JAL to join the OneWorld Alliance

Very exciting, but even if it does go ahead, it will probably be a few years before it takes effect.

 

Just speculation on my part, but I think that JAL will be able to become a full member fairly quickly as they already have close links to a number of OW carriers (eg codeshares with QF and AA) and will be able to integrate booking systems, etc, in a short timeframe. My guess is that JAL will be in before Malev.

 

Royal Jordanian also gonna join OW???

What about RJ then?? First arab airline to do so.

Seems like One World is going to get a lot bigger - but remember what happended to Swiss?? They traded some slots with BA at LHR, the decided not to join OW. Ended-up being swallowed-up by LH.

Hope that JAL, Malev or RJ don't go the same way. OW looking pretty small nowadays when you compare the choice of airlines in the Star alliance. Mind you, could say is quality better than quantity.

 

Probably won't help drive lower prices on direct links between Oz and Japan, but may open up more destination options.

 

One interesting thing is that JAL package airfares quite differently to the rest of OW. JAL are big on companion fares - something I have never seen with a OW airline. Will be interested to see if they are "advised" to bump up prices and stop companion fares.

 

Not sure if this will be the case.

think of the AAmazingly easy OneWorld Lounge Access scheme.

Don't see that being dropped because the other airlines may not like it...

 

Well I certainly hope it is quick.I fly BNE-JFK regularly and use JAL business class because it is cheaper,quicker,gets to JFK at around 6pm letting me have a good nights sleep to defeat jet lag.The service looses nothing by comparison to QF.
I certainly look forward to doing the AA platinum challenge on JAL.

 

They also have codeshares with CX (NGO/FUK-HKG) and participate in Asia Miles.

The announcement from oneworld is at http://www.oneworld.com/pressroom/releases/details.cfm?ObjectID=6077

The 1w alliance has certain (well, many & detailed) criteria for its members including "Straight Rate - Pro-rate" (or SRP) fare calculations on each others' flights. With 1w doing this over Japan, I believe it will have made significant impact to JL's foreign revenue earnings and share. So with NH being with *A and tempting that side of the non-home market, they've probably been bullied into it through marketshare slide!

Great news for travellers!

 

SuperSeat is just their domestic "Business Class".

With the competitive nature of their their super efficient and many times more convenient rail system, the Japanese airlines had to compete...and so do it with a product that is similar to a "Green Car" (first class) on the rail system. A little larger seat with a bit more space.

My recolection is that you don't get lounge access unless you're an elite JMB member (or for NH, elite *A's qualify).

For their corporate travellers , RARELY will anyone in a JAPANESE company get to travel business/first class unless you're the president ("Shachou"). This is what the company travel policy reads. So, the airlines get around this by doing deals with the corporates such that their staff will travel in a SuperSeat if the buy Full Y (or sometimes Y2). So, they get crappy yield for the cabin as well as most seats are occumpied by upgrades - so over the years, the product has not evolved (improved) and so is not t h a t much different. Some flights are FULL ECONOMY 747s! So business (SuperSeats) at all!

As BlacKnox says, the fare is usually around 10% more than a flexible Y.

Other great things about Japanese airlines that I've experienced:

- Great "self pouring" beer dispensers in the lounges! Nicely angles the glass with a perfect head every time.
- You can buy travel by the mile. "Miles" are credited to a card and you just swipe your card at the airport and the relevant number of miles for the trip are deducted from your acocunt (these are "commercial miles" not FFPs so you can book a firm seat on the net.)
- Great Bentou box lunches in the Super Seats of you're travelling over an hour.
- Great Bentou boxes to purchase in the terminal b4 your flight in you're down the back!
- They actually check your baggage receipt with the baggage tag to ensure no stolen luggage! (and we all thought they were just there in case it went missing)

 

My memories of internal Japanese flights, which admittedly go back to when I worked there in the mid-80's, are not fond!

Whilst I still go to NRT a bit, and that's been with SQ, CX or QF, that's been the extent of it for a long time now.

 

I took a video of "jidoo-biiru" (Auto-beer) with my digi-cam - file's a bit to big to post though!

"Asahi suupaaaa dorai" Mmmmmmmm