Editor’s note: Japan Airlines provided TPG with a complimentary round-trip ticket between New York and Tokyo so we could be on board the airline’s inaugural A350-1000 flight and fly back in premium economy, but all opinions expressed are entirely those of the author and were not subject to review by the airline or any other external entity.
Quick take: JAL’s new premium economy seats aboard the Airbus A350-1000 combine next-generation technology with good old-fashioned comfort.
ERIC ROSEN/THE POINTS GUYPros
Seats have stylish finishes and impressive legroom.
The entertainment screens are huge, and charging options abound.
The cabin’s intimate size makes for personalized service.
Cons
Inflight Wi-Fi can be hit or miss.
The entertainment options are not as varied as on some other airlines.
Meals don’t feel much differentiated from economy.
ERIC ROSEN/THE POINTS GUY
Late last year, Japan Airlines took delivery of the first of 13 Airbus A350-1000s it plans to add to its fleet. Although the carrier already operated A350-900s, this new (to the airline) variant features JAL’s latest seats and cabins, including understated but stunning first-class compartments and business-class suites with closing doors.
The airline has now deployed the first two of its A350-1000s on its route between its hub at Tokyo’s Haneda Airport (HND) and New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK), and I was on board the Jan. 24 inaugural New York-to-Tokyo flight to try out the airline’s all-new business-class suites.
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For my return flight to New York, I got to try out Japan Airlines’ new premium economy seats, which are pretty swanky in their own right, not to mention a leap forward for the airline design- and comfort-wise.
Here’s what my experience was like flying Japan Airlines’ A350-1000 premium economy from Tokyo to New York, and what passengers can expect on board.
ERIC ROSEN/THE POINTS GUYHow to book premium economy on Japan Airlines
Japan Airlines offers premium economy on a substantial portion of its long-haul aircraft, including the Airbus A350-1000, the Boeing 777-300ER and the 787-9 Dreamliner.
If you’re just paying for airfare, be sure to use one of the best credit cards for airline tickets.
If, on the other hand, you are hoping to book award tickets, Japan Airlines is part of Oneworld, so you can use American Airlines AAdvantage miles or Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan miles, among others.
Japan Airlines’ own Mileage Bank miles are a bit harder to come by since the program is not a partner of any of the major transferable credit card points programs. However, you can convert Marriott Bonvoy points to JAL Mileage Bank miles at a 3:1 ratio and get an extra 5,000 JAL miles per 60,000 Marriott points transferred.
Here’s a quick snapshot of the range of airfares and mileage redemption rates for round-trip tickets from JFK to Haneda on Japan Airlines in the coming months.
Class
Economy
Premium economy
Business class
Airfare
$1,434-$2,674
$2,884-$5,062
$7,962-$23,200
American Airlines AAdvantage miles
70,000 miles plus $50 taxes/fees
100,000 miles plus $50 taxes/fees
120,000 miles plus $50 taxes/fees
Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan miles
75,000-90,000 miles plus $77 taxes/fees
100,000-110,000 miles plus $77 taxes/fees
150,000-170,000 miles plus $77 taxes/fees
Japan Airlines Mileage Bank
50,000 miles plus $735 taxes/fees
65,000 miles plus $735 taxes/fees
100,000 miles plus $735 taxes/fees
ERIC ROSEN/THE POINTS GUY
Just beware that when you’re trying to book these particular flights that JAL currently has two daily frequencies in each direction between New York-JFK and Tokyo Haneda, but only one is operated by the A350-1000 while the other is flown with a Boeing 777-300ER.
Specifically, for the seat and plane in this review, you’ll want to look for these flight numbers and schedules:
JL 5 departs New York JFK at 12:40 p.m. (this will become 1:40 p.m. starting March 10) and arrives at Tokyo Haneda the following day at 5:15 p.m.
JL 6 departs Tokyo Haneda at 11:05 a.m. and arrives at New York JFK the same day at 10 a.m. (this will become 11 a.m. starting March 10).
Other Japan Airlines flights with premium economy cabins from the U.S. to Japan will feature the airline’s older seats. The airline also plans to deploy the A350-1000 on its route from Haneda to Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) once it takes delivery of two further jets, but that has yet to take place.
Checking in to premium economy on Japan Airlines
Japan Airlines operates domestic flights out of Tokyo Haneda Terminal 1 and international flights out of Terminal 3. My taxi dropped me off curbside at Terminal 3 and I took a set of elevators up into the main check-in area, where I located the airline’s counters.
Passengers who checked in online could print their bag tags then get in a line to drop their bags off, delineated by class of service. Premium economy passengers can check two bags of up to 50 pounds each for free and take a carry-on and personal item totaling up to 22 pounds on board with them (though no one was weighing these bags at the gate that I saw).
ERIC ROSEN/THE POINTS GUY
Premium economy passengers can utilize a dedicated check-in line, which had just one couple in it, compared with about a dozen or so passengers in the economy line. However, I waited about 10 minutes while that couple kept packing and unpacking their two checked suitcases at the counter trying to redistribute the weight. At that point, the economy line was moving faster, so I hopped over to it instead but an agent noticed I had Oneworld Emerald status (thanks to my AAdvantage Platinum status) and directed me to the next aisle of counters for elite customers.
ERIC ROSEN/THE POINTS GUY
There, an agent saw me immediately, checked my bag, handed me my boarding pass and pointed me to security. She also noted that my premium economy ticket entitled me to access the airline’s Sakura Lounge about a three-minute walk from my gate, which was a nice surprise. Premium economy passengers’ lounge access can vary by airport, and my Oneworld Emerald status would probably do me more good on most other JAL flights around the world.
ERIC ROSEN/THE POINTS GUY
After security and immigration, I walked to the shared entrance of various lounges including JAL’s Sakura Lounge and Sakura Lounge Sky View (for business- and first-class passengers) as well as the ANA Lounge, the Delta Sky Club and the Cathay Pacific Lounge.
The portion of the Sakura Lounge I was given access to was one level up (on floor 4) from the main concourse and could be accessed via either elevator or escalator.
An agent checked my boarding pass then welcomed me to explore the lounge. It consisted of several different seating areas and multiple self-serve bars and buffets.
To the right of the entrance was a corridor that led to one of those buffets, where breakfast items and cold cuts were on offer (this being a morning flight). There was also a set of bathrooms and a quiet area with reclining armchairs set off from the main space.
In the main area, meanwhile, various seating areas including long counters that functioned as work desks, living room-style vignettes and restaurant-style tables abounded, all bathed in natural light from a wall of windows.
Walking through another dining room-style area, there was another buffet with even more items including a station for make-your-own udon noodles. Farther along was a quieter section with low-slung chairs and a self-serve bar with espresso drinks, beer, wine and spirits.
There was also a set of restrooms here along with shower suites, though I did not check those out … nor did I duck into the smoking room.
Despite the busy time of day and the number of passengers who could access it, the lounge did not feel overcrowded, and plenty of attendants were on hand to keep everything tidy and make sure the food presentations always looked neat.
ERIC ROSEN/THE POINTS GUY
After munching on some fresh fruit and downing a cappuccino, I made my way down to the gate to await boarding.
ERIC ROSEN/THE POINTS GUYHow comfortable was premium economy on Japan Airlines?
With an 11:05 a.m. departure time, boarding was supposed to begin at 10:35 a.m., but as 10:30 rolled around, an agent made an announcement that boarding would begin at 10:40 a.m…