To say that Runway Girl Network is excited about Japan Airlines’ (JAL) forthcoming new first class product is an understatement. Featuring high shells and doors for utmost privacy, the suite will offer a litany of living space options and is paired with exciting new headset-free Euphony sound. It looks set to be a game-changer.

Unfortunately, production delays at Safran mean that passengers have to wait a little while longer to experience the new suite, which will debut on the new Airbus A350-1000s that are earmarked to replace JAL’s Boeing 777-300ERs.

However, during a recent 777-300ER flight from London to Tokyo, I got the chance to bid farewell to the carrier’s classic first class platform, and to reflect on what elements of JAL’s service should be retained for the next generation. 

Let’s start with the seat itself. An enormous leather armchair greeted me, with a 28” IFE screen on the opposite side above an ottoman. The whole thing felt expensive and sophisticated.

The design of the suite — which conceals power ports, remotes, and other tech inside large cavernous drawers — creates an effect of aristocratic wealth. That is to say, it is refined, subtle and has no need to be too showy.

Having said that, the product is clearly past its prime. Some of the surfaces were chipped, and drawers had to be lifted open rather than springing forth when their buttons were pressed. 

The IFE is simply too old for frontline service. Using a resistive touch screen, it was difficult to find full menus of content and the system was infuriatingly slow. I spent most of the flight watching John Wick movies, mainly because I was able to find the full series set and little else. 

Where JAL did shine, however, was in the service and soft product. The attentive and polite crew were exceptional throughout the flight. And JAL offers an authentically Japanese experience on board, right down to the papers provided to first class passengers in a leather folio, including a duty free brochure, menus and customs forms.

For example, the purser, Itami, explained our route using a charming hand-annotated map. 

These analogue interactions were a lovely touchpoint for me to get to know the crew better and to settle in. The only drawback was that there seemed to be an inverse relationship between the experience of the crew and their grasp of English. Younger crew members, helping from business class, proved to be much more fluent. It will be informative to see how JAL maintains this level of passenger engagement in its new, more enclosed suites. 

The truly refined Japanese experience can also be a barrier for some flyers, however. JAL offers both western and Japanese dining menus, with the Japanese menu offering a traditional kaiseki multi-course dinner.

Of course, your author wanted to try this meal, but I was unfamiliar with the concept. The parade of dishes was spectacular in quality and preparation, but an introduction to the structure of the meal, where multiple courses arrive at once, might be helpful.

Whilst the beverage menu is exceptional, neither menu nor crew suggested any pairings to accompany either the Western or Japanese meals. The menu suggested that a wine pairing is offered on outbound flights, however. 

Flying first class with JAL delivers the type of luxury you’d expect to find in the grand hotels of the world — even if that experience is not always fully explained. When the carrier rolls out its new first class cabin on the A350-1000, it will have the opportunity to build on its existing service strengths.

Whilst JAL will hopefully soon have a competitive hard product too, it is the personal and human touches that largely define its first class product as a whole. And here, the carrier continues to shine.

Related Articles:

• Japan Airlines reveals stunning A350-1000 interiors but delays launch
• Testing Safran’s headrest-free sound for premium seats
• JAL 787: cushy for longhaul economy but could use soft tweaks
• JAL first class provides a masterclass in premium PaxEx

Featured image credited to Fintan Horan-Stear