Press Release
Improvement to meal choices and service extended to Europe routes
TokyoFebruary 26, 2009: Japan Airlines (JAL) will expand the improvement of its in-flight meal service that is currently featured on USA routes, to its flights to London, Paris, Frankfurt, and Amsterdam. From March 01, 2009, passengers traveling on JAL’s Executive Class Seasons - the airline's international business-class - on these routes, can look forward to being pampered with a wider array of dishes to select from for their in-flight meal, and by the heightened level of personalized service.
Passengers are presented with a choice of Japanese or Western full-course menus for their first meal onboard. The Japanese menu, proudly produced in collaboration with Kyoto Cuisine “Mebaekai”, incorporates the seasonally-changing flavors of the `haute cuisine of Japan'. Only the freshest seasonal ingredients are used to artfully craft a course of small dishes that have been steamed, simmered or grilled. The first course will consists of 8 small dishes instead of the current 3, and to create an atmosphere of the coming spring season, passengers will be treated to delicacies like “sashimi”-style bream, baby sardines with Japanese pepper and butterbur sprouts which will be perfectly complemented with a glass of Japanese sake or shochu. Moving on to the main dish, or Daimono, passengers can now choose between fish or meat to go with freshly-cooked rice on board.
Created by some of the top chefs from the Association des Disciples d'Auguste Escoffier du Japon, JAL's western menu is also sure to please the palates of passengers. Passengers can enjoy the delectable hors d'oevres and following that, select between 2 entrées that will be stylishly arranged on the plate by cabin attendants in the kitchen.
For their second meal, passengers have the freedom to choose when they wish to be served and will be spoiled for choice with a selection of over 10 different Japanese and Western style dishes.
JAL also strives to increase the level of customer care and attention to individual needs of its passengers on board. Cabin attendants are assigned to specific areas in the cabin so that they can attend to the needs of the same passengers from take-off to landing. This increases the contact and deepens the bond between the cabin attendants and passengers, adding an intimate and personal touch to the overall in-flight experience. JAL understands a customer's need for a comfortable space on board and have removed the use of serving carts when serving meals in its executive class, to create a more spacious and quiet environment. Each meal is served to them individually, just the way customers can expect to be served in a restaurant.
JAL spares no effort in trying to create top-notch quality in taste, presentation, service and atmosphere, for the pleasure of our customers and with this tireless pursuit for service improvement, hospitality on board JAL is set soar to even greater heights.
About Japan Airlines
The JAL Group is Asia’s biggest airline group in terms of sales revenues and 2nd largest in Asia in terms of passengers carried annually. JAL Group airlines serve 214 airports in 33 countries and territories, including 60 airports in Japan. The international network covers over 240 passenger routes and 27 cargo routes, and the domestic network covers 156 routes.
With around 23,000 employees in the air transport segment, JAL Group operates a fleet of some 270 aircraft including Boeing 747s and B777s and is now in the process of a major fleet renewal, introducing more fuel-efficient small and medium aircraft such as the B737 New Generation series and in the future the new high-tech Boeing 787 “Dreamliner”.
JAL First Class offers fully reclining Skysleeper or New Skysleeper Solo seats. “JAL Executive Class - Seasons,” introduces the concept of “quality time” spent on board and features the award-winning JAL Shell Flat Seat that reclines to almost the horizontal and provides a high degree of personal privacy. From December 2007 JAL started offering JAL Premium Economy on key business routes, and from August 2008 started introducing on US routes a luxurious new suite to JAL First Class and the JAL Shell NEO, a leading-edge seat for JAL Executive Class.
Top quality in-flight service has always been the hallmark of JAL’s reputation. Cuisine offered in all classes is a combination of Western and Japanese food. JAL carries a fine selection of award-winning wines and sake in First Class and JAL Executive Class - Seasons, JAL’s business class. Quality in-flight entertainment systems are a feature of JAL’s international fleet aircraft.
A member of the oneworld global alliance since April 2007, JAL offers customers many benefits, such as the JAL Mileage Bank frequent flier program.
END
