Inside £8k-a-flight First Class suites 'like hotel rooms' with beds and sofas
An airline has unveiled its new first class cabin which feature comfy looking double beds.
Japan Airlines has offered a glimpse at the interiors of its high-tech new Airbus A350-1000 aircraft, “which will become the airline’s new flagship for international service after nearly 20 years. The flag carrier has ordered 13 of the large, widebody planes from Airbus and expects them to go into service before the end of the year.
To begin with the planes will be used on the Tokyo (Haneda) to New York (JFK) route.
Both first- and business-class cabins on the new A350-1000 planes will offer headphone-free stereos, allowing passengers to use the inflight entertainment system using the seats’ built-in headrest speakers. That means passengers can enjoy a podcast, music or film without having to wear anything on their head, which may make nodding off a little easier.
The technology was created by French aircraft interior designer Safran in collaboration with audio tech company Devialet. Early testers of the tech have said it is more comfortable than wearing headphones and more akin to sitting on a sofa watching a film than the typical aircraft experience.
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The first class suites have a sizeable double bed (Japan Airlines)The airline's new first-class cabin will feature six suites in two rows of three, each with a private sliding door. Each of them has their own small closet so you can store your clothes without them getting wrinkled. Rather than kicking back in a normal plane seat, customers can try out the full sofa, a seat/single bed combo and the full double bed.
Arguably the star of the show is the 203cm bed that sits in the suites, allowing two customers to lie back and get some serious shut-eye during the 13 hour flight. Unsurprisingly the experience is likely to set you back a fair bit, with return ticket prices for the beginning of 2024 coming in at around £8,000.
"Upon closing your door, the large and fully private space will feel like you have entered a luxury hotel room," the airline has said in a statement.
If that sounds a little too much, then business-class is a (slightly) more budget option, although still likely to set you back around £4,000. Japan Airline's new planes will have 54 business class seats, spread over 14 rows in a 1-2-1 configuration.
Among the biggest changes coming are business-class suite doors, offering increased privacy and the placement of the overhead storage bins. These have been positioned on the window sides only “to create a more open atmosphere,” according to the airline.
The new planes will be in service before the end of the year (Japan Airlines)Seats are 56cm wide and can lie back to form a bed that is just shy of 2m in length, so most average height people will be able to lie down comfortably. The airline says special cushioning structures evenly distribute body pressure.
In its premium economy section, Japan Airlines is introducing large partitions between the 24 seats so passengers feel like they have a little more privacy.
It’s also “the first premium economy class in the world to introduce electrically operated reclining functionality,” the aviation firm has said. The seat width in this section is about 48cm, There’s also an electric leg rest that can be adjusted to sit horizontally for extra comfort.
Those who opt for the cheapest option are unlikely to have too bad a time. The airline was awarded the Best Economy Class Airline Seat five years in a row at the annual Skytrax World Airline Awards. Japan Airlines says it has "enhanced the spacious legroom and improved the seating for enhanced comfort" in its economy section.
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