Japan Airlines is preparing to upgrade its service between New York City and Tokyo. The Tokyo-based carrier is getting ready to unveil its first Airbus A350-1000 aircraft and, in the process, will debut an entirely new set of cabins.
The carrier, also referred to as JAL, is set to receive 13 A350-1000 jets over the coming years, which the airline plans to deploy for long-haul international flights. (It’s also in the process of receiving a large order of A350-900 aircraft for domestic service.)
With four cabins, the new aircraft features private suites in first class and business class; the suites have doors, lie-flat seats and 4K entertainment systems you can listen to without headphones — and without disturbing your neighbors.
JAL plans to start the A350-1000 on flights between New York City’s John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) and Tokyo’s Haneda International Airport (HND); the hope had been to launch service on the new aircraft by November. However, citing supply chain disruptions, company officials currently expect to launch sometime between now and the end of the year.
Whenever the plane begins flying the 6,000-plus mile route between the Northeast and Japan, passengers can expect a significantly upgraded experience from the carrier’s current Boeing 777-300ER service. This is a compelling option at a time when airlines have reported strong interest in long-haul international flights to Asia, particularly Japan, about a year after the country fully reopened to tourists.
On board Japan Airlines’ new A350-1000
The new Japan Airlines Airbus A350-1000 aircraft features four cabins:
- First class, with six suites
- Business class, with 54 suites
- Premium economy, with 24 seats
- Economy, with 155 seats
In all, the plane seats 239 customers, slightly fewer than the 244-passenger capacity on Japan’s current 777-300ER on the route.
A YouTube video the airline shared Monday provides a visual tour of each cabin.
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Here’s a bit of what to expect in each service class.
First class
The six passengers who can secure a first-class suite on JAL’s new flagship international service will get what the airline deems a “unique and exclusive” experience.
Situated up front, each first-class suite features privacy doors and walls topping five feet tall.
Inside, you’ll find dark red leather seats and carpet, marble white tables and dark wood tones.
The seat has a few configurations: seat, sofa, single bed or double bed … with the full bed length reaching a maximum 80 inches.
There’s a storage space and wardrobe area to store belongings, and passengers can enjoy entertainment on the 48-inch monitor, headphone-free; the headrests have built-in speakers.
Business class
JAL’s new A350-1000 business-class cabin is much larger than first, with a total of 54 suites available.
These, too, have dividing walls and doors that can close. Though a much smaller footprint than first class, you’ll still have an enclosed space to yourself.
Essentially arranged in a staggered 1-2-1 configuration, passengers traveling together can slide down the partition between the middle suites to talk or enjoy a meal together inflight.
You’ll also find spacious seats that convert into beds (maximum length of 78 inches) and the new, built-in speaker setup in the headrests. Business-class passengers will also have access to their own wardrobe and storage area within the suite.
Premium economy
Despite the growth of premium economy on many long-haul aircraft, JAL’s A350-1000 will actually have about 40% fewer premium economy seats compared with its 777-300 ER, with just 24 seats. (The trade-off: Business-class capacity will be up about 10% from the 777.)
Premium economy passengers will be able to recline and use an electric, horizontally movable footrest. Fully extended, the seat resembles a recliner chair.
The seats also include movable partitions that slide out between seats to give you a little privacy from the person next to you.
The 18-inch seatback entertainment system has Bluetooth capability, so you can easily pair your wireless headphones (as is the case for the 13-inch monitors in economy).
Economy
JAL’s new long-haul aircraft includes 155 coach seats that are about 18 inches in maximum width, with 33 or 34 inches of pitch (a fixed point measurement from one seat to the one in front); this is at the higher end of what you’ll typically find in coach.
Meals and amenities
As part of its A350-1000 launch, Japan Airlines will also be refreshing some of its amenities and inflight services.
Passengers in premium cabins will be able to personalize the timing of their meals. Said meals will be curated, in part, by Fumio Yonezawa, formerly the sous chef at Michelin star restaurant Jean-Georges in New York City; he now has his own restaurant, No Code, in Japan.
JAL also will have new loungewear and amenity kits for first-class and business-class passengers. There will also be entertainment systems throughout the cabin that allow you to assemble your music, movie and television playlists preflight using the company’s mobile app.
Bottom line
Japan Airlines’ new A350-1000 aircraft will initially launch with every-other-day service between JFK and HND.
It’s a timely addition to the long-haul market between the U.S. and Asia, as numerous airlines scale up their transpacific route map.
The new aircraft is an appealing option for travelers considering visiting Japan in the coming months — particularly those with Oneworld alliance elite benefits, thanks to status with a partner carrier like American Airlines.
With Japan Airlines set to receive a dozen more of these new A350-1000 jets over the coming years, travelers can expect to see the new planes deployed to an increasing number of routes in the future.
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