Japan Airlines unveils new first and business cabins, first flight will be to New York
JAL's new cabins have some world firsts such as speakers in the headrests, electric PE seats, and a seat from First never seen on an aircraft such as the A350/1000
Japan Airlines
Oneworld
Japan
Japanese public transportation is never late, and if a train accidentally leaves a few seconds late it is almost a state tragedy, for This was when JAL announced that it would reveal the new booths on October 2. I was confident that not only would the date be met, but that unlike other carriers who announce and then delay, Japan's second largest carrier would not disappoint. And so it did.
The new flagship
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One only has to see the seating layout to understand how Japan Airlines intends to carry its passengers for the next 20 years on long-haul routes; 2/3 of the plane is dedicated to premium seats while only the last cabin will be outfitted with classic tourist cabins. A configuration that on the A350/1000, the largest variant of Airbus' home-grown gem, is decidedly uncrowded.
If we compare the current configuration of the 777/300s of the company participating in the oneWorld alliance, first class seats drop from 8 to 6 and business seats increase. In total A350 will carry only 239 passengers, to have a term of comparison Virgin Atlantic and British Airways on the same model carry 351 passengers, while low-cost operator FrenchBee seats 480 passengers all in economy.
Japan Airlines' A350/1000s
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In Japan, air travel, despite superfast trains, is still very important. In the past, carriers in the Rising Sun have also used 747s on domestic routes, and today JAL already uses the small variant of the A350 on these routes. There are 13 /1000s ordered by JAL, planes destined to take the flagship place today on the shoulders of the 777/300, planes that now all have more than 10 years of honored service behind them, but the Japanese are "sick" of technology and novelty, so it is only natural that they have set their sights on the 350 to replace the "triple 7s."
There will be 2 A350s entering service this year, while all others will be delivered between 2024 and 2028.
Debut to the Big Apple
Having only two aircraft available, the first route to be covered with the new flagship will be the connection between Tokyo and New York. A debut date has not been announced at the moment, but it will certainly be before the end of the year. Japan Airlines operates two daily flights between Tokyo and New York and initially only one of these flights will use the A350.
Completely revamped onboard experience
The entire aircraft cabin is designed to immerse customers in the elegance of Japanese aesthetics and envelop them in tranquility, providing a serene environment that encapsulates the beauty of Japan. The latest interiors are tailored to provide an experience of high quality to customers and reflect the consistency of JAL service derived from our domestic fleet (A350-900 and 787-8 aircraft).
Completely redesigned seating has been installed in all classrooms to provide a more relaxing and comfortable experience.
First Class and Business Class offer spacious and fully private environments, while Premium Economy Class offers more privacy and comfort. Economy Class is designed for greater relaxation and comfort, with spacious seating and ample legroom.
New services that meet different customer preferences and values will be gradually introduced. For tableware and cutlery, JAL will promote theuse of non-petroleum-derived plastics to reduce environmental impact and address social issues. The airline also aims to promote a sustainable future through collaboration with customers.
State-of-the-art in-flight entertainment and Panasonic Avionics Corporation's in-flight Wi-Fi service will debut aboard the new aircraft. All classrooms will be equipped with 4K monitors For high quality visualization with Bluetooth connectivity.
In addition to this new menus on board and in business the introduction of "dine on demand" or the ability for the passenger to choose when to eat. In economy classes JAL also plans to include pay-as-you-go offerings, which can be booked before the flight.
The new First Class
The goal of JAL engineers when they designed these cabins was surely to overshadow The Suite, or All Nippon Airlines' new first-class cabin, and to see from the pictures and specifications they have succeeded.
The configuration will be 1-1-1, so two rows with three passengers per row sharing all the space aboard the largest single-deck aircraft ever built by Airbus. To get an idea of the size each passenger will be, just read one figure: the chair will be 1.23m wide.
The total space available to all first class passengers will be 2.11 meters. The walls will be just under 1.60m high, and once converted into a bed, one will be able to sleep in over 2m of space.To create a more spacious environment, there will be no hat racks in the cabin, but instead there will be a closet and storage space on each seat. The suite will offer three seating arrangements, including a sofa, an armchair, and a single and a double bed (although each seat is designed for one passenger).
The suite will be equipped with wireless charging, a minibar, and the ability to communicate with flight attendants through a monitor on the seat (something similar to what Emirates offers in the Gamechanger), and, for the first time in the world Japan Airlines is introducing the speakers built into the headrest, allowing passengers to enjoy in-flight entertainment without using headphones.
The new business class
First is important, and the fare will be adequate, but it is with business class that JAL will make so much money, and to do so it will treat the 54 passengers on each flight as never before aboard its aircraft. The seat manufacturer will be Safran, the same as First class, the configuration will be the classic 1-2-1, but for the first time on board JAL everyone will be "protected" by 132cm high doors and comfortably seated in a 56cm wide seat.
In bed mode there will be nearly 2 meters of space to stretch out and take a nap between meals. Even in business, passengers, in addition to Bluetooth connectivity, will have self-speakers built into the headrest of the seat. It will have to be seen in a cabin with more than 50 people how this will translate into "background noise."
All new Premium Economy and Economy cabins as well
Japan Airlines' new premium economy will consist of 24 seats, spread over three rows in a 2-4-2 configuration.
The seats will give 107 cm of space between the rows, while the seat will be just under 50cm wide. the IFE's screen will be 16″, a smidge larger than the one ITA has installed aboard its A330neo, which is 15.6″. The real innovation will be the electrification of the seat, the world's first in PE, which will no longer be mechanical but all automatic as in premium seats.
The seats will be equipped with leg rests that can rise 90 degrees, also an unobtainable product aboard the competition.
In coach class, the 155 passengers will have bluetooth connectivity for personal headphones and a 13″ screen. Legroom between seats will be 84cm and the seat will be 46cm wide, two less than PE. Each seat will have power outlet and two USB sockets (A and C) available to each passenger.
In conclusion
The new cabins are really unique, the first class is something spectacular and I can't wait to try it. Being a oneWorld carrier, JAL tickets are easily booked with Avios points and more. I am especially curious about the stereo headphones built into the headrests and how they will impact cabin noise in the very quiet A350.
Now we just have to wait and see how much these tickets will cost and when will be the official debut of this new flagship. Unfortunately JAL does not fly to Italy, and even if it did fly to Milan or Rome I don't think we would ever see this plane in our skies, likely that after New York it will be London's turn and, in Europe perhaps only Frankfurt might see this little gem among its fingers.
