Well, I saved the best for last. For the final long haul segment of my trip to Japan via Mongolia, I flew Japan Airlines’ Airbus A350-1000 first class on the 12hr40min flight from Tokyo (HND) to New York (JFK). I can’t even explain how excited I was about this flight, given that Japan Airlines just…
Continue reading: Review: Japan Airlines First Class Airbus A350-1000 (HND-JFK)
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Nope. Wanted to read this but those ads have taken over the entire page practically.
No hdmi in is a bit sad tho everything else looks great. I enjoyed the hdmi in to watch movies from my laptop with the new Ana first class suites.
So the new menu did away with caviar. Another way airlines keep diluting the product.
This sounds like a great business class meal from 15 years ago.
Thank you for the thorough review, the product looks fantastic.
I am happy to see a beef dish are part of the review. While the presentation is a bit underwhelming, I trust you trat it was very tasty.
Why do they serve a $1,200 bottle of Champagne in a wine glass and then serve the sake in a Champagne flute?
Lucky, can I ask, when you line up your tickets, are you waiting for award seats to open like the rest of us, or do you have tools or even people waiting and watching to redeem flights for you? How likely is it that we can redeem for the going rates that you find? I expect it's unlikely that people can replicate your success, and I think it's astounding that you're somehow able to line up multiple award tickets with the right timing for these reports. Maybe you have special tricks.
I know it's been almost a year, but what a difference arriving at T8 instead of T1 to connect to Miami on AA.
Thank you for the long review. I liked the pictures of the Western options I'd passed on during my JAL first class flight aboard the A35K.
I look forward to your new rankings for first class products following this review.
(You've still yet to fly Kuwait Airways and Starlux first class, if I recall. Starlux's looks like glorified J, and their prices for it are gross, so maybe you'll fly Kuwait next. And I guess new first class products from Air France and Lufthansa are allegedly debuting within the next 12 months, with BA, Qantas, Cathay, and now Qatar further out. Wonder what's percolating for SQ F.)
That is amazing you found an actual F award. Becoming harder and harder to find.
Would have loved to see the new vegetarian menu if it is now available.
There wasn't a single vegetarian option on the main meal.
@ C. Weston -- I'd like to try that out on one of my next Japan Airlines flights, as I think it's cool how the airline seems to be offering a proper vegetarian set menu, rather than just a watered down special meal.
@ E39 -- Yeah, the seat actually has three seatbelts, if you include the one on the ottoman.
@ Manny -- I think Japan Airlines rotates menus every so often, so sometimes there's caviar and sometimes there isn't. It also depends on the direction of travel. Also, I'm curious what airline you were flying in business class 15 years ago, that had a meal resembling this? Certainly not any airline I was flying...
@ eric schmidt -- I find availability the same as everyone else, as no one is doing it for me. Keep in mind this whole trip was based around having found this award seat. My MIAT Mongolian Airlines and ZIPAIR tickets were cash tickets. And then I decided to cross the Atlantic on Air France because Flying Blue had reasonably priced award space. So there wasn't even that much lining up of award seats required here.
Finally... I'm reading the full review.
Those suites are unreal, literally. I can't have think about any first class suite better than this at the moment (perhaps except Etihad The Residence - The Apartment could also have been better if it was less dated). And we don't have to say how perfect Japanese hospitality is (when it comes to serving foreigners, at least; it's my understanding that Japanese people want to show the best of their country to foreigners), and no exception for JAL. I've seen some people being not happy with JAL catering quality, but it seems like you had a good one. The only thing I can complain about them is... how rare is it to fly those. JAL should've ordered more A35Ks, they only ordered 13 - the exact same number of B77Ws they have.
By the way, I'm not sure whether did you not get one or did you just not include it, but next time when you fly a Japanese airline, try asking for a "boarding certificate". It doesn't really have a purpose, but it's a good way of remembering a flight and a good collectible too - and good chance that FAs will put extra effort while writing one for you. Even when you're flying Japanese LCCs, it's likely that you can get one (and for sure you'll get one if you're flying JAL or ANA).
I don't really know what I'm writing, but after all... I really enjoyed reading the review. I wish I could try this at some point... thanks for sharing.
@ Chris W -- Hah, fair question. I think it's because many no longer consider flutes to be the best option for serving champagne. Here's an explanation:
https://www.mumm.com/en-us/taste-explorer/choosing-the-best-glass-for-serving-champagne/
@ Felix -- Indeed, sometimes I do when I fly internationally in top products. Quite a contrast to at home, where I don't drink at all.
@ hanchicago -- Thanks, and congrats again on beating me to JL F! Yes, you're keeping track well, I do need to try KU and JX. But yeah, JX pricing sucks, while KU is hard to get excited about (but still worth doing). Perhaps AF and LH are the two more exciting new products.
"at an altitude of 80,000,240 feet, apparently"
15,000 miles above sea level? pilot must have been showing off.
"I wish that the buddy seat could also recline and become part of the bed"
I suspect it may be designed that way so that after a nap a person can sit in a seated position for a while then return to bed if they want without having to use another suite for that.
Glad you told us how this seat was purchased. Now, if we could only know how you entered the oneworld lounge in Seoul...
It's almost as if they waited for ANA to debut their new first class suite, and thought "Ok, how can we top that?"
Flew this same plane in economy last week (about 60-70% capacity). Hands down the best experience I've ever had.
"Now, in an ideal world, I wish that the buddy seat could also recline and become part of the bed, to make this by far the largest first class bed in the sky."
But it does, doesn't it? There is a photo here of it doing just that: https://onemileatatime.com/news/japan-airlines-a350-first-business-class/
Oh, JAL. Just when the whole world writes you off (no, not talking about the Haneda runway incursion, but the general decline of the airline compared to ANA), you whip up THIS stunner of a product. To get a stamp of approval from Ben Schlappig as one of the best first-class products in the world is QUITE the achievement, and the folks at ANA must be wondering, ‘How could those guys be THIS incredible?!?!’
Mind you, ANA is the airline which has the world’s best business-class hard product, topped only by Qatar Airways’ all-singing, all-dancing Qsuite. Not to mention all the people over in Taipei, in the Starlux and EVA headquarters, who must be seething. ‘Japan did it again? What about us?!’
Cathay Pacific, it’s your turn next to redefine Asian aviation, with whatever you’re going to come up with for F after the Aria Suites are launched. (And with much better English, grammar and typography. Because, if there’s one thing I can find fault with JAL, it’s the very poor, borderline awful usage of fonts (Times New Roman?!?!) in the menu. CX is the only Northeast Asian airline which is not only above par in that aspect, it’s beyond outstanding.)
Meanwhile Emirates can’t even get its first-class suite to more than nine 777s, 7 years after it was launched… (LaugHs in Allegris.)
Manny, you’ve clearly never flown a premium cabin. And there are other things besides caviar.
Ben, did you stay in Tokyo mesm hotel in the end of February? I've got a feeling seeing you there
Wow. Just wow. This really does put the offerings from BA, Lufthansa et al in a third league. Amazing. Thank you Ben.
@ hbilbao -- Nope, in first class you can keep them. In business class they collect the cardigans.
@ Adam -- You're right, that's really interesting. I guess as a standard the bed just isn't made that way, since the mattress pad can't really be shaped in that way. Hmmm...
Boring. There’s a photo of a 787 w the caption a350 pushing back. Huh ? Also the cargo doors were open.
Great review it all looks spectacular- I’m not sure Westerners are going to embrace Champagne in wine glasses
I've seen some videos of the second side seat being down with a airwave mattress. 2 of them.
Look up @onoda on YouTube and his video review you can see it there.
You didn't want the flight to end... I didn't want this review to end! What a great flight.
This RTW trip has been a fun series, and I without a doubt the JAL A350-1000 in F is #1 on products I want to fly. I'm glad you enjoyed your journey (and got the Salon to yourself).
@Julia, I guess silence is better than saying, "I bought a refundable ticket and canceled it."
He could've said, "I accessed the lounge through non-traditional means and won't be elaborating further." IMHO, I think readers would've been understanding (and completely supportive) even if he had "violated" his own ethics policy by saying, "I accepted a gift from the airline/OW to access and review the lounge." Either of those would've been better than the current situation, which makes a mockery of his position on transparency.
@Lucky it can NEVER be one of the best without individual air nozzles. JAL keeps the plane stupid warm. I have literally sweated most of a flight before when I was on the sunny side of the plane.
@Lucky’s face realizing he has to do this all over again 🙂
The people demand it!
How do you keep your tolerance up for flights like these, then? I can’t go more than 3 drinks if I haven’t “warmed up” first a day or two prior
I would be very disappointed about this 1st class seat cabin.
For one, the colours are not pleasant, kind of like old Japan, not the
current fresh Japan.
Very boxy construction.
I would not choose this first class.
You would not choose what looks like one of the best first classes in the world, because of the colours? And because it’s a bit boxy?
Excellent review! I had this exact same western meal flying HND DFW back in Feb. after seeing a concert in Tokyo! :-). I too thought it was extremely good! We don’t always need Caviar, though there was caviar on my LHR HND leg! As much as I enjoy the 773, I’ll be on the lookout, like everyone else, for 350 seats! Cheers!!
At first I just assumed Ben didn't read the other comments about his Seoul lounge access in the other posts. But the fact that he replied to other comments but not this one is curious, to say the least.
The "whole world" didn't write off JAL. Maybe the English blogger world. JAL service and food has always been better than ANA, and honestly I liked the old JAL F seats quite a lot (for one the leather is great quality), and ANA's new F isn't really that much better.
I have a life bud. At 1pm on a Friday I only had time to skim through the review.
2 $@$:n bottles of Salon Champagne they wasted on this guy. Good thing the Japanese economy is doing exceptionally well.
The international meal chef looks ex Yakuza. He must know his way around the knife.
Maybe he's just amused, like many of us are, that some people can't make the connection with his OWE status through AA EXP that he mentions rather frequently?
"I have a life bud. At 1pm on a Friday I only had time to skim through the review."
Yet here you are at 9:30pm on a Friday night lol
My time is valuable when there’s money on the line. Now it’s the weekend I can leisurely troll with the peasants. :p
Great review. 🙂 I’m flying in business class from DFW-HND and HND-DFW in January 2025. Hopefully it’s on this new Airbus A350-1000 which it should be. Can’t wait to see your review on the new business class section.
It is impressive and commendable JAL showcase a wide variety of Japanese alcohol products, but it seems even they cannot conjure a stable supply of top-shelf local whiskies to put them on the menu in a consistent fashion.
Btw, Delta may attract some derision on this blog for a specific reason, but chapeau bas to them for serving Woodford Reserve in international cattle class. It is on the menu in JAL F.
Yeah, not choosing a seat based on it's colors is a bit...weird.
And how are other first class suites not just as boxy?
How was the quality of the speakers in the head rest? Any noise transfer from other seats? I know that was a concern when the product was announced.
I'll be flying in first this October. If I haven't downed too much Solan, maybe I can remember to take some pictures!
"I far prefer the Airbus A350 dimmable windows to the Boeing 787 dimmable windows, as they do a better job of blocking light."
Unfortunately, in my experience, this statement is not true. It seems you were seated on the side without direct sunlight. Both the airbus and boeing version don't fully block the light when there's direct sunlight. I experienced that on my starlux flight from tpe to lax. Tbh, I was let down by the airbus version since they made it seem like their version blocked light completely, but it definitely wasn't the case. I wish one could post pics in comments so I can show you how it looked.
First class to me is luxury. I have found in 1st class hotels in Japan, to integrate their beautiful nature, throughout the hotel and also in ones room.
I am sure it would be a pretty good trip, good service. I just don't like the feeling of a monotone box.
Maybe this is the old Japan style. Not knocking it, just my opinion of what I'd prefer.
Amazing review, I really hope I get to try the new suite one day!
Side note about loading only one bottle of Salon, I read several times that people don't seem to request it in general (minus us award people lol). Also, it is a really, really small production. Very few bottles are made so they may simply not be able to cater more than one per flight.
Good question, a wider glass would be more appropriate. Reidel make some excellent sake stemware, but pottery is more traditional, lacquer or tin would be cool as well. An ochoko with the JAL crane on it would be a cool souvenir to add to my collection. (BRB checking on yahoo auctions to
See if JAL did this in the 70s or 80s)
JL5 from JFK-HND has caviar! I had 2 servings of it and they were 2 different types
I was a little dismayed at JL5 from JFK not having the Salon champagne but I realised the food was better - they had caviar on the menu as well as Hideki Matsui special beef curry rice which was so good. If only caviar and Salon could be offered together in one flight!
Yahoo auctions deliver
These look like they would have been used in flight in the 90s
https://page.auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/auction/u1116375759
These maybe 80s
https://page.auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/auction/d1128763434
These more likely to be an employee gift or a souvenir Purchase
https://page.auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/auction/u1116375759
So why don’t they have proper sakeki now? IIRC they have proper yunomi for shochu
Ask them to turn the cabin temperature down. I flew JAL F last year and they offered to turn down the temperature when they saw I was warm.
I’m sure it was an amazing experience. My only comments are regarding the cabin decor. That mauve seat, bright red carpeting and what appears to be a light blue on the upper part of the seat just does not look appealing. I always think the Japanese aesthetic is less is more but not in this case with that cabin. Even Business Class looked drab. Glad it was a fantastic flight. My upcoming trip to Paris on American in Business Class will be marginal at best.
Great review.
The bed looks and sounds delightful. Open space for your feet rather than a confined footwell, two nice-sized pillows, a choice of firm or soft mattress pad...this is what I am looking for.
For me, the quality of the lay-flat bed set up (and the quality of sleep I am going to be able to get) is the #1 thing I am looking for in a first or business class experience, especially on a long flight. Food, drink, entertainment, wifi, etc. are all much further down the list. I am bringing a book, so I can entertain myself...but I can't bring my own sleeping surface.
I had caviar on JL5 from JFK-HND. I think the trend is they offer Salon on ex-Tokyo but Caviar on the return, so the trade off is "fair"
Am I missing something? In the post it says:
"The oneworld Lounge Incheon follows standard oneworld lounge access policies. This means that the lounge can be accessed by all departing oneworld first and business class passengers, as well as the alliance’s Emerald members and Sapphire members. Everyone can bring one guest with them, except business class passengers, who aren’t allowed guests.
The oneworld Lounge can’t be accessed through any other means — it doesn’t belong to Priority Pass, and you can’t buy access to the lounge."
So does this mean Zipair provides access to the lounge to it's passengers?
The buddy seat does recline into a double bed , you either didn’t ask or the FA did not offer - clearly is the case even from the pics on the JAL website. Should’ve done your research beforehand!
https://www.jal.co.jp/jp/en/inter/service/first/seat/A350-1000.html
@ben thanks for such an amazing review. (I’ve reread it multiple times!)
From what I can see in the pics it looks like row 1 has three windows but row 2 only has two. Did I get that right? If so were you still able to enjoy the view with one less window in 2A?
PS I used your technique to book myself in F on the 350 in March ‘25. Thanks for the advice!
I wouldn’t even go for marginal at best. I would expect the worst and go up from there. It’s America West 2.0 that you’re flying on.
The authentic American Airlines is long dead and gone. I’d be surprised if your plane doesn’t go mechanical.
Thank you for this detailed review! I am fortunate enough to snatch a seat on JL12 (HND-DFW) in First Class using 80,000 AA miles - seeing your review, I am hyped for this trip!
Great review. Flying first class and still having to dish out a few dollars for Wi-Fi just feels wrong