Japan Airlines (JAL) will start introducing on US routes a luxurious new suite to JAL First Class and a leading-edge seat to JAL Executive Class Seasons, the airline’s branded business class. The airline will launch the JAL Suite in first class and the JAL Shell Flat Neo Seat in business class when the airline introduces new 777-300ER aircraft on US routes, starting with the Tokyo - New York route on August 1, 2008.
Brand new 777-300ER aircraft fitted with both the new suite and new seat will start operating every other day on the Tokyo–New York route (JL005/ 006) on August 1, 2008, going daily on August 11. This will be followed by the Tokyo–San Francisco route on September 13, 2008, and the Tokyo - Chicago and Los Angeles routes in FY2009, the year starting April 1, 2009.
The popular JAL Premium Economy service with the innovatively designed JAL Sky Shell Seat, plus the airline’s very latest economy class seats will also be introduced on these aircraft at the same time. Passengers travelling on these US routes will, therefore, be able to experience, in all classes of travel, the very best seating and service available in the skies today.
JAL SUITE
The JAL Suite in JAL First Class offers one of the largest and most luxurious personal spaces in the sky complemented by an unparalleled in-flight service experience for the ultimate in privacy, relaxation, dining, and entertainment. The JAL Suites are 20% more spacious than the airline’s current seat in first class, the JAL New Skysleeper Solo Seat. The exclusive compartment of the JAL Suite is made of a range of the latest composite materials which provide a wonderfully sophisticated finish. Only 8 suites are available in the JAL First Class cabin set in a 1-2-1 configuration.
The JAL Suite features a seat upholstered in pale gray leather with 5-inch wide, thickly padded armrests making it reminiscent of a traditional armchair. At the touch of a button, the armrests smoothly retract as the seat converts into a full-flat bed. In the 180° position the seat combines with an ottoman located at the opposite end of the compartment to create one of the largest and widest, most comfortable sleeping areas in first class.
When the seat is in the upright position, the ottoman can be used as a seat, should the passenger, for example, choose to discuss business, dine or just pass the time with a fellow traveler. The large sliding table can be placed conveniently in between the seat and ottoman providing ample space for both passengers at such times.
Passengers, seated in the pair of suites located in the centre of each row, can raise or lower privacy partitions located between them to create the exact atmosphere they wish.
Passengers are provided with Bose noise-cancelling headphones and on their own personal 19-inch personal TV screen can enjoy the latest movies, music and games using JAL's state-of-the-art audio-visual-on-demand (AVOD) in-flight entertainment system.
The compartment also features stowage spaces for bags and small items, a large side shelf, literature pockets and a laptop power point,
When dining onboard, passengers in the JAL Suite can now order whatever they like, whenever the like, as often as they like. In the JAL Suite, no meal times will be fixed to give passengers the full freedom to choose when they what to eat. With the assistance of a cabin attendant at the beginning of their journey, passengers are able to tailor their dining schedule specifically to their own needs. Furthermore, all items on the full-course menus and a la carte menu can be mixed and matched according to each passenger’s individual taste.
Japan Airlines offers first class passengers a choice of Japanese or Western full-course menus. Passengers choosing the Western menu can select from three entrees, one of which is a JAL Healthy Menu Selection. In the JAL Suite, it will be possible for the more health-conscious passenger to order the main dishes of the western full-course without the sauces that normally accompany them.
Alternatively passengers can savor the seasonally changing flavors of a traditional Kyoto-style menu known as kaiseki-ryori. For JAL Suite passengers, six tasty new appetizers called kobachi will be served just before the main elements of this meal. The appetizers will be served on small bone china dishes arranged in a traditional two-tiered bento (lunch) box. The first kobachi to be served onboard is inspired by the beautiful colored autumnal leaves of Rakusei, in the western part of Kyoto, and includes such delicious seasonal tastes as Japanese conger eel and ayu (sweetfish) with its roe.
The a la carte menu, which contains about a dozen dishes, has been enhanced by adding a simple, low calorie, healthy vegetarian option, known as shojin ryori in Japanese, which is commonly served in Zen Buddhist temples.
New tableware enhances the whole JAL Suite dining experience. A number of items have been created by master craftspeople of Japan such as beautiful chopsticks made from the Aomori hiba, a Japanese cypress tree, and unique porcelain mugs from Hasami, Nagasaki which have exclusively been designed and made for JAL. The concept of universal has been incorporated in these items making them easier to grip and use.
Mattresses have been made exclusively for the JAL Suite by the company Tempur-Pedic International Inc., whose products have been recognized by NASA and certified by the Space Foundation. The mattresses are made of a material called TEMPUR® described by the company as ‘a visco-elastic temperature sensitive material that moulds to your body. It yields slowly under compression, making no counter pressure, until the load is distributed on the entire area. When the load is removed, TEMPUR recovers slowly.’ The mattresses provide unrivalled support and the ultimate sleeping experience. Cabin attendants place a mattress on each seat-bed on the passenger’s request together with a down comforter and a choice of pillow. Passengers can choose between a Symphony Pillow made of super soft TEMPUR, or a down pillow.
New loungewear is also offered in the JAL Suite. A cardigan embossed with a gold-colored JAL First Class logo and matching pants made of 100% pure cotton have been exclusively designed for JAL by the designer Aoshi Kudo.
JAL SHELL FLAT NEO
The JAL Shell Flat Neo Seat has been created based on the design of JAL Shell Flat Seat - JAL's award-winning seat in business class. The new seat for JAL Executive Class Seasons has been improved in a number of ways to maximize business class passengers’ comfort and relaxation.
Compared to the JAL Shell Flat Seat, the JAL Shell Flat Neo Seat reclines further to an angle of 171 degrees and its seat pitch and width have both been increased.
The upholstery of the seat, which now includes a slip-proof cover, has been enhanced to ensure that passengers can relax to the full and enjoy the most refreshing of sleeps. The controls of the seat have been refined to enable passengers to find the perfect position in which to relax.
A 15.4 inch personal TV screen has been incorporated into the JAL Shell Flat Neo Seat providing passengers with one of the world’s largest screens available in international business class.
