New first class, business class and the rest: Flying the Japan Airlines A350-1000 in all 4 cabins
Every year, the TPG Awards honor excellence in credit cards, loyalty programs and travel. Please click here to read more about our selection process and methodology for the 2024 TPG Awards.
For this year's TPG Awards, we've been thinking about the best airline experiences out there. Our winner for Best Long-Haul/International First Class is ... Japan Airlines!
Why did Japan Airlines take the top prize out of all the contenders for best long-haul first class? For us, the carrier's new first-class seat on its Airbus A350-1000s is the standard bearer in this category.
If you need any convincing, take a look at Japan Airlines international first-class as it was detailed in our comparison from June 2024 to see how it was positioned to win this year's award.
Watch the full video below:
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.
Here's a breakdown of our individual experiences on JAL's A350-1000.
Economy — Ben Smithson
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.
Premium economy — Lauren McCay
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
Business class — Liam Spencer
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 were far too hot to wear for more than a few minutes.
First class — Nicky Kelvin
We paid: $7,470
The ground experience for this first-class product is incredibly exclusive. The private check-in area is unique, and the lounges are fabulous — especially the freshly prepared sushi.
Japan Airlines' new first class has one of the widest seats and beds in the sky. With the thick mattress and luxurious bedding, I had the kind of sleep usually reserved for beds on the ground.
The food and drink offering is incredibly high-end, and it's a true Japanese experience and an event in itself. While I loved the lavish dining experience, the "snacks" — like the katsu curry — served later in the flight were also exquisite. Additionally, the high walls and doors of the suite made the space (and the entire experience) incredibly quiet and private.
The only negative was that 13 hours simply wasn't long enough.
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