Flight Review – New Japan Airlines Business Class Suite – A350-1000 Tokyo (HND) To New York (JFK)

Step aside Qsuites and all other business class suites. There’s a new sheriff in town. In January 2024, Japan Airlines (JAL) introduced a revolutionary business class suite on its newly acquired A350-1000 (A351) aircraft. The JAL suite makes a very strong case that it now deserves the title “world’s best business class seat.” I had the privilege of experiencing JAL’s new business class suite during the A351’s first week in service.

Japan Airlines Flight JL006 Tokyo, Japan (HND) to New York, NY (JFK)

Date of Flight: January 30, 2024

Equipment: A350-1000 (A351)

Aircraft: JA02WJ

Great Circle Distance: 6,772 miles, 10,899 km

Scheduled Departure: 11:05 Local

Scheduled Arrival: 10:00 Local 

Scheduled Flight Time: 12h 55m

Class of Service: Business Class

Suite: 5A

JAL A351

Before reporting on JAL’s industry-leading business class seat and the wonderful flight to New York, I’ll set the stage with a quick overview of the A351, the new flagship of the JAL fleet.

On January 24, 2024, JAL introduced A351 service on its premier HND – JFK route. Of the two daily departures on this route, JAL currently employs the A351 only on departures at midday. Early morning departures from HND and JFK continue with B777-300ER aircraft.

At the time of my flight, JAL has only two A351s in service. Two more are now in operating on the Tokyo – Dallas route. JAL expects to add A351 flights to London by the end of 2024. 

The A351 is an atypical A350-1000. JAL’s extremely generous, premium-heavy seating configuration makes it apparent that JAL wants to ensure that its new flagship provides a superior travel experience for all passengers. 

Here’s the A351 seating chart.

As the largest version of the A350 family, Airbus designed the A350-1000 to accommodate 350-410 passengers in a typical three-class configuration. JAL, however, didn’t get the “cram ’em in” memo because A351s have a passenger-friendly maximum capacity of only 239 passengers. Well done JAL!

Preflight

The flight had several mild surprises. No. 1 was that the flight departed from Gate 147, which is located at the far left of JAL’s Terminal 2 main concourse. Widebody flights on prime JAL routes like HND-JFK normally operated from one of the gates in the center of the terminal near the JAL lounges.

Before boarding, the JAL First Lounge was where I resided with other first and business class passengers and oneworld top-tier frequent flyers.  

It was a long walk to the boarding gate. At the gate, I informed an agent that I was a blogger and asked if it would be possible to pre-board to take photos of business class and first class. Surprise No. 2 was that the agent actually took my request seriously. She contacted the crew onboard and reported that I was welcome to visit the first class cabin to take photos when boarding started. 

Boarding

Though slightly delayed, boarding was handled in usual JAL style — efficiently and pleasantly. Oneworld Emerald status afforded Group 1 boarding along with first class passengers.

An agent checked boarding passes and passports to ensure passengers were in the correct lanes and had proper travel documentation. The small number of passengers in the boarding area was the next surprise. Boarding started at 10:54.

Surprise No. 3 was that all passengers boarded through a single jetbridge. It was attached to the exit in the business class galley. At HND, JAL normally uses at least two jet bridges for three- or four-class widebody aircraft. One bridge is normally reserved for first class passengers exclusively. In my view, the relatively remote boarding gate and the solitary jetbridge was inexplicably shabby treatment for JAL’s brand-new flagship. For whatever reason, it may be that preferred gates in the center of the terminal that are used for 777-300 flights don’t accommodate A350-1000s

The Amazing JAL A351 Business Class Suite

At the boarding door, attendants provided the customary greeting, checked boarding passes and directed passengers to their seats. My suite was in the forward business cabin immediately behind first class. I turned left, and got a my first in-person, long-awaited look at the new JAL business class cabin and suites. (Presently, these suites lack an official proprietary name; so I will just refer to them as A351 business suites.) 

Surprise No. 4 was that the suites were larger than they appeared in photos on JAL’s website.  A lack of overhead bins in the center and high-walled suites contributed to the feeling of spaciousness and privacy. 

I took a few quick pics of my suite and then a flight attendant escorted me to the first class cabin.  I’ll share a few pics later.   

Business class was configured with 54 suites in two cabins separated by a galley and lavs. The forward cabin had 20 suites and 34 in the aft cabin.  

Seat width is approximately 56cm (22 in.) — wider than average for business class.  The seat converts to a flat bed 198cm (78 in.) in length.  Wall and door height is 132cm (52 in.).  Safran Seats GB (UK) is the manufacturer.

Suites were laid out in a conventional 1-2-1 seating arrangement in which all suites face straight forward.  I find that preferable to herringbone arrangements, arrangements that have some rear-facing seats, or a “quad pod” arrangement like Qatar Qsuites.  Unlike the quad pod, JAL suites aren’t built to facilitate talking to or staring at other travelers.  On the other hand, JAL’s arrangement doesn’t allow sitting or sleeping shoulder to shoulder with a traveling companion as is possible with some Qsuites. 

At booking I selected Suite 5A, a window suite on the port (left) side.  Having the seat next to the window and the console by the door produced a feeling of greater privacy and made it easy to look out of the window.  Plus, experience taught me that the port side offered better views of Tokyo when Runway 34R, HND’s preferred runway, is used for departures.  

When I sat down, the cushioning felt comfortably supportive without being hard.  Equally important for sitting and sleeping, the armrests were gently rounded (no annoying 90º angles), and the other parts of the seat that might involve passenger contact were non metallic.

The magenta and gray color scheme was a refreshing change from the boring “50 shades of gray” look that seems to be an airline standard.  

A351 Business Suite Features 

A351 business suites are loaded with new or improved features starting with the door, a first for JAL.  It operated easily, and along with high side walls gave the suite a very private feel. 

I think my favorite suite feature was the personal closet located next to the video monitor.  Access was via a translucent sliding door.  Passengers who wanted to hang up a jacket or change into pajamas could maintain control of their garments at all times.    

The closet sat on top of a very handy storage space.  That compartment proved to be ideal for blankets, pjs, mattress pad, etc..  Being able to store these items close by without occupying valuable living space, avoided clutter and provided convenience.  Some airlines give you lots of stuff but there is no place to put it.   

The ottoman easily accommodated my legs with plenty of room to spare in width and length. A carryon or backpack could fit entirely underneath.

Additional storage compartments were located on and above the console.

A 24-inch video monitor was another favorite. It was mounted in a fixed position directly in front of the seat. I don’t believe there is a larger business class video screen anywhere. 4K resolution is state of the art.

The video screen displayed messages from the flight deck and the cabin crew. Passengers could also use it to send requests to the flight attendants.

Last but not least among the list of revolutionary features, in addition to JAL Audio-Technica noise-cancelling headsets and personal Bluetooth devices, passengers could receive audio from the entertainment system through what may be the world’s first stereo speakers embedded in the headrest.

Are individual loudspeakers for 54 people on a plane a good idea? I’d find out later in the flight.

I discovered that A351s are among the first Airbus aircraft to be outfitted with electronically dimmable windows. (Surprise No. 5) B787s have incorporated these windows since the model launched two decades ago.

Dimmable windows were one of the main reasons for my preference of 787s over A350s (787 3-3-3 coach seating notwithstanding). After pooh poohing the idea for 20 years, Airbus finally jumped on the dimmable-windows bandwagon. These windows improved the original design by offering more settings including total opacity.

Cordless charging for cell phones is another first for JAL.

Seat and lighting controls were found under the console. They were super easy to reach and understand. The tray table ejects from the console with a touch of a button. Being right handed, having the console and suite controls on the right is my preference.

Amenities

The seat was buried in comfort accessories when I arrived — bottled water, headphones, a large pillow, blanket and a duvet, slippers, pajamas, and an amenity kit. 

The amenity kit contained the standard stuff — dental kit, eye mask, ear plugs, pocket tissues — plus a cell phone cradle and a power cord.  

The amenity kit was designed by an artist affiliated with Heralbony, a well-known Japanese company dedicated to promoting diversity of thought through art.

Attendants offered a selection of beverages while we were at the gate. I enjoyed a glass of champagne.

Departure

Pushback was only nine minutes late in spite of the substantial boarding delay. Exploring the many new features of the suite had been fun. Pushback meant it was time for the much anticipated A351 Business Suites flight experience.

Two flight attendants went to the front of the cabin to perform the customary bow to passengers. That’s right. Flight attendants bow to customers on Japanese airlines.

Don’t hold your breath waiting for that on Western airlines. On JAL, the bow is part of the overall experience of omotenashi, the Japanese culture of hospitality that dates back to the origin of the tea ceremony. Cabin crew actually treat passengers like guests rather than self-loading cargo.

It was a great day for flying in the greater Tokyo metropolitan area. Weather was CAVU with a gentle breeze from the northeast. The 17-minute trip to the active runway provided an opportunity to take in the sights. Suite 5A’s single window was perfectly positioned for exterior views. I also followed our progress using the external cameras.

We followed several other aircraft. Haneda Tower cleared JL006 to position and hold on Runway 34R as the flight ahead of us lifted off.

Coincidentally, just four weeks prior, Runway 34R was the site of a collision between a landing JAL A350-900 and a Japan Coast Guard DHC Dash 8-Q300 that was preparing to takeoff.  The Dash 8 had taken the runway without clearance.  The A350-900 came to rest beside the runway several thousand feet from the runway threshold.  Both aircraft were consumed by fire.  All passengers and crew on the A350-900 evacuated without any fatalities.  I saw no evidence of the crash and fires.    

At 11:31, the tower provided takeoff clearance.  JA02WJ’s twin Rolls-Royce Trent XWB-97 turbofans responded smoothly to the call for takeoff power from the flight deck.

The plan for selecting Suite 5A paid off with magnificent views of metro Tokyo.  

Mount Fuji, was even clearly visible about 56 miles (90 km) to the southwest.

A climbing right turn toward Narita Airport (NRT) brought the flight to its initial cruising altitude over the Pacific just off the coast of Chiba Prefecture.

Cruise

Once the pilots leveled off, flight attendants began preparations for the first meal service.  That was my cue to grab the package of “pajamas” and a hangar from the in-suite closet and head to the lavatory to change. 

At first, the idea of passengers wearing pajamas on a plane seemed silly to me.  Then I tried it a few years ago.  Compared to sleeping and lounging in my clothes, pajamas make long-distance air travel much more comfortable.  PJs enhance my sleep quality and quantity and improve my attitude and appearance on arrival.

But some airlines don’t put much effort into keeping their bathrooms clean.  I won’t change clothes in a bathroom with icky wet floors.  In my experience, JAL lavs have always been clean and compatible with changing.  JAL business and first class toilets even have bidet functions and a selection of amenities for freshening up.

  

When I opened the package of “pajamas,” in the lav, I was greeted with surprise No. 6.   JAL pajamas had been replaced with “relaxing wear.”   The garment seemed more like a dress to me.

My embarrassment and confusion amused the attendants who assured me that this was in fact sleep wear for men.  I checked on arrival, and the website backed them up:

JAL’s original Relaxing wear in collaboration with “UCHINO“, a long-established high quality towel brand in Japan. It has excellent heat-insulating property, air permeability, hygroscopicity and moisture-releasing property.

JAL is proud of this product even though I thought it was a little weird.  Uchino relaxing wear is available on A351 flights exclusively.

Dining 

Dining is a big part of omotenashi.  Although the suites were completely new, JAL’s excellent business class dining and standard of service remained unchanged.     

First Meal Service

The meal began with light appetizers and chilled Junmai sake.  There were several sake options, and the attendants let me do a taste test.  

Courses with a tsunami of textures, colors and flavors followed. 

Irodori Gozen

Dainomono

Tea Pudding and Green Tea

Here is the menu for a non-washoku first meal service.

And the menus for à la carte service.

Mid-flight Snack and Arrival Meal

The à la carte menus offered a slew of possibilities for the mid-flight snack and arrival meal. A few hours into the flight, I asked for a pork cutlet sandwich and Yebisu beer. The sandwich was made with Sangenton pork, a top brand of Japanese pork celebrated for its smoothness and uniform texture. Although served without much fanfare, the cutlets were tender and flavorful – perfect in a sandwich.

I cobbled together several items from the à la carte menus for an arrival meal of salad, Miyazaki Wagyu Curry, assorted cheese, and Hagan Das ice cream.

Suite Dreams

For long-haul, air-travel comfort, the proof of the pudding is how the seat feels in lounge and sleep mode. JAL’s new business class suites aced this test with flying colors, pun intended.

I think sleep comfort on a plane comes down to four fundamentals: (1) seat size, (2) bedding, (3) sleepwear, and (4) seat configuration. A351 business suites exceled in all of them.

First, at a width of 22 inches (56cm), the seat was as roomy as many first class seats. I didn’t feel at all “wedged in” as with the new DeltaOne seats, especially my recent experience on a 767-400.

Second, A351 Business Suites have outstanding bedding. The duvet, pillow, mattress pad and mattress were better quality than is offered in business class on many competitors.

Third, as previously mentioned, each A351 suite came with sleep-inducing Uchino loungewear.  

Fourth, business class seats that face forward have some advantages over those that are angled in a  herringbone arrangement.  Forward facing seats seem to be able to offer more room, allow for some seats to be directly next to the window, and feel natural.  

Besides sleeping and eating, I watched a couple of movies and tried to use the flight following system.  JAL seems to have a comparatively limited movie library. 

I tried out the in-seat speakers, too.  As expected, noise cancelling headphones delivered superior audio quality.  The advantage of the in-seat speakers was not wearing headphones.  My worry that the speakers might produce a noisy cabin proved to be unfounded.  If anyone else tried out the speakers, I never heard them.  

My flight following system never worked properly.  It became stuck on the mid-Pacific info.  Minor  glitches are to be expected on brand new aircraft. 

First Class Sneak Peek

To wrap up, here are photos of an A351 first class suite I took just after boarding. One suite was unoccupied. That was also a surprise because a few weeks prior I’d asked about upgrading to first class. JAL reservations claimed first class was sold out with six people on the upgrade waiting list. Upgrading at the gate was not possible because I’d used most of my JAL miles for a first class upgrade on the flight to HND on a 777-300.

The first class suites are beautiful. I’ll try them out in a few days.

Overall Impression

I had high expectations for this flight and those expectations were exceeded. In short, features such as seat size and passenger friendly design and construction materials, 24-inch 4K video monitor, personal closet, premium bedding, and exceptional secured storage capacity make the A351 business suite the best business class suite I’ve tried. It is a huge improvement over the JAL SkySuite, which was already one of the best business class seats.

In 2023, Conde Nast rated the Qatar Qsuites first on its list of the top eight business class seats. I agree with that ranking in 2023. I’ve tried six of the seats on the list. For 2024, the JAL A351 business suite tops them all.

Thanks for getting through a long but hopefully informative post. What do you think of JAL’s new business class suite? Do you think any other seat is better?