Hello, welcome back to my flight report! This time, I'll be reporting about my short trip to Japan. I flew with Japan Airlines and pretty much really excited. I either get to fly with their Boeing 787 or Boeing 767. Both will be my first time for the model of the aircraft, so I don't really mind if I get the older one or the brand new one! Yeah, sometimes Jakarta (CGK) - Tokyo (NRT) served with either Boeing 767 or 787. The plan was only to accompany my mom for her trip and also to meet my best friend from my exchange year long years ago.
without further ado, let the story begin…
As usual, because we live in Bandung, we have to travel to the Soekarno-Hatta International Airport Tangerang-Jakarta (CGK) for most of the international flights. We went there by a shuttle not so far away from my house. Nowadays, due to the heavy traffic at Jakarta-Cikampek toll road for the construction of elevated toll road, LRT, high speed train, etc. The normal driving time is around four to five hours, and sometimes it can get nastier like around eight to twelve hours for a distance around 160 km / 100 miles! But at that time, it took around four hours to reach the airport.
To The Airport
Purbaleunyi Toll Road
Jakarta Inner Toll Road and the construction of new parallel taxiway.
At The CGK Airport
Japan Airlines (JAL/JL) and several other international carriers operate from Terminal 3. Meanwhile, several others, like Qatar, Cathay Pacific Airways, Cebu Pacific, Air Asia Group (AK, QZ, FD), Lion Air Group (JT, ID, OD, SL), etc. operate from Terminal 2. So this is my very first time trying the International side of T3, but actually I'm not so excited about T3 because it is not so special. It just big and new. You can also read my flight with Garuda Indonesia to Batam back in January 2017 at the T3 domestic side.
Drop-off zones 2, Check-in island, Security Check Point(SCP), and Immigration.
Getting down to the main departure area where shops, duty free, the gates, and everything here.
The aircraft was already on the gate before we arrive at the airport, the boarding gate remains quite, and my boarding pass.
I walked around T3 just because I still have some time to kill and also I want to drain my energy and hoping that I can get a proper sleep time during the flight. There is a so-called reading corner, but I can't see if there's a book, maybe bring-your-own- books kinda thing? Also there is a rest area where you can take a nap I believe, but as a sleepyhead, I wouldn't try to lay my body there just because I'm afraid I'll miss my flight due to being overslept. lol
So this is the very end of west finger of main T3 building. Then it is connected to the first pier A.K.A. the initial T3 that was opened on April 20, 2009, then the ultimate phase of T3 commenced operations on August 2016.
Hello my plane! I do really love how 787-9 looks! Just perfect!
The west pier of T3, the initial T3. So, back then the glass panel is the locatio of the original stairs from public area on the first floor after check-in to the retail area on the second floor before the T3 Ultimate was launched.
When this area was serving both International and domestic flights, there was a divider that stands as tall as the AC & light fixtures.
Looking back to the main building and I started to walk back to the gates.
Very end of the west side of T3!
The Flight
Japan Airlines JL726
Aircraft: Boeing 787-9
Registration: JA869J | Msn: 35424 | Age: 1.7 Years
Configuration: C52W35Y116
Origin: Soekarno-Hatta International Airport, Tangerang - Jakarta, Indonesia (CGK)
Destination: Narita International Airport, Tokyo, Japan (NRT)
Flight Date: Tuesday, 5 March 2019
Estimated Flight Time: 7 hours 30 minutes
Actual Flight Time: 6 hours 33 minutes
Flight Distance: 3619 miles / 5825 km
The boarding process was commenced a little bit late from the scheduled time due to technical difficulties, I think. As soon as the ground staff ready, I get myself to the first line, I don't know, I like to board the airplane without people hurrying me from behind, so I'd try to be the first one to board the airplane. Even though the boarding process starts from the priority categories, then JAL Mileage members thingy, after that the business class passengers, premium economy, and the rest of us in economy. But then again it is just a matter of your preference on travelling by plane, right?
The seats would look like this, everything's already in there. The boarding was pretty fast as we're kind of behind the schedule. I do love how JAL opted for 2-4-2 seating configuration on their economy class in this Boeing 787 models. This is one of the best seats ever for me!
Wow Singapore 787-10 already left? Wait? That is fast! ANA will bound to Tokyo but not sure if she'll head to NRT or HND.
The PTV IFE can be used already and I immidiately check the flight map menu. While cross-checking, the cabin crew started to distribute the disembarkation card for Japanese landing permit, customs stuff, and also this mineral water. A lot of time the cabin crew checked the overhead compartment by touching it one by one, I've never seen this kind procedure.
Safety demonstration with that lousy animation. The cabin crew also happened to manually demonstrate it. Push back right before the video was finished and started to taxi on T3 tarmac.
Cabin light dimmed and taxing. There was no long queue, and the air traffic was not as crowded as CGK around 5 to 7 pm. We just wait for Turkish to took off right in front of us, wait for Asiana to land, and here we up up in the sky!
Right after the seat belt sign was off the cabin light was back on and the hot towels were offered to us. I'm pretty amazed that JAL offer hot towels in economy, where most of others just using wet wipes kinda things. I'm surprised there's two song that I recently played already on their IFE!
Inside the seat pocket contains: In-flight Wi-Fi guide, safety card, airsickness bag, drinks menu & U-35 thingy, JAL in-flight shop catalogue, JAL in-flight magazine, and JAL IFE guide. Where JAL flies. Proudly present the Airbus A350-900 and Mitsubishi jet to their fleet this year!
Time to eat! Cabin crew just served the meal without asking you everything since only one menu available. Ugh! We did request a special meal but not sure why both flight they didn't provide us that. Ok, so my dietary is about pork, lard, and also rice. Yes! I was asking the Thai cabin crew who served my area if they have other option since I don't eat rice. But surely they didn't have it. So yeah. I just leave that rice there. lol. Yes, JAL uses silverware in economy! So I wasn't sure if it's only me that didn't get the 'JAL culture' when the cabin crews offered hot green tea, tea, coffee, or everything that we need to put it on their tray then they'll pour it? Like? I don't know, because usually when I flew with KL, TK, etc. they just pour it. Hahaha so yeah I was kind of disturbing the guy who sat next to me. After the meal tray was cleaned the cabin crew came around again to distribute the bread.
Dimmed cabin for rest time and decided to watch Mirai, an anime for this flight. I took a pretty good sleep after that. Flew over Philippines and it marked halfway of the flight.
I believe the cabin crew came round every 10 minutes to check the cabin and everything like wow!
The cabin lights were gradually turned on indicating the start of breakfast service. As you can see also the sun started to rise and I'm happy enough that the window not dimmed to the darkest one. Okay so I didn't know that we can ask again for that bread. Because I truly didn't hear any of the announcement just because the volume is so quiet and so on lah about the language. So to make it easier I just ask for orange juice. I heard that Boeing 787 use air filtration or whatsoever, but why did I feel the air was still dry. Nothing really happened.
Almost thereee! Looking outside and pretty cloudy. First time ever to try dimmed window on Boeing 787. Its cool though!
Descending to NRT. Cabin situation. If we put the flight map menu on auto view it was automatically will show that 'back to the seat and fasten the seat belt sign' several time.
Pretty much we have to round the airport itself. My phone camera just too bad to zoomed in that far. Flew over the river, countryside, golf course, and finally landed at Tokyo Narita International Airport at Chiba prefecture, around 70 km-ish out of Tokyo by car.
Park next to another 787 at the 'Satellite' terminal. The cabin situation before and after the seat belt sign turned off. The video about JAL and about Japan I guess.
Our full flight map will be:
Disembark took couple of minutes, as soon as we arrived at the jetway oh my goodness I don't know if the airport have a heated jetway in NRT. It is pretty cold! Don't forget that we're just arrived from super warm country.
At The NRT Airport
Long corridor that used to be the automated people mover between the main T2 building with the 'Satellite' terminal. I like this corridor better. We can spot the aircraft before heading to immigration, baggage claims, and customs. The Immigrations, baggage claim, and customs area are still undergoing renovations. I believe it is for the Tokyo 2020 Summer Olympic as NRT is handling bigger international flight than HND so they need to look great without having to build new airport terminal etc.
The immigration wasn't that bad, sometimes it took longer for me due my additional name so yeah. Our suitcases have been lifted from the luggage carousel and put aside. As nothing to be declare on custom we exit the air side waiting up the guy that supposed to be our local representatives. After that we went to Kawaguchiko, Hakone, and Gotemba by mini bus.
So here is the end of my journey with Japan Airlines JL726 from Jakarta to Tokyo. There'll be another flight report back home with lil surprise.
My other flight report:
1. Citilink Indonesia QG810 Surabaya (SUB) - Jakarta (CGK)
2. Garuda Indonesia GA154 Jakarta (CGK) - Batam (BTH)
3. Citilink Indonesia QG790 Batam (BTH) - Bandung (BDO)
4. Turkish Airlines TK57 Jakarta (CGK) - Istanbul (IST)
5. Turkish Airlines TK1721 Istanbul (IST) - Berlin (TXL)
6. Turkish Airlines TK1770 Prague (PRG) - Istanbul (IST)
7. Turkish Airlines TK56 Istanbul (IST) - Jakarta (CGK)
8. Lion Air JT646 Surabaya (SUB) - Lombok (LOP)
9. Citilink Indonesia QG167 Lombok (LOP) - Jakarta (HLP)
10. Wings Air IW1720 Jakarta (HLP) - Bandung (BDO)
11. Xpressair XN740 Bandung (BDO) - Palembang (PLM)
12. Citilink Indonesia QG813 Medan (KNO) - Bandung (BDO)
13. Malaysian Airlines MH865 Medan (KNO) - Kuala Lumpur (KUL)
14. Batik Air Indonesia ID7109 Jakarta (HLP) - Padang (PDG)
15. Sriwijaya Air SJ591 Makassar (UPG) - Jakarta (CGK)
Thank you so much for stopping by and read my flight report! Really sorry for typo, bad grammar, etc. Hope you enjoy! Feel free to click the like button and comment down below about my flight with JAL!
