STARLUX A350-1000 Seat Selection Guide (2026)
STARLUX's A350-1000 entered service in February 2026 and is the newest aircraft in the fleet — 350 seats, with 40 Collins Elements Business suites instead of the A350-900's 26. Same seat product, different cabin shape, and a different set of rows to avoid.
Updated August 2026: Three aircraft in service and growing, flying Tokyo and Osaka with more long-haul planned. If your seat map shows Business seats in rows 9, 10 or 11, you're on this aircraft.
✈️ Quick verdict
Best seats: 1K (First), 6K, 3A/3K, 5A/5K (Business), 20A and 21A (Premium Economy), 51B/51C, 61A/61K, 65A/65K (Economy). Avoid row 11 in Business, 20H/20K in Premium, and rows 40, 41 and 50 in Economy.
Quick Verdict
| Aircraft | Airbus A350-1000 (A350-1041) |
| Fleet size | 3 in service, growing through 2026 |
| Configuration | 4F / 40J / 36W / 270Y — 350 seats |
| Layouts | First 1-2-1 · Business 1-2-1 · Premium Economy 2-4-2 · Economy 3-3-3 |
| Version lottery | Yes — against the A350-900. Same airline, same seat product, very different cabin |
| Best seats | 1K (First) · 6K, 3A/3K, 5A/5K (Business) · 20A, 21A (Premium) · 51B/51C, 61A/61K, 65A/65K (Economy) |
| Seats to avoid | Row 11 (Business) · 20H/20K (Premium) · Rows 40, 41, 50 (Economy) |
| IFE | Zodiac Rave — 32" First / 24" Business / 15.6" Premium / 13.3" Economy, 4K or HD touchscreen with Bluetooth |
| Power | 110V AC + USB-A + USB-C at every seat. Wireless charging in First and Business |
| WiFi | Viasat "Galactic Wi-Fi" — free in premium cabins |
The A350 Lottery: -1000 vs -900
STARLUX's A350-1000 entered service in February 2026 and is the newest aircraft in the fleet. It uses the same seat products as the A350-900 — same Collins Elements Business suite, same Recaro Economy seat — but the cabin shape is different enough that the good and bad rows move.
| A350-1000 | A350-900 | |
|---|---|---|
| Fleet | 3 (growing) | 9 |
| Total seats | 350 | 306 |
| First | 4 (row 1) | 4 (row 1) |
| Business | 40 — rows 2 to 11 | 26 — rows 2 to 8 |
| Premium Economy | 36 — rows 20 to 24 | 36 — rows 20 to 24 |
| Economy | 270 — rows 30 to 69 | 240 — rows 30 to 69 |
| Last Business row | Row 11, full 4 seats | Row 8, centre pair only |
| Worst Business row | Row 11 | Row 7 and 8D/8G |
| Economy centre-only rows | 30, 50, 54 | 30, 50 |
| Routes as of Aug 2026 | Tokyo, Osaka, expanding | All five US West Coast routes |
Quick identification:
- 350 seats = A350-1000. 306 seats = A350-900.
- If your seat map shows Business seats in rows 9, 10 or 11, you're on the A350-1000.
- If the last Business row is a two-seat centre-only row, that's row 8 on the A350-900.
- Booking a US route from Taipei? As of August 2026 that's still the A350-900. The A350-1000 launched on Tokyo (from 10 February 2026) and Osaka, with long-haul expansion — including a planned New York service — flagged for later in 2026 as more aircraft arrive.
Which do you want? For Business, the A350-1000 is the better draw. It has 14 more suites, so award and upgrade space is easier to find, and only one bad row (11) versus two (7 and 8) on the -900. For Economy the -900 is marginally better — the -1000 packs 30 more seats into the same three-class structure and has a nastier set of lavatory-adjacent rows.
First Suites — 4 seats, row 1
Four throne-style suites in a 1-2-1 layout occupying row 1. As on the A350-900, this is not a physically separate cabin — the suites sit at the front of the same space as Business, screened by taller partitions.
Specifications
| Spec | Detail |
|---|---|
| Pitch | 83" |
| Width | 23" |
| Recline | 180° — fully flat bed |
| Screen | 32" 4K UHD touchscreen |
| Partition | 60" high, with privacy door |
| Extras | Personal wardrobe, preset seat positions |
| Power | 110V AC, USB-A, USB-C, wireless charging |
| Gasper vent | No individual air nozzle |
Best seats
- 1K — best window alignment in the cabin. The one to book.
- 1A — the other window suite; equally private, slightly less well-placed window.
- 1D / 1G — centre pair, best for couples travelling together.
All four have direct aisle access with nobody to step over.
Business Class — 40 seats, rows 2–11
The headline difference from the A350-900. Forty Collins Aerospace Elements suites in reverse herringbone, BMW Designworks styling, across ten full rows. Every row from 2 to 11 has four seats — there's no truncated row here.
Specifications
| Spec | Detail | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Layout | 1-2-1 reverse herringbone (A \ | D–G \ | K) |
| Pitch | 44" | ||
| Width | 21" seated, expanding to 23.6" in bed mode | ||
| Bed | 6'7" fully flat | ||
| Screen | 24" 4K UHD touchscreen | ||
| Partition | 48.5" high, with sliding privacy door | ||
| Extras | Zero-G preset position, wireless charging, deep storage locker | ||
| Armrest | Two-way adjustable, aisle side only | ||
| Gasper vent | No individual air nozzle |
Best seats
- 6K — the pick of the cabin. Excellent window alignment, dead centre of the Business cabin, maximum distance from both the forward galley and the rear lavatories.
- 5A, 5K, 8A, 8K — two windows each rather than one, and both well aligned. The best-lit suites on the aircraft.
- 3A, 3K, 4A, 4K — clean mid-forward window suites with no drawbacks at all.
- 2D/2G through 9D/9G — any centre pair from row 2 to row 9 works for couples. Lower the divider and you can dine together.
Rows 2 through 9 are, frankly, all good. The cabin is long enough that you have real choice.
Seats to avoid
| Seat | Issue |
|---|---|
| 11A, 11D, 11G, 11K | The whole last row sits immediately against the rear lavatories. Noise, odours and queuing traffic for the entire flight. |
| 10A, 10K | One row further forward — you get the queue beside you rather than the door. Both have genuinely excellent windows, so it's a real trade-off rather than a flat no. |
Note that 10D and 10G escape this — the centre pair in row 10 is far enough from the lavatory doors to rate as a solid choice.
Premium Economy — 36 seats, rows 20–24
Identical hardware to the A350-900, but the good and bad window seats sit on opposite sides here — worth checking rather than assuming.
Specifications
| Spec | Detail | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Seat | Recaro PL3530 | ||
| Layout | 2-4-2 (A–C \ | D–E–F–G \ | H–K) |
| Pitch | 40" | ||
| Width | 18.7" | ||
| Recline | 8" | ||
| Screen | 15.6" HD touchscreen with Bluetooth | ||
| Extras | Retractable legrest, footrest bar, 6-way adjustable headrest | ||
| Power | 110V AC + USB-A + USB-C at every seat |
Row 24 is a 2-2 row — only 24A, 24C, 24H and 24K, with no centre block. The quietest seats in the cabin and the natural choice for a couple.
Best seats
- 20A — unusual one. It's a bulkhead seat (so no underseat storage and a tray in the armrest) but it has the best window alignment in the entire Premium cabin plus bulkhead legroom. If the view matters more than the storage, take it.
- 21A — two well-aligned windows, no bulkhead compromise. The safest pick.
- 23K — two windows, well aligned, at the rear of the cabin.
- 24A/24C and 24H/24K — a private pair with no centre block behind.
Seats to avoid
| Seat | Issue |
|---|---|
| 20K | Immediately adjacent to the lavatory ahead, and a poorly aligned window. The worst seat in the cabin. |
| 20H | Same lavatory. |
| 20G | Lavatory queue forms right beside you. |
| 20E, 20F | Bassinet positions — expect infants. |
| 23A | Poor window alignment. |
| 23D–23G | Just ahead of the Economy bassinet row; some noise carries. |
Note the asymmetry: on the A350-1000, 20A is one of the best seats in the cabin and 20K is one of the worst. On the A350-900 they're both mediocre. Don't carry assumptions between the two aircraft.
Economy — 270 seats, rows 30–69
Thirty more Economy seats than the A350-900, in the same three-section structure.
Specifications
| Spec | Detail | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Seat | Recaro CL3710 | ||
| Layout | 3-3-3 (A–B–C \ | D–E–G \ | H–J–K) |
| Pitch | 31" | ||
| Width | 18" | ||
| Recline | 5" | ||
| Screen | 13.3" HD touchscreen with Bluetooth | ||
| Extras | 6-way adjustable headrest, cupholder, device stand, bi-fold table | ||
| Power | 110V AC (shared) + USB-A + USB-C |
Seat-letter quirk: the centre block is D–E–G, not D–E–F. There is no F seat anywhere in Economy.
Cabin structure. Three sections split by lavatory and galley blocks:
- Rows 30–41 (forward)
- Rows 50–54 (middle)
- Rows 55–69 (rear)
Rows 30, 50 and 54 have centre seats only — D, E and G. The window and outboard-aisle positions at those three stations are taken up by exit doors. The A350-1000's extra door pair is why it has three of these rows where the A350-900 has two.
Best seats
- 51B, 51C, 51H, 51J — exit-row legroom without the door structure eating into your seat.
- 61A, 61K, 65A, 65K, 69A, 69K — the best window alignment in the whole Economy cabin. 69A and 69K carry the last-row penalty (limited recline, rear galley traffic), so take 61 or 65 if you have the choice.
- 31D, 31E, 31G — extra legroom in the forward centre block without the bulkhead storage penalty that 31A/B/C and 31H/J/K carry.
Seats to avoid
| Seat | Issue |
|---|---|
| Row 41 (all) | Entire row immediately against the lavatory bank behind. |
| Row 40 (all except 40G) | Same lavatories. 40G is one seat clear and only gets the queue. |
| 50D, 50E, 50G | Bulkhead with extra legroom, but immediately behind the lavatory block, no underseat storage, tray in armrest, and 50D is a bassinet position. Worst of both worlds. |
| Row 69 (D, E, G, B, C, H, J) | Last row — limited recline plus rear galley and lavatory traffic. |
| 51A, 51K | Exit row legroom, but door L3/R3 intrudes into roughly 60% of your seat width about 18" ahead of you. Take 51B/51C or 51H/51J instead. |
| 31K | Extra legroom, but a plugged window nearby cuts the view. |
| 39A, 39B, 39C, 39J | Lavatory queue forms alongside. |
| 33A, 37A, 55A, 55K, 59A, 59K | Window set behind the seat — you'll be leaning back to see out. |
| 34K, 38K, 68A, 68K | Poor window alignment. |
| 30D, 30E, 30G | Bulkhead: extra legroom, but no underseat storage, tray in armrest, and 30D is a bassinet position. |
Rows 66–69 sit in the tapering tail and are set slightly inboard.
Cabin Features At A Glance
| First | Business | Premium Economy | Economy | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seats | 4 | 40 | 36 | 270 |
| Rows | 1 | 2–11 | 20–24 | 30–69 |
| Layout | 1-2-1 | 1-2-1 | 2-4-2 | 3-3-3 |
| Pitch | 83" | 44" | 40" | 31" |
| Width | 23" | 21" | 18.7" | 18" |
| Recline | 180° | 180° | 8" | 5" |
| Screen | 32" 4K | 24" 4K | 15.6" HD | 13.3" HD |
| Privacy door | Yes | Yes | No | No |
| Wireless charging | Yes | Yes | No | No |
| Bluetooth audio | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Direct aisle access | 100% | 100% | No | No |
| Gasper vent | No | No | No | No |
Quick-Pick Summary
| Traveller | First | Business | Premium Economy | Economy |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Solo | 1K | 6K | 21A or 20A | 51C or 51H |
| Couple | 1D/1G | any D/G pair rows 2–9 | 24A/24C or 24H/24K | 51B/51C |
| Legroom priority | any | any | Row 21 | 51B/51C/51H/51J |
| Best view | 1K | 5A/5K, 8A/8K, 10A/10K | 20A | 61A/61K, 65A/65K |
| Red-eye sleeper | 1A or 1K | Rows 3–8 window | 21A, 21K | Rows 56–58 window |
| Travelling with an infant | — | — | 20E or 20F | 30D |
Booking Notes
Award redemptions. STARLUX is in no alliance, so Alaska Mileage Plan remains the practical route. West Coast to Taipei in Business runs around 60,000 miles one-way. Award space is released in two narrow windows — roughly 330 days out and again within 14 days of departure. First Class is cash only.
The 40-suite Business cabin matters for award hunting. With 14 more Business seats than the A350-900, the A350-1000 is meaningfully more likely to have space. If your dates are flexible, checking which aircraft is scheduled is worth the two minutes.
Alliance status. STARLUX has pursued oneworld membership but had not joined as of August 2026, with Cathay Pacific's veto on the oneworld board widely reported as the obstacle. There is an American Airlines partnership dating from August 2025.
WiFi. "Galactic Wi-Fi" on Viasat's Global Xpress network, free in premium cabins, with the fleet transitioning to Viasat's newer GM-40 terminal under a 2025 agreement covering 48 aircraft.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I tell whether I'm booked on the A350-1000 or the A350-900? Count the seats or count the Business rows. 350 seats and Business running to row 11 means the A350-1000. 306 seats and Business stopping at a two-seat row 8 means the A350-900.
Does the A350-1000 fly to the United States? Not on the West Coast routes as of August 2026 — Los Angeles, Ontario, San Francisco, Seattle and Phoenix are all A350-900. The A350-1000 launched on Tokyo and Osaka, with a New York service flagged for later in 2026 as more aircraft are delivered.
Is the Business seat different from the A350-900? No. Both use the same Collins Aerospace Elements suite with the same 44" pitch, 6'7" bed and 24" screen. What changes is the cabin size — 40 suites versus 26 — and which rows sit next to the lavatories.
Why are rows 30, 50 and 54 missing their window seats? Those three stations are exit doors. The A350-1000 has an extra door pair over the A350-900, which is why it has three centre-only rows instead of two.
What's the catch with the exit row? Row 51 has real extra legroom, but the exit doors on both sides intrude into about 60% of the width of 51A and 51K, roughly 18" in front of you. The B, C, H and J seats in that row get the legroom without the obstruction.
Where is seat 45F? It doesn't exist. STARLUX letters the Economy centre block D–E–G and skips F entirely.
Comparable Guides
- STARLUX A350-900 — the 306-seat sister aircraft flying all the US routes
- STARLUX A330-900 — two-cabin widebody with no First and no Premium Economy
- EVA Air 777-300ER — Taiwan's other premium long-haul carrier
- Cathay Pacific A350-1000 — the same airframe with a very different Business cabin
- China Airlines A350-900 — the third Taipei widebody option
Cabin layouts, seat counts and per-seat assessments are based on SeatCompare's own research and analysis of the current STARLUX A350-1000 configuration.