luggage. However you are allowed unusually up to two bags at 23kg per person, even in economy class (with no charge.)

[@duaneowens7777]

@@ItsAllAboutTheJourney HI also how are they with their carry on baggage. Do they weigh the hand carry. Is the limit 10KG strictly or you could be over by 1-2kg. Are you also allowed a backpack as a personal item.

[@guybrushthreepwood3054]

Are you watching Rick Astley to kill some time 09:50 ? 🤣🤣

[@ItsAllAboutTheJourney]

Hahaha yeah just to check the WiFi speed

[@delwilson5343]

Can you do another video of your local area around your hotel

[@ItsAllAboutTheJourney]

Yes, many more videos to come!

[@steins3699]

i am doing the same thing this summer on a 787 9 on ba but i am scared of flying

[@ItsAllAboutTheJourney]

BA are a great airline and one of the safest in the world too - you’re in very good hands. The 787-9 is a very stable aircraft in flight so after takeoff it’s as smooth as being on the ground. Takeoff may be a bit scary but it’s really nothing to worry about.

[@benjob1360]

Japan Airlines ist very good, but very expensive from Europe

[@ItsAllAboutTheJourney]

Indeed expensive - particularly at the moment with increased fuel prices and longer routes. A few US cities have Zipair (JAL’s low-cost subsidiary) so it would be nice to see this in Europe too.

[@afcacbs8544]

Best to do it

[@ItsAllAboutTheJourney]

Thank you!

[@delwilson5343]

When I went to turkey I flew with TUI and let me tell you it was the worst trip of my life the cabin crew was rude the ac was broken and we was delayed for 6 hours

[@ItsAllAboutTheJourney]

That sounds awful. Holiday airlines are known for their delays and poor service. Meanwhile Japan Airlines crew kept apologising over and over for our 30 minute delay

[@gregoryfrasca252]

IAM HAPPY FOR YOU

[@JackBlack-ii1ip]

Flew back to Tokyo from London yesterday (26/27 June) on JAL. Flew in on BA so an opportunity to compare. JAL was a marginally better service. It was a 14.5-hour flight over the pole. Was booked for the return on BA, but found out at the last minute that I'd been switched to JAL, which meant the flight departed London some four hours earlier as JAL/BA had doubled up. The downside was a 05.30 taxi to the Oxford bus station (would have been better taking the taxi directly to LHR). However, arriving Haneda at breakfast time was more convenient, so home to the Japan Alps before midday. Britisher pals, the comparison between Japanese/Caucasian BA female cabin staff is stark. Suggest you British men consider going international in your choice of partner/spouse, presupposing you're not gay. Jack, the Japan Alps Brit

[@ItsAllAboutTheJourney]

It somewhat comes down to cultural expectations I guess. BA crew I’ve flown with seem more friendly and outgoing, and JAL crew more hospitable and professional (I don’t mind either.) It really boils down to the soft product for me - I’ve found JAL’s food to be considerably better (particularly on flights from Tokyo) and the cabin cleanliness to be excellent. Admittedly I haven’t flown long-haul on BA for almost 4 years now (my frequent flyer is with JAL) so it’d be interesting to see if they’ve improved since then - interesting to hear your opinions!

[@kozamo9351]

Jal or ana?

[@ItsAllAboutTheJourney]

That's a tough one - both JAL and ANA offer excellent economy class products. Whilst I think ANA'S Business and First Class looks much better than JAL's, I've preferred the experience on JAL.

[@aarizmushtaq4301]

£800? Now it has risen up to £1300 for standard economy. Why has it gone so expensive 😭

[@ItsAllAboutTheJourney]

I’m not too sure why the price has risen - perhaps a combination of the rise in fuel prices globally over the past few months and general inflation. It seems to be all airlines too - BA have put their ticket prices up too.

[@naz6736]

I’m finding one way tickets to Tokyo for 400-450£, with one connection. Why would you guys choose BA?

[@naz6736]

@@aarizmushtaq4301 yes China Eastern, london to Shanghai then to Tokyo on a connection.

[@aarizmushtaq4301]

@@naz6736 Terrible rating, would rather pay more for a better quality airline that will take me straight to tokyo

[@naz6736]

@@aarizmushtaq4301 bro I found tickets for 350£. You’re talking about a difference of 1000£ pounds. With that money I can be chauffeured from my house to the airport in London and in Tokyo whilst availing off all the luxuries at the airport. Plus buy myself comfort products for the flight itself and still be at a profit. Plus I don’t understand rating because it’s not like you’re going to have massage seats and grapes fed to you on the BA. there’s only ever minimal difference. Just my opinion anyways.

[@GSU_Panther_Nation]

Argumentally, I would think that Japan Airlines have the best economy class, but is only behind Delta, which have the best economy class

[@ItsAllAboutTheJourney]

I've heard a lot of good things about Delta's economy class, but personally I think it's rather bland, and JAL's soft product seems better.

[@opendmind65]

T3 is definitely awful. Hate going through there.

[@ItsAllAboutTheJourney]

I agree - hopefully it will be getting a renovation soon.

[@itsme2084]

Dann flieg ich wohl auch mit Jal lmaio

[@ItsAllAboutTheJourney]

Hahaha du wirst es sicher geniessen :)

[@dimitridermatis530]

Does the armrest lift up?

[@ItsAllAboutTheJourney]

Yes, the armrest does lift up.

[@superhooch]

Did you subtly rick roll us half way through this video? :'D

[@ItsAllAboutTheJourney]

No comment :)

[@p0l4r_s0l4r]

I would KILL to go to japan

[@ItsAllAboutTheJourney]

It is a lovely place - what are you waiting for?

[@p0l4r_s0l4r]

@@ItsAllAboutTheJourney idk. Probably because I’m 13.

[@p0l4r_s0l4r]

@@ItsAllAboutTheJourney but all in all I would love to go when I’m old enough

[@Khalid_alj1]

Not the best in the world though but best airline in east Asia along with ana

[@ItsAllAboutTheJourney]

Yeah, some Middle Eastern airlines top the list I think. Japan Airlines has had specifically the world’s best economy class for three years running now.

[@ianpatrick8574]

i cant believe you paid as much as £800 1 way,you seriously need to shop around for you airfares,even with fuel price rises your flight is cheaper

[@ItsAllAboutTheJourney]

I didn’t book the flights myself, my parents did. It came to around £800 in total. It looks cheaper on flight search websites but there are tons of other fees to pay too - including air tax which adds a good 50% onto the final price and varies depending on the time of booking.

[@aarizmushtaq4301]

For real

[@yasashii89]

Boeing 777 are less safe though.

[@ItsAllAboutTheJourney]

Not necessarily- just because an aircraft is slightly older doesn’t really make them less safe. Many of JAL’s B777s are only a few years older than their B787s.

[@yasashii89]

@@ItsAllAboutTheJourney oh no, I meant compared to airbus. I don't even know if jal uses airbus though.

[@starsaber100]

@@yasashii89 I read somewhere the A350 will replace B777 for JAL

[@jonybeam21]

The one thing JAL could really do to put the cherry on the cake in it's Economy cabin would be to at least double the amount of movies on offer. Pretty lacklustre at the moment

[@ItsAllAboutTheJourney]

That’s true. The movie selection isn’t great on JAL compared to other carriers on the same level.

[@ItsAllAboutTheJourney]

That’s true. The movie selection isn’t great on JAL compared to other carriers on the same level.

[@timothycrespin6836]

JAL is the best. Way better economy than ANA

[@ItsAllAboutTheJourney]

I travelled on ANA’s B777-300 economy class back in 2018. The seats were really quite uncomfortable and didn’t recline…I would go so far to say that the 1 hour long domestic flight I travelled on with them was more comfortable…To give ANA credit where it’s due though, their food was top notch. Their business class/first class offerings also seem to be much more up to date than JAL’s - but for the average economy traveller JAL is far superior.

[@user-xe8yc3gg2r]

Your telling me it's $4,000 dollars to get some free wifi that cost $20 with points.

[@ItsAllAboutTheJourney]

It’s 4,000 JAL miles or $20 for the WiFi. $4,000 WiFi would be worrying, sorry if it was unclear in the video!