In October 2023, Japan Airlines unveiled its impressive new cabin products for the Airbus A350-1000, which will replace the aging Boeing 777-300ERs as the flagship of the fleet.
JAL has ordered a total of 13 A350-1000s, with seven already in service on routes to New York JFK, Dallas, London Heathrow and Paris. The airline will soon take delivery of an eighth aircraft, JA09WJ, which will support additional flights to Paris and upgrade services to Los Angeles later in 2025.
Before that happens, however, JAL is giving us a little treat by announcing a limited-time deployment to Singapore from next month, making it the first intra-Asia route to see the A350-1000.
Japan Airlines bringing A350-1000 to Singapore
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Per an update on the Japan Airlines website, JL36/JL37 between Singapore and Tokyo Haneda will be operated daily by an Airbus A350-1000 between 12 February to 29 March 2025.
Flight | Dep. | Arr. | Days |
JL36 | SIN 2225 | HND 0555 (+1) | Daily |
JL37 | HND 1055 | SIN 1725 | Daily |
This will replace the current Boeing 777-300ER, which offers the dated JAL Sky Suite (based on the Apex Suite platform) in Business Class.
Do note that JAL operates 2x daily flights between Singapore and Tokyo Haneda. The other pairing, JL38/35, is operated by a Boeing 767-300ER with the (also dated) JAL Sky Suite II staggered Business Class seats. If you want to try the new cabin products, make sure you pick the correct flight!
From 30 March 2025, the A350-1000 will be taken off the JL36/37 service and replaced by a JAL Sky Suite-equipped Boeing 787-9, which Iโve already reviewed on a different route.
How much do award redemptions cost?
Hereโs a rundown of how much First and Business Class awards would cost between Singapore and Tokyo Haneda, through selected frequent flyer programmes.
โ๏ธ One-way Award Costs | ||
First Class | Business Class | |
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90,000 | 60,000 |
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40,000 | 30,000 |
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100,000 | 63,000 |
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82,500 | 62,000 |
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50,000 โ 65,000 | 40,000 |
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82,500 | 62,000 |
Perhaps a better question is whether thereโs any award space to begin with. The few Business Class seats that are available on this route are on the JL38/35 pairing, and First Class awards are basically non-existent.
Award space is slightly better through the JAL Mileage Bank programme, though still not fantastic. For example, I can find 4x Business Class award seats on JL37 on 12 February 2025, the day the aircraft switch takes place.
Business Class awards can be found on other days, but at the more expensive PLUS pricing (think of it like Advantage awards on KrisFlyer) that can go as high as 200,000 miles each way!
Even if you wanted to try your luck through JAL Mileage Bank, there are two further issues worth highlighting:
- JAL Mileage Bank transfers are only available via HSBC credit cards (at a truly abysmal rate) and Heymax
- JAL Mileage Bank transfers can take up to 10 working day to process, during which the awards you spotted may get snapped up by someone else
So in short, donโt expect award seats to come by easy.
What can you expect on Japan Airlines A350-1000?
Japan Airlines has a total of 239 seats on its A350-1000 aircraft, divided into four cabins.
Cabin | Number of Seats |
First Class | 6 |
Business Class | 54 |
Premium Economy Class | 24 |
Economy Class | 155 |
Total | 239 |
First Class
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The six First Class suites come in a two-row 1-1-1 configuration, each enclosed by a 157cm wall and privacy door. The seat measures a generous 123cm wide, more than sufficient for two passengers to sit side-by-side and watch movies or dine together.
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When the time comes to rest, passengers can choose from either a single 203cm bed with a side seat, or a double bed (albeit with a divider at foot level).
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Inflight entertainment is provided on a massive 43-inch 4K screen, rivaled only by ANAโs The Suite. This next-generation system allows passengers to connect their own earphones via Bluetooth, or try the worldโs first โheadphone free stereoโ experience called Euphony, which uses built-in headrest speakers in lieu of headphones.
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Given my past frustrations with other passengers blasting movies on their phones or tablets for the whole cabin to hear, I have some major reservations about this concept- all I can say is I hope theyโve got the technology right!
JAL has decided against installing overhead lockers on the A350-1000 to provide an additional sense of spaciousness, but thereโs plenty of storage space beneath the ottoman for two pieces of carry on luggage, as well as a personal wardrobe.
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Each suite has a tablet that allows for video calls with the cabin crew, as well as wireless charging and a personal minibar (that looks more like a storage compartment; itโs not an Emirates minibar, thatโs for sure!).
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You can find a detailed review of the First Class experience on the A350-1000 here.
Business Class
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Japan Airlines has 54 Business Class seats on its A350-1000, configured in a 1-2-1 layout.
This is a 10% increase over the 49 Business Class seats found on the Boeing 777-300ER, and these seats represent a quantum leap in comfort.
For starters, each seat has a fully-closing privacy door and 132cm high walls, encasing a 22 inch wide seat that extends into a bed 198cm long.
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It should be noted that these seats donโt offer โcoupleโ options in the middle, like other airlines do with their staggered layouts, as regardless of row theyโre separated by a side table and privacy partition. The partition can be lowered for conversations, but thatโs about it.
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Inflight entertainment screens are 24 inches wide, with 4K resolution and personal Bluetooth connectivity. The Euphony system will also be available in Business Class, allowing passengers to watch movies without using headphones.
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Passengers can charge their personal electronic devices through the wireless charging pad, or a universal power outlet with USB-A and USB-C ports.
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Items like clothes or carry on luggage can be stored in the seat, courtesy of a personal wardrobe and under-seat storage.
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You can find a detailed review of the Business Class experience on the A350-1000 here.
Premium Economy Class
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Japan Airlines has 24 Premium Economy Class seats on its A350-1000, configured in a 2-4-2 layout.
This represents a significant downsizing of the 40-strong Premium Economy cabin found on the Boeing 777-300ER, suggesting that JAL hasnโt been seeing particularly strong load factors in this cabin in recent times.
Premium Economy seats have large privacy partitions, and are the first in the world to offer an electrically-operated recline function (airlines usually opt for manual seat controls in Premium Economy to reduce weight). There is also a motorised leg rest that extends to a 90 degree angle
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Seats adopt a hardshell design, which means that they slide forward to recline. This preserves the legroom of the passenger behind, and removes the need to reset the seat to full upright during meal times.
Passengers can expect 42 inches of seat pitch and 19 inches of seat width, alongside 16-inch 4K inflight entertainment screens.
You can find a detailed review of the Premium Economy Class experience on the A350-1000 here.
Economy Class
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Japan Airlines has 155 Economy Class seats on its A350-1000, configured in a 3-3-3 layout.
While thereโs only so much innovation you can hope for at the back of the plane, passengers still enjoy a generous 33-34 inches of seat pitch, and 18 inches of seat width. This is similar to what youโd find on the Boeing 777-300ER, and itโs commendable that JAL has not taken the opportunity to further densify their Economy Class cabin, as many airlines would have.
Economy Class seats have adjustable headrests, 13-inch 4K personal inflight entertainment screens, and USB-A and USB-C charging.
Conclusion
Japan Airlines will be bringing its flagship A350-1000 to Singapore in February for a limited deployment of about 1.5 months.
This gives Singapore-based travellers an opportunity to experience its next-generation cabin products, in particular the all new First and Business Class seats with privacy doors and 4K screens.
Award space is currently near impossible to find, though if youโre really keen, Iโd recommend using a service like Seats.Aero to monitor the route and ping you if something opens up.
Any suggestions for finding award seats on JALโs A350-1000?
Hi Aaron, can ask any idea why SQ did not buy the A350-1000?
To remind us all again, JMB transfer from Max Miles as well as any other sources will take around 10 days.
Its like.. finally lolโฆ too bad i have burned almost all of my Alaska mileage