As you might remember from SkyTeam Sakura Timing, the Sakura Lounges are Japan Airlines’ trademark Business Class-tier lounges. Tokyo International Airport (Haneda) is one of the two major JAL hubs. At International Terminal 3, the airline operates three lounges, a First Class Lounge and two reserved for Business Class passengers – Sakura Lounge and Sakura Lounge Sky View. Although the two Sakura Lounges are located atop each other, they are not connected. This review will focus solely on the JAL Sakura Lounge Sky View on Level 5.

Lounge Access Rules

Passengers with a same-day reservation on Japan Airlines and oneworld First Class and Business Class flights are eligible for access. Passengers connecting to a oneworld flight from an international long haul oneworld flight in First Class and Business Class are also eligible for entry. When accessing by status, passengers holding at least oneworld Sapphire status are eligible for access. Refer to the Japan Airlines website for specific details.

In addition, Business Class and eligible frequent flyers travelling on Air France, China Airlines, China Eastern, Emirates, Hawaiian Airlines, and Shanghai Airlines are also permitted access to the JAL Sakura Lounge.

Location

The JAL Sakura Lounge Sky View is located in the lounge cluster near Gate 114. From the North Immigration Checkpoint, turn left and walk straight to Gate 114. There will be a sign that says ‘Lounges’ pointing to an enclosed corridor on the left-hand side. Head inside and take the escalator up.

You’ll then see the JAL Sakura Lounge and the ANA Satellite Lounge, both of which I’ve reviewed. From there, take the next escalator to get to Level 5. You’ll find the entrance to the JAL Sakura Lounge Sky View near the escalator landing. Additionally, although there is a Delta Sky Club on this floor, it doesn’t open early enough for China Eastern passengers.

JAL Sakura Lounge

At the entrance to the lounge is the reception desk, where the friendly lounge agent took a scan of my boarding pass. I was initially unsure if China Eastern passengers are granted access here too. Thankfully, I was since the agent didn’t bat an eyelid as the scanner lit green and invited me in.

Whereas the JAL Sakura Lounge on Level 4 is more focused on dining, the JAL Sakura Lounge Sky View has most of its real estate dedicated to lounge seating. The lounge is separated into three main sections, including a sizeable ‘SKY Lounge’. I will go on explaining each of these areas one by one, alongside the facilities available in the lounge.

The Dining

The lounge’s only dining area is located immediately past the corridor from the reception area. Dubbed ‘The Dining’, the area features JAL’s Table, a food spread with a counter service offering. Arranged by the windows of this area are ten communal tables, each with 10 seats. In addition to the table lamps paired to each seat, each seat also has access to a dedicated power outlet.

In addition to the communal dining tables, there are also individual tables located on its side and behind them. Most of these seats are composed of small dining tables that seat two people. I appreciate that the tables at the Sky View aren’t as tightly packed as those in the Sakura Lounge.

Furthermore, there are also a myriad of bar counter seats running along the window. An essential element of any Japanese airport lounge, these seats are great for solo travellers since they do not face anybody else. Like the communal tables, each seat has access to a dedicated power outlet.

JAL’s Table

Dining in the JAL Sakura Lounge is composed chiefly of JAL’s Table, a counter service in which food is prepared and picked up after ordering. The dishes on offer consist of cooked elements which are plated by the staff. As a result, there is usually a queue, since there is a lead time between ordering and getting your prepared food. Expectedly, the menu is identical to that of the JAL Sakura Lounge below.

In addition to JAL’s Table, there is also a limited cold buffet with pastries, bread rolls, mini taiyaki, rice crackers, and packaged snacks and hard candies. These are complemented with a selection of jam and butter. A toaster oven is placed conveniently next to the baked goods to warm them up. As I’d expect from JAL, the baked goods were very good and high quality.

A large selection of drinks, both alcoholic and non-alcoholic, complements the food spread. I’ll elaborate more on this selection later in the review.

SKY Lounge

Next to The Dining is the aptly named SKY Lounge, which is brightly lit by warm sunlight from the windows covering the entire exterior-facing wall of this area. From here, you get an excellent vantage view of Terminal 3, alongside potentially spotting your plane at the gate!

Despite being called a lounging area, however, I was surprised to see that the entire area is composed of stacks and stacks of dining tables with leather-padded dinner chairs. Frankly, this was not my ideal definition of lounge seating although I appreciate how many of them there are.

In particular, there is very a neat row of single chairs with individual tables facing the apron. If it weren’t for the blazing sunlight in the morning, these seats would be my top pick as an avgeek. Power outlets should be available underneath the tables, which as usual, constitute the Type A plug used in Japan and the US.

Again, mimicking the case at the Sakura Lounge on Level 4, I was frustrated that only seats next to a wall or a fixed structure have access to a dedicated power outlet. This was especially true at the SKY Lounge area, where most tables are freestanding; as such, most seats here do not have access to a power outlet, which will be problematic during high occupancy periods.

Drinks

Non-Alcoholic

A full array of drinks is available, with a beverage station shared between the SKY Lounge and the Lounge areas. In terms of soft drinks, the lounge has a Coca-Cola-branded soft drink dispenser, a selection of Western and Japanese teas, and a coffee machine brewing espresso-based drinks.. The drink dispenser specifically features various options like Coca-Cola, Coca-Cola Zero, Calpis, Calpis Soda, Ayataka Green Tea, Canada Dry Ginger Ale, Minute Maid, and Georgia Iced Coffee. It also dispenses mineral and sparkling water.

Furthermore, there are bottles of tonic water and pitchers of cold tea, cold-brew coffee, tomato juice, and milk in the chiller. While orange juice is noticeably absent, Minute Maid can be poured from the automatic soft dispenser.

Alcoholic

Like the JAL Sakura Lounge, the Sky View also does not have a bar. In place of that is just self-poured drinks. Beer dispensers are available throughout too. During my visit, they dispensed Kirin Ichiban Shibosu and Perfect Suntory Beer. There is also a selection of two white wines and two red wines. Sadly, Japan Airlines does not serve Champagne in their Business Class lounges. In place of this is Richland Brut Cuvee Chardonnay Pinot Noir, an Australian sparkling wine.

Finally, the lounge offers a decent variety of Japanese and Western hard liquor and liqueurs. To be specific, there are three kinds of sake, as well as a Suntory plum wine. There are also four whiskies (Jack Daniels Old No. 7, Ballantines 12 Years, Chivas Regal 12 Years, Tomatin 12 Years), as well as a bottle each of Tanqueray gin, Camus Cognac, and Smirnoff Vodka. In terms of liqueurs, on offer were Campari Bitters, Bailey’s Irish Cream, Lejay Cassis, and Cinzano Vermouth.

Lounge

Finally, running parallel to the SKY Lounge is the main lounge area itself. This area is further subdivided into three sections, varying in their levels of intimacy.

First lounge area

The first area, located right next to The Dining and the corridor to reception, is mostly made up of swivelling sofa chairs. Having no partition walls, this area fully opens to the SKY Lounge, making it simultaneously the most airy yet exposed area of the three.

Second lounge area

Past this is a more conventional lounge space, featuring leather sofa chairs arranged in rows facing each other. Although tightly packed, each seat is separated by a console table with an embedded power outlet installed. In addition to a console table, there is also a small movable table dedicated to each seat. Reminding me of the arrangement for the Solo Seats at Cathay Pacific Lounges, these tables can be useful as a work surface for a small laptop.

Unlike the first area, this area is slightly more private, being shielded by the beverage stations of the SKY Lounge. Additionally, there are also coat hangers placed on various corners of the lounge, similar to the ANA Satellite Lounge in Narita. Given the clientele of the lounge and the expected business attire in Japan, however, the provision of these hangers is not surprising.

Third lounge area

Finally, towards the far end of the lounge is the final lounge seating area, which is also Sky View’s most intimate. Mimicking the ambience of a cocktail bar, this space noticeably features darker tones and lighting than the rest of the lounge. This is particularly because this space is completely shielded from the bright sunlight from the windows of the SKY Lounge.

Most seats in this area are either sofa chairs or padded armchairs arranged facing each other. A gold-hued, granite-topped communal table takes up the centre of the space, complementing the sofas and armchairs. Despite the intimate and cosy feeling of the area as a whole, there isn’t a lot of privacy between seats, given how closely they are arranged.

Finally, I’ll note that this area also has a dedicated beverage station of its own. Expectedly, the selection of drinks and packaged snacks are identical to those available in the rest of the lounge, so I won’t be going over them again. 

Amenities

Cloakroom

Just behind the reception area is the lounge’s cloakroom, which is a luggage storage locker space in Japan Airlines-speak. These lockers are operated by pin code, all of which should comfortably fit a cabin-sized carry-on and/or a winter jacket. There are 48 lockers available at the Haneda JAL Sakura Lounge Sky View.

Phone Booth

As is widely the case in Japan, making telephone calls in indoor spaces is frowned upon. Instead, such calls are expected to be taken in enclosed telephone booths, which limit the amount of noise coming into the lounge. This expectation is explicitly written on signs placed all over the lounge. The JAL Sakura Lounge Sky View has five phone booths located next to the main lounge area. Power outlets are available in these booths.

Printer

In addition to the phone booths, the lounge also has a printing facility composed of a single officer printer. This printer is placed in the last booth next to the phone booths. In the booth, there is a leaflet with the instructions to use the printer.

Toilet

The JAL Sakura Lounge Sky View has a single gender-segregated toilet located opposite the lounge area. Much like the JAL Sakura Lounge, this toilet has a sleek modern look to it, which I liked. Expectedly, I found the toilet to be impeccably clean and well-kept. Notably, however, the Sky View lacks showers – so you’ll have to go downstairs for that.

Additionally, I also appreciated the fact that the toilet cubicles are fully enclosed. They also expectedly feature heated Toto Neorest smart toilets, which I am particularly fond of.

WiFi

The JAL Sakura Lounge Sky View has its own WiFi network (‘jal’) separate from the rest of the terminal. There is no password for the network and the connection was fast, unlike the ANA Satellite Lounge. Connecting to this network is also essential to make mobile food orders for JAL’s Table.

Overall

Overall, I found the JAL Sakura Lounge Sky View to be an elegant and plush waiting room. The lounge shares a similar design language as the Sakura Lounge below; combined with the high-quality food on offer, this is a very solid lounge. Despite that, I couldn’t overlook the fact that the Sky View lacks several facilities, including massage chairs and showers. In any case, I feel like the Sky View should be treated more as a supplementary space to the Sakura Lounge as opposed to being a full-fledged lounge by itself. As such, I probably won’t visit this lounge unless the Sakura Lounge is packed to the brim.

Read more from this trip!