When passengers fly economy class, many may be expecting cramped seats, seat backs that descend directly into the face when the passenger in front abruptly leans back, and little choice between lower-quality food options. However, Japan Airlines has proved over the years that the economy class experience does not have to be this way, having been given the Skytrax World Airline Award for Best Economy Class Airline Seat in 2025.

Last year marked the third time that the airline has been given the award, and according to the airline, its economy option offers a stellar cabin experience from top to bottom, with wider legroom, superior cuisine, inflight entertainment, and amenities when compared to competitors. This article takes a deeper look at Japan Airlines’ economy class, investigating whether it lives up to its reputation.

How Comfortable Are The Seats?

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There are three different types of seats offered by Japan Airlines in economy class, and most have some standout features. The Sky Wider seat, in particular, features increased pitch and a slimmed seat back, providing significantly more legroom than other economy-class seats. The three seat types are detailed in the table below, along with which planes they can be found on.

All three seat types are used for international flights, but it is the Airbus A350-1000’s seats that won the Skytrax ‘Best Economy Class Airline Seats’ award last year. Japan Airlines has achieved an award for best seat for six years running, according to the airline. The seats come equipped with generously large 13-inch 4K personal screens for in-flight entertainment, and the Sky Wider seats come with 10.6-inch screens. The dimensions and configurations of the seat types are detailed in the table below.

The Sky Wider seats are ideal for customers who prefer seat width over anything else, with 47 and 48-centimeter-wide seats equipped on the Boeing 777 and 787, which are wider than the award-winning Airbus A350 seats, at 46 centimeters. For customers who prefer to climb over just one seat to reach the aisle, the 2-4-2 configuration of the 787 is ideal.

JAL Also Has An Award-Winning Premium Economy Cabin

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In 2024, Japan Airlines’ economy class was ranked the fourth best in the world, according to Skytrax. However, the airline was ranked as best in the world for its premium economy seats in that year. Together, the airline’s economy and premium economy seats have been ranked as the best a total of six times since 2013. Additionally, in 2024, the airline was certified as a ‘SKYTRAX 5-Star Airline’ for seven consecutive years, marking it as one of the ten best airlines in the world, according to a JAL press release. Edward Plaisted of Skytrax said:

“This highest 5-Star Airline Rating for Japan Airlines is an excellent recognition of the high quality of the product and staff service experience that they provide to customers. An important part of 5-Star Airline Ratings is the consistency of standards delivered to all customers which covers all of the different cabin types that Japan Airlines offers. With the exciting new onboard products being introduced by Japan Airlines in 2024, we look forward to their continued progress and raising standards even higher”

JAL’s premium economy seats are quite unique for the class, with some features usually seen in business or first classes, and an emphasis placed on functionality and privacy. Some features of JAL’s premium economy seats are detailed in the table below.

Regarding comfort items, Japan Airlines provides a few things in economy class, but this exceeds offerings from many other airlines, with eye masks, earplugs, a toothbrush set, and medical care provided if required. However, the addition of lounge access with premium economy is a huge perk, particularly for frequent flyers. Japan-based Sakura Lounges are located at Tokyo (Haneda), Tokyo (Narita), Osaka (Kansai), and Nagoya (Chubu) airports, while international guests can find them in Honolulu, San Francisco, Frankfurt, and Bangkok.

Is Japan Airlines The Best Economy Airline?

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As seen from the outstanding features above, JAL goes the extra mile for its economy cabin customers, providing one of the best packages out there, particularly in the premium economy class. However, whether Japan Airlines is the best airline for economy class tickets was discussed on a Reddit thread, which is seen below, and customers mentioned some other airlines that could be contenders for the title. Zipair Tokyo, a low-cost airline owned by Japan Airlines, got many mentions, particularly because of the free Wi-Fi offered onboard:

“Japan Airlines’ budget airline, Zipair, was great for me. It didn’t charge extra for a checked bag and had free Wifi on board. Free Wifi. On a transpacific flight from San Jose to tokyo.”

“Zipair’s Onboard free WIFI was the best perk for me. The internet was slow, but I had 14hrs to blow. The internet, for me, is vastly more entertaining than just movies on long hauls.”

Other airlines mentioned as being some of the best include Emirates, All Nippon Airways, Singapore Airlines, Qatar Airways, Asiana Airlines, and Korean Air. Japan Airlines did get a good deal of positive feedback, with one user saying that “I flew with them last year and I have to agree, it was by far the best flying experience I’ve had. Even the desk agents were friendly, which is a true rarity.” That said, many did mention that the cabin was too warm, and as it turns out, that is a common feature among Asian carriers:

“Interested to read that the warm air appears to be a deliberate thing. I had the worst flight of my life with them back in November due to this. It was stiflingly hot for 14 hours with everybody stinking from BO, too hot to sleep and trying not to have a panic attack from being trapped in a boiling hot tube. (…) If it hadn’t been for the heat, it would’ve been a lovely flight.”

The reason for this appears to be that passengers from more northern longitudes on the earth find cooler temperatures more comfortable than those from Asian countries, at least until they acclimatize, according to HowStuffWorks. A worker in Japan corroborated the observation:

“I would say that the comfortable temperature for a typical Japanese person is about 3 degrees warmer than the average white person. I work in Japan, and whenever we have foreign visitors in the office, they always seem to complain about rooms being too warm. Some companies will preemptively set temperatures lower beforehand in such cases, and everyone in the office complains about the temperature being too cold.”

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Japanese Hospitality Does Not Disappoint

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Japan is well-regarded the world over for its hospitality and amenable culture. From the customer-focused features and amenities offered in economy class and premium economy, Japan Airlines appears to value the customer and their comfort. A flight reviewer from Travel Pockets found that the airline offers great service, with quick and efficient operations and modern, comfortable features, saying that:

“On our flight with economy seats, we were allowed to bring along two complimentary checked bags, each weighing up to 50 pounds. Additionally, we were permitted to bring aboard one carryon suitcase as well as a personal bag. […] If you’ve never flown with JAL, you’ll be delighted to learn that their boarding process is efficient and fast. […] All of the staff were extremely friendly, kind, and attentive. When Candy’s TV wasn’t working, their quick response in fixing the issue and double-checking to ensure it worked properly was impressive.

The review did mention that the in-flight meals in economy class were a little disappointing, so the airline has one area in which it could improve. With that being said, when compared to many American and European airlines, some of the Asian airlines seem to have the edge in some areas, and both the economy and premium economy offerings from Japan Airlines still look to be excellent.