If everything goes as planned I’ll be flying the Japan Airlines 787 from Tokyo to Boston in May, and I’ve been doing some research on Japan Airlines’ business class seats, since they haven’t yet announced what business class product they will offer on the 787.
While looking at Japan Airlines’ website I couldn’t help but chuckle at how they advertise one version of their business class seat, the JAL Shell Flat Seat – “Good Design Awards 2003.”
Ah yes, they must be proud of having won a seat design award for their cutting edge product… eight years ago! Is that really something you still want to be advertising? 😉
JAL works in mysterious ways sometimes. And I don't think those seats (regular or NEO) ever deserved a good design award. If it's just based on looks, fine--they look pretty smart in the cabin. Then you sit down and they're at just the wrong angle and they're hard and you spend the whole flight annoyed at whoever designed them. Here's to praying they come up with something good for the 787.
Flew those seats in 2010....the wife and I were not impressed...they were not comfortable at all...(still better than coach) but I wouldnt say they were flat seats...we were sleeping at an angle...
I like better than ANA advertises palatable food in their Premium Class product. What does that mean, that it's cardboard in coach? It sure is.
That has to be a mistake. They already came out with the Neo 2 years ago:
http://www.jal.co.jp/en/inflight/inter/executive/c_seat/
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That still looks like an angled sloper. By contrast, NH has new fully flat J seats on their new 77W (currently JFK, LHR, FRA)
http://www.ana.co.jp/int/svc/w_en/c/
Wait till they make the announcement.
In any event, this award is more about the plane (can we no longer call it the metal?) than the seats.
@Nun: and those won the Good Design Award in 2009!
That has to be a mistake. They already came out with the Neo 2 years ago:
http://www.jal.co.jp/en/inflight/inter/executive/c_seat/
Another reason not to fly JAL
Oh, I just realized they haven't announced it yet. Okay, my mistake. JL, do the right thing and save yourself the trouble of ripping out 170-degree seats a few years down the road.
A non-lie-flat C seat in the 787? In 2011? What is JL thinking? Even UA, DL, and US have seen the light on this.