The JAL Group announced today a number of upgrades of international in-flight services and amenities, with the focus on the installation of the airline`s award-winning business class seat, the `JAL Shell Flat` seat, on four more international routes.
From February the award-winning JAL `Shell Flat seat` will be available on both sectors of the daily Paris-Tokyo flights JL405/406. The seat, already installed on all London-Tokyo and New York-Tokyo flights will be introduced during the year on JAL`s second daily Paris-Tokyo flight and four more international routes: Chicago-Tokyo, Frankfurt-Tokyo, Los Angeles-Tokyo and San Francisco-Tokyo flights.
The `Shell Flat seat`, first introduced in 2002 in Japan Airlines` own brand business class - ``JAL Executive Class-Seasons``- won Japan`s “Good Design Award” for 2003. The award is in the product design category of the top Japanese design award program sponsored annually by the Japan Industrial Design Council (JIDC).
In December 2002 The Chicago Athenaeum Museum of Architecture and Design awarded its coveted Good Design Award for 2002 to the JAL Shell Flat Seat, which was designed by B/E Aerospace Design Studio and the Japanese G-K Industrial Design Group.
Also in February JAL is to introduce the JAL `New Skysleeper Solo` seats in first class on the daily London-Tokyo B747-400 flights, JL402/401. This seat is already in service on JAL`s New York-Tokyo flights and the airline plans to introduce it on the Chicago-Tokyo route during the year.
The JAL New Skysleeper Solo, created by British designer Ross Lovegrove, was the winner of the 2002 Japan “Good Design Award” in the product design category.
In June first class passengers will be able to enjoy meals reserved in advance. This reservation service will open from May 1st for flights from June 1st. Passengers will be able to reserve their main meal, either Japanese or western, from the appropriate menu.
Another major new JAL in-flight service amenity for all classes (first, business and economy) is the installation from December 2004 of the Connexion by Boeing (CBB) high-speed broadband communication service on JAL aircraft.
JAL will be the first Asian airline to introduce the CBB Internet access and e-mail system and the first aircraft equipped will operate on the London-Tokyo route. JAL will later extend the coverage to other long-haul flights on routes between Japan and Europe and the Americas, equipping Boeing 747-400 and 777 aircraft.
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