Cheap JAL - Japan Airlines Flights (JL)
Overview
Japan Airlines is Asia's biggest airline, renowned throughout the world for the quality of its service.
Originally founded in 1951, the airline started domestic operations on October 25th 1951. In 1953 the company was reorganized as a semi-government corporation with the Japanese Government taking a 50 per cent share. In February 1954, JAL inaugurated international scheduled services to the U.S. West Coast and Hong Kong.
In 1987, JAL was completely privatized, and in April 2004, JAL and former rival carrier, Japan Air System (JAS) merged. The JAL Group operates a fleet of some 275 aircraft including 72 Boeing 747s and 38 state-of-the-art Boeing777s. It carried some 58 million passengers on its network in 2005.
JAL was the largest airline in the world not aligned to a multilateral alliance, until it joined oneworld on 1 April 2007. Four JAL Group subsidiary airlines also joined oneworld as affiliates: JALways, JAL Express (JEX), J-AIR and Japan Transocean Air (JTA).
From the group's main hubs of Tokyo (Narita and Haneda), Osaka (Kansai and Itami), Nagoya (Chubu and Komaki) and Okinawa (Naha), Japan Airlines and these affiliates operate their own flights to almost 100 destinations in 25 countries and territories.
With around 23,000 staff in the air transport sector, JAL and its oneworld affiliates carried more than 56 million passengers in the year to end March 2006. These airlines operate around 950 daily departures.
Travel Classes:
On international routes, JAL offers passengers in First Class, the JAL Skysleeper Solo and JAL New Skysleeper seats which both recline 180 degrees and have a pitch and width for truly comfortable travel. On specific long haul routes, passengers in JAL Executive Class - Seasons, JAL's business class, can relax in the award-winning, bed-style JAL Shell Flat Seat. JAL's Premium Economy cabin featuring the innovative JAL Sky Shell Seat - the world's first shell-shaped seat in premium economy class - is available from December 1 2007 on the airline's London - Tokyo route, and will be gradually rolled out on other Europe and US routes. On most international flights using 747-400 and 777 aircraft, passengers in economy have their own individual seat-back screen.
On Japan domestic flights, in addition to the economy class available on all routes, JAL also offers on selected routes a business class seat, called class J , and from December 1, 2007 a first class cabin.
Codeshare Partners:
Japan Airlines code shares with oneworld partners American Airlines, British Airways, Cathay Pacific, Finnair, Iberia, Malév and Qantas.
Beyond oneworld, Japan Airlines has bilateral code share agreements with some 15 other airlines including Air France, Air New Zealand, China Eastern, China Southern, Emirates, Korean Air, Singapore Airlines and Thai Airways.
oneworld Airline Affiliates:
♦ JALways is the JAL Group's international 100 percent-owned subsidiary. It was founded in 1990 and started commercial charter flights in 1991, but later developed into a scheduled carrier, operating on tourist routes in the Asia-Pacific region, with particular emphasis on Japan-Hawaii service. On October 1, 1999, Japan Air Charter was renamed JALways and started the operation of scheduled flights in its own name under the flight prefix JO. From April 2000 onwards, JAL routes from provincial cities in Japan to Honolulu and from all cities in Japan to Guam and Saipan were transferred to JALways. More recently the JAL Group has been expanding the use of JALways on other Asia-Pacific routes and by 2007 JALways will account for about 28 per cent of the JAL group's overseas flight operations.
♦ JAL Express was established in 1998 to enable the JAL Group to operate small capacity (150-seat) airplanes on domestic routes. The airline is a 100 percent owned airline subsidiary of Japan Airlines International. At present the airline operates about 90 flights a day including 11 routes using the JC prefix and wet lease flights for JAL using eight 737-400 and six MD-81 series aircraft. In future JEX will introduce the 737-800 and may also launch international services. Operational headquarters is located at Itami Airport, Osaka and the carrier has 400 employees. In FY 2005 JEX carried 1,285,160 passengers on flights using the JC prefix.
♦ J-AIR is a regional Japan airline based in Nagoya (Komaki) airport. The airline is a 100 percent owned airline subsidiary of Japan Airlines International. Using the JL prefix, J-AIR operates 64 flights per day on 16 routes serving Nagoya, Sapporo, Osaka (Itami), Fukuoka and other major cities in Japan (as of November 2006) . Its fleet comprises nine Bombardier CRJ-200s, the world's first 50-seat regional jet. In financial year 2005, the year ending March 31, 2006, J-AIR carried almost 540,000 passengers.
♦ Established in 1967, Japan Transocean Air (JTA) is based at Okinawa (Naha) airport. The airline is a 51.1 percent owned airline subsidiary of Japan Airlines International. The airline provides intra-island services in the Okinawa island group, and links 3 islands (Okinawa, Ishigaki & Miyako) to mainland Japan regional cities, including Tokyo (Haneda), Osaka (Itami, Kansai), and Fukuoka (as of November 2006). In total, JTA operates 80 flights per day on 19 routes using the NU prefix. Its fleet comprises 15 B737-400. In financial year 2005, the year ending March 31, 2006, JTA carried almost 2,700,000 passengers.
Frequent Flyer:
JAL's frequent flyer programme, JAL Mileage Bank (JMB), is one of the world's largest loyalty programmes with more than 19 million members worldwide. The first membership tier is JMB Crystal. Members can then progress to JMB Sapphire status- at which point they can choose to join the JAL Global Club (JGC). JMB Diamond and JAL Global Club Premier are JAL's highest tiers of membership, both offering enhanced benefits.
Airport Lounge Tour:
Experience the JAL Sakura Lounge
All oneworld Emerald and Sapphire members are invited to relax in the JAL Sakura lounge when travelling on qualifying flights.
Originally founded in 1951, the airline started domestic operations on October 25th 1951. In 1953 the company was reorganized as a semi-government corporation with the Japanese Government taking a 50 per cent share. In February 1954, JAL inaugurated international scheduled services to the U.S. West Coast and Hong Kong.
In 1987, JAL was completely privatized, and in April 2004, JAL and former rival carrier, Japan Air System (JAS) merged. The JAL Group operates a fleet of some 275 aircraft including 72 Boeing 747s and 38 state-of-the-art Boeing777s. It carried some 58 million passengers on its network in 2005.
JAL was the largest airline in the world not aligned to a multilateral alliance, until it joined oneworld on 1 April 2007. Four JAL Group subsidiary airlines also joined oneworld as affiliates: JALways, JAL Express (JEX), J-AIR and Japan Transocean Air (JTA).
From the group's main hubs of Tokyo (Narita and Haneda), Osaka (Kansai and Itami), Nagoya (Chubu and Komaki) and Okinawa (Naha), Japan Airlines and these affiliates operate their own flights to almost 100 destinations in 25 countries and territories.
With around 23,000 staff in the air transport sector, JAL and its oneworld affiliates carried more than 56 million passengers in the year to end March 2006. These airlines operate around 950 daily departures.
Travel Classes:
On international routes, JAL offers passengers in First Class, the JAL Skysleeper Solo and JAL New Skysleeper seats which both recline 180 degrees and have a pitch and width for truly comfortable travel. On specific long haul routes, passengers in JAL Executive Class - Seasons, JAL's business class, can relax in the award-winning, bed-style JAL Shell Flat Seat. JAL's Premium Economy cabin featuring the innovative JAL Sky Shell Seat - the world's first shell-shaped seat in premium economy class - is available from December 1 2007 on the airline's London - Tokyo route, and will be gradually rolled out on other Europe and US routes. On most international flights using 747-400 and 777 aircraft, passengers in economy have their own individual seat-back screen.
On Japan domestic flights, in addition to the economy class available on all routes, JAL also offers on selected routes a business class seat, called class J , and from December 1, 2007 a first class cabin.
Codeshare Partners:
Japan Airlines code shares with oneworld partners American Airlines, British Airways, Cathay Pacific, Finnair, Iberia, Malév and Qantas.
Beyond oneworld, Japan Airlines has bilateral code share agreements with some 15 other airlines including Air France, Air New Zealand, China Eastern, China Southern, Emirates, Korean Air, Singapore Airlines and Thai Airways.
oneworld Airline Affiliates:
♦ JALways is the JAL Group's international 100 percent-owned subsidiary. It was founded in 1990 and started commercial charter flights in 1991, but later developed into a scheduled carrier, operating on tourist routes in the Asia-Pacific region, with particular emphasis on Japan-Hawaii service. On October 1, 1999, Japan Air Charter was renamed JALways and started the operation of scheduled flights in its own name under the flight prefix JO. From April 2000 onwards, JAL routes from provincial cities in Japan to Honolulu and from all cities in Japan to Guam and Saipan were transferred to JALways. More recently the JAL Group has been expanding the use of JALways on other Asia-Pacific routes and by 2007 JALways will account for about 28 per cent of the JAL group's overseas flight operations.
♦ JAL Express was established in 1998 to enable the JAL Group to operate small capacity (150-seat) airplanes on domestic routes. The airline is a 100 percent owned airline subsidiary of Japan Airlines International. At present the airline operates about 90 flights a day including 11 routes using the JC prefix and wet lease flights for JAL using eight 737-400 and six MD-81 series aircraft. In future JEX will introduce the 737-800 and may also launch international services. Operational headquarters is located at Itami Airport, Osaka and the carrier has 400 employees. In FY 2005 JEX carried 1,285,160 passengers on flights using the JC prefix.
♦ J-AIR is a regional Japan airline based in Nagoya (Komaki) airport. The airline is a 100 percent owned airline subsidiary of Japan Airlines International. Using the JL prefix, J-AIR operates 64 flights per day on 16 routes serving Nagoya, Sapporo, Osaka (Itami), Fukuoka and other major cities in Japan (as of November 2006) . Its fleet comprises nine Bombardier CRJ-200s, the world's first 50-seat regional jet. In financial year 2005, the year ending March 31, 2006, J-AIR carried almost 540,000 passengers.
♦ Established in 1967, Japan Transocean Air (JTA) is based at Okinawa (Naha) airport. The airline is a 51.1 percent owned airline subsidiary of Japan Airlines International. The airline provides intra-island services in the Okinawa island group, and links 3 islands (Okinawa, Ishigaki & Miyako) to mainland Japan regional cities, including Tokyo (Haneda), Osaka (Itami, Kansai), and Fukuoka (as of November 2006). In total, JTA operates 80 flights per day on 19 routes using the NU prefix. Its fleet comprises 15 B737-400. In financial year 2005, the year ending March 31, 2006, JTA carried almost 2,700,000 passengers.
Frequent Flyer:
JAL's frequent flyer programme, JAL Mileage Bank (JMB), is one of the world's largest loyalty programmes with more than 19 million members worldwide. The first membership tier is JMB Crystal. Members can then progress to JMB Sapphire status- at which point they can choose to join the JAL Global Club (JGC). JMB Diamond and JAL Global Club Premier are JAL's highest tiers of membership, both offering enhanced benefits.
Airport Lounge Tour:
Experience the JAL Sakura Lounge
All oneworld Emerald and Sapphire members are invited to relax in the JAL Sakura lounge when travelling on qualifying flights.
General information
Country:
Japan
News Source:
Baggage Info:
Website:
Code:
JL
