JAL will enhance the meals served in Domestic First Class. Image by Japan Airlines.

Japan Airlines (JAL) has announced it will enhance its popular Domestic First Class offerings from June 2013. This time it is the breakfast and lunch menus that will get the enhancement, while JAL will continue its collaboration with famous local restaurants in the region featured in the JAPAN PROJECT during the month. Currently JAL offers Domestic First Class on select flights between Tokyo Haneda and Osaka Itami, Sapporo Chitose, Fukuoka, and Okinawa Naha.

JAL Arashi Jet 2012. Image from Japan Airlines

A while back Japan Airlines (JAL) announced the award ticket priority flight operations. As long as there is a economy class seat for sale, award redemptions will be available on these flights. Today JAL has announced the priority flights for travel between October and December 2012.

Japan Airlines (JAL) announced they will expand the domestic first class service to Tokyo Haneda (HND) - Okinawa Naha (OKA) route from August 1 2012 and plans to add more flights with domestic first class service on flights to Fukuoka (FUK) and Sapporo Chitose (CTS)

JAL "Ganbare! Nippon!" London Olympics special livery (Source: JAL Press Release)

You know this is coming right? As the official Japanese Olympic Committee (JOC), Japan Airlines (JAL) has been painting special liveries to support the Japanese national Olympic teams during The Olympics. This year is no exception. JAL will roll out this special "Ganbare! Nippon!" (Do your best! Japan!) livery this summer!

A while back Japan Airlines (JAL) announced the award ticket priority flight operations. As long as there is a economy class seat for sale, award redemptions will be available on these flights. Today JAL has announced the priority flights for travel between July and September 2012.

JAL x Tokyo Sky Tree Livery (Source: JAL Press Release)

Japan Airlines (JAL) is one of the official partners of the new Tokyo Sky Tree, the tallest tower in the world. To celebrate the scheduled opening of Tokyo Sky Tree on May 22 2012, JAL will paint a Boeing 777-200 (JA8978) with a special JAL x Tokyo Sky Tree Livery.

[Updated with English link of priority award flights and comments at the end] promised, Japan Airlines (JAL) has provided us yet another update on JAL Mileage Project 2012/JAL Mileage Bank (JMB) today. And as expected, this is a relatively small announcement targeted mainly to Japan region members (you could tell when there was no announcements coming soon on March 14 2012 on the English page right :P). The three JMB program enhancements are:


1. Award redemption priority on popular resort routes
2. Extra partners for non-flight award redemptions
3. WAON enhancement specific to JCB cardholders

Japan Airlines (JAL) has just announced their flight frequency plan change for the 2nd half of the current fiscal year. This time they have more increases than decrease in frequency :p Below are the changes effective October 30 2011

So the third time is really a charm and the Jetstar Japan finally comes true. Japan Airlines (JAL) and Qantas (QF) announced today that they will set up a new low cost carrier (LCC), Jetstar Japan, based in Narita. Jetstar Japan will start operation by December 2012.

Nikkei Business Daily has reported yet another Japan Airlines (JAL) low cost carrier (LCC) rumor today. According to the paper, JAL and Jetstar will set up a new Narita (NRT) based LCC together with Mitsubishi and this new LCC will start operations by December 2012.

JAL Arashi Jet with new JAL livery. Image by Japan Airlines.

Yes, Asahi Jet is back! Japan Airlines will be bringing back the popular Arashi livery this summer. And they will be painting TWO (yes TWO!) 777-200 with this special Arashi livery. Both JAL Arashi Jets will be flying domestically between July 25 2011 (July 26 for JAL Arashi Jet 2 if it's not delayed) and Jan 2012. They will be used on HND-ITM, HND-CTS, HND-FUK, and HND-OKA routes. Below are the planned schedules for Arashi Jet 1 till end of September

There was an incident on Japan Airlines flight 2008 from Naha to Kansai on January 26 2010. It was a 777-300 aircraft with 322 people on board. Problems were found on the left engine shortly after takeoff. ATC reported seeing possible fire on the left engine. The plane landed safely 15 minutes after takeoff and no one was injured. The flight was delayed by 3 hours 20 minutes as a result.

There is only one configuration, W23, used on JAL 777-300 aircrafts. There are total of 500 seats (78J 422Y). So the flight load on this flight is around 61% (the 322 number includes flight crew), which is not great but still better than having only 33 people on board on a 767-300ER LOL

Source: Yomiuri Online via Yahoo

There was a bird strike on Japan Airlines flight 3609 from Fukuoka to Okinawa on October 11 2009. Incident like this happens all the time but the horror in this incident is...the flight load.
 

Last Saturday (June 20, 2009), Japan Airlines flight 914 from Okinawa to Haneda had to abort takeoff preparations due to security risks posted by one of the passengers.