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Four travel experts, four cabins, one plane.
Welcome to the video review of the travel site The boy with the points of each type of seat on a Japan Airlines Airbus A350-1000.
The quartet of travelers meet at Tokyo’s Haneda Airport before dispersing into economy, premium economy, business class and first class on a JAL flight to New York JFK.
Japan Airlines came in sixth place at this year’s Skytrax Awards, the “Oscars of aviation”, so it’s no surprise that there’s plenty to impress the globe-trotting crew, including headrest speakers and epic platforms.
But there are a few hiccups, such as a complaint about slow service in one of the cabins. Read on for the full verdict. What do YOU think of Japan Airlines? Vote in our poll…
ECONOMY. TPG PAID: £701 ($901)
Putting Economy Class to the Test was led by Senior Editor Ben Smithson
Ben (above) told MailOnline Travel that “legroom and overall seat comfort were excellent.”
Putting economy class to the test, said senior editor Ben Smithson.
He told MailOnline Travel that “legroom and overall seat comfort were excellent for a regular economy class seat” and that he “arrived in New York feeling more refreshed than expected”.
He continued: ‘There was a large, crisp inflight entertainment screen with handy modern tech features such as USB charging from the screen and Bluetooth connectivity to plug in your own wireless headphones.
‘The bathroom, meanwhile, was the largest I’ve ever seen in economy class and there was plenty of room to change inside.’
Ben said: ‘There was a large, crisp inflight entertainment screen with modern and practical technological features such as USB charging from the screen and Bluetooth connectivity to plug in your own wireless headphones.’
Budget food? ‘Unusual if you don’t have an adventurous palate’
Ben’s economy ticket cost £701 ($901)
And disadvantages? Quite a few.
Ben said: ‘The inflight entertainment screen kept freezing when selecting the moving map and the crew had to be called to manually reset it, which was frustrating for a new aircraft.
‘Also, there were limited non-Japanese movie options and the food options were unusual if you don’t have an adventurous palate.’
Premium Economy. TPG paid £1,878 (2,415 USD)
Video producer Lauren McCay put premium economy class to the test
Lauren (above) told MailOnline that her premium economy seat was “well thought out”
Putting the premium economy class to the test was the video producer Lauren McCay.
What were the ups and downs?
She told MailOnline: ‘The premium economy seat was well thought out. Very comfortable for the customer as it had plenty of pockets and compartments, plus good use of technological capabilities such as USB and USB-C chargers.
Lauren described the premium economy service as “a little slow.” Above, her compartmentalized meal, which she declared was “delicious.”
‘The seat was comfortable and reclining was easy.’
And the food? Delicious.
Any issues? Japan Airlines has not met your expectations regarding service.
Lauren said: ‘The service, while friendly and helpful, was a little slow and not as attentive as you would expect in premium economy.’
BUSINESS CLASS. TPG PAID: £2,896/$3,724
Liam Spencer, senior marketing manager, boarded the plane and turned left to try out Japan Airlines’ business class.
Liam said JAL’s business class ‘rivals Qatar Airways’ QSuite for best in the sky’
Liam SpencerSenior Marketing Manager, boarded the plane and turned left to try out Japan Airlines’ business class.
And he raved about the cabin, even saying it might be the best business class on the planet.
He raved: “JAL’s new business class product rivals Qatar Airways’ QSuite for the best in the sky. There was plenty of privacy thanks to the deep suite and sliding door, unsurpassed comfort and a sleek full-length wardrobe. My experience was further enhanced once the seat was converted into a fully flat bed.”
And other positive aspects? Of course.
Liam told MailOnline: “There was plenty of privacy thanks to the deep bedroom and sliding door, unbeatable comfort and a stylish full-length wardrobe.”
The “fresh” food, Liam said, gave him “a taste of Japanese culture.”
Liam continued: “My suite was packed with cutting-edge technology and innovation. In particular, I was able to play the audio from my in-flight entertainment system through speakers in the headrest – something I’d never seen before on a plane.”
Liam also praised the food.
She added: “The a la carte food helped me feel like my experience was more like first class than business class. The meals were fresh and immediately gave me a sense of Japanese culture. I highly recommend the pork cutlet sandwich.”
And the downsides of this potentially globally successful model? Sleepwear, it seems.
Liam said: “The pyjamas we were provided with were extremely thick, hooded and basically looked like a towelling dress. After wearing them for a few minutes it became too hot in the cabin.”
FIRST CLASS. TPG PAID: £5,871/$7,550
Nicky Kelvin, managing editor, settled into first class.
In the video, Nicky sums up JAL’s first class as ‘spectacular’
Nicky told MailOnline: ‘Japan Airlines first class has some of the widest seats and beds in the sky’
The first-class dining experience is “incredibly high-end”
Nicky shows off his headrest speakers
Nicky KelvinEditor-in-chief, he was seated in first class.
There were no downsides to the experience, he told MailOnline, just a long list of positives for a cabin that sums up in the video as ‘spectacular’.
He said: “Japan Airlines’ new first class has one of the widest seats and beds in the sky. With the thick mattress and plush bedding, I was able to get the kind of sleep normally reserved for beds on the ground.”
The travel guru continued: “The high walls and doors of the suite made the space incredibly quiet and private.”
Japan Airlines passenger planes docked at Tokyo’s Haneda airport
And we assume the food will be delicious.
Nicky confirmed: “The food and drink offering is of incredible quality and an authentic Japanese experience, an event in itself. I loved the sumptuous dining experience, but really the snacks we had later in the flight, such as the katsu curry, were exquisite.”
For more information from The Points Guy, visit thepointsguy.com/travel-to-the-ukTo watch the full video, click here here.