Fodor's Travel Talk Forums

deedeedee, you have a lot of choices. Of the airlines that I've flown in first or business and that fly non-stop LAX to Tokyo, I'd rank them this way:

1. Singapore - extremely comfortable F and J seats, excellent food (including "book the cook" where you can order meals in advance), attentive service in the air, and good (not always great) ground service. <b>However</b>, SQ stops flying this route sometime in March.

2. ANA - First class is on a par with Singapore: ultra-comfortable and roomy first-class suite, superb food (especially from Tokyo), and terrific in-flight service. Business class has angled flat seats, which I find comfortable enough, though not as good as horizontal seats.

3. JAL - Very similar to ANA in seats comfort and service. They had an economic crisis last year, and in the 1 flight I've had with them since, I noticed no difference in service/food. Still offer top-notch product.

Flight attendants for all three of the previous airlines keep the premium-class bathrooms clean during the flight.

4. American - Their first-class suite is actually one my favorite F suite when in the air. It pivots toward the window, which gives you a sense of privacy, and it's roomy and comfortable. The business class seat, by comparison, is among the worst: angled, not at all roomy. Food is usually OK, though you run some risk of not having your 1st choice on a full flight. Fewer flight attendants in the premium cabins than on Asian airlines, so consequently worse service. Ground and telephone support are usually ok.

5. United - Except for seat comfort, consistently the worst of the worst. The seats -- both their F suite and lie-flat business seat -- are very good. Everything else betrays the rampant cost-cutting that United has shown for the past 5-8 years: hopelessly poor catering, long check-in lines for premium passengers (fewer check-in agents), long waits for baggage (fewer baggage handlers), and the minimum number of flight attendants permitted by law. If you need to telephone them for anything, you will likely be envious of anyone who is currently living in Hell. The premium cabins are almost always chock-full, because United, far more than any other airline I know, will fill these cabins with a combination of their own employees and upgraded revenue customers (far easier to upgrade on United than on Asian carriers).

Korean (about which I have heard very good things for the F and J products) and Delta also fly the route, but I haven't flown either in the Int'l premium cabins, so won't comment.