Whats up from New York, as I’ve wrap up my assessment journey to South Korea and Japan! I simply flew Japan Airways’ Airbus A350-1000 enterprise class, on the 12 hour flight from Tokyo (HND) to New York (JFK). I’m completely satisfied to report that I’ve saved the perfect for final.
Japan Airways is at the moment refreshing its lengthy haul fleet, changing 777-300ERs with A350-1000s, that includes all-new cabin merchandise. I’ve already reviewed the service’s new A350-1000 first-class, which I rank as being among the many greatest on the earth, and I used to be excited to take a look at the brand new enterprise class.
Japan Airways is the launch buyer for the Safran Unity seat, and finally this can be a product we’ll discover on many different airways, starting from Air India to Qantas. This seat is phenomenal, so that is one thing to look ahead to as properly.
While you mix that with the final attributes of the A350, the free Wi-Fi, the superb tech, the flawless Japanese service, the scrumptious meals and drinks, and the good bedding, I’d think about this to be among the best enterprise class merchandise on the earth.
With that in thoughts, I needed to share some preliminary ideas on the expertise, after which quickly I’ll have a full journey report.
The Safran Unity seat is a stellar product
Japan Airways’ A350-1000 enterprise class cabin consists of a complete of 54 seats, unfold throughout 14 rows, in a staggered 1-2-1 configuration. As I stated, Japan Airways is the launch buyer for the Safran Unity product. I’ve gotta say, this exceeded my expectations, and I feel that is the perfect new “generic” enterprise class seat on the market.
There are a bunch of various staggered merchandise on the market, however there’s a lot to like about this product. It’s extra spacious than another staggered seat I’ve skilled, and the quantity of storage is on a very completely different degree.
As you’d count on in a staggered configuration, some seats are nearer to the aisle, whereas others are nearer to the home windows. I used to be in a “true” window seat, which is unquestionably the coziest setup. The very first thing you discover is simply how spacious the suite feels. It feels remarkably extra spacious than many different staggered merchandise on the market, just like the Vantage XL seat, for instance.
For one, seats have doorways which can be 52″ excessive, that are the identical top you’ll discover in Qatar Airways Qsuites. These are among the many highest doorways in enterprise class, in order that they actually do afford fairly a little bit of privateness.
The footwell in these seats is large as properly, so I didn’t in any respect discover myself feeling restricted in mattress extra, not like in another comparable merchandise. That is simply probably the most snug enterprise class beds within the sky.
This seat additionally takes storage to the subsequent degree. There’s a big space for storing beneath the ottoman, large enough for a big backpack.
There’s a dresser behind a protect, the place you’ll be able to hold garments in the course of the flight.
There’s a compartment the place you’ll be able to retailer sneakers in the course of the flight.
Then there are two further compartments the place you’ll be able to retailer gadgets, to the aspect of the seat.
Nicely finished to Japan Airways, and properly finished to Safran, as a result of that is an superior seat!
Japan Airways’ nice tech & free Wi-Fi- in enterprise class
Most of the developments we’ve seen with enterprise class seats in recent times have concerned higher tech.
For one, every seat has USB-A, USB-C, AC, and wi-fi charging choices.
Then along with with the ability to use a headphone jack, there’s additionally bluetooth audio, in addition to in-seat headrest audio system, which I wrote about intimately after I flew in first-class.
Every seat additionally has a beautiful excessive definition 24″ monitor, the place you’ll be able to benefit from the leisure library, or in any other case control the tail digicam (my favourite form of inflight leisure).
Japan Airways’ library of films and TV exhibits actually isn’t nice, and it’s the one main space for enchancment. Nonetheless, the airline does provide free Wi-Fi in enterprise class these days, with no knowledge caps, and to me that’s extra useful than leisure choice (really connecting to the free Wi-Fi is a comically sophisticated course of, although).
Japan Airways’ enterprise class meals, drinks, and facilities are excellent
Japan Airways gives glorious facilities in enterprise class, together with a pillow, blanket, and mattress pad. I discover the bedding to be superb — it’s cozy, with out being uncomfortably heat. Whereas it’s irritating how the airline doesn’t have particular person air nozzles, to my shock, the cabin wasn’t really saved very heat.
Meals and drinks on this flight have been superb as properly. After takeoff, there was the selection of a Japanese or western meal, and I chosen the previous.
Service started with some candied nuts, a sundried tomato dip, and breadsticks, served with a alternative of drinks. I had a glass of Delamotte Brut, which is the service’s present enterprise class champagne.
The primary course consisted of… properly, I’ll simply put up the menu, because it’s form of sophisticated, and I like the simplicity of those menus, by way of displaying the place precisely every dish is.
The following course consisted of stewed beef cheek with Japanese mustard spinach, grilled salmon, deep fried lotus root and carrot, curry, miso soup, and rice.
For dessert there was a pink bean dish, plus some inexperienced tea.
There’s then a versatile eating menu for the remainder of the flight. So earlier than touchdown I had the truffle omelet sandwich, which was a pleasant shock, I have to say… yum! It was one in all my favourite egg dishes I’ve had on a aircraft.
Whereas maybe an odd combo, I then had the falafel sandwich, which was additionally tasty.
Final however not least, I loved some Haagen-Dazs ice cream.
All-in-all, the meals on this flight was scrumptious!
Japan Airways’ enterprise class service is excellent
After a few flights on Korean Air, I used to be actually very completely satisfied to be again on Japan Airways, as I discover the service to be in a very completely different league. The service on this flight was attentive, detail-oriented, and extremely pleasant.
Flight attendants have been proactive with clearing empty dishes, eradicating plastic wrappings, providing drink refills when glasses or bottles have been empty, and so forth. The crew additionally saved the bathrooms spotlessly clear all through the flight.
I’ve nothing however nice issues to say concerning the service, and that’s one thing you’ll get extra constantly on a Japanese service than simply about another airline.
Japan Airways’ A350s have some put on & tear points
Now let me share what I’d think about to be the one adverse shock of this flight. Regardless of being lower than a yr previous, Japan Airways’ A350-1000s are displaying some severe put on and tear. Japan Airways is the launch buyer of the Safran Unity product, so I think about this partly comes all the way down to a number of the kinks not being labored out.
For instance, while you take a look at the world to the entrance of the seat and to the aspect, you’ll see it’s badly crushed up, in a means you wouldn’t count on for a brand new product.
Why is that this? Nicely, the mechanism by which the tray desk extends must be modified a bit. In case you simply push the button to launch the tray, it’ll naturally slam into the aspect of the seat in entrance, which is the place all these marks are from. It’s essential put effort into it in order that this doesn’t occur.
I’ve to think about that that is one thing that might be labored out. They both want to remodel the mechanism by which the tray extends, or put some form of a “pad” towards the laborious floor on the opposite aspect of the seat, in order that it doesn’t get marked up like this.
Subsequent, I’ve by no means been an enormous fan of Japan Airways’ heavy use of pink, or burgundy, or no matter that is. However I’m discovering that the seat materials is already displaying some put on and tear and discoloration, in a means you wouldn’t count on for such a brand new product.
Backside line
I’m so completely satisfied I had the possibility to fly Japan Airways’ new Airbus A350-1000 enterprise class. This product is unbelievable, among the many greatest enterprise class experiences on the earth. Japan Airways actually has elevated the passenger expertise on its new flagship jet, and I’m so completely satisfied to see this improvement.
For that matter, I’m delighted I lastly had the possibility to fly within the Safran Unity seat, as I’m now much more excited that this can be a “generic” seat that we’re going to see on different airways.
Nicely finished, Japan Airways… very properly finished! I’ll quickly should replace my rankings of the world’s greatest enterprise class airways and greatest enterprise class seats.
What do you make of Japan Airways’ new A350 enterprise class?
