TOULOUSE — It sounds cliché to say that a new airline cabin is hard to capture in media images, and that it really pops when you experience it in person. Japan Airlines’ new Airbus A350-1000’s four cabins, with new suites in first and business, plus new premium economy and economy seats, is one of those cabins… and spending just an hour in it on the ground at Toulouse as a guest of Airbus at the delivery ceremony makes RGN excited to experience more of it with the renowned JAL omotenashi service and soft product added in.

JAL’s A350-1000s are its new longhaul flagship, and the airline has outfitted them — with the assistance of London design firm tangerine — to that end. Just six first class suites are installed in the first class cabin up front, followed by 54 business class suites, a surprisingly small 24-seat cabin of premium economy and just 155 economy seats.

This is a very premium-heavy aircraft, as befits the airline’s market positioning, with a total of 239 seats, coincidentally the maximum number that a low-cost carrier might fit aboard an Airbus A321neo. It also launches the Airbus New Production Standard for the -1000 variant of the A350, while retaining a spacious 9-abreast economy class.

The aesthetic of the aircraft flows from cabin to cabin, retaining the deep burgundy red as a keynote colour while using a truly delightful sky blue — which looks grey in many of the renderings previously seen — to create an unusual, calming and elegant aesthetic.

Throughout, there is a clear design emphasis on texture, whether that is the bulkhead walls, the black-fronted galley inserts or the premium dark colours inside the lavatories that avoid harsh reflections. 

The feel here is very premium Japanese, and would be right at home in an upmarket modern home in Japan or a brand new hotel’s premium rooms. 

JAL promises updated soft products to match before the January entry into service on the route from Tokyo to New York.

First class, manufactured by Safran Seats GB, is the same suite family that will be used in Qantas’ forthcoming Project Sunrise A350-1000. 

It features a wide sofa with split recline: you can choose either to recline just one section of the sofa to create a good-sized single bed or to recline the smaller half next to the door to add substantial width above the knee.

This is oddly effective: the amount of space given to turn around or curl up is quite astonishing, even compared with other first class suites, while the split-recline option means that you can have one or two travelling companions join you to dine. 

JAL executives explain that, where a family member or business associate is travelling in a separate class, they may “on a case-by-case basis” be welcomed in.

Other highlights include a truly massive 43-inch Panasonic IFE screen, the double luggage storage under the ottoman, separate wardrobe, enormous table and the translucent privacy glass effect on the doors.

Meanwhile, the translucent privacy glass effect on the doors represents some impressive materials science from whichever thermoplastic supplier was fingered for the job. 

First and business also include Safran’s Euphony in-headrest personal speaker system, which RGN tested at the 2022 Aircraft Interiors Expo. Trying this in business on the ground produced inconclusive results, given that the system is intended for use in the air with background cabin noise.

In business, it’s Safran’s Unity staggered suite, also to be seen soon on Qantas and Air India (on the latter’s own-spec aircraft and not the now-available A350s already built for Aeroflot). 

This seat is even more impressive on the aircraft than it has been at the Aircraft Interiors Expo, with the high walls creating a space that exceeds the sense of privacy in comparator high-walled products like Qatar Airways’ Qsuite. 

Here, too, there is a brilliant full-height wardrobe whose front is translucent and lit from within, giving a surprising and effective use of depth and light.

In premium economy, Safran is also the seatmaker, and the seats are arranged in what is now the standard 2-4-2 A350 layout. JAL has added substantial privacy screens, electronic recline and a legrest that reaches full horizontal. 

All seats except the front row need an incredibly bulky airbag seatbelt, and it’s it’s unclear what certification snag is afoot here. (Your author might wager a shatter issue with the 14-inch monitors.)

Economy sees a full final zone of Recaro’s popular CL3810 platform, which are in themselves incredibly spacious, and the 33- to 34-inch pitch that JAL has selected means that this space is magnified. 13-inch 4K screens and multiple power options, as well as a pre-reclined starting point for the seats, work surprisingly well to create an initial sense of comfort.

The cabins are very impressive in their design throughout, and — despite months of delays largely caused, JAL executives tell Runway Girl Network, by delays at Safran Seats and their supply chain — are mostly in a decent production quality, despite some fit and finish issues including scratch wear with polystone material used on the tray table, and some misaligned intersections between large part subassemblies.

Overall, though, this is a spectacular aircraft, no matter where you’re seated.

Airbus provided flights and accommodation to the JAL reveal event, but as ever all opinions are of the author.

Related Articles:

• JAL first class continues to shine despite delayed hard product
• Japan Airlines reveals stunning A350-1000 interiors but delays launch
• Testing Safran’s headrest-free sound for premium seats
• JAL first class provides a masterclass in premium PaxEx
• Airbus’ A350 NPS variant: lower weight, more MTOW—and bigger cabin
• Safran’s Unity adds premium stagger to its business lineup

Featured image credited to John Walton