Japan Airlines A350-1000 Business Class Review, Tokyo To Singapore

Japan Airlines debuted its Airbus A350-1000 in early 2024, introducing completely redesigned seats across all cabins. As the launch customer for the Safran Unity seat in Business Class, a product that will shortly appear on Qantas’ A350, I was quite keen to put JAL to the test. So back in March, Immanuel and I did just that.

While the return price from Singapore to Tokyo was sitting at around $4,400, we found a return itinerary from Kuala Lumpur for $2,819. That’s an impressive discount, and because Japan Airlines offers free domestic flights on international itineraries, we added connecting flights to Osaka at no extra cost.

While the new seat has been called excellent by many, a handful of design flaws prevent it from being a product I would actively seek out. Coupled with some serious shortcomings in service, I couldn’t help but feel that my expectations for Japan Airlines may have been set far too high.

Tokyo Ground Experience & Lounge

Thanks to Immanuel’s Oneworld Emerald status, we blast through the dedicated First Class check-in and head for the First Class Lounge. Despite being a peasant Oneworld Sapphire, and being booked in Business, I’m a great work son, and naturally tag along to check out JAL’s flagship lounge.

The Haneda First Class lounge is huge, but was still quite busy. The design feels warm and cosy, with several seating and dining spaces across the levels making the lounge feel larger. We only had time for a quick visit, but still enjoyed the food and stunning apron views.

Pretty much every beverage you’d want is stocked, and dining options include a sushi bar and solid buffet. There is also a made-to-order menu accessed via QR code, with dishes delivered to your table.

I also checked out the Red Suite, a small space off to the side of the lounge that is styled like an old-time gentlemen’s club. It’s more of an aesthetic place rather than practical, with shoe shining, JAL memorabilia, chess tables and a Joseph Perrier Champagne and sake room.

The Seat: Japan Airlines A350 Business

Business Class on the Japan Airlines A350-1000 consists of 54 seats split across two cabins, with 20 seats behind First Class, and a further 34 behind the second galley. It’s a 1-2-1 layout with direct aisle access and seats alternating between being closer or further from the aisle.

Stepping onboard, it’s clear that Japan Airlines has made a significant leap forward. The lack of overhead bins in the centre creates a spacious cabin, without significantly reducing storage above. Seats are clad in JAL’s signature red fabric, with red leather and pale blue panels surrounding, and a darker console to the side.

Each seat is enclosed by privacy walls and a 132cm door that transforms it into a genuinely private space. Unless you’re actively looking, it’s hard to see anyone from your seat, or anyone in their seat when walking the aisle.

The seat felt wide but rather firm. On both flights, I could feel metal components through the seat fabric when slightly reclined into a relaxing mode, so much that I padded these with the provided pillow. It’s possible that came down to bad luck across the two flights, as other seats I tried didn’t have this issue.

Another issue I found with comfort was the armrests, or should I say the lack of them. True window seats have zero armrests, while everyone else gets a foldable armrest, but only on one side of the seat.

Storage is superb. There is a console to the side with two compartments, plus space for a backpack below the seat in front. But what sets this seat apart is the wardrobe beside the TV screen, which comes with a coat hanger. Below is a compartment for shoe storage, which was a squeeze with my boots, but would work well for sneakers or dress shoes.

When converted into a bed, the seat is wide and comfortable, with surprising space in the footwell. JAL is known for its superb Airweave mattress pads, but they weren’t provided. I’d let that slide on this daytime flight, but on the 7-hour redeye across to Tokyo, it was quite a letdown.

Entertainment, WiFi & Controls

Seat controls are intuitive and located below the side console. There are preset positions for upright, lounge and sleep, as well as further fine-tuning.

The side console houses a poorly designed wireless charger, which has zero grip and is unusable in anything other than calm conditions. Above that are USB-A, USB-C and AC power outlets.

Infront sits a 24-inch 4K inflight entertainment screen, which is both crisp and highly responsive. JAL has added Bluetooth audio pairing, so you can connect your own wireless headphones without fuss. The headrest also has built-in speakers, which is a fun party trick and does work well. Although, I did find they weren’t loud enough to lock-in to my movie, when combined with cabin noise.

Wi-Fi is paid, and was generally fine for browsing and emails, but too inconsistent for reliable streaming on this flight.

Finally, I was curious to try the dimmable A350 windows, which are now fitted to newly delivered A350s. While I’ve never been a fan of dimmable windows, particularly the ineffective ones on the 787, the A350 version is actually brilliant. They transition quickly and completely block direct sunlight, solving one of my biggest complaints.

Amenities

At the seat was a pillow and a lightweight blanket, as well as slippers and a basic amenity kit. Japan Airlines only loads pyjamas on its longest flights (currently London, New York and Dallas), and on shorter flights offers a cardigan lending service. These cardigans can be requested during the flight, and will be collected by the crew before landing.

Also reserved for longer flights are mattress pads, which is a real shame on mid-length flights where you still want a comfortable nap. Noise-cancelling headphones are provided, but they’re nothing special. That said, they don’t need to be with Bluetooth connectivity.

Onboard Dining

Naturally, there is a Japanese menu when flying JAL, alongside an international selection for those less adventurous, like myself. On my flight, this consisted of;

• Japanese Cuisine: seasonal appetisers including crab, octopus, grilled salmon and wagyu beef, followed by a choice of stewed beef cheek, Ren’s special curry or deep-fried black cod, then a dessert of matcha bavarois with sweet red beans.
• International Cuisine: sashimi-style bream and caviar salad to start, followed by a choice of beef fillet or Japanese rockfish, then a strawberry matcha buttercream cake dessert.

Drink options were impressive. Once we were in the air, I started off with a glass of Delamotte Brut NV, before trying both the Sake options loaded on the flight.

I had selected the international menu, which was average if I’m being generous. The sashimi-style bream and caviar salad was fresh and plated beautifully, but not something I’d gravitate towards. The beef fillet was a clear standout, brought to life with a red wine sauce and Mâitre d’Hôtel butter. It was served over a silky potato purée, and cooked surprisingly well for an airline steak. Dessert was the strawberry matcha buttercream cake, which tasted exactly as described.

Service

To be frank, the service on this flight was well below what I’d expect from Japan’s national airline. It took almost 90 minutes just to receive my appetiser, and the pre-meal drink service was equally sluggish.

The crew were polite and happy to assist, but there was a clear lack of energy or attentiveness throughout the cabin. Whether they were understaffed or simply disorganised, the end result was the same - service that felt reactive rather than proactive.

I didn’t expect much from this flight, because on the redeye to Tokyo a few days prior, I had skipped my meal altogether after waiting over two hours just for a drink. That flight left a poor impression, with a crew member taking my order by asking, “Can I have your meal choice… if we get to you in time?”. That speaks for itself.

Summing Up: Japan Airlines A350 Business Class

Japan Airlines’ A350-1000 Business Class is a textbook case of a product that gets so much right, but still manages to frustrate. The seat itself offers impressive privacy, excellent storage, and useful modern touches like Bluetooth audio and 4K entertainment. The cabin feels open and elegant, and JAL has clearly invested in creating a premium hard product that competes on the world stage.

But great hardware only goes so far. The seat suffers from unexpected comfort flaws including poor padding and a lack of armrests in some seats. More importantly, the service on both my flights was well below what I expect from Japan Airlines. That’s a real shame, because with some tweaks to the seat comfort and service delivery, this could easily be one of the best Business Class products in the world. But for now, it’s a solid offering, and not one I’d go out of my way to fly again.