.
11/14/23: Japan Airlines now uses the British Airways Lounge at SFO; it no longer has a dedicated lounge. JAL closed its SFO lounge 6/25/23.
Since Japan Airlines' Sakura Lounge at SFO was, to put it charitably, not the most inspiring international business class lounge, I wasn't sorry that it closed and was replaced by access to the British Airways Lounge, located near Gate A5. Here are photos of the lounge, food and spirits from a November 2023 visit:
.
Note that JAL and other non-British Airways Business Class passengers are NOT able to order from the menu that is available via QR code. Instead, an error message relays that the menu is unavailable:
.
[Prior review of the now defunct JAL Sakura lounge, for comparison purposes, is from early 2023]
This Review of the JAL Sakura Lounge in SFO Airport is from our recent 2023 visit prior to a Japan Airlines Business Class flight.
JAL Sakura Lounge SFO Location, Hours, and Access
The JAL Sakura Lounge is near the A gates in SFO's International Terminal, on the 4th floor. After clearing security, go left. You'll see a door with screens indicating the various lounges located on the 4th floor, and their opening hours.
The lounge can be accessed by JAL First Class, Business Class, Premium Economy, and even Economy Y class (the most expensive flexible fare) passengers, as well as JMB Diamond, JGC Premier, JMB Sapphire and JAL Global Club members and a companion.
The Sakura Lounge is open 9:25am-1:50pm daily.
.
Once past the screens, you proceed up an escalator to the 4th floor.
.
After ascending the escalator, take a right and proceed down a drab corridor to the lounge.
.
JAL Sakura Lounge Seating and Amenities
Since I'd done mobile check-in, the lounge attendant asked for my passport and printed out a physical boarding pass for me, which conveniently included the lounge's WiFi password. At the time of my visit, the password was JalSF001. WiFi worked well, which was the main attraction of this lounge.
The seating is all low armchairs, which may not be particularly comfortable for tall guests. In the main lounge, the chairs didn't have any power outlet near them, which was somewhat inconvenient. For power outlets, you'll want to set at one of the chairs by the window, which do have outlets on the ledge.
.
There is a quiet room (no phone calls allowed) to the left of the food station which wasn't as crowded, so I highly recommend that area.
.
For the food area, it's not a buffet: you need to request what you want from the attendants. During my visit there was a choice of ramen soup and two other hot dishes, stir fried beef strips with pepper and Japanese fried rice with fish cake. Sandwich choices were Chicken Caesar and King Mushroom and Pepper.
.
I opted for green tea and a Chicken Caesar sandwich which was ok, although rather dry.
.
Sodas, juices, and cold drinks are in the fridge and must also be served by the attendant, as are coffee, tea, and alcohol.
.
The Verdict
The JAL Sakura Lounge SFO is one of the most underwhelming major international airline business class lounges we've visited. It's fine to get some work done in, as WiFi worked well, but don't count on having any decent food or much privacy in the lounge, and forget a shower or nap room as there aren't any.
Recommended Posts
Top 10 Japan Luxury Hotel Offers 2023
Swire's House Collective to Open Tokyo Hotel
If you enjoyed this, join 200,000+ readers: follow TravelSort on Twitter or like us on Facebook to be alerted to new posts.
Subscribe to TravelSort on YouTube for travel inspiration.
Become a TravelSort Client and Book 5-Star Hotels with Virtuoso or Four Seasons Preferred Partner Benefits