Japan Airlines

  Japan Airlines

Japan Airlines Co. Ltd. (JAL), more popularly known as Japan Airlines, is an international airline which is the flag carrier of Japan. Its headquarters are located in Shinagawa, Tokyo. The airline has its main hubs in Tokyo's Narita International Airport and Tokyo International Airport, and Osaka's Kansai International Airport as well as Osaka International Airport. The JAL group of companies comprise not just Japan Airlines, but also J-Air which is a regional commuter airline, Japan Air Commuter which is a feeder service for Japan Airlines, Japan Transocean Air which is the domestic counterpart for Japan Airlines, and Ryukyu Air Commuter which is a domestic airline offering passenger services from Okinawa. JAL was established on 1st August 1951 after the Government of Japan recognized the need for a reliable air transportation service in the aftermath of the Second World War. The initial capital was ¥100 million. The company went on to become Japan's national airlines in 1953. In February 1954, Japan Airlines began its international flights. By 1965, half of JAL's revenue was from transpacific routes to the USA, and the company was meanwhile lobbying the USA for fifth freedom rights to fly transatlantic routes from the East Coast.

In 1987, JAL was fully privatized after which it started competing with All Nippon Airways and Japan Air System. This increase in competition resulted in changes in the corporate structure of Japan Airlines. It reorganized itself into three divisions, namely international passenger service, domestic passenger service, and cargo. The Japan Air Charter was established in 1990, which was a low-cost subsidiary of Japan Airlines for operating flights from Japan to resort destinations in the Asia-Pacific region. However, this subsidiary ceased operations in 2010. An agreement with the Walt Disney Company made Japan Airlines the official airlines of Tokyo Disneyland in 1996.

In 1992, however, the airline started incurring losses due to recessions in the USA and UK, as well as due to domestic economic trouble. However, the airline was able to cut costs by effectively utilizing their low-cost domestic subsidiary JAL Express and JALways, which was the successor to Japan Air Charter. The airline resumed profitability in 1999. In 2002, the company merged with Japan Air System and went on to become the sixth-largest airline in the world by the number of passengers carried. In 2004, Japan Air System changed its name to Japan Airlines Domestic, and its flight codes were changed to those of JAL's. While Japan Airlines Domestic handled JAL's domestic flights and Japan Airlines International operated both international and trunk domestic route flights, both airlines merged under a single brand -- Japan Airlines International -- on 1st October 2006. In 2008, Japan Airlines merged the operations of its subsidiary Japan Asia Airways which had up till then been operating separately for flights between Japan and Taiwan. In 2007, Japan Airlines joined the airline alliance Oneworld for which it had applied in 2005. The company claimed that this membership would serve the best interest of the airline and its customers.

After suffering grave financial losses in 2009, Japan Airlines sought protection under the Corporate Rehabilitation Law. The company received a ¥300 billion cash injection and had debts worth ¥730 billion waived, but in return had to cut its capital to zero, cut unprofitable routes, and reduce its workforce by a sizable one-third. In February 2010, JAL's shares were delisted from the Tokyo Stock Exchange which was until then considered the 'bluest of blue chips'. The leader of the task force for aiding a corporate turnaround for JAL, formed by Japan's Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, believed that a new CEO would help fix JAL's problems. The President of Japan Air Commuter, Masaru Onishi, was then promoted to President of JAL. In March 2011, JAL emerged from bankruptcy, and in 2012 it announced its intent to relist its shares in the Tokyo Stock Exchange in an IPO of up to ¥1 trillion. Post bankruptcy, JAL has established several new partnerships with the Oneworld alliance and other joint ventures, including the formation of Jetstar Japan with Qantas Airways.

Fleet size of Japan Airlines

As of July 2020, Japan Airlines operates a fleet of 176 aircraft. The fleet currently consists of Airbus A350-900, Boeing 737-800, Boeing 767-300, Boeing 767-300ER, Boeing 777-200, Boeing 777-200ER, Boeing 777-300, Boeing 777-300ER, Boeing 787-8, and Boeing 787-9. It intends to add to its fleet more wide-body aircraft. The fleet of Japan Airlines has a mixture of both narrow-body and wide-body aircraft. The airline provides economy class service on all routes. Business-class service with larger seats are offered on most major domestic routes and also on most international routes. Premium economy is offered only on some international routes. The JAL Cargo, once a dedicated freighter aircraft, operated both propeller and jet aircraft, most recently the Boeing 747-400s and the Boeing 767-300Fs. Currently, cargo services operate from the lower deck holds of JAL's passenger aircraft.

Baggage Allowance

The free baggage allowed for those in the Economy and Premium Economy Class is a maximum of two pieces of 23 kgs (50 lbs) each. For those in Business and First Class, this allowance is increased to three pieces of 32 kgs (70 lbs) each. For passengers who have a JAL Global Club Membership, this allowance is further increased to three pieces of 32 kgs (70 lbs) each for Economy and Premium Economy Class, and four pieces of 32 kgs (70 lbs) each for Business and First Class. The maximum external dimensions of the checked baggage should not exceed 203 cms, including the wheels and handles. Additional charges will be applied if the number of pieces, weight, or dimensions exceeds that which is allowed. The additional charges would depend upon the route being travelled. The airline also offers the option of paying these charges via JMB miles, their mileage program.

In-flight services

Japan Airlines offers excellent in-flight services to its passengers. Its in-flight entertainment system called MAGIC provides Audio/Video on Demand (AVOD) and is installed on all seats on Boeing 767-300ER, 777-200ER, and 777-300ER aircraft. The airline has its in-flight magazine, Skyward, provided by JALUX. Western and Japanese cuisine meals are offered on intercontinental routes, depending upon the cabin class, destination, and flight duration. The airline has worked with several high profile chefs, including Fumiko Kono. The seats are also quite posh, depending on the aircraft that you travel from, as is the hospitality by the flight staff. Passengers can request for pillows, blankets, noise-cancelling earplugs, toiletries and more. They are all available as part of the in-flight services. Further, the authentic Japanese delicacies can also be found on Japan Airlines as in-flight meals. However, depending on the duration or distance of the journey, only a select few can get hold of it for free.

Popular routes and top cities for Japan Airlines

As the flag carrier of Japan and also one of the most important airlines in the world, the connectivity of Japan Airlines is just as immaculate as its goodwill. The airline nearly serves over 60 destinations in the domestic routes while 39 cities in the international routes. These include destinations spread across Asia, Europe, the Americas and Oceania. The international route connectivity of the airline comes naturally and without the help of any codeshare agreement. This alone makes it quite impressive. Over the years, the airline has introduced or at least serviced about ten international routes which also include the route between Tokyo and Xi'an or Osaka and Qingdao.

Although it would take an entire day to name all the top cities of Japan Airlines, here are some, Melbourne, Sydney, Vancouver, Beijing, Dalian, Guangzhou, Shanghai, Helsinki, Guam, Hong Kong, Frankfurt, Paris, Delhi, Jakarta, Kuala Lumpur, Manila, Moscow, Cape Town, Busan, Seoul, Taipei, Bangkok, London, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Honolulu, New York City, San Francisco, Seatle and Hanoi, to name a few. While the international route connectivity is fancy but so is the domestic route connectivity of Japan Airlines. Nagoya, Tokyo, Kushiro, Kochi, Osaka, Sapporo, Tokushima, Yamagatam Hiroshima, Fukuoka, Izumo and Nagasaki, are the top cities for Japan Airlines.

The airline shares codeshare agreements with airlines such as Aeroflot, British Airways, LATAM Brasil, SrilankanAirlines, LATAM Chile, Malaysia Airlines, Qantas, Garuda Indonesia, Cathay Dragon, Aeromexico, Air France, Cathay Pacific, Hawaiian Airlines, Iberia, Vistara, WestJet, Korean Air, Qatar Airways, Shanghai Airlines, Jetstar Japan, Fiji Airways, Finnair, Bangkok Airways, American Airlines, Alaska Airlines, China Airlines, Emirates and more.

Why travel by Japan Airlines?

Japan Airlines is one of the most recognised airlines that is present in today's time. It is not just the prominence of the airline but the adage of excellent facilities and services that have earned the airline quite the reputation. With time, the airline has also progressed to make sure that it is ahead of its contemporaries. The airline introduced web check-in facilities that can be availed on their official mobile app too. Booking a Japan Airlines flight is also possible online or from their app. Further, all updates regarding the flight status and flight schedules can all be found on the app. Besides, you can sit in one of their airport lounges and experience the lux while you wait to board the flight.