Japan Airlines Business Class Review

I flew Japan Airlines on their regional business class from Tokyo (HND) to Taipei (TSA) and it was solid. It's not an amazing seat but that's expected for an intra-Asia flight. Let's get into the review!

Japan Airlines Business Class Pros

Good food
Good service
Lie-flat seat
Free slippers

Japan Airlines Business Class Cons

2-2-2 configuration
No free Wi-Fi
Front row seats with fold-out TV that needs to be stowed

How I Booked My Japan Airlines Business Class Ticket

I booked my Japan Airlines Business Class ticket 300 days before departure as part of a stopover itinerary where the first leg was on Japan Airlines First Class using 75,000 Alaska Airlines miles plus ~$23 taxes and fees. This specific flight was

JL99 Departing Tokyo HND 18:10 arriving at Taipei TSA 21:00

Japan Airlines Business Class Seats

Japan Airlines uses a 2-2-2 configuration for business class on this aircraft. The business class cabin is actually split into 2 with a more private section near the nose of the plane and the rest of the rows past the galley in front of the economy section.

Japan Airlines Boeing 787-8 business class cabin.

It's unfortunate that not all seats get direct aisle access like the business class seats of EVA Air's 787-10 but the seats themselves were comfortable and still looked good.

Japan Airlines Boeing 787-8 business class has decent seats. Japan Airlines 787-8 business class seats.

Japan Airlines Boeing 787-8 business class seats are not that narrow. Seats are decently spacious.

Japan Airlines Boeing 787-8 business class seats armrest.

Japan Airlines Boeing 787-8 business class seat light and divider. Seat light and divider.

Japan Airlines Boeing 787-8 business class charging ports. Charging ports.

The seat controls were easy to use and I liked that you could adjust different parts of the seat individually.

Japan Airlines Boeing 787-8 business class seat controls are easy to use. Easy to use seat controls.

I chose the window seat 1A thinking it would be better since it was in the front but this ended up being a big mistake. Row 1 directly faces the cabin wall and has no added benefit. If anything, it's bad to choose a row 1 seat because it uses a smaller fold out TV and has less storage space than the other seats. The fold-out TV has to be stowed 20 minutes before landing too so you have no entertainment for those last 20 minutes.

I believe the first row in the second section of the business class cabin has these problems as well. I would strongly advise avoiding seats in these rows.

Japan Airlines Boeing 787-8 business class has row 1 facing the cabin wall. Row 1 faces the wall.

The TV remote is stored near a small storage cubby along with the headphones. The headphones were small and felt cheaply made.

Japan Airlines Boeing 787-8 business class has an easy to use TV remote. Storage cubby

Japan Airlines Boeing 787-8 business class has low quality headphones. Headphones.

Japan Airlines Boeing 787-8 business class has an easy to use TV remote. Intuitive TV remote.

Japan Airlines Boeing 787-8 business class fold out TV. Smaller, folding TV for passengers in front row seats.

Japan Airlines Boeing 787-8 business class TV has decent video quality. Touch screen TV with decent video quality.

Japan Airlines calls this seat Shell Flat Neo and it can fully recline into a lie-flat bed but there's a slight incline. It felt like maybe 175 degrees instead of the full 180 degrees but it wasn't that noticeable.

Japan Airlines Boeing 787-8 business class has lie-flat beds. Lie-flat bed.

Japan Airlines Business Class Wifi

Unfortunately, there is no free Wi-Fi, but there are different Wi-Fi plans available for purchase.

Japan Airlines Boeing 787-8 business class has Wi-Fi plans. Japan Airlines Wi-Fi pricing.

Japan Airlines Business Class Amenities

Japan Airlines does not offer turndown service, amenity kits, or pajamas on its regional Asia business class flights. However, they do give out free slippers.

Japan Airlines Boeing 787-8 business class has free slippers. Japan Airlines business class slippers

One cool thing is that there is a bidet in the bathroom!

Japan Airlines Boeing 787-8 business class has a bidet in the bathroom. Bidet in the bathroom.

Japan Airlines Business Class Food

Dinner service started with my choice of a drink and some nuts. I decided to get Japan Airlines' signature Skytime drink and it was refreshing but a little too sweet for my liking.

Japan Airlines Boeing 787-8 business class pre-departure drink. JAL Skytime drink and nuts.

Japan Airlines business class menu.

Japan Airlines business class drink menu.

I ordered the Japanese style meal and the presentation was fantastic. I loved that it came in a little bento and the food was pretty tasty too.

Japan Airlines Boeing 787-8 business class meal. Japan Airlines business class meal.

Japan Airlines Boeing 787-8 business class dessert. Tasty Japan Airlines business class dessert.

Final Thoughts

Overall, Japan Airlines business class on their intra-Asia route is solid. While the 2-2-2 configuration isn't competitive, you still get a lie-flat seat with good food and good service on a relatively short flight, so that's a win in my book. I wouldn't mind flying them again in the future!