TokyoTomo Travel Guide

U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) officially granted on July 6 four new routes between Tokyo’s Haneda Airport and U.S.A. to American Airlines (AA), Delta Air Lines (DL) and Hawaiian Airlines (HA). These four new routes, which had been provisionally approved by DOT on May 7 this year, include American Airlines’ Haneda/New York route, Delta Air Lines’ Haneda/Los Angeles and Haneda/Detroit routes and Hawaiian Airlines’ Haneda/Honolulu route. Meanwhile, Japan’s Civil Aviation Bureau (CAB) at Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT) reminded that Hawaiian Airlines will still have to apply for a CAB approval for the “International Air Transport Services by Foreign Nationals.” Also, these three carriers which include American Airlines and Delta Air Lines are requested to submit to Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT) the respective new or revised business plans, whichever applicable, and file the respective air fares with MLIT.

Hawaiian Airline has meanwhile announced its first flight from Haneda Airport slated for October 31 this year. Mark B. Dunkerley, President & Chief Executive Officer at Hawaiian Airlines had said during the media briefing held on May 19 that although the airline’s first priority was to obtain an official approval to operate one flight per day, it was hopeful to add the second frequency in the foreseeable future in order to expand its Japan route. In efforts to foster its relationship with travel agencies, he added, Hawaiian Airlines intends to finely tune the ratio between its direct sales and the agency sales. Aircraft to be put into service will be Boeing B767-300ER configured with 264 passenger seats. The airline also plans to introduce a 294-seater Airbus A330-200 later on.

American Airlines (AA) has also revealed that it is scheduled to launch its inaugural flight from Tokyo’s Haneda Airport on January 12 next year. Aircraft to be introduced on the new Haneda/U.S. route will be Boeing B777. Meanwhile, Japan Airlines (JL), a member of the same Oneworld alliance, plans to operate new services between Haneda and San Francisco and also between Haneda and Honolulu starting from October 31 this year. Consequently, Oneworld will be able to enhance its route network between Tokyo’s Haneda and U.S.A.

Delta Air Lines has not yet released its inaugural flight date. The airline intends to announce its flight schedule within the next few weeks, however. Masaki Ito, Director of Sales, Japan at Delta Air Lines, Inc. has told the Travel Vision News that its new Haneda/U.S. routes should provide passenger-friendly schedules especially for business travelers, adding that the airline is convinced of the possibility of attracting new market segments in the Japan market. He has also told the Travel Vision News that he would like to draw attention to the new routes and suggest a new travel style different from its current Narita/U.S. route, taking advantage of the airline’s late evening departures from Haneda Airport. With a quickly growing seat capacity from Tokyo’s Haneda, the airlines concerned must make concerted efforts together with travel agencies in order to create and boost travel demand, capitalizing on the newly granted routes between Haneda and U.S., emphasized Ito of Delta Air Lines.

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.

Having joined the NYC & Company’s sales mission to Japan as key members, Fred Dixon, senior vice president for Tourism and Convention Development, and Makiko Matsuda Healy, associate vice president for Tourism Development – Asia Pacific, accepted a request for an interview made by travel journals. Dixson emphasized at the interview that Japan is a longstanding important market for NYC and expressed his expectation that Japanese visitors will increase 25 percent in 2010.

Assessing favorably of the American Airlines’ new service between Haneda (Tokyo) and New York, he speculates it would shore up demand of Japanese tourists. Japanese visitors for 2009 declined 5.9 percent from the previous year to 210,000; however, their per capita per day consumption was US$2,288 (or 208,000 yen) and their average length of stay was 11 nights, both of which were not on the downside.

He does not take the 25 percent growth as too aggressive judging from the fact that package tours are selling well and the enquiries about MICE are increasing. Hotel situation is getting better in New York with 32 new hotels coming into service within this year, adding 5,500 rooms to the city’s accommodation capacity to 86,500 rooms.

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Today, Japan Airlines (JAL) applied to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT) of Japan, seeking antitrust immunity with American Airlines (AA) so that both members of the oneworld® Alliance may enter a Joint Business Agreement (JBA) and cooperate more closely on the operations of flights between North America and Asia.

“We are excited to have taken another defining step towards forging a closer relationship with our partner American Airlines so that we can combine strengths to offer our customers travelling on trans-Pacific routes unprecedented convenience and flexibility.” said Japan Airlines President and Chief Operating Officer Masaru Onishi of what will be Japan’s first ever antitrust immunity application. “With the immunity, we can greatly enhance competition in this region of growth, including at the strategically-located Haneda Airport which will soon commence scheduled international flights. This is an opportune time for both airlines to retain existing customers, attract new travellers and to lift revenue.”

Japan Airlines and American Airlines have jointly submitted the application for antitrust immunity with the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) on February 12, 2010.

“We very much look forward to working even more closely with our valued oneworld partner, Japan Airlines,” said Gerard Arpey, AMR’s Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. “We appreciate the important role of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism and look forward to receiving the appropriate government approvals that will allow us to provide customers with more integrated air service in one of the world’s growing aviation markets and provide benefits to both the U.S. and Japanese economies.”

Upon attaining approval from the MLIT and the U.S. DOT, Japan Airlines and American Airlines will operate as two independent legal entities working closely together to strengthen their service offerings to customers on their flights between the United States and Asia. Passengers will benefit from a more comprehensive network, expanded flight options, access to more fare levels and enhanced services while continuing to enjoy reciprocal frequent flyer accrual and redemption benefits and access to both airlines’ lounges. JAL and AA will also be able to improve their efficiencies, lower operating costs, and robustly heighten competition in the trans-Pacific aviation market.

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