How to find and book JAL's new A350 first and business class

Which Routes Fly JAL's New A350-1000

JAL currently operates the A350-1000 with the new cabins on five routes from Tokyo Haneda (HND):

Tokyo Haneda (HND) to New York JFK (JFK) - Twice daily, 14 hours, flights JL3/JL4 and JL5/JL6
Tokyo Haneda (HND) to Los Angeles (LAX) - Daily, 10 hours, flights JL15/JL16
Tokyo Haneda (HND) to Dallas Fort Worth (DFW) - Daily, 12 hours, flights JL11/JL12
Tokyo Haneda (HND) to London Heathrow (LHR) - Daily, 12 hours, flights JL43/JL44
Tokyo Haneda (HND) to Paris Charles de Gaulle (CDG) - Daily (upgraded to daily from November 9, 2025), 12 hours, flights JL45/JL46

JAL A350 First Class: Three seating modes: Sofa, Seat & Single Bed, or Double Bed

Upcoming expansion: JAL has 10 A350-1000s in service as of late 2025, with an 11th aircraft expected by March 2026 and the full order of 13 aircraft arriving by 2028.

Chicago (ORD) and San Francisco (SFO) are likely candidates for future A350 service as JAL gradually replaces its 777-300ERs on these routes. The airline currently flies 777s to both cities.

JAL A350 Business Class Enclosed Private Suite with Door

The new cabins feature individual suites with closing doors in business class, personal closets, and built-in speakers in the headrests so you don't need headphones to watch movies. I tried the speakers during my JAL A350 First Class flight and while super nice, was not loud enough for me.

First class offers even more space with a separate bed and chair setup. Always verify your specific flight is A350-operated by checking the seat map, as JAL also flies 777s on some of these routes.

Best Programs to Book JAL A350 Awards

JAL is part of the Oneworld alliance, giving you multiple booking options. The challenge is award availability disappears fast: typically there is only 1 first class and 2 business class seats released per flight at the start of the award calendar.

American Airlines AAdvantage offers the best rates at 60,000 miles for business class and 80,000 miles for first class one-way between North America and Japan. Taxes are minimal at just $5.60 from the US.

Note: American's booking window opens 331 days out, almost a month after JAL releases seats at 360 days. By the time you can search with American miles, availability may be gone.

Cathay Pacific Asia Miles is your best bet for actually finding space. The program books at 360 days out, matching JAL's release schedule.

You'll pay 89,000 miles for business class and more for first, plus around $360 in fuel surcharges, but you can actually book the seats when they're released. Cathay Asia Miles accepts transfers from American Express, Citi, Capital One, and Bilt (all at 1:1).

Alaska Airlines Atmos Rewards charges 110,000 miles for first class and 75,000 points for business class. Alaska Airlines and allows stopovers, but award space through Alaska is hit or miss.

British Airways Avios also works. You can book JAL First Class for ~123,750 Avios and business class for ~92,750 Avios

JAL A350 Business Class with just 75k Alaska Miles

Key timing: JAL releases seats at 9 AM Japan time, which is 5 PM PST/8 PM EST the previous day during daylight savings (6 PM/9 PM during standard time). Set your alarm for 360 days before your desired travel date.

Finding Award Space With Roame

The biggest challenge with JAL A350 awards is finding them before they vanish. With only 1-2 seats released per flight at 360 days out, you need to act within hours of release.

This is where Roame becomes essential. Rather than manually checking multiple airline websites at the exact release time, Roame continuously monitors award availability across 17+ loyalty programs in real-time. Set up alerts for your desired JAL A350 routes, and Roame notifies you the instant seats become available, whether that's at the 360-day mark or from last-minute cancellations.

Roame searches American Airlines, Alaska Airlines, Qantas, and other partners showing JAL space. The tool filters specifically for A350-1000 aircraft, so you won't waste time on flights with older cabins. For travelers targeting the new product, this filtering is crucial since JAL flies multiple aircraft types on these routes.

Important booking tip: JAL has implemented married segment restrictions on direct JFK and DFW flights. If you search New York to Tokyo directly and see nothing, try searching to other Japanese cities like Osaka (ITM) or Sapporo (CTS) with a connection through Tokyo. This often reveals hidden availability that direct searches miss.

Fly first class for the price of economy

Join over 1.5 million travelers who have cracked the code on credit card points.

Booking Strategies

Book at 360 days with Cathay Asia Miles if you're serious about flying the new A350. American AAdvantage's cheaper rates don't matter if you can't book. Transfer Amex or Citi points to Cathay the day before seats release (transfers take about 24 hours), then book the instant seats appear.

Watch for last-minute space 1-2 weeks before departure. JAL sometimes releases unsold premium seats close to departure. Set Roame alerts for your dates even if you see nothing initially. Last-minute availability often appears through American or Alaska programs.

Consider positioning flights. If you're not near JFK, LAX, or DFW, book a domestic connection on the same award ticket. American AAdvantage includes domestic US connections at no extra miles when booking JAL internationally. This effectively gives you free positioning to a gateway city.

First Class upgrade option: If you have JAL Mileage Bank miles, you can upgrade from business to first for 45,000 additional miles if upgrade space is available. This is often easier than booking first class outright.

Final Thoughts

JAL's new A350 business and first class are some of the best products flying today, but booking them requires precise timing.

Use Roame to monitor availability continuously rather than manually checking multiple websites daily. Set alerts for all five A350 routes to maximize your chances, and be ready to transfer points quickly when space appears.