TokyoTomo Travel Guide

Air Canada (AC) will operate daily direct flight between Tokyo’s Haneda Airport and Vancouver from January 29, 2011. The airline currently operates daily service on its Narita/Vancouver route.

The new service from Haneda is part of the airline’s strategy of expanding its international route network. Air Canada plans to improve the passenger friendliness, providing customers with two options, with Haneda Airport enjoying easy access within approximately 30 minutes from central Tokyo and with Narita Airport providing excellent connectivity between domestic and international flights afforded by Star Alliance partner airlines.

Aircraft to be put into service will be Boeing B767-300ER configured with Executive First Class and Economy Class with 211 seats in total.

Haneda/Vancouver will be operated with following schedules:

Source: Travel Vision

Travel Vision Inc. provides information on the travel industry in Japan via "Daily Travel Vision", a Japanese-language e-mail newsletter, and the "Travel Vision" website. There are nearly 110,000 people working in the Japanese travel industry, and Travel Vision is proud to be bringing travel news to more than 30,000 people through Daily Travel Vision.

ANA (NH) launches new services in time with the opening of the new international terminal at Haneda Airport on 21 October 2010. New “ANA LOUNGE” and “ANA SUITE LOUNGE” for ANA’s mileage club “Diamond Service Members” are being set up at the new international terminal. Also they open “ANA ARRIVAL LOUNGE” for arriving passengers.

Passengers traveling from domestic airports (except North Kyushu and Iki Airports) and boarding ANA’s international flights at Haneda will be able to use through-check-in service. Also the minimum connecting time (MCT) from domestic to international flights will be reduced by 10 minutes to 70 minutes, and MCT between international flights will be cut down from the current 60 minutes to 45 minutes.

Along with the PC internet check-in, “CLICK mobile check-in” service becomes available from 21 October 2010. This service will also be applied for passengers transferring from a domestic flight to an international flight.

At the Haneda Airport, prior to the full operation of new international terminal, departure and arrival lobbies at the Terminal 2 will be expanded double in space on 13 October 2010. Some service facilities will be expanded, such as self check-in machines, airline counters, security check system, and arrival baggage collection system.

ANA will also establish “ANA Sky Assist Counter” for the passengers needing physical assistance, which is the first-ever indoor counter installed at the Japanese airports. For the convenience of such passengers, it will provide a waiting lounge and a priority security inspection at the place.

For the benefit of ANA’s mileage club “Diamond Service Members,” an exclusive security checkpoint ”ANA SUITE CHECK-IN” and an exclusive lounge “ANA SUITE LOUNGE” will be newly opened.

Source: Travel Vision

Travel Vision Inc. provides information on the travel industry in Japan via "Daily Travel Vision", a Japanese-language e-mail newsletter, and the "Travel Vision" website. There are nearly 110,000 people working in the Japanese travel industry, and Travel Vision is proud to be bringing travel news to more than 30,000 people through Daily Travel Vision.

Chile’s LAN Airlines (LA) and TAM Brazilian Airlines (JJ) recently signed a non-binding memorandum of understanding (MOU) on a merger plan. The airlines intend to create a joint holding company to form a new airline, LATAM Airlines Group, from an all-stock transaction. The two airlines will continue to operate with own brands, LA and JJ, however. They will continue the talks between the two in order to conclude an official contract.

When the merger is realized, the new airline will become the largest airline group in South America, employing more than 40,000 staff and serving more than 115 destinations in 23 countries. The consolidated operational revenues in 2009 amount to 8.5 billion US dollars (approx. 724.8 billion yen). The consolidated number of passengers carried in 2009 exceeded 45 million. The merger should generate annual synergies of approximately 400 million US dollars (approx. 34.1 billion yen). By restructuring the respective route networks and addressing the cost reductions, LATAM Airlines Group expects to achieve one third of the annual synergies within the first year and then the full annual synergies eventually within three years after the merger.

Presently LAN Airlines belongs to Oneworld whilst TAM Brazilian Airlines belongs to Star Alliance. At this moment, however, there seems to be no plans of changing the respective alliance membership.

Source: Travel Vision

Travel Vision Inc. provides information on the travel industry in Japan via "Daily Travel Vision", a Japanese-language e-mail newsletter, and the "Travel Vision" website. There are nearly 110,000 people working in the Japanese travel industry, and Travel Vision is proud to be bringing travel news to more than 30,000 people through Daily Travel Vision.