JAL’s New York Route: The Latest First Class – A Space That Makes You Forget You’re on a Plane? [Flight Report Part 1]

Japan Airlines (JAL) launched its new international flagship, the Airbus A350-1000, on January 24, marking its first major update in about 20 years. The author boarded the first class of this Airbus A350-1000 to explore the capabilities of JAL’s newly launched flagship.

Is This Really a Plane? The Shock of an Unprecedented Space

The flight the author boarded was the JL5 from New York/John F. Kennedy to Tokyo/Haneda. The economy, premium economy, and business classes were almost full, a bustling scene. First class had a capacity of 6 passengers, with 3 onboard.

Boarding was from the L2 door (the second door from the front on the left side), through the middle of the business class section.

Upon entering the cabin, first thing to overwhelm the author was the nearly 132 cm wall of the business class, not just a partition for privacy but a “wall” for creating space.

Though business classes with individual or semi-private rooms have become more common, they often focus on privacy within various constraints. However, the A350-1000 aims to create enveloping spaces for each passenger.

The author was actually booked in the even more advanced first class.

With a total of six seats arranged in a “1-1-1” configuration, the first-class cabin on this aircraft offers an unparalleled level of privacy and comfort. A towering partition separates each seat from the aisle, offering glimpses of the deep crimson seats within. Upon witnessing this setup, the author was left utterly speechless, questioning whether this was truly an airplane cabin.

Having previously flown in the first-class cabin of a Boeing 777-300ER operated by Japan Airlines (JAL) on different routes, the author found this experience to far surpass those prior. The first impression was overwhelmingly impressive.

For a detailed review of the cabin and its amenities, readers are directed to a separate article “here”. This piece, however, aims to share the personal experience and feelings of flying first class as a passenger.