JAL Economy, Premium Economy or Business Class: What I’d Actually Book
Business Class is incredible. Premium Economy surprised me. And Economy? I’d happily fly it again.
Gone are the days of guaranteed Business Class - even rewinding back to 2023 and the end of the pandemic, I had no problem finding JAL Business Class seats roundtrip for me and Cory.
Then, seemingly a triple whammy effect ensued where demand for Japan travel exploded as never before, award travel became more mainstream, and the yen tanked - leading to even more demand for travel.
Between 2024 and 2026, it has become noticeably harder to find Business Class availability. Our most recent finds were both in late 2025 when we were able to snag a JAL Business Class flight to SFO and a Hawaiian Airlines Business Class flight for our friends from Narita to Seattle.
With the right expectations set, I’ll walk through each class on JAL along with some practical ways to book the seats in today’s competitive award landscape.
Business Class
A fully lie-flat seat with direct aisle access, elevated Japanese and Western dining, premium beverages, lounge access, and exceptional service for a restful trip to Japan.
Business Class can ruin you. Forever. When Cory and I first started flying in Business and First Class, we enjoyed the flight so much that we did not want to ever go back to Economy.
I would even bring a book or two to read on the 14 hour flight, to stay up and enjoy every bit of the journey - ordering drinks and snacks along the way.
First and foremost, the amount of privacy and personal space you get is unparalleled. I love that even in JAL Economy, you can sit next to your travel companion in a two person row. But you still get the feeling that you’re stuffed into the cabin - not crammed in like sardines - but still uncomfortably close to some people. If someone coughs, talks, or even kicks your seat, you feel it like they’re right behind you. And, they are.
Not so in Business Class.
Also, the food is significantly better. I’ve never enjoyed food on an airplane as much as I have in JAL Business Class (honestly, the only other flights that had great food was JAL First, ANA Business and First, and also somewhat surprisingly Jetblue Mint class).
One of these photos is not from JAL. Can you tell?
I actually look forward to the meals, and it’s like a welcome prelude to our trip - or a bittersweet final taste of Japan at the end of our trip.
If you’re in Economy or Premium Economy, you can order elevated meals when leaving from certain U.S. airports and from Japan. But, for what it’s worth, it’s still not what Business Class gets, and at 3,000 Yen per person, we’ve often just opted to bring our own snacks to keep us happy. Also, I’ve never successfully navigated through the ordering page (I’ve tried many times) so perhaps I’ll never know what I'm (not) missing.
If you’re especially adventurous, you can bring food with you, but just make sure you consume it before you land and go through customs.
Our friend from our trip in 2023 was so obsessed with gyoza that she packed a whole dozen in a makeshift paper package for her flight home! We were rather surprised but she was as happy as ever. You do you, I guess?
Disclaimer: She would normally never attempt something this crazy and she is normally super polite and follows Japanese etiquette - but all concern for her fellow passengers disappeared the moment she brought garlic-filled pork gyoza onboard.
As is the case with Premium Economy, Business Class comes with lounge access. In Narita and Haneda, that means access to a very nice lounge with good food, drinks, and comfort before the flight.
In most U.S. airports, the lounge access is also appreciated. A few years back, the lounge access that came with JAL (in Boston) used to be quite sad - an old, nearly windowless lounge with very mediocre food and drink offerings. Nowadays, passengers get access to the British Airways Galleries Lounge which is newer, never crowded (around JAL’s departure time) and has much better offerings. It makes the airport experience and pre-boarding much more palatable.
On our most recent trip in July of 2026, we flew in Premium Economy, and got to utilize the lounge, which offered a direct path to the plane! That was a really nice touch because that gate is usually reserved solely for British Airways flights, and would require passengers to leave the lounge, take the elevator, and walk to the gate and wait in line with everyone else.
Premium Economy
To me, this has been the dark horse. Premium Economy seats are not lie-flat, and you don't get the same elevated meal service as Business Class. But the seats have actually reminded me of JAL's domestic First Class seats in terms of overall comfort.
One of my favorite features is the shell-style design, where the seat slides, reclining within its own space rather than leaning back into the person behind you.
We recently flew in Premium Economy for a JAL direct flight to Narita airport and back. With the details fresh in my mind, I have to say it was quite comfortable.
No, you can’t really get so comfortable that you get to lie flat on your back and sleep for hours - but we both managed to get two to four hours of sleep by curling up on our sides and resting our legs on the leg rest.
It helps to know that neither of us are tall.
Cory is 5ft even and I’m 5ft 6 so just keep that in mind as you read this.
For us, the leg room while seated is very spacious as you can see from where our knees are in the below photos.
One thing I wasn’t so sure about was whether I wanted the very last row of the Premium Economy cabin. It has great access to bathrooms, but it’s also the closest row to Economy and the constant in-and-out of people using the bathrooms could be annoying.
I tested out the noise level by sitting in the second to last row, and I have to say it wasn’t bothering me. The flight was fairly full (about 80%) so there was a steady flow of people using the bathrooms but it didn’t interrupt my sleep or bother me while watching a movie.
What did bother us was the passenger sitting behind us. He was a serial-burper for the first two hours of our flight which made every breath we took, a gag-inducing gamble. Literally smelled like he had feasted on an entire box of 551 Horai steamed meat buns… yes they’re delicious but maybe don’t eat them before a flight!
Also, as I was dozing off to some music, he started an argument with several flight attendants about his food and how it wasn’t what he had ordered. This went on for quite some time with multiple flight attendants passing on the problem to the next until the head flight attendant finally came to quell his anger.
On the other flight, the passengers behind us kept kicking the seatback and also suddenly put their weight on the seat back tray table, causing our seats to feel every kick and bounce and whatever else they were doing. You know when you have heavy footed neighbors living above you who don’t care how miserable you feel below? Well, if I had a broom stick to whack the seat behind me, I would have.
Again, maybe it wouldn’t have made much of a difference, but in those moments I wished that I had just booked the last row so I didn’t have to feel the full force of what was going on right behind us.
All in all, our flights there and back were painless, and the flight home felt especially quick as it landed an hour ahead of schedule, at just 11 hours (to Boston). We’ve flown the same seats from other airports, and I strongly believe that flying in Premium Economy for under ten hours is extremely manageable, comfortable, even.
Economy
If only the flights were this empty
On the JAL flights where we've flown Economy, one of our favorite features has been the passenger-friendly 2-4-2 layout found on its Boeing 787s.
We usually sit in the first few rows of Economy and choose one of the two-seat sections along either side of the plane. For Economy, we've found it makes for a surprisingly comfortable ride, especially when traveling as a couple.
The entertainment screen is large, and if you bring your own noise canceling headphones, it can make for a comfortable time.
Similar to my thoughts about Premium Economy, I think you are somewhat at the mercy of whoever is sitting around you. If you have polite, quiet neighbors, the personal space you have sitting next to your travel companion is great.
Also, if your flight is under 10 hours, such as a flight returning to Seattle or California, I think Economy Class is perfectly fine.
Will you look forward to it?
No.
But, you also won’t dread it either - like I do for domestic Economy travel in the U.S.
Sadly, the meals are nothing to be excited about, but they often hand out Häagen-Dazs ice cream and also a cheesecake if you stay up long enough. The drink selection is nice, and even includes Japanese beers, wine, and spirits like plum-wine.
Based on what many Japanese and American clients have mentioned, their number one reason for wanting to fly JAL or ANA is for the Japanese hospitality. It’s definitely not equivalent to a luxury hotel in Japan, but the crew is often very attentive and polite.
I’ve had experiences ranging from great to average, but never anything unhelpful or rude.
With American carriers (American, Delta, United), the idea of a long haul flight can feel more grueling because you just don’t know if you’ll get a good crew or not. I’ve had great crews offering genuine hospitality, but also experienced horrible crews where everyone was mentally checked out or even rude.
Can Business Class Award Availability Still Be Found?
You know it’s out there somewhere
It is possible to book these seemingly unicorn seats, but you have to be patient and flexible. You will most likely have to chase the seats, not the dates - meaning, you have to be willing to travel on the dates that you find seats, not the other way around.
If your work and life schedule allows for this kind of flexibility, you may very well find a good redemption for JAL First or Business Class without paying 250k+ miles per seat, which seems to be the new standard.
If not, you will have to buy or earn more points to fill the gap between a good redemption and a bad one (60k~75k per person one way vs 150k~250k+).
But, not all is lost if flying JAL Business Class is on your bucket list. One way to fly JAL Business Class is to follow the steps outlined in this article using Capital One points. You will have to spend some cash to cover the flight fuel surcharges, but this may be the easiest way to secure Business Class award seats nowadays.
Can Premium Economy Availability Still Be Found?
Get comfortable, but keep looking
Yes - and this is another reason I've become such a fan of Premium Economy.
While everyone is fighting over the handful of Business Class award seats that become available, Premium Economy can sometimes be sitting right there. That doesn't mean you'll find seats on every flight or every date, especially during peak travel periods, but I've found it much easier to work with than Business Class.
I also like Premium Economy as a flight to book while I continue searching for Business Class. Instead of waiting around with nothing booked, I would much rather secure a flight that I'm perfectly happy taking and keep watching as the trip gets closer.
If Business Class pops up at a price I'm willing to pay, great - I can cancel the original award and rebook. And if it doesn't? I'm still going to Japan, on a flight I'm already happy with.
I've actually used this strategy before to eventually score JAL First Class. I explain how it works, along with the mileage programs I use to keep cancellation costs low, in The 3 Mileage Programs I Actually Use for Flights to Japan.
For me, that's what makes Premium Economy such a useful sweet spot. It's significantly more comfortable than Economy, but also gives me the flexibility to lock in my trip while still leaving the door open for Business Class.
How Common Are “Cheap” Economy Award Seats?
Don't pick the low-hanging fruit... or should you?
Thankfully, fairly common - especially if you're looking eight to ten months in advance.
For JAL Economy, I consider 35k American Airlines miles or 37.5k Alaska miles per person, one way, to be a good redemption. At those rates, Economy availability can be surprisingly plentiful when the booking calendar first opens up.
But that doesn't mean I would wait around forever.
The best options can disappear quickly, especially nonstop JAL flights. As your travel dates get closer, you may still find Economy seats, but not necessarily on the dates or routes you actually want.
If I find a nonstop JAL Economy flight for 35k AA miles or 37.5k Alaska miles that works with my trip, I'm usually comfortable booking it. Just like with Premium Economy, I would rather have a good flight secured and continue watching to see if something better comes along.
Maybe Premium Economy opens up. Maybe you get lucky and find Business Class. And if neither happens? You still have a nonstop flight to Japan on JAL.
So, What Would I Actually Book?
If you had asked me a few years ago, I probably would have said Business Class - without hesitation.
And if I can still find JAL Business Class for a reasonable number of miles, I'm going to book it. A lie-flat seat, great food, lounge access, and enough personal space to actually enjoy a 12+ hour flight is hard to beat.
But I'm also not willing to plan an entire trip around finding it anymore.
Premium Economy has probably surprised me the most. It's comfortable enough that I don't feel like I'm "settling," availability can be much easier to find, and I can always keep watching for Business Class after I've booked it.
And Economy? I wouldn't hesitate to book that either under the right circumstances - especially on a nonstop JAL flight back from Japan to the West Coast. If I can get home in under ten hours for 35k AA miles or 37.5k Alaska miles, I'd much rather take the good redemption than spend an unreasonable number of points just to sit farther up front.
I think that's ultimately where I've landed after years of flying back and forth to Japan: book a flight you're happy with first, then see if something better comes along.
If that's Business Class, fantastic.
If it's Premium Economy, I'm genuinely happy.
And if it's Economy on the right route at the right price? I'm still going to Japan - and I'll save those extra points for the next trip!
