JAL Hint At New Business Class Product In Wave Of Improvements for 2016

JAL today announced a wave of improvements to their fleet and flight frequencies that will reach both domestic and international skies in 2016. The wave of improvements include the addition of premium economy to a host of destinations, expanding their current JAL Sky Suite aircraft and the introduction of a regional business class product to their new Embraer fleet.

Regional Improvements

Operated by J Air, the new fleet of ember aircraft will feature JAL’s J Class, a regional business class seat with their business class service offering to match. Initially introduced on the Osaka to Kagoshima route on May 10th.

The aircraft will feature 15 “J Class” business class seats in five rows of a 2 x 1 configuration and 80 economy seats in the economy class, meaning the Embraer 190 features a spacious 95 seats, even less than Alitalia or BA’s spacious Embraer cabins. Each of the seats offer universal power ports and leg-rests. In economy passengers will enjoy ergonomic leather seats in a 2 x 2 configuration.

International Improvements

While both Boston and Kuala Lumpur will both receive the new 787-9 product including the airline’s latest premium economy class and fully flat business class seats (an upgrade from the current product) the increasing demand for the PE product has meant JAL will roll out their Premium Economy product on the popular Honolulu route from Narita, Osaka, Nagoya and Haneda.

New Business Class

However, the most interesting news is that the airlines 777-200ERs will all be revamped with a brand new JAL SKY SUITE interior. The economy class will be equipped with the well-received Sky Wider seats and Premium economy seats (above) but the aircraft will also receive a brand new, fully flat product in business class, with the details not yet revealed by the carrier.

Whilst the current fully flat beds found on the airlines 777-300ER (above) and 787-9 aircraft offer semi-staggered seats, all with aisle-access, we can expect to see a similar product retro-fitted onto the 777-200ER. “It will be a new fully-flat seat, but we have no details to share yet about this new seat or configuration” Stated JAL exclusively to TheDesignAir.

We do know the new aircraft, will be progressively rolled out on a mix of Southeast Asia routes, mainly on the Haneda to Bangkok and Singapore routes from summer 2016 and Honolulu from the winter of 2016.