Review | Japan Airlines’ Brand-New A350-1000 Business Class
- Refined Points
- Dec 25, 2025
- 6 min read
Merry Christmas!
Today’s article is a little special, and I wanted to share my recent experience flying Japan Airlines’ brand-new Airbus A350-1000 in Business Class.
This seat has been attracting an enormous amount of attention since launch—and for good reason. It is, quite frankly, an outstanding product in its own right. That statement carries some weight, coming from someone who regularly flies Qatar Airways’ QSuites, a product still widely regarded as the global benchmark for Business Class.
If you’ve been following Refined Points for a while, you’ll know that I don’t publish cabin reviews particularly often. There are two reasons for this. First, like most airline miles enthusiasts, I spend far more time earning miles than redeeming them. Second, being based in the UK for much of the year meant that many so-called “Business Class” products across Europe were little more than economy seats with a blocked middle seat—hardly worth reviewing.
This Japan Airlines flight was different. I specifically went out of my way to try this product, booking the ticket with cash and taking advantage of CIMB’s excellent 50% cashback on flights promotion. Either way, enough rambling. Let’s get into the actual review.
Boarding
Boarding was quick and easy, and I was able to use the First Class Group 1 boarding line thanks to my Enrich Platinum status, which grants me access to Oneworld Emerald privileges.
As one would expect from Japanese airlines, boarding started exactly on time at 9:25am.
The Seat
Japan Airlines’ A350-1000 Business Class seat is a fully enclosed suite arranged in a 1-2-1 configuration, offering direct aisle access for every passenger, and with no upper storage compartments in the middle.
Privacy is clearly the headline feature here. Each suite comes with a sliding door, high walls, and a cocoon-like design that immediately makes the cabin feel more like a collection of private rooms than a shared space.
The seat itself is extremely wide and well-padded, with more than enough room to move around without feeling constrained. Seat controls are intuitive and responsive, allowing for fine adjustments whether you’re lounging, dining, or sleeping.
When fully flat, the bed is generous in length and width, easily accommodating taller passengers without any awkward footwell gymnastics. The mattress pad and bedding provided further elevate the sleeping experience, making this one of the more comfortable Business Class beds I’ve tried in recent years.
Storage is thoughtfully integrated into the suite, with compartments for shoes, smaller personal items, and a dedicated area for headphones and water bottles. There’s also ample surface space for placing drinks, devices, or reading material without things feeling cluttered.
One minor issue I experienced was with the suite door itself. The door on my seat wasn’t screwed in tightly and would slide back open during even mild turbulence.
This became mildly irritating over the course of the flight, and I eventually solved it by wedging a few magazines into the gap to keep the door in place. It’s a small flaw, but one that stood out given how new this aircraft is.
I specifically selected bulkhead seat 8A, mainly to avoid having my view obstructed by the massive wing or engine. I was very happy with this choice.
However, it’s worth noting that bulkhead seats, while spacious, do come with reduced storage compared to other seats. For example, I wasn’t able to fit my trench coat into the designated coat compartment due to its shorter length.
As for in-flight entertainment, Japan Airlines’ system is smooth, responsive, and easy to use, with a high-resolution screen that feels appropriately sized for the suite.
That said, the movie selection itself felt noticeably more limited compared to airlines like Qatar Airways or Singapore Airlines. While there was a decent mix of Japanese and international titles, frequent flyers who consume a lot of in-flight content may find the library somewhat underwhelming, especially on ultra-long-haul routes.
Also, each seat comes with a bottle of Harrogate Spring Water. I'm not a water-guy per-se, but come on JAL, you couldn't have given something like Evian or Acqua Panna? Haha
Food & Beverage
As with all Japan Airlines Business Class flights, passengers are given a choice between Washoku (traditional Japanese cuisine) and a Western menu.
My advice here is simple: always choose the Japanese option. Japanese airlines consistently outperform Western carriers when it comes to in-flight Japanese cuisine, and this flight was no exception.
The meals were genuinely excellent, both in presentation and taste. The quality of ingredients was impressive, and everything felt carefully curated rather than mass-produced. In a single course, I was served abalone, wagyu beef, and snow crab—items that many airlines wouldn’t even consider offering in First Class, let alone Business Class.
This starkly highlights how far behind Malaysia Airlines is when it comes to premium cabin catering. The idea that passengers flying Malaysia Airlines from Kuala Lumpur to London are expected to be satisfied with what is served on board becomes almost laughable when you compare it to the level of food offered by Japan Airlines. The difference isn’t marginal—it’s exponential. One feels like a cost-cutting exercise; the other feels like genuine hospitality.
My only real complaint was the curry, which was surprisingly underwhelming. Compared to the curry served in Japan Airlines’ lounges, this version lacked depth and was notably light on meat, consisting mostly of sauce.
Alcohol-wise, the selection covers the essentials, including a range of Japanese sake alongside wines and champagne. The champagne served, Charles Heidsieck Brut Réserve, is perfectly respectable and enjoyable.
However, when compared to the Business Class champagne offerings on Singapore Airlines and Qatar Airways, which often feature higher-end or more diverse selections, it does feel slightly underwhelming. Both Singapore Airlines and Qatar Airways consistently rotate premium labels that are generally perceived as a notch above what JAL currently offers in Business Class.
Menu Dump:
Amenities and Lavatories
On this 14-hour flight, Japan Airlines provided slippers, a one-piece set of pajamas, and an amenity kit. Wi-Fi was also complimentary throughout the flight for Business Class passengers via a promo code that you'll receive via email. The speed however left much to be desired.
The pajamas were comfortable and of decent quality, though they don’t quite reach the level of what Qatar Airways offers with its White Company sleepwear.
The amenity kit itself was fairly basic, containing the usual essentials without anything particularly luxurious. That said, I appreciated the inclusion of a multi-port charging cable, which turned out to be genuinely useful and a surprisingly thoughtful touch.
The lavatories in business class differ in the sense that bidets are available on toilet seats, which is a classic Japanese airline feature. Beyond that, there isn't anything particularly special about business class lavatories.
How to Book This Seat
Let me be blunt: the average Malaysian traveller is unlikely to experience Japan Airlines’ A350-1000 Business Class anytime soon. This has nothing to do with the product itself and everything to do with deployment. Japan Airlines currently operates the A350-1000 only on select long-haul routes, primarily to destinations like the United States, London, and Paris.
In my case, I managed to kill two birds with one stone. I spent my December holidays in Japan and needed to return to London, where I’m currently based, making this routing ideal.
For those who still wish to try this product, the most straightforward redemption pathway from Malaysia remains through CIMB credit cards. CIMB is the only bank locally that offers direct conversion to Japan Airlines Mileage Bank, although the conversion rate is admittedly not very attractive.
Alternatively, you can attempt to book this seat via oneworld partners such as Cathay Pacific Asia Miles. Availability, however, can be highly inconsistent, as this particular Business Class product is in extremely high demand.
Final Thoughts
Japan Airlines’ A350-1000 Business Class is an exceptional product that comfortably sits among the world’s best. From the privacy-focused suite design to the excellent bedding and outstanding Japanese cuisine, this is a Business Class experience that genuinely feels premium rather than marketed as such.
While there are minor shortcomings such as limited IFE content and a slightly conservative drinks selection, these are small blemishes on an otherwise superb offering. More importantly, this product reinforces how wide the gap has become between airlines that invest in passenger experience and those that merely maintain appearances.
If you ever find yourself with the opportunity to fly Japan Airlines’ A350-1000 in Business Class, whether through cash fares or a well-timed redemption, it is absolutely worth going out of your way to experience it. This is how modern Business Class should be done.
Stay tuned for my upcoming review of Cathay Pacific's brand-new Aria Suite Business Class!
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