By Shawn Gallagher
I recently had a chance to try out the new premium economy class product on a Japan Airlines Airbus A350-1000. This is the airline’s newest aircraft and features the best hard product they have to offer. I had flown their previous version of premium economy (which is still in the air today on their 777 and 787s) and enjoyed it a lot. However, I was impressed by these new seats and noticed many improvements.
If you haven’t already, read the full review from my flight here.
After sitting back and thinking about it for a few weeks, here are 3 things that impressed me the most onboard JAL’s newest premium economy seats on the A350-1000.
The 16 Inch IFE Screen
The IFE screen by Panasonic Avionics was the first thing I noticed as I sat down. This screen is billed as 16 inches, which is the biggest in the world for a premium economy class seat. It was quite a first impression!
The touchscreen/sensitivity was phenomenal for an airplane; it was almost like an iPad. This was perhaps my favorite part of this IFE screen, as other systems on other airlines can be a bit laggy or the touchscreen may not react as well. Having this smooth experience was spectacular to have from a passenger experience perspective.
Although the entertainment content itself is the same, this IFE was a huge improvement from the ones on other Japan Airlines aircraft (especially the Boeing 777).
Motorized Recline
The recline on these seats was motorized/electronic. This was also a first for any premium economy seat in the world.
There’s definitely something about the motorized recline that makes the seat feel a little more “premium.” No need to fiddle and struggle pushing the buttons; just sit back and go into the relax position. These seats are pretty much what business class used to be a couple of decades ago.
I found this recline to be plenty comfortable. I don’t always like hard shell seats, but I didn’t have a problem with it here. It certainly doesn’t equate to a lie-flat bed in business class, but it felt like the best of the best in premium economy. I had no complaints.
You can feel the investment that Japan Airlines put into these seats.
Related: Review, Japan Airlines economy class on the A350-1000
A 90 Degree Leg Rest
This wasn’t any normal leg rest either. It went up a full 90 degrees, providing a flat surface for your legs and feet if you wanted. This is another first for any premium economy class seat in the world.
I never had it all the way up to 90 degrees as it would’ve been quite uncomfortable, but it was cool to see nonetheless. I can imagine some people can get creative when sitting in one of the bulkhead seats, as they have more room in front of them by being the first row.
Bottom Line
This Japan Airlines premium economy seat on the A350-1000 features numerous industry-leading features. From an electronic recline to a huge IFE screen to a 90 degree leg rest, I could feel the thought and detail that went into the making of this seat. With many of these being industry-first features, I do wonder how this shapes future premium economy seats on other airlines. If this pushes other airlines for higher-quality seats for these long-haul flights, I can’t complain.
Either way, this New York to Tokyo route is one I frequent, so I’m glad to have this fantastic option between these two cities.
All photos taken by the author.