Asia's Top Performing Airline

Japan Airlines, often shortened to JAL, is Japan's national carrier and has had that status since 1953 as short as two years after its foundation. Trans-Pacific routes to Hawaii and the West Coast of the United States started in the mid 50s, and the variety of destinations covered grew steadily over the following two decades, which were characterised by the deregulation of the Japanese aviation market. By the early 80s, Japan Airlines was considered one of the world's best performing airlines and became the largest Asian airline in terms of revenue. As a member of the OneWorld Alliance, Japan Airlines now flies to over 200 destinations all over the world, thanks to the support of its 30,000 employees and over 150 planes.

Flying with Japan Airlines

Cabin classes for international flights include Economy, Premium Economy, Business and First. For domestic routes, Premium Economy and Business are replaced by Class J. Free WiFi is available on all domestic routes irrespective of the cabin class.

Airfares with JAL are structured around ticket classes. On any given ticket class except for First, travellers can usually choose between the discounted fare (e.g. Economy Discount, Business Discount, etc.) and the normal fare. The fare structure in domestic flights is quite complex, as there are more than 20 fare types available, which vary based on destination type, passenger age and how far in advance a ticket is booked. A description of the domestic fare types and rules is available here.

Travellers enrolled in JAL's Mileage Bank can earn and redeem miles when flying with JAL, partner airlines and when using approved travel services like hotels, vehicle rental, online and in-store shopping. Find out all the details by visiting here.

Practical Information

If you are travelling with Japan Airlines within Japan, you can use the no-check-in system known as Touch and Go, which allows you to board by just scanning a 2D barcode found on all e-tickets. Web and airport check-in can be used when flying internationally.

• JAL's free checked baggage allowance is determined by the ticket class, but in most cases it allows an unlimited number of pieces which, together, have a total weight no heavier than 20 kg (44 lb) in Economy class and 45 kg (99 lb) in Business or First class. There is also a dimension limit, which is set at 50 x 60 x 120 cm (L x W x H). This applies to domestic flights.
• For international flights, Economy and Premium Economy passengers can check two bags of 23 kg (50 lb) each free of charge. Business and First class travellers can take three bags of up to 32 kg (70 lb) each. In all cases, the sum of a bag's dimensions cannot be larger than 203 cm.
• For both domestic and international flights, passengers can take one carry-on bag and a personal item, as long as their combined weight is not over 10 kg (22 lb).
• You can find detailed information on baggage rules here.