If you are flying Business Class to North America then Japan Airlines is certainly one to consider. Customers get the added benefit of a stop in Japan and oneworld accrual of Qantas points and status credits. Earn 360+ status credits when you fly with JAL, and enjoy the ability to visit over 80 destinations worldwide.

On a Japan Airlines Business Class to North America trip, you can visit major hubs such as; Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Honolulu, Los Angeles, New York, San Diego, San Francisco, Vancouver. It’s a shame that their flagship aircraft is not featured on more routes, or any out of Australia for that fact. However, we highly recommend taking the aircraft on long-haul routes, especially to North America.

Read all about why Mark loved this product so much!

Japan Airlines Business Class Boarding and Welcome

I was blown away upon boarding by how modern and high-tech the cabin felt. Despite being in service for several months it felt brand new, and the level of privacy with high dividers was fantastic. On the A350-1000, the seats are arranged in a 1-2-1 configuration, with middle seats having a movable divider.

However, they are slightly offset, or staggered, so the doors do not line up. As I was travelling with my children, this is less than ideal for checking in on them. Since they were seated across the aisle, it was more difficult to be able to see how they were going. Getting a block of 4 seats together can be a challenge at times and we had elected to book a whole row across, rather than 2 behind each other.

Japan Airlines Business Class Suite

The suite itself feels luxurious, something that you don’t always get in Business Class now. It truly felt like a First Class experience or product, albeit with just a bit less space in the suite. There has been serious consideration to the storage options with every nook and cranny exploited to offer purposeful storage options for a coat, shoes, amenities and more.

I was pleasantly surprised with the comfortable fully flat bed that featured a mattress topper and a comfortable, full-size pillow and duvet. There is some excess light from the light-up buttons around the suite which can disrupt sleep, and the included eye mask was a bit basic. So, I would suggest bringing a higher-grade eye mask if you have one. I was still able to get a great amount of sleep, with the suite door closed for added privacy.

Japan Airlines Business Class Entertainment and Amenity Kit

The AVOD screen is so large and offers an incredible 4K resolution, thus I can comfortably say this is the best screen I have ever seen in the sky. The best part? You can sync your own Bluetooth headphones to the screen and truly make the most of your own pair of noise-cancelling headphones or similar. There is also an innovative option to listen to the screen via the headrest, which actually comes with built-in speakers. This seems a tad gimmicky and even though the A350-1000 is as quiet as they come in the sky, the added background noise renders this option far less appealing. The moving map was fantastic and the screen was extremely responsive to touch controls.

The amenity kit was great, including a USB Lightning charging cable for iPhones 14 and earlier, plus a phone rest too. The slippers were soft and great for trips to the bathroom, albeit a bit small for western feet.

Japan Airlines Business Class Dining and Beverages

There was an extensive drinks menu including cocktails for those who fancy a martini or bloody mary along with 2 mocktail options. The meals were perhaps the only downside to the flight, mainly due to selecting the western meal options. I’m not a huge fan of Japanese cuisine, but if you are, I suspect those would have been a great choice.

I opted for the prawn salad entree and strawberry mousse dessert which were both tasty. The main international option I chose was a beef fillet steak with classic demi-glaze sauce and winter vegetables. Although it sounded safe enough, it turned out to be basically a soup of sauce which was a bit off-putting, and the meat was a tad dry still.

During the 11hr flight I was peckish after 6-7hrs, so I ordered the pork cutlet sandwich from the ala carte menu. This option was a winner and was incredibly tasty - the bread and the crumbed pork absolutely hit the spot. Following this a few hours later was an attempt at, I thought, a breakfast service around the usual 1.5-2hrs prior to landing at 7am local time in Dallas.

However, this turned out to be more of a savoury dinner, offering a squash gnocchi with some unusual flavours. It was presented very well, but didn’t feel like the right meal at the right time, especially as it came with a side salad. Other options similarly seemed a bit unusual, according to my personal taste. I tried to communicate that I was after some breakfast and if I was able to get yoghurt and fruit salad [‘citrus fruit jelly’] on the side. But a few things were lost in translation with the Japanese crew member who was otherwise polite and friendly throughout.

Japan Airlines Business Class Summary

Overall, it was a fantastic experience despite a few bumps in the road with the main meals. As a product, my overall impression is that the Japan Airlines A350-1000 is a step above the otherwise class-leading Qatar Airways Qsuite product and would give ANA’s ‘The Room’ a serious run for its money as a direct competitor.

If you are flying Business Class to North America then Japan Airlines is certainly one to consider. View our deal here, or chat to an airfare specialist to learn more.