JAL Group announces changes to its network organization, sales and services

The JAL Group today announced details of changes in network organization, sales and services from April 1 2004, when the merger of Japan Airlines (JAL) and Japan Air System (JAS) will be completed.

Most of the changes affect services and facilities in Japan. Overseas operations will be little affected.

Among the planned changes are the complete renumbering of all current JAL and JAS domestic flights as JAL flights, with new four figure flight numbers and the elimination of the JAS airline code.

International flight numbers will not change. Where there are now JAS flight numbers, these will be replaced by JAL codes. The JAS brand will come to an end.

Passenger service changes include the integration of the JAS reservations system into the JAL reservations system. The integrated system will continue to use the existing JAL telephone numbers for domestic and international reservations in Japan.

JAL and JAS domestic airport facilities in Japan are currently being unified under the JAL brand. From April all JAL airport counters will have new, customer friendly check-in layouts installed.

JAL airport lounges for frequent flier passengers will be totally no smoking.

JAL will introduce new self-check in machines at domestic airports which can be used for cash purchase of tickets as well as mobile telephones.

At domestic airport boarding gates, JAL will install a new style mileage-recording machine for card-holding members of the airline's frequent flier program, the JAL Mileage Bank.

More self check-in machines for JAL international flights, currently available only at Tokyo's Narita Airport, will be installed at Kansai International Airport in Osaka and at Tokyo's Haneda Airport. 

JAL will also publish new printed timetables. The domestic version will be published monthly in a new easy to use format. The international timetable, covering a three-month period April-June inclusive, will include fare data.

Domestic cargo and mail operations are also involved in the changes and at each domestic airport in Japan JAL will have unified acceptance counters for cargo shipments and mail.

Last but not least, JAL and JAS ground staff and cabin attendants will change into new JAL uniforms on April 1st, 2004.