Japan Airlines began its journey in 1951 when the Government of Japan established the company to provide air services to the people of Japan. From 1987 the airline is run by private entities after the government privatized the airlines. Japan Airlines operates 160 aircraft all manufactured by Boeing.
The airline operates 181 routes comprising 127 domestic routes and 54 international routes on its own steam. However, with codesharing it operates 717 routes comprising 147 domestic routes and 570 international routes. The airline flies to 59 destinations within Japan.
The IATA code for Japan Airlines is JL
The ICAO code for Japan Airlines is JAL. The Callsign for Japan Airlines is JAPANAIR.
Japan Airlines Hubs and Focus Cities
Japan Airlines operates from two main hubs situated in Japan at the Tokyo Haneda Airport and Tokyo Narita Airport. The airline also operates from Kansai International Airport and Osaka International Airport, which are its secondary hubs.
New Chitose Airport, Naha Airport, Fukuoka Airport and Chubu Centrair International Airport are the focus cities for Japan Airlines.
Subsidiaries
Japan Airlines operates four subsidiaries namely Hokkaido Air System, Japan Transocean Air, Japan Air Commuter and J-Air. While Japan Air Commuter is the feeder airline for Japan Airlines, other subsidiaries operate regional domestic flights.
Oneworld Alliance and Codeshare
Japan Airlines is a member of the Oneworld Alliance, which it joined in 2006. Because of the alliance Japan Airlines is able to offer its passengers flights to over 161 countries on 13,814 departures daily from nearly 1000 cities.
Besides Oneworld Alliance partners Japan Airlines has codeshare agreements with 15 other airlines including Emirates and Air France.
Japan Airlines Frequent Flyer Programs
Japan Airlines runs the JAL Mileage Bank (JMB) for its group airlines. JMB is also applicable to all Oneworld members. Besides, JMB is also applicable to flights emanating from Emirates, China Eastern Airlines and Air France.
JMB members can qualify for two other programs linked to JMB which are JAL Global Club and JMB Fly On program. Several interesting benefits are offered for the most frequent and experienced flyers. The Fly On program includes 4 classes of membership namely Diamond, JGC Premier, Sapphire and Crystal based on the number of flights boarded and number of miles flown.
Japan Airlines Cabins
Japan Airlines offers different classes of seats for the benefit of passengers. The premium cabin class is the JAL Suite for first class which provides roomier configuration and includes an art gallery as well. The executive cabin is the JAL Shell Flat Neo Seat which offers a central console. The Economy Class also offers a Premium Economy variant.
Japan Airlines In-flight Entertainment
Japan Airlines in-flight entertainment is called as Magic and it offers a variety of entertainment options ranging from movies to music to video games. A novel feature is the streaming of live images of the aircraft’s movement on the ground and in the air captured by video cameras placed strategically on the wings, belly or the tail. The images provide ‘pilot vision,’ similar to what a pilot sees when the aircraft is being flown including takeoffs and landings.