TokyoTomo Travel Guide

Garuda Indonesia (GA) held a travel seminar jointly with INFINI TRAVEL INFORMATION on August 18, providing the latest tourism information to boost sales promotion in preparation for the start of daily flight operations between Tokyo Narita and Jakarta from September 1. In the Japanese market, the airline, serving Denpasar in Bali, gives a strong image of flying a resort route. Therefore, the airline considers it imperative to attract business traffic on its new Narita/Jakarta route. Hiroyuki Wada, Sales Manager Eastern Japan at Garuda Indonesia said, “It is indeed important to establish sales channels via travel agencies,” citing that Garuda strives to expand sales through the travel agencies by, first, familiarizing them with the airline’s in-flight service for business travelers.

Currently, Japan Airlines (JL) is the only carrier serving Jakarta from Narita. In January 2011, however, All Nippon Airways (NH) is also scheduled to start operating the same route. Indonesia enjoys a robust economy and, with many Japanese companies expanding their markets to the country, all three airlines expect to boost their business traffic. Although a stiffer market competition is foreseen among the airlines, Garuda Indonesia is confident of a successful operation, appealing its excellent connectivity with Indonesia’s domestic flight network and also its excellent passenger services. Garuda Indonesia is currently serving 16 destinations via Jakarta with airfares all common-rated from Tokyo Nartita. Garuda passengers can complete the entry procedures on board the flight before arriving, if the Indonesian visa fee is prepaid at Narita Airport.

Wada said that Garuda will strive to offer viable airfares and services while sharing information on business traffic trend and challenges for its business traffic strategy by joining forces with the travel agencies in the effort to sell the products based on the company’s philosophy “through the eyes of customers.” As far as the 9% agency commission is concerned, the airline said, it will maintain the same rate commission.

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.

Japan Airlines (JL) and All Nippon Airways (NH) announced on August 20 the revision made to the respective winter flight schedules for fiscal year 2010. JAL will reduce a weekly frequency of its Narita/Moscow route and will address downsizing of aircraft on the Narita/Incheon route and elsewhere while increasing the frequency between Narita and Delhi. The airline will see an introduction of First Class service on the Narita/Jakarta route. All the routes currently operated under JALways flight code (JO) will be operated under JAL flight code (JL) as from December 1 this year, with the planned unification of Japan Airlines International (JLI) and JALways (JO) in efforts to improve the operational efficiency.

Meanwhile, ANA decided to postpone its original plan to increase the frequency to two daily flights from Tokyo’s Haneda to Beijing and to Shanghai since the aviation talks between the two countries have not been completed. The airline, currently operating a daily scheduled charter flight to Beijing and Shanghai from Haneda Airport, will introduce larger aircraft to partly compensate for reduced capacity from its original flight plan. Boeing B767-300ER, presently put into service on these China routes, will be replaced with Boeing B777-200ER which will bring additional seats up to 72 seats to each flight.

Also, JAL will revise flight schedules on its Narita/Hanoi, Haneda/Singapore and Haneda/Honolulu routes. ANA will address aircraft downsizing and frequency reduction on some of its routes. ANA also decided to reopen its Narita/Jakarta route from January 7, 2011 and start the Narita/Manila service from February 27.

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.

JALPAK has recently introduced JAL Pack Special “6-Days Tour to Hawaii by JAL/JALways Charter Flight from Haneda.” There are seven departures by charter flights starting from October 6, prior to the airline’s first scheduled service to Honolulu from Tokyo’s Haneda Airport slated for October 31 this year. Although the tour programs are basically different from the package tours currently operated from Narita, the tour prices are set from 9,000 yen to 32,000 yen lower in a drive to stimulate tours to Hawaii from Haneda Airport. Package tours planned on scheduled flights from Haneda, incidentally, are some 9,000 yen higher than Narita departures except for some tours since the economy class fare from Haneda is 10,000 yen higher than from Narita, said JALPAK.

Key feature of Hawaii tours from Haneda using the late evening departure and early morning arrival slots is that customers joining from the Tokyo metropolitan area can enjoy a 6-day Hawaii tour, taking only two days off. As these charter flights are scheduled to depart from Honolulu at 0200, guest rooms are kept available for late check-out. The package price also includes benefits such as free ride on the “Rainbow Trolley” exclusively for JALPAK guests and its original bus tour “Hokulea” at no additional cost. With Haneda’s new international passenger terminal becoming operational from October 21, customers leaving for Honolulu on October 18 would enjoy a rare experience of departing from the existing passenger terminal and returning to the brand new passenger terminal at Haneda.

The package tour sales meanwhile started from July 21 and the number of bookings continuously rises as the internationalization of Haneda Airport and its new international passenger terminal building continue to receive media exposures. On August 3 alone, 40 people were reportedly booked. JALPAK anticipates sellout of 40 seats on each departure totaling 336.

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.