Japan Airlines has just announced its first quarter result and it is NOT looking good. JAL lost 99 billion yen in the previous quarter (does this mean JAL is losing USD10M every day!?!?!). As a result, JAL is making drastic changes to its network and October 25 2009 is the date to remember since most of the changes is scheduled on that day.
INTERNATIONAL PASSENGER (Effective October 25, 2009)
Route Suspension
Nagoya (Chubu)-Paris
Nagoya (Chubu)-Seoul (Incheon)
Frequency Reduction
Tokyo (Narita)-Guangzhou: 14 -> 7 flights per week (JL669/660 suspended)
Tokyo (Narita)-Seoul (Incheon): 28 -> 21 flights per week (JL953/952 suspended)
Tokyo (Narita)-New Delhi: 7 -> 3 flights per week
Tokyo (Haneda)-Hong Kong: 7 -> 3 flights per week
Osaka (Kansai)-Shanghai (Pudong): 21 -> 14 flights per week (JL629/620 suspended)
Osaka (Kansai)-Seoul (Incheon): 21 -> 14 flights per week (JL965/966 suspended)
Osaka (Kansai)-Guangzhou: 7 -> 3 flights per week
Nagoya (Chubu)-Guangzhou: 7 -> 4 flights per week
Aircraft Downsizing
Tokyo (Narita)-Chicago (JL010 / JL009): 747-400 -> 777-300ER
Tokyo (Narita)-Los Angeles (JL062 / JL061): 747-400 -> 777-300ER
Tokyo (Narita)-New Delhi (JO471 / JO472): 747-400 -> 777-200ER
Tokyo (Narita)-Singapore (JL719 / JL710): 747-400 -> 777-200ER
Tokyo (Narita)-Bangkok (JO717 / JO718): 747-400 -> 777-200ER
Tokyo (Narita)-Manila (JO745 / JO746): 747-400 -> 767-300ER
Tokyo (Narita)-Denpasar (JO729 / JO720): 747-400 -> 767-300ER
Tokyo (Narita)-Taipei (JL641 / JL648): 747-400 -> 767-300ER
Tokyo (Narita)-Seoul (Incheon) (JL 951 / JL954): 747-400 -> 767-300
Tokyo (Narita)-Busan (JL 957 / JL958, JL 969 / JL960): 767-300 -> 737-800
Osaka (Kansai)-Seoul (Gimpo) (JL8961 / JL8962): 767-300 -> 737-800
Osaka (Kansai)-Seoul (Incheon) (JL963 / JL964): 767-300 -> 737-800
Osaka (Kansai)-Busan (JL967 / JL968): 767-300 -> 737-800
Nagoya (Chubu)-Bangkok (JO/JL737 / JO/JL738): 777-200ER -> 767-300ER
Service Changes
- Discontinuation of First class service on routes to New Delhi, Singapore and Bangkok.
- Discontinuation of JAL Shell Flat Seats on Nagoya (Chubu) - Bangkok (JO/JL737 / JO/JL738) due to aircraft downsizing.
- Introduction of JAL Suite, JAL Shell Flat Neo and Premium economy class on routes to Chicago and Los Angeles. Ticket sales of Premium Economy cabin will starts on August 10, 2009.
- Introduction of JAL Shell Flat Seats on routes to Milan and Rome.
Route Introduction
Tokyo (Haneda)-Beijing: 7 flights a week using 777-200ER with 63 Business class seats.
INTERNATIONAL CARGO (Effective October 25, 2009)
- 1 out of 6 weekly Tokyo (Narita)-Hong Kong flights and 1 out of 5 weekly Tokyo (Narita)-Singapore flights will be operated as Tokyo-Singapore-Bangkok-Hong Kong-Tokyo
- Tokyo (Narita)-Osaka (Kansai)-Shanghai-Tokyo (Narita): Increase by 1 flight a week (Saturday departure)
- Tokyo (Narita)-Hong Kong: 1 weekly 767-300F flight -> 747-400F
- Tokyo (Narita)-Shanghai freighter flight departing in the day on Tuesday will change from 747-400F to 767-300F and freighter flight departing Tuesday night will be shifted to depart on Sunday night, and will change from 747-400F to 767-300F.
DOMESTIC PASSENGER
Frequency Reduction
Tokyo (Haneda)-Okinawa: 12.5 -> 11.5 per day (12 outbound, 13 inbound, 1 reduced in each direction, effective November 1, 2009)
Fukuoka-Sendai: 3 -> 2 per day (effective November 1, 2009)
Nagoya (Komaki)-Nagasaki: 2 -> 1 per day (effective November 1, 2009)
Osaka (Itami)-Yamagata: 4 -> 3 per day (effective November 1, 2009)
Osaka (Itami)-Niigata: 6 -> 5 per day (December 18, 2009 - February 28, 2010)
Osaka (Itami)-Izumo: 8 -> 7 per day (December 1, 2009 - February 28, 2010)
Frequency Increase
Osaka (Itami)-Fukuoka: 4 -> 5 per day (Effective November 1, 2009)
Aircraft Downsizing
Sapporo-Sendai: 2 of the 4 flights will be downsized to regional jets (RJ) starting on December 1, 2009
Source: JAL Press Release
More flight suspension and frequency reduction coming
Tags Cargo Domestic Fleet International JAL Press Release
Do you have any further information available on the cabin upgrades on the 747-400 fleet to the L04/L02 cabin layouts i.e. which a/c of the fleet are in which cabin configuration currently?
ReplyDeleteAnd how the economic position has affected JAL's proposed cabin upgrades, particularly with the reduction in premium services and the downsizing.
Any information you have would be most helpful.
Regards, Ted
Ted,
ReplyDeleteI wish I know the answers to your questions. But I am just a regular JAL flyers but here are what I know.
When JAL released their last mid-term corporate plan, they said they will maintain the premium strategy. Not quite sure if that is a wise choice or not. When I was checking a NRT-LHR flight for someone the other day, I notice ZERO assigned business class seats on one of the Dec 14 flights!
I don't think JAL is doing any more upgrade on its 744 fleet. They are in the process of phasing them out and replace them with 773 or mid-sized aircrafts like 763 and 787 (if boeing can deliver them LOL). If you look at their solo seat routes, all of them will be using 777 by October 25. I can see them deploying the existing aircrafts with L02/L04 config on other routes, e.g. JL047/JL048. But IMHO I don't think they will do any more upgrades on any of the 744.
But any of those can be changed when they release the restructuring plan by the end of November.