New first class, business class and the rest: Flying the Japan Airlines A350-1000 in all 4 cabins

20.06.2024 - 19:07 / thepointsguy.com / John F.Kennedy

We boarded the rather new and rather lovely Japan Airlines A350-1000, which has all-new products in every cabin. In particular, the first- and business-class cabins are now some of the world leaders in commercial aviation. We flew this aircraft on a 13-hour jaunt from Tokyo's Haneda Airport (HND) to New York City's John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) to showcase four wonderful cabins, all on the same flight.

Watch the full video below:

Here's a breakdown of our individual experiences on JAL's A350-1000.

We paid: $896

Ben found the legroom and general seat comfort excellent for a regular economy-class seat. He arrived in New York feeling more refreshed than expected. He loved the large, crisp inflight entertainment screen, with handy modern technology features like USB charging from the screen and Bluetooth connectivity to connect wireless headphones.

The lavatory was the biggest he'd ever seen in economy class, and there was plenty of space to get changed inside.

There were a couple of negatives, though. The inflight entertainment screen kept freezing when he selected the moving map, and the crew had to be called to manually reset it; this was frustrating for a brand-new plane. Ben found that the food options were unusual for those without an adventurous palate.

We paid: $2,380

Lauren thought the premium economy seats were well thought out and very passenger-friendly. They had many pockets and compartments, along with good technology features like USB-A and USB-C outlets. The seat itself was comfortable, and reclining was easy.

Unfortunately, as the seat reclined, the area at the passenger's feet area felt cramped. With the seat reclined and the footrest fully up, it was difficult for an adult to stretch out in the seat. The service, while friendly and helpful, was a bit slow and not as attentive as Lauren might have expected.

Read more: First look at Japan Airlines' new premium economy on the Airbus A350-1000

We paid: $3,685

JAL's new business-class product rivals Qatar Airways' Qsuite for best in the sky. The deep suite and sliding door provided a ton of privacy, unbeatable comfort and an elegant full-length wardrobe. Liam's experience was elevated even further once the seat had been turned into a fully flat bed.

His suite was full of innovative and forward-thinking technology. He particularly loved the opportunity to play the inflight entertainment audio through speakers in the headrest.

On-demand dining helped to make the experience feel more like first class than business class. The meals were fresh and immediately gave him a taste of Japanese culture.

Liam didn't love the pajamas provided. They were extremely thick and hooded, and they essentially felt like a towel dress. They