{"id":218377,"date":"2025-07-25T23:59:36","date_gmt":"2025-07-25T23:59:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/?p=218377\/"},"modified":"2026-04-08T14:19:23","modified_gmt":"2026-04-08T14:19:23","slug":"japan-airlines-business-class-review","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/airlines\/japan-airlines-business-class-review\/","title":{"rendered":"What It\u2019s Like Booking and Flying JAL Business Class from Chicago to Tokyo on the Boeing 777\u2011300ER"},"content":{"rendered":"

Newest Japan Airlines aircraft feature shiny new business and first class cabins<\/a>, but many of its long-haul flights are still operated by older aircraft. That\u2019s exactly what I flew recently on JL9 from Chicago (ORD) to Tokyo Haneda (HND): a business class seat on a Boeing 777-300ER. It wasn\u2019t JAL\u2019s flashiest product \u2014 but the experience was smooth, comfortable, and even got me to Tokyo ahead of schedule. And honestly, that last part is what mattered most to me.<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s what it\u2019s like to fly Japan Airlines business class on the Boeing 777-300ER, how to book it for yourself, and a few things to know before you go.<\/p>\n

Booking Japan Airlines Business Class From Chicago to Tokyo<\/span><\/h2>\n

One upsides of flying Japan Airlines\u2019 older business class cabins is that these flights typically have the best award availability. That was exactly the case when I fired up Seats.aero<\/a> to look for a way to get to Tokyo for the opening of the brand-new Amex Centurion Lounge Haneda<\/a>.<\/p>\n

JAL is known for releasing premium cabin award space around two weeks before departure. And that's about when I booked. While there were options out of Vancouver and San Diego \u2014 each of which would have required multiple positioning flights<\/a> from my home on the East Coast \u2014 the bulk of the availability was from Chicago. Flights to both Haneda and Narita on Boeing 777-300ERs were up for grabs.<\/p>\n

\"Alaska
Credit: Alaska Airlines<\/em><\/enter><\/figure>\n

I ended up booking JL9. This flight departed Chicago (ORD) at 1:30 am and arrived in Tokyo (HND) at 4:20 am the next day.<\/p>\n

While those times are admittedly brutal, the itinerary gave me a full day on the ground before leaving the U.S. and after landing in Japan. And I figured that sleeping on the plane would help me get ahead of the jet lag \u2014 and it did.<\/p>\n

You can book JAL business class with points and miles<\/span><\/h3>\n

Award travelers have several ways to book Japan Airlines business class with points and miles. I opted to use 75,000 Alaska Mileage Plan<\/a> miles and paid $18.10 in taxes.<\/p>\n

The same itinerary is also bookable for 60,000 American AAdvantage\u00ae<\/sup> miles or 79,900 JetBlue TrueBlue<\/a> points. It\u2019s also possible to book through Qantas, Finnair, or other Avios programs. Though redemptions with these partners generally come with higher taxes and fees. And I'm not a fan of paying those.<\/p>\n

\"Seats.aero
Credit: Seats.aero<\/em><\/enter><\/figure>\n

The bulk of my Alaska miles came from a now-defunct workaround<\/a> that let you transfer Amex points to its former transfer partner Hawaiian Airlines, then on to Alaska Airlines. But nowadays, the easiest ways to earn Alaska miles are by applying for a co-branded Mileage Plan credit card like the Atmos\u2122 Rewards Ascent Visa Signature\u00ae<\/sup> card<\/a>, transferring in Bilt Rewards<\/a> or Marriott Bonvoy\u00ae<\/sup> points<\/a>, or even buying miles outright<\/a> if there's a big sale or discount.<\/p>\n

\n
\n
\n
Atmos\u2122 Rewards Ascent Visa Signature\u00ae<\/sup> card<\/div>\n
\"Atmos\u2122<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Limited Time Online Offer:<\/strong>\r\n50,000 bonus miles plus buy one ticket, get one for just the taxes and fees ($0 fare plus taxes and fees from $23) with this offer. To qualify, make $3,000 or more in purchases within the first 90 days of opening your account.<\/div>\n <\/div>\n
\n Atmos\u2122 Rewards Ascent Visa Signature\u00ae<\/sup> card<\/strong>\n
Limited Time Online Offer:<\/strong>\r\n50,000 bonus miles plus buy one ticket, get one for just the taxes and fees ($0 fare plus taxes and fees from $23) with this offer. To qualify, make $3,000 or more in purchases within the first 90 days of opening your account.<\/div>\n
Annual Fee:<\/strong>$95<\/b><\/div>\n
Show more<\/a>Why We Like It<\/a>Earning Rates<\/a>
The Atmos\u2122 Rewards Ascent Visa Signature\u00ae<\/sup> card offers cardholders 3 miles per dollar on eligible Alaska Airlines purchases and 2 miles per dollar on everyday purchases like gas, local transit including ride share, cable, and select streaming services. Other benefits include Alaska\u2019s Famous Companion Fare\u2122 annually from $122 ($99 fare plus taxes and fees from $23) after spending $6K in the previous anniversary year, priority boarding, a free checked bag, a 10% reward bonus on miles for Bank of America account holders, and a $100 discount on Alaska Lounge+ Membership.<\/div>