The Japan Airlines A350 flies to London from this month

Back in autumn 2023, Japan Airlines unveiled the interiors of its new intercontinental flagship aircraft. Thirteen A350-1000s will gradually replace JAL’s existing Boeing 777 fleet and will arrive with new seats in all four cabins, from First Class to Economy.

They look impressive. You can see my full article here which delves into more detail. The aircraft will have six First Class suites, 54 Business Class suites, 24 Premium Economy seats and 155 seats in Economy.

First Class moves to a 1-1-1 layout, with extra wide seats:

Whilst in Business, JAL is adopting Safran’s unity seat in a staggered formation:

More fascinating, however, is the “introduction of the world’s first headphone-free stereo with built-in headrest speakers, allowing customers to enjoy the inflight entertainment system without using headphones.”

I believe JAL is the first airline to offer this technology, and I can’t wait to see how well it works on board.

New York was given as the first destination to receive the aircraft, followed by Dallas.

As previously reported, London is to be the third destination to get these new planes and JAL has now updated its schedules to reflect the new service, starting on 24th October.

Japan Airlines currently flies between London and Tokyo twice a day; the new plane will now operate one of these flights every other day. In effect, that means 25% of JAL’s London flights will be on the A350-1000. In terms of times:

• JL44 departs London Heathrow at 19:20 and arrives in Tokyo Haneda at 17:20 the following day (night flight)
• JL43 departs Tokyo Haneda at 09:50 and arrives at London Heathrow at 15:15 the same day (day flight)

At the moment, it looks like even-numbered days will see the A350-1000, although as always there could be last-minute swaps.

Japan Airlines is part of the oneworld alliance which means you’ll be able to redeem Avios for these cabins as well as earn Avios and British Airways Executive Club tier points when you pay cash.

PS. If you are not a regular Head for Points visitor, why not sign up for our FREE weekly or daily newsletters? They are full of the latest Avios, airline, hotel and credit card points news and will help you travel better. To join our 65,000 free subscribers, click the button below or visit this page of the site to find out more. Thank you.

How to earn Avios from UK credit cards (April 2025)

As a reminder, there are various ways of earning Avios points from UK credit cards.  Many cards also have generous sign-up bonuses!

In February 2022, Barclaycard launched two exciting new Barclaycard Avios Mastercard cards with a bonus of up to 25,000 Avios. You can apply here.

You qualify for the bonus on these cards even if you have a British Airways American Express card:

Barclaycard Avios Plus Mastercard

Get 25,000 Avios for signing up and an upgrade voucher at £10,000 Read our full review

Barclaycard Avios Mastercard

Get 5,000 Avios for signing up and an upgrade voucher at £20,000 Read our full review

There are two official British Airways American Express cards with attractive sign-up bonuses:

British Airways American Express Premium Plus

30,000 Avios and the famous annual 2-4-1 voucher Read our full review

British Airways American Express

5,000 Avios for signing up and an Economy 2-4-1 voucher for spending £15,000 Read our full review

You can also get generous sign-up bonuses by applying for American Express cards which earn Membership Rewards points. These points convert at 1:1 into Avios.

SPECIAL OFFER: Until 27th May 2025, the sign-up bonus on the ‘free for a year’ American Express Preferred Rewards Gold card is increased from 20,000 Membership Rewards points to 30,000 points. Points convert 1:1 into Avios (30,000 Avios!) and many other programmes. Some people may see even higher personalised offers. Click here to apply.

SPECIAL OFFER: Until 27th May 2025, the sign-up bonus on American Express Platinum is increased from 50,000 Membership Rewards points to a huge 80,000 points. Points convert 1:1 into Avios (80,000 Avios!) and many other programmes. Some people may see even higher personalised offers. Click here to apply.

American Express Preferred Rewards Gold

Your best beginner’s card – 30,000 points, FREE for a year & four airport lounge passes Read our full review

The Platinum Card from American Express

80,000 bonus points and great travel benefits – for a large fee Read our full review

Run your own business?

We recommend Capital on Tap for limited companies. You earn 1 Avios per £1 which is impressive for a Visa card, and the standard card is FREE. Capital on Tap cards also have no FX fees.

Capital on Tap Visa

NO annual fee, NO FX fees and points worth 1 Avios per £1 Read our full review

Capital on Tap Pro Visa

10,500 points (=10,500 Avios) plus good benefits Read our full review

There is also a British Airways American Express card for small businesses:

British Airways American Express Accelerating Business

30,000 Avios sign-up bonus – plus annual bonuses of up to 30,000 Avios Read our full review

There are also generous bonuses on the two American Express Business cards, with the points converting at 1:1 into Avios. These cards are open to sole traders as well as limited companies.

American Express Business Platinum

50,000 points when you sign-up and an annual £200 Amex Travel credit Read our full review

American Express Business Gold

20,000 points sign-up bonus and FREE for a year Read our full review

Click here to read our detailed summary of all UK credit cards which earn Avios. This includes both personal and small business cards.