JAL’s Airbus A350-1000: The Ultimate First Class Experience Nobody Talks About【Flight Report Part 2】

Japan Airlines (JAL) has proudly introduced the Airbus A350-1000 aircraft. One might wonder, what kind of services are offered in the prestigious first class?

This article, following the first part, focuses on how to spend the time on JAL’s longest route to New York, which is unique to first class.

The Long-Haul Flight Allows You to Fully Enjoy First Class

The New York route is JAL’s longest in terms of flight distance. Both to and from New York, the flight duration exceeds 12 hours.

Spending over half a day on the plane, the way you spend your time onboard can significantly change your flight experience, especially in first or business class.

In first class, unlike other seating classes, passengers can use their time as they wish from the moment the seatbelt sign turns off after takeoff until it lights up again before landing. Cabin crew services are available upon passenger request.

After takeoff, I started with a meal. The cabin crew attentively adjusted the timing of the meal, allowing me to enjoy it smoothly without the common airplane experience of waiting aimlessly for the next course or being unable to move due to uncleared dishes.

After enjoying a high-quality meal, about an hour and a half had passed since takeoff. I spent my time leisurely enjoying drinks, the view from the plane window, and movies on a large screen. Halfway through, I changed into organic cotton pajamas and reclined my seat about 45 degrees, creating a comfortable and relaxing environment similar to that of a home sofa.

About four hours after takeoff, I had the bed set up and closed my eyes for about three hours. The ample seat pitch in first class is appealing for sleep. The seat has a hidden feature, a seatbelt for double beds, assuring safety while providing a spacious area to turn over in sleep. This spaciousness is a feature not found in the Boeing 777-300ER’s previous first class configuration.

However, sleeping too long may lead to jet lag, so I kept my nap to about four hours. Still, I felt the sleep quality was unlike anything I had experienced before.

As Many Favorite Dishes and Drinks as You Like

After waking up from the nap, I decided to enjoy à la carte dishes and drinks while watching movies and the view from the plane window. When I requested a fruit plate as my dessert, I was surprised with a chocolate decoration, a pleasant touch of detailed hospitality.

While the Boeing 777-300ER’s first class offered similar services, the A350-1000’s first class enhances these services with private cabin seats and the latest technology, such as large screen displays. The already high-quality service has become “strongest” due to the latest hardware.

A Few Glimpses of Imperfection, Overcome by Hospitality

While I’ve highlighted the positive aspects of first class, let’s also mention a neutral viewpoint.

The various facilities in this A350-1000 aircraft differ significantly from those on other JAL aircraft. It took some time to get used to the different in-flight entertainment controls. A simple tutorial on using the in-flight entertainment would have been helpful.

During the flight, I often checked the flight map, which stopped updating at one point. An announcement was made that this issue affected all seats. I’ve heard of similar malfunctions on other flights and hope for stable operation over time.

Communication with the cabin crew revealed that the crew is not limited to specific routes. This flight was the first time some had worked on the A350-1000 aircraft (strictly speaking, after first flying from Tokyo to New York on the A350-1000, they then worked the return flight from New York to Tokyo). While the basic service did not give the impression it was their first time on the A350-1000, handling the aforementioned irregular situation with the flight map may have been challenging.

New equipment may be a little rough around the edges. Though not mentioned here specifically, I noticed a few other things. However, they were all minor in the grand scheme of the flight. The inherently high-quality service in first class, even if there were rough spots, more than compensated, ensuring a satisfactory service. Despite noticing some points, it did not significantly diminish my overall satisfaction.

The hospitality overflowing from JAL’s service solidifies the backbone of the first class experience aboard the A350-1000 aircraft. I look forward to flying first class again if given the chance. (To be continued with Business and Premium Economy Class segments).