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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. |
