How Japan Airlines’ traditional Japanese hospitality helps its ‘accessible travel’ services stand out
- National carrier offers inclusive high-quality, tailored travel experiences that cater to all passengers, including wider economy-class seats
- Other services include offerings for the elderly, passengers with special needs – even people who wish to travel with their pets
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Air travel has always been a competitive industry, but it has become particularly so in recent years with customers now able to discern between far more options than ever before.
Newer airlines are disrupting the status quo by placing a greater emphasis on high-quality hospitality and using technological advances to lift customers’ experiences to new levels.
Yet what sets the most successful exponents of hospitality apart from their competitors?
Japan Airlines (JAL) has adopted its home country’s distinctive brand of unrivalled hospitality and hi-tech facilities to bring top-notch customer service to its passengers.
“There are many drivers of change in travel,” Akira Mitsumasu, JAL’s vice-president of global marketing, says.
“We are more connected than ever before and, with the advent of new and innovative technology, travel has become more accessible.”
Greater focus on wellness travel
“In the midst of this, there is a growing emphasis on wellness and travellers looking to improve their well-being; Japan Airlines will be here to greet them,” Mitsumasu says.
By establishing an extensive training programme for its cabin crew – including hundreds of foreign nationals on its international routes – JAL is imparting the art of Japanese hospitality, ensuring an inimitable, consistently high-quality and tailored experience that caters to all passengers, regardless of their needs.
The move is apt considering the growth in the Asian economy, which is giving more people, including the elderly and those with special needs, the opportunity to travel by air. As such, airlines are evolving to become more inclusive in their pre-, in- and post-flight services.
JAL strives to place itself in its passengers’ shoes, predicting their needs at every stage of their travel. This has led to the creation of unique travel experiences catering to those with special needs.
Among these experiences is the JAL Dual Ski tour, which enables those people with physical disabilities to enjoy the freedom and mobility of skiing.
To further promote “accessible tourism”, JAL has also initiated the creation of wooden wheelchairs that can pass through security checkpoints without inconveniencing the traveller. Typically, travellers using regular wheelchairs are often subjected to a pat-down screening.
More ‘accessible tourism’ initiatives
JAL’s high-quality service is reserved not only for humans.
Seeing that many families and individuals are unable – or prefer not – to leave their pets behind when travelling, JAL is offering chartered flights for families so they can fly with their pets. The airline even extends loyalty membership to the animals.
The airline is also looking to advance Japanese hospitality by harnessing the potential of new technology to make travelling more accessible.
It has been investing heavily in improving passengers’ airport experiences by creating a “smart airport” with “smart assistance” features.
Tests on a virtual reality robot prototype, known as “Jet”, took place at Tokyo International Airport last year, with JAL staff able to remotely control the child-sized robot to provide assistance to travellers from around the world.
A common complaint on flights among economy-class passengers is the design and size of the seating. In response, JAL has introduced wider seats on its existing fleet – a move that goes against current industry trends.
The success of the new seats saw JAL recognised at the Skytrax World Airline Awards 2019, where it won the prizes of the World's Best Economy Class and the World's Best Economy Class Seat.
As the airline industry continues to evolve in the future, Japanese hospitality will remain at the forefront of JAL’s vision, permeating every aspect of its continuing development.
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