Review: Japan Airlines Airbus A350-1000 Business Class (DFW-HND)

To kick off my birthday trip to Japan, Mrs. ATX and I flew Japan Airlines Business Class on the carrier’s Airbus A350-1000 between Dallas Ft. Worth International Airport (DFW) and Tokyo’s Haneda Airport (HND).

The new Business Class (and First Class) product on this aircraft has gotten rave reviews so I was excited to experience it firsthand. As a bit of a spoiler, while we both enjoyed the flight, there were a few things that detracted from the overall experience onboard.

Booking our Japan Airlines Airbus A350-1000 Business Class Flight

Japan Airlines has one of the most popular Business Class products on the market on its Airbus A350-1000 aircraft which can make finding award availability hard to find. I knew the dates that we wanted to travel and thankfully had some flexibility there.

Award tickets on this flight were released roughly 360 days ahead of departure so I checked Point.me religiously on the days leading up to when we wanted to leave. There were consistently two seats showing as available and I speculatively moved some American Express Membership Rewards points over to Cathay Pacific Asia Miles in preparation for booking.

Ultimately I ended up snagging two Business Class seats on our preferred date for 89,000 Cathay Pacific Asia Miles plus $260 in taxes and fees per person. The easiest way to book this flight using miles for most would be through American Airlines AAdvantage but, I don’t have very many miles left with them after moving to airline free agency during the pandemic.

I was unable to tack on a segment between my home in Austin and DFW to this ticket so I ended up booking us a cheap positioning flight on Southwest between Austin and Dallas the night before departure.

Japan Airlines Business Class Check-In

Our flight was scheduled to depart DFW just after 12:00p local time and, after returning our rental car, we arrived at Terminal D, the international terminal at DFW, two hours before our scheduled departure time.

There are two check in areas at Terminal D, one for American Airlines and another for everyone else. The Japan Airlines desks are located at positions 60-65. There was no one in any of the queues when we arrived and our documents were checked, luggage tagged, and boarding passes issued in minutes.

Lounge

Japan Airlines uses the American Airlines Flagship Lounge at DFW for its First Class and Business Class Passengers. Premium Economy passengers are invited to use the American Airlines Admirals Club when departing from DFW. We had a short walk from the security checkpoint to the lounge where our boarding passes were verified and we were welcomed inside.

While it isn’t the nicest Business Class lounge by a U.S. carrier, that award goes to the Delta One Lounge at JFK, the DFW Flagship Lounge is a large space that has great views of the airfield and plenty of seating for passengers. You can read my full review of the lounge here.

Boarding Our Japan Airlines Airbus A350-1000 Business Class Flight

Our flight to Tokyo was boarding from Gate D15, a fine minute walk from the lounge. We arrived at the gate at 11:30a, five minutes before our scheduled boarding time, just as preboarding was beginning.

The gate Japan Airlines uses at DFW is in the corner of the terminal and makes an L shape. All passengers were lined up by zones with First and Business class on one side and Premium Economy and Economy on the other. There isn’t much in the way of seating at this gate and the fact we were all lined up in the concourse was awkward as passengers heading for other flights had to walk through us.

At 11:38a, three minutes after our scheduled boarding time, boarding began with First Class passengers. Business Class was invited to board shortly after and, a minute later, we were heading down the jet bridge to our waiting Airbus A350-1000 for the 13 hour and 30 minute flight to Tokyo.

Japan Airlines
JL 11
DFW-HND (Dallas Ft. Worth International – Tokyo Haneda)
Seat: 4A (Business)
A350-1000 (JA-08WJ)
Scheduled: 12:05p-3:20p (+1)
Actual: 12:01p-2:51p (+1)

We boarded through door 2L where we were greeted by the cabin crew who checked our boarding passes and directed us to the left into the forward Business Class mini-cabin.

Japan Airlines Airbus A350-1000 Business Class Seat

Japan Airlines has 54 Business Class seats on its Airbus A350-1000 aircraft spread across two cabins. First Class and the forward Business Class cabin take up the space between the first and second set of doors. The forward Business Class cabin consists of 20 seats spread across five rows, arranged in a 1-2-1 configuration.

Japan Airlines uses the Safran Unity seat on the A350-1000s which has a staggered configuration. This means that some seats are closer to the window/center while others are closer to the aisle. The seat is also one of the most spacious seats I’ve had on a Business Class flight, edging out the Qatar Airways QSuite.

I assigned us seats 4A and 5A, which are window seats on the left side of the aircraft. Unlike some airlines, Japan Airlines doesn’t differentiate between seats located closer to the window or aisle in its numbering.

If you want to be closer to the window, with more space between you and the aisle, book an odd numbered seat in the mini-cabin and an even numbered seat in the rear Business Class cabin. You can refer to the seat map here. I took Seat 4A, while Mrs. ATX took Seat 5A

Waiting at our seats upon boarding was a pillow, slippers, noise cancelling headphones, cardigan, mattress pad, an amenity kit, and a bottle of water. Personally, I hate it when airlines place all of these at your seat prior to boarding as you end up having to store them while settling in. I ended up shoving most of this into the footwell.

The headphones weren’t great and, unlike some other airlines that have partnerships with high end headphone companies, these felt cheap. One nice feature of the Business Class seats on the A350-1000 is the built in speakers in the seats. While not extremely loud or crisp, you can listen to a movie or show without using the headphones.

Once I moved all of the bedding, I was able to get seated and discover just how well laid out it was. As I mentioned earlier, it was extremely spacious but also functional. Above the footwell is a large, high definition, IFE screen.

Next to the screen is a large closet area which had space to hang a jacket. Beneath this is a storage compartment for shoes which comes in handy during the flight.

Next to the seat, there is a large counter area that is divided into two parts. In addition to USB, USB-C and 110V charging outlets, a wireless charger is also available. The headphone jack and the IFE remote are also located here. The top of the counter can also be opened to reveal a shallow storage compartment, great for storing your passport.

Above the counter space is the reading light along with a second, larger, storage area. I found this to be better for things like water bottles, a book, keys and wallets.

Next to the storage compartments you’ll find a second counter space. The menu for our flight, amenity kit, and a bottle of water were waiting here upon boarding.

The tray table is stored underneath the counter and can be released by pulling on the latch. When opened it creates a continuous counter space for the entire length of the seat.

The tray table itself is a single piece and rotates 90 degrees to align with the seat. It was a good size but, given the fact it is one piece, can’t be adjusted if you want more space. It does however slide backwards and forwards should you need room to get out of your seat.

All of the seat controls can be found beneath the tray table release latch. I found these to be intuitive and easy to use, though it can easily be bumped by your leg/knee when sitting in the seat.

On the opposite side of the seat, Japan Airlines installed a nifty little armrest that folds out from the wall. The storage area is recessed which makes it flush with the wall when you’re trying to sleep.

Japan Airlines installed a fairly significant door on its A350-1000 Business Class seats. These had to be closed for taxi, take-off, and landing but, once airborne, it provided a great amount of privacy.

Finally, Japan Airlines elected not to install individual air nozzles or a flight attendant call button on the overhead panels. The call button is located with the seat controls and the overhead light can also be operated from there.

Japan Airlines Business Class Menu & Amenity Kit

As I mentioned above, the menu and amenity kit for our flight were waiting at our seats upon boarding. Japan Airlines has partnered with Heralbony on its amenity kits which were packaged in brightly colored pouches.

Inside of the kit was a unique assortment of items. This included earplugs, tissues, a toothbrush, eye mask, phone charger, phone stand, and some lotion.

The menu and wine list for our flight was waiting next to the amenity kit and read as follows.

Departure

As we were getting settled in, the flight attendant working our section came through with berry smoothie pre-departure beverages. While I was somewhat surprised not to see water or champagne offered, this was tasty.

If you were wondering why the menu and amenity kits were at our seats upon boarding, and why a single beverage was offered, its because our entire Airbus A350-1000 was fully boarded in just 23 minutes. I’ve seen U.S. carriers take longer to board regional jets.

We pushed off of the gate four minutes ahead of our scheduled departure time and began our taxi out to the runway.

As we taxied out to the runway, we passed some of the ultra low cost carriers (ULCC) that use hardstands at DFW due to gate constraints. DFW is currently in the process of building a second international terminal to support traffic growth.

During our taxi, the safety video was screened.

We taxied out past a Korean Air Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner bound for Seoul Incheon Airport (ICN).

There was no wait for departure and we lumbered down Runway 18L towards the south. Once airborne, we turned to the northwest to head for Tokyo.

In-Flight

Though it was cloudy in Dallas, when we broke through the clouds we were greeted with blue skies which made it a beautiful day for flying.

Once we were at our cruising altitude I attempted to connect to the in-flight Wi-Fi. Japan Airlines offers complimentary Panasonic Wi-Fi for Business Class and First Class passengers however, I found it difficult to connect and it cut in and out throughout the duration of the flight. While I initially planned on working for most of the flight, the connection was too unstable to do so.

After striking out with the Wi-Fi, I headed to check out the Business Class lavatories which were located between the forward and primary Business Class cabins. Though not huge, the Business Class lavatories on the A350 were spacious.

There is a large counter space, something that many airlines overlook, which was great for changing into and out of sleeping clothes during the flight.

There wasn’t much in the way of amenities in the lav, just a container of mouthwash and some waterproof disposal bags.

While I didn’t use it, I thought it was neat that they have a makeup mirror installed in the lavatory (goes well with all of that counter space).

As the parent of a young child, I always appreciate when airlines install substantial changing tables in their lavatories.

There was also a secondary, smaller table that could fold out from the wall, though I have no idea what purpose it serves.

Back at my seat, the meal service began roughly 30 minutes after takeoff with hot towels being distributed.

Forty-five minutes after takeoff, beverage and meal orders were taken. I ordered a glass of the Champagne Drappier Carte D’Or which was served alongside mixed nuts and olives.

For my meal, I chose the western dish while Mrs. ATX has the traditional Japanese meal. She is more adventurous than me and knowing I was about to eat my weight in sushi and noodles I decided to forgo the Japanese option, though it did look delicious.

For starters, I had the roast beef and bresaola salad which was served with Yukon gold potatoes, kale pesto, bocconcini, fried onions, and a pear tamarind vinaigrette. A selection of bread was also offered.

For my main there was a choice between the beef tenderlion and the Chilean sea bass. I typically don’t order beef on planes as I find it is typically overcooked but, given that the flight was catered in Texas and we were headed to the land of fresh seafood, I went with the beef.

The beef tenderloin was served with artichoke truffle gratin, zucchini, carrot, and a balsamic madeira wine sauce. While not on par with the beef on my British Airways flight from London to Houston, it was very good.

For dessert, raspberry blanc-manger, which I paired with a cop of black coffee.

While I enjoyed my meal, the service flow was severely lacking. It took forever between each course to the point that I would self-bus my tray in order to get some work done before the next course was delivered. From start to finish the meal service took just under two hours.

After lunch, I managed to get connected to the onboard Wi-Fi and worked for a couple of hours. The flight attendant working our cabin came through on a regular basis to keep beverages topped up.

After a couple of hours, I decided to try and catch some sleep. I made the bed up and reclined the seat and managed to get a couple of hours of rest, though I’m not sure I ever actually fell asleep. (The seat below is Mrs. ATX’s, hence the reason it is closer to the window.)

I woke up just as we were overflying the Alaskan island of Kodiak and decided to grab something to eat.

From the airline’s a-la carte menu, I ordered the Tonkotsu-flavored Miso ramen noodles which was very good.

After the ramen, I ended up watching the first season of Tulsa King and trying to get some work done, but the internet was almost unusable over the ocean. The in-seat speakers worked decently well but, if you want to move around in your seat you’re better off using the headphones.

A couple of hours later, I headed to the galley that separates the two Business Class cabins and found a selection of snacks available in a basket.

With four and a half hours remaining in the flight, I decided to try the assorted cheese platter, which was ok.

Finally, with a little over two and a half hours remaining in the flight, the crew came through taking final meal orders. I ordered the pasta with roasted garlic tomato sauce. The sauce was much sweeter than I expected, almost candied, so I passed on the majority of this dish.

With a little over an hour and a half remaining in flight, and completely stuffed from all of the food on board, I got mu first glimpse at Japan.

An hour before arrival, the crew came through the cabin and collected all glassware and remaining service items. Shortly after, we began our descent into Tokyo.

Arrival

As we descended into Tokyo, 30 minutes before arrival the flight crew came through the cabin and thanked each passenger for flying with Japan Airlines. This was accompanied by a bow which i thought was neat but also a little over the top (Nobody needs to bow to me).

We took a meandering route into Tokyo’s Haneda Airport before landing on Runway 23 at 2:40p local time.

Since we landed out on Runway 23, we had quite a long taxi over to Terminal 3, which is the international terminal at Haneda. This provided some great planespotting opportunities as we made our way to our gate.

We pulled into our gate at roughly 2:50p local time, arriving a full 30 minutes ahead of schedule. From there, we headed off to immigration and baggage claim to begin our Japanese adventure!

Summary

Overall, we had an amazing trip on Japan Airlines’ flagship A350-1000 in Business Class between Dallas and Tokyo. I found the seat to be extremely comfortable and spacious, the suite doors made everything feel very private, and the crew was extremely attentive.

Since this was my first transpacific flight I didn’t know what to expect and, as someone who doesn’t sleep well on planes, I was impressed with how well rested I felt upon arrival.

The only downside of this flight was the less than stellar Wi-Fi, it was virtually unusable for more than half of the flight, and the fact that Mrs. ATX’s IFE screen needed to be rebooted multiple times. She eventually moved over to an open seat across the aisle and the crew was extremely apologetic.

If given the opportunity, I would happily fly with Japan Airlines again. Hopefully one of these days I’ll get to experience the carrier’s amazing looking First Class product as well.

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