JAL to join the OneWorld Alliance

[BlacKnox]

Just opened the newspaper to read with my bento and, low and behold, JAL is joining the OneWorld Alliance. For moi, OneWorld just became much more attractive, though I'm not sure when they will start. For basic information go here:

http://www.jal.com/en/press/0000318/318.html

 

[aus_flyer]

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

 

[Craigo]

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.

 

[frequent passport user]

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.

 

[infoworks]

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

 

[aus_flyer]

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.

 

[Mal]

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...

 

[NM]

I wonder if JALWays flights will be included as OneWorld flights? That would give another option westbound from HNL. JO operate HNL to NRT and KIX.

Also give another options for north-Pacific crossings, which could be very handy for xCIR22 fares, where we are often limited to AA via NRT to keep within the 22K miles. HKG is just too far west much of the time for the 22K fare if you want to go much beyonf USA west coast.

 

[drron]

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.

 

[AlwaysUpThere]

...they already have close links to a number of OW carriers (eg codeshares with QF and AA)

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!

 

[QF WP]

To quote the story from my Business Traveller thread, posted earlier today:

JAL eyes Oneworld

Oneworld is set to recruit the largest carrier in Asia Pacific, the second new member to join the airline alliance this month.

Japan Airlines (JAL) would be the largest carrier in the alliance in terms of group revenue, and would join American Airlines and British Airways as the alliance's largest three airline members, according to other measures such as fleet size and route network.

Five Oneworld members already operate in Japan, but the move by JAL, which is still subject to the necessary agreements and procedures, would bring a 10 per cent expansion to the Oneworld network, adding 68 destinations including 56 in Japan and five in China.

JAL already operates to seven Oneworld hubs: London Heathrow, New York JFK, Hong Kong, Chicago O'Hare, Los Angeles, Singapore and Sydney, and has bilateral agreements in place with six alliance carriers: American Airlines, British Airways, Qantas, Iberia, Cathay Pacific and LAN.

As reported by Businesstraveller.com last week, Royal Jordanian made history as the first carrier from the Middle East region to enter a global airline alliance, and in May Hungarian carrier Malev started proceedings to join the alliance.

Other existing members of Oneworld are Finnair and Aer Lingus.

Report by Ginny McGrath

 

[BlacKnox]

I wonder what the earning rates will be for domestic Superseats, given they are only 1,000yen more (about Aus$13) than Y. Perhaps something like WT+ class at 110%? Or maybe they will need to increase the price .

 

[QF WP]

Perhaps you should give us a precis of the JAL product, BlacKnox, as there appears to be some differences between product offering. Is the Superseat a form of premium economy (thus a four class cabin), like as you mention, BA's WT+ offering.

As JAL is international, then like AA or BA overseas, they should post according to International rules for non-Japanese based QFF's. I'm not so sure about your position (I suppose it depends on where you are registered as to whether they'd be considered domestic or international for you).

(Can you tell I haven't flown JAL??? )

 

[AlwaysUpThere]

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)

 

[BlacKnox]

Good information AlwaysUpThere. Sorry Lindsay Wilson I was a little misleading.

Superseats are NH Business product (not JAL), with airport upgrades available from any fare bucket at an additional 5,000yen O/W, or about $Aus60. With a SuperSeat, you get a bento box (delicious), slippers you can take and unlimited alcohol etc.

J-Class are the JL "Business" product, with upgrades only costing 1,000yen, or about Aus$13. For this you get a bigger seat, 1 beer (only) or coffee/ soft drink and some nuts. In Y you get juice.

The NH Superseat class is seperated from Y, with usually only 2 rows allocated. The JL J-Class is quite large.

As AlwaysUpThere mentioned, no access to lounges on these fares unless you are an elite. But the lounges are nothing anyway, except the wonderful beer machines described, which are available in both JAL or ANA lounges (The only other time I've seen a beer machine in Japan other than at an airport lounge is in FUK at an izakaya, per my TR).

Also when they check your baggage receipts, they remove them with your "priority" stickers.

Back to my musings. I was thinking about if you bought a cheap JL Y ticket (e.g. Chowari), and then spent only 1,000yen at the airport to "upgrade" to J-Class, I wonder what % it would accrue. If you bought a ticket this way, it would probably cost about 33% of a full Y fare, and open to abuse if indeed it earned more than a full Y (100%) :wink: .

 

[infoworks]

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.

 

[QF WP]

Bento boxes...sushi....sashimi...shabu shabu..okonomiaki...ah, I almost wish I could swing a trip to Japan just to try these the truly Japanese way...plus the beer dispensers at the Shinkansen.

Nothing like getting a buzz going at speed..

 

[NM]

Bento boxes...sushi....sashimi...shabu shabu..okonomiaki...ah, I almost wish I could swing a trip to Japan just to try these the truly Japanese way...plus the beer dispensers at the Shinkansen.

Nothing like getting a buzz going at speed..

I'll skip the Bento Box and just stick with the beer poorers. I have only seen them in the JAL lounge at NRT and was fascinated enough to have to watch it several times. And of course the contents had to be emptied between servings .

Now if only I could poor a Boags as nicely. Oh well, practice makes perfect - just need more practice 8) .

 

[serfty]

... I'll skip the Bento Box and just stick with the beer poorers. I have only seen them in the JAL lounge at NRT and was fascinated enough to have to watch it several times. And of course the contents had to be emptied between servings .

Now if only I could poor a Boags as nicely. Oh well, practice makes perfect - just need more practice 8) .

Yeah, they also have them in the NRT CX lounge. I did a similar amount of research as well 8)

 

[AlwaysUpThere]

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