A tribute to Japanese innovation and efficiency
Written: May 31 '01
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Product Rating:
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Pros: excellent service, good food and in-flight entertainment, and very efficient
Cons: no major frequent flyer alliance, hub is a little inconvenient.
The Bottom Line: Take them. You'll enjoy the flight.
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| singaporeboy's Full Review: JAL Japan Airlines |
Alright, so it's been established in my other opinions that Asian airlines have a blanket superiority over North American airlines when it comes to in-flight service. I was expecting no less than this when I checked into my first Japan Airlines flight...and lo and behold, even my own expectations were exceeded. Having flown with most of their competition, I think I can safely place them among the top three airlines in Asia.
As with everything else in Japan (almost), the mechanics of Japan Airlines run like clockwork. I noticed an almost eerie efficiency in that the check-in desks were opened exactly when they said they would be, to the minute, and the flights departed exactly on time, again to the very minute. It reminded me of the Shinkansen rapid trains, and a trip I took from Kyoto to Tokyo: the train wasn't even at the platform three minutes before scheduled departure, but within those three minutes it arrived, offloaded, passengers boarded, and it left precisely at the time it was supposed to.
Furthermore, the flight attendants seemed to have their cabin rounds co-ordinated to the same level of precision. It looked much like everything had been planned beforehand, from what passengers would choose to drink to what they wanted to eat. The meals were served very quickly and it didn't look like they ran out of any of the choices of main dishes. They also had every drink available that I heard people asking for, even the less common choices such as water chestnut, mandarin tea and Pocari, which is a Japanese soft drink that defies most description.
When I finally did get my food, I saw that it was presented beautifully, in somewhat of a traditional manner. Most of it tasted very nice as well, except for a few Japanese items that I didn't really care for (I think they were pickled vegetables, but I'm not entirely sure, and I didn't ask). There was teriyaki chicken one way, which was delicious. Green tea and good wine was served throughout the meal, and afterwards there was an excellent selection of liqueurs and Japanese sake. I was asked if I'd like anything to drink several times before and after dinner as well, and was given little packets of Japanese munchies each time (I don't know what they were, but they were addictive).
As a result of too much sake, I slept through about half of one of my six-hour flights. That in itself says something, since I find it very difficult to sleep on aircraft. It felt like the seat pitch was very generous, though, giving me enough room to stretch out my legs a little and lean against the wall. A flight attendant gave me two extra pillows when I asked for them as well, which was very nice of her.
While I was awake, I had a chance to play around with the in-flight entertainment system. It's the same sort of system as is found on Singapore Airlines and Cathay Pacific, in that it's a combination of television programming and video games. There aren't as many channels as on the other airlines, but the movies they picked were good, and everything was available in English. There was even a travel feature on Japan which I found very interesting.
From what I understand as well, they've just redesigned their Economy class seating. The seats did feel more ergonomic, and a lot more comfortable, than the industry standard. The seat itself adjusts to the recline of the seat back, which actually feels quite good. Combining that with the comfortable seat pitch led to much more relaxing flights than I'd anticipated.
At the end of each journey on Japan Airlines, the cabin crew made a bow to the passengers and they all smiled at me as I walked off the plane, feeling very good each time. Not once have I encountered any form of bad attitude from a Japan Airlines staff or crew member, nor have I had any troubles with their system or with locating my luggage after a flight.
In short, I felt well taken care of on board Japan Airlines, and I felt also that the system was well run. Given their excellent safety record, good route network and partnerships with other formidable airlines, I have to say I'm quite impressed with them.
I'll be looking for another excuse to go back to Japan, I think.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
singaporeboy
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Location: Illinois
Reviews written: 96
Trusted by: 18 members
About Me:
Just someone who's lucky enough to have lived in several corners of the planet
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