Japan Airlines 737-800 domestic business class review (featuring pretzel-twisting justification)

ByScott Leazenby (SANspotter) Updated on
4 Comments
Japan Airlines 737-800 Domestic Business Class

I know. Paying extra for Japan Airlines 737-800 domestic business class for a flight between Hiroshima and Tokyo is the kind of thing that would seem difficult to justify. Especially while trying to keep a straight face. 

It’s a 1 hour flight. Onboard service is minimal. The chances of being greeted by name are less than zero. 

Justification comes in the form of an interesting fact: JAL 737 domestic business class seats are actually better than the seats that they use on internationally configured 737s. 

They’re covered in better materials. They offer much more legroom. And I especially liked the squiggly-arm reading lamps. 

I have no regrets. At least in regard to this flight.

JL258
Hiroshima, Japan (HIJ) – Tokyo, Japan (HND)
Saturday, June 6, 2026
Aircraft: 737-846
Registration: JA308J
Duration: 58 minutes
Seat: 2F (Business Class)

Japan Airlines 737-800 side view illustration
Japan Airlines 737-800 side view illustration by NorebboStock.com
JL258 flight track
Our route from Hiroshima to Tokyo Haneda this afternoon as JL258

My full review of Japan Airlines 737-800 domestic business class from Hiroshima to Tokyo (Haneda)

To fully appreciate what I’m about to show you, be sure to check out my Japan Airlines 737-800 international business class review. That was a completely different experience.

Checking in at the Hiroshima Airport 

Despite having luggage to check, I arrived at HIJ approximately 50 minutes prior to this 1:45 PM departure. This was not an accident. It was all part of the plan. 

As expected, the process of checking in and getting through security took all of 8 minutes. I didn’t even have to use any of the special fancy-pants business class / premium queues to expedite the process. It’s this fast even for the normies (especially at HIJ). 

Waiting area inside the Hiroshima airport
Not the most exciting picture I’ve ever kicked off an airline review with, but you gotta start somewhere. Welcome to the Hiroshima Airport!
Inside the Hiroshima airport terminal
There isn’t much happening on my right either. The worst thing about these two pictures is the fact that there is a JAL lounge here, and I didn’t even realize at the time that I probably had access to it. Story of my life really.
Scott Leazenby waiting for his flight at the Hiroshima Airport
“Our hero sits patiently optimistic, feeling hopeful that something extraordinary (at least something worthy of a proper JAL 737-800 domestic business class review) will happen soon.”
Looking out the windows of the terminal watching aircraft land on runway 10 at the Hiroshima Airport
And there it is. The Japan Airlines 737-800 that will be taking me up to Haneda this afternoon touches down with a gentle puff of smoke on runway 10 off in the distance.
Japan Airlines 737-800 (JA308J) pulling up to the gate at the Hiroshima airport
JA308J looking as fantastic as ever as she pulls up to the terminal here at HIJ. I felt privileged to be witness to such an extraordinary event.

The boarding process 

They board flights in Japan a little differently than they do in the rest of the world. Instead of telling you on your boarding pass what time boarding begins, it simply tells you how many minutes in advance to show up to the gate. It’s up to you to figure out the logistics of getting to that gate on time. 

Japan Airlines Hiroshima to Tokyo Haneda business class boarding pass
No mobile boarding pass for me today. It would’ve been disrespectful not to use the one they included in the wad of papers and receipts they so graciously provided me during the check in process.
Gate B passenger waiting area Hiroshima Airport
I quite like the theater style seating here at the Hiroshima Airport. Makes waiting for a flight seem like more of an event, doesn’t it? The gate agents probably hate it though, as it ain’t easy to avoid direct eye contact with everyone looking at you with impatient eyes.

They initiated the boarding process at 1:20 PM. The pessimist in me thought this was cutting it a bit close, but experience has taught me to never underestimate the Japanese (especially when it comes to efficiency). They got this.

Walking into the jet bridge at gate B Hiroshima Airport
Scott Leazenby walking down the jet bridge to gate B Hiroshima Airport
Japan Airlines 737-800 forward boarding door with a line of passengers waiting to enter
FWIW, the earlier JAL HIJ-HND flight is operated by a 767-300. Choosing a 737 over a 767 usually involves justification, and I couldn’t help but to try and remember what mine was as I was waiting to step onboard. My younger self (who was known for going waaaay out of his way to fly on widebody aircraft) would have never approved of this.
Japan Airlines domestic 737-800 interior
Aha! I remember now! It was the promise of the 2-3 seating configuration in business class (with a high probability of a blocked middle seat). See? I ain’t completely irrational in my old age.

Japan Airlines 737-800 domestic business class seat overview

Unlike the international version, the domestic version of Japan Airlines 737-800 business class is a fairly spacious 2-3 layout. There are 20 seats total (four rows). 

Japan Airlines 737-800 domestic business class row 2
Seats 2D, 2E, and 2F. What you can’t seat is seat 2D guy internally cursing the hell out of my entire existence. He did not look happy having to get up to let me in.
Japan Airlines 737-800 domestic business class seat width
These seats are wider than the regular economy seats, so we didn’t have to rub elbows thankfully. The only downside of this is that I didn’t get a chance to hear what “f*ck off, bro” sounds like in Japanese. Oh well.
Japan Airlines 737-800 domestic business class legroom showing under seat storage space
Legroom is fantastic. Foot room is pretty good. Backpack room is just so-so.

These seats do not feature video screens, but they do include USB power outlets and adjustable reading lights. The ‘not on my bingo card’ feature has to be the extendable leg rests. Not something you’ll often see in short haul / domestic business class!

Japan Airlines 737-800 domestic business class seat back with adjustable reading lights
This is a fairly simple seat design, but they look great wrapped in dark gray leather with red accents. The adjustable reading lamps are a nice touch as well. I especially like how they tuck them out of the way (behind the seat) so that the person sitting behind you can use them to assist in their inevitable underseat AirPod retrieval.
Japan Airlines 737-800 domestic business class seat control buttons
I spy with my little white foreigner eye the button for the extendable leg rest. These are legit business class seats, y’all.
Japan Airlines 737-800 domestic business class USB-A and USB-C charging ports in the center armrest
Hooray for dual USB-A and USB-C charging ports! How did they even know that my old iPhone 14 Pro doesn’t have enough battery strength to last an entire flight anymore?
Japan Airlines 737-800 domestic business class empty middle seat
Wish of a blocked middle seat granted. My apologies for not having the kahunas to reach over said middle seat for a celebratory high-five with grumpy aisle seat guy.
Japan Airlines 737-800 domestic business class center armrest with cup holder and tray table
Japan Airlines 737-800 domestic business class row 2 seats

The departure from Hiroshima

When Japan Airlines says that you’re going to depart at 1:45 PM, count on departing at exactly 1:45 PM. They had us pushed off the gate exactly when they said they would. Remember what I said about Japanese efficiency? I wouldn’t lie to you!

Watching the safety video on the overhead monitors in Japan Airlines 737-800 domestic business class
Safety video time. Is there anything more satisfying to an AvGeek than the gentle whir of the electric motors that power the retractable video screens? Other than the miracle of flight thing I mean.
Japan Airlines 737-800 pushing back from the gate at the Hiroshima Airport
Looking out my window from a Japan Airlines 737-800 while pushing off the gate at HIJ
Airport ramp workers waving goodbye at the Hiroshima Airport
Pro tip for anyone who has lost all hope in humanity: spend some time in Japan (where even airport ramp workers try their damnedest to make sure you’re having the best day ever).
Looking at the observation deck at the Hiroshima Airport
Not only did I not realize that I probably had lounge access, I didn’t even realize this airport had an observation deck (which is an embarrassing thing to admit considering how often I’ve flown in and out of here since 2010). I wonder what else I’ve missed so far today?
Scott Leazenby looking out the window from seat 2F in Japan Airlines 737-800 domestic business class
Your’s truly enjoying the view (presumably of things that I don’t even realize that I’m seeing).
Japan Airlines 737-800 holding short of runway 10 at the Hiroshima Airport
It was hard not to imagine the excitement being felt back at the observation deck as we held short for runway 10. There’s not a lot of activity at this airport, so pretty much any movement at all is a really big deal!

It was a relatively quick taxi out to runway 10L, and we were in the air one minute early at 1:54 PM. 

Japan Airlines 737-800 beginning the takeoff roll from runway 10 Hiroshima Airport
Japan Airlines 737-800 wing and winglet just moments after taking off from runway 10 Hiroshima Airport
The view of the mountains surrounding Hiroshima just moments after taking off from runway 10 at HIJ
Should you find yourself displeased with runway 10 departure scenery, I recommend checking out my ANA A321neo economy review. That one contains a look at what it’s like to take off in the other direction (as well as some other nerdy airplane stuff).

In-flight entertainment

There are no screens in these seats. We’ve established that already. What I didn’t tell you is that there is a streaming in-flight entertainment system, and you can connect to it via the free Wi-Fi. 

Speaking of Wi-Fi, that includes free Internet access! It was fast, easy to connect to, and very much appreciated. 

Japan Airlines at 737-800 streaming in flight entertainment main menu
“Enjoy free Internet during your flight.” Well, if you insist!
Browsing the Internet with the free Wi-Fi in Japan Airlines 737-800 domestic business class
Shame on you for thinking that I would visit any website other than my own when given access to free Wi-Fi. It’s purely instinctual at this point.

There are no movies to watch. It’s all TV shows and short documentaries, in Japanese with English subtitles. There’s even a small catalogue of audio content which looked kinda interesting. 

Look at all them videos! What’s interesting about this is that it’s all short form content (perfect for short domestic flights). More interesting than that is that I found most of this content to be not so interesting. I’m glad it exists tho.
Video preview screen Japan Airlines 737-800 domestic business class in flight entertainment
Watching a TV show on my phone Japan Airlines 737-800 domestic business class in flight entertainment
Japan Airlines 737-800 domestic business class in flight entertainment audio menu
Japan Airlines 737-800 domestic business class in flight entertainment weather forecast screen
SANspotter watching free in-flight entertainment on his phone in Japan Airlines 737-800 domestic business class
“Nothing looks interesting”, he said (as he nearly pisses himself laughing watching a made-for-JAL comedy short about a man attempting to buy a cup of coffee but accidentally agrees to purchase a fishing boat).

Food and drinks

Confession: I may have slightly exaggerated the title of this section. They don’t serve any food on these domestic flights. It drinks only, and you only get four choices: fruit juice, tea, water, and some sort of beef / chicken broth stuff.

Japan Airlines 737-800 domestic business class drink cup
My JAL cup runneth over. Granted, it only holds about three tablespoons, but still.
Drinking juice in Japan Airlines 737-800 domestic business class
*checks cup* Actually, it was nowhere near to overflowing. The little shot of fruit juice she put in there was pretty good though!
Scott Leazenby enjoying a beverage in Japan Airlines 737-800 domestic business class
It shall be noted that this drink service wasn’t any better (or worse) than what I experienced in ANA 787-8 domestic economy a short while back. It was more delicious though, so I guess there’s that.

Seat comfort (and recline)

The standout feature of these seats has to be the extendable leg rests. Whoever it was at JAL who decided to include this deserves free business class for life.

Testing out the extendable leg rest in Japan Airlines 737-800 domestic business class
“Deploy leg rest!”

Reality check: I didn’t find the leg rest to be all that comfortable actually. I gave it a proper go, but it felt too short to be supportive of my longish (pencil-like) legs. 

“Abort leg rest! Commence leg cross!”
Scott Leazenby adjusting the headrest in Japan Airlines 737-800 domestic business class
“Reorient headrest, and prepare for seat recline!” FYI, barking orders to myself always adds a little extra excitement to my day. It’s fun. You should try it.

Seat recline wasn’t anything special IMHO. It’s been a while, but I seem to recall the seats in JAL 787-8 economy having a bit more. 

Japan Airlines 737-800 domestic business class seat recline
Well, well, well. Grumpy aisle seat guy turned out to be immensely helpful after all, with a pretty decent demonstration of the recline functionality of these seats. It was just OK (the amount of recline I mean – not his help).

The descent in arrival into Haneda Airport 

The weather was absolutely phenomenal as we began the descent into Tokyo. Things usually start getting humid and hazy this time of year in Japan, but there was none of that nonsense today. 

Japan Airlines 737-800 domestic business class cabin
Other than the guys in seats 2A and B having what looks to be a feisty Haneda vs Narita debate, there’s not much going on in the moments just before descent.
Japan Airlines 737-800 domestic business class armrest cupholders
Actually, what’s happening is the realization that it took me this long to appreciate how convenient these little armrest cupholders are. They may be little, but they sure are mighty.
Flying next to an ANA 737-800 while on approach into Haneda airport
Bogey at 2(ish) o’clock! I wonder what ANA 737-800 cupholders are like?
Looking out my window from a Japan Airlines 737-800 while on approach into Tokyo Haneda airport
Looking from my window of a Japan Airlines 737-800 as we fly over Tokyo Bay while on approach into Haneda airport
Overlying runway 5 on approach to runway 34L at HND
Holy floating runway Batman! I’ll bet that wasn’t cheap.
Japan Airlines 737-800 touching down on runway 34L at Tokyo Haneda Airport
Welcome one at all to Tokyo’s Haneda Airport (even the guy in seat 2B who tried with everything he had to convince his friend that NRT is far superior).

We touched down on runway 34L eight minutes early at 2:52 PM. From there it was a short 4 minute taxi to the gate, and we were parked at Terminal 1 14 minutes early at 2:56 PM. 

View of the main terminal at Haneda Airport just moments after landing on runway 34L
Looking out my window from a Japan Airlines 737-800 while taxiing to the gate at the Tokyo Haneda airport
Unbuckling my seatbelt in Japan Airlines 737-800 domestic business class
I don’t have a competitive bone in my body, but I will admit that there was a small part of me hoping that we absolutely smoked that ANA 737-800 and beat it to the gate. “Eat my rubber!”
Retrieving my carry-on luggage after a flight in Japan Airlines 737-800 domestic business class
Thus begins the awkward dance of avoiding direct eye contact with grumpy aisle seat guy. Thankfully there’s enough room between these seats to position myself for success.
Exiting a Japan Airlines 737-800 through the forward boarding door
Direct eye contact avoided (although I’m likely to live rent free in his head for a while). HND-NRT transfer bus here I come!

Pros and cons 

Those of you expecting something as opulent (and delicious) as JAL 787-8 business class will be disappointed. Those of you with an open mind (and realistic expectations) will probably enjoy this. Go ahead. Spring for the upgrade. You deserve it. 

Pros

  • Gobs of both legroom and seat width. How very generous of them to provide a seat that offers both for short domestic flights. 
  • Free F’n Wi-Fi! It was easy to connect to and very fast. 
  • USB charging ports that not only work, but are very powerful. They charged up my old decrepit iPhone in no time flat. 

Cons

  • The catalog of content in the in flight entertainment system is just so-so. 
  • No food. Not even a little snack. 
  • They’re a little stingy with the drinks. All you’re gonna get is a little paper cup filled halfway with one of only four options. 

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4 Comments

  1. Thanks for posting. I look forward to reading your reviews. They are funny and informational- a great combo. 🙂

    Reply

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