Japan Airlines to start Melbourne-Tokyo flights

EXCLUSIVE | Japan Airlines will begin direct flights between Melbourne and Tokyo from September 2017.
JAL's Boeing 787 Dreamliner will ferry travellers on the 10½ hour journey to Toyko's popular but distant Narita International Airport.
The flights will run as follows:
- JL773 leaves Tokyo/Narita at 10:30am to reach Melbourne at 9:55pm (starting September 1)
- JL774 is wheels-up from Melbourne at 12:05am, arriving into Narita Airport at 9:05am the same day (from September 2)
"We're very pleased with the success of our Sydney-Tokyo route and are considering flights from Melbourne to Tokyo," a spokesperson for Japan Airlines told Australian Business Traveller, "but can't comment on unannounced routes."
Australian Business Traveller understands that Japan Airlines staff have been visiting Melbourne Airport across recent months to make arrangements for lounge access and sign contracts for 'below the wing' services such as check-in, baggage handling and catering.
Qantas launched daily flights between Melbourne and Tokyo/Narita in December 2016, taking over a route previously flown by low-cost sibling Jetstar.
The Qantas flight is a daily service to Tokyo with an overnight leg back to Melbourne, while JAL's flights will complement those of its Oneworld partner, running overnight from Melbourne to Tokyo and then during the day and early evening en route to Victoria.
The pointy end of JAL's Boeing 787-8 features 38 of its business class Sky Suites.
These are arranged in a 2-2-2 layout (albeit with direct aisle access for every passenger due to the offset seating) with a retractable privacy screen between the paired seats.
Each converts into a 1.88 metre fully-flat bed...
... with an oversized 23 inch video screen boasting over 300 channels of programming.
The business class cabin occupies almost half of JAL's Boeing 787, before you get to the 35 premium economy seats arranged 2-3-2, each with a generous 42 inches of pitch and 19.2 inch wide seat in a fixed shell design so the passenger in front of you can't recline into 'your' space.
Finally, 88 economy seats ranked 2-4-2 sport a pleasing 33 inches of pitch and are 19 inches wide.
Air New Zealand - Airpoints
23 May 2013
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Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
20 Mar 2012
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Either way, I'd like to see Qantas and JAL codeshare. I could see JAL adding a 788 from Perth if this was the case.
17 Nov 2016
Total posts 13
JL774 MEL 0020 / NRT 0815
JL773 NRT 1040 / MEL 2245
24 Apr 2012
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17 Nov 2016
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27 May 2017
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24 Apr 2012
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British Airways - Executive Club
07 Sep 2012
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27 Apr 2017
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Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
09 Feb 2015
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Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
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Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
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Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
21 Mar 2013
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Virgin Australia - Velocity Rewards
19 Feb 2014
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20 May 2015
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Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
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12 Dec 2012
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08 May 2017
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A great alternative way to get to North America
QF
29 Oct 2012
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Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
14 Oct 2016
Total posts 1
I really hope it is Qantas staff like Air China 😀
However Business Plans and cases are a thing so I suspect Menzies,
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
23 Oct 2013
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21 Apr 2012
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12 Dec 2012
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21 Apr 2012
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12 Dec 2012
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Until recently, they had been limited in where they could go due to the bankruptcy bailout. They were only allowed to open new routes to cities they had operated to at the time of the bankruptcy (eg, BNE).
Now we just need MLIT to give the Australian route more HND slots, so JL can get some.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
08 Aug 2016
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12 Dec 2012
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42J/144Y (old original order config, older seats - angle flat J. Still some aircraft with this)
38J/35W/88Y (new config)
JL 787-9
44J/35W/116Y
QF 787-9
42J/28W/166Y
Although they have different seats, JL and QF seem to be on par for J and W. Y on the other hand... (JL is 8 across)
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
17 Oct 2014
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24 Apr 2012
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E63AMG: It's scheduled to be a daily service.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
14 Aug 2015
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Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
21 Jan 2017
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Singapore Airlines - KrisFlyer
02 Dec 2016
Total posts 23
I am currently booked on an ANA J flight to HND in mid Nov, departing Syd. I wonder if i should check award seat availability for JAL ? Hmm...
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
30 May 2013
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Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
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Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
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Virgin Australia - Velocity Rewards
06 Sep 2012
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27 May 2017
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Japan Airlines - JAL Mileage Bank
09 May 2017
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Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
21 Jan 2017
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Maybe it will happen closer to 2020.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
06 Oct 2016
Total posts 109
And for those MEL to Japan... well I love a 747 but the skybead compared to this...
Japan Airlines - JAL Mileage Bank
09 May 2017
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Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
25 Sep 2013
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12 Dec 2012
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While HND needs 2 aircraft, QF doesn't have enough aircraft to offer another flight to Japan without cutting something else. The QF fleet is fully committed to the existing network other then low travel days (Tuesday and Wednesday) when the long haul flights that aren't daily don't operate. The seasonal routes are only possible because the planned heavy maintenance (such as the A380 in MNL) isn't happening during those high peak periods.
14 Oct 2013
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30 May 2017
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Virgin Australia - Velocity Rewards
19 May 2015
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12 Dec 2012
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The QF and CX lounges would be available via oneworld agreements. It isn't known if JL will use those or contract with another airline (eg, EK, SQ, NZ).
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
16 Nov 2016
Total posts 26
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