Squirrel83 From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Posted (7 years 12 months 1 day 1 hour ago) and read 2822 times:
Japan Airlines will halt Honolulu service from Fukuoka in the fall, halve its service from Osaka, and cancel all service to Saipan, according to Japan media reports.
JAL's plans have not been officially announced but appeared in the Wednesday editions of the Nihon Keizai Shimbun and the magazine Wing Travel. Both said JAL had decided to cut back on unprofitable flights.
The October cutback in Hawaii airlift, foretold days ago by the Honolulu-based Japan Report, has the potential to limit growth in Japanese visitor traffic.
When JAL stopped flying to Hawaii from Sapporo, Japan Report said, vacationers from Hokkaido simply stopped coming to Hawaii and flew instead to Korea, which is still accessible to them by direct flights. But Nihon Keizai says JAL also plans to end Fukuoka flights to Seoul and Hong Kong.
The paper also reported that JAL intends to eliminate one of its two daily flights to Honolulu from Osaka.
Osaka is the second biggest metroplex in Japan. Both United Airlines and Northwest Airlines also fly between Osaka and Honolulu.
Ikramerica From United States of America, joined May 2005, 21025 posts, RR: 60 Reply 2, posted (7 years 12 months 1 day 1 hour ago) and read 2799 times:
CO seems to think Japan service is a good idea, so maybe they will take over some routes (though they are short of wide bodies to do such things).
JAL just flew back into Kona this winter with a charter. I was there that first day, with 2 JAL 747s at one time at the little international arrivals building in Kona. Might JAL increase it's holiday charter service in place of scheduled mainline service?
Of all the things to worry about... the Wookie has no pants.
M404 From United States of America, joined Nov 2003, 2213 posts, RR: 5 Reply 4, posted (7 years 12 months 22 hours ago) and read 2584 times:
Hope this helps the UA/NWA bottom line. Seems odd the JAL would say the same routes NW op are not profitable. Interesting cost structures. Assume UA is lowest "cost" American company now after all the BK proceedings and are starting to irritate others nations carriers.
I don't understand the Korean comparison to Hawaii. Any insights?
Less sarcasm and more thought equal better understanding
Ha763 From United States of America, joined Jan 2003, 3492 posts, RR: 6 Reply 5, posted (7 years 12 months 18 hours ago) and read 2407 times:
I already knew this was coming. My boss told us at work 2 weeks ago. What I found surprising is that I was originally expecting JL76/JL75 from NRT to be cut when my boss said we were going to drop 2 flights. This flight and JL88/87 from KIX are the flights cancelled when load are light.
Quoting M404 (Reply 4): I don't understand the Korean comparison to Hawaii. Any insights?
The article is saying that Hokkaido pax want non-stop flights. They lost their regularly scheduled non-stop flight to Hawaii, but didn't lose their non-stop Korea flight. So, instead of connecting through NRT to get to Hawaii, they just started going to Korea.
Quoting DIA (Reply 1): Last I heard, JAL was #1 at HNL in terms of total pax numbers. Will this change that, passing the torch to UA, or A^A. . .etc.?
JAL/JAZ is #1 in terms of international pax and flights. They will still hold on to this even after dropping the flights.
The 2005-2007 plan for JAL was to increase JAZ flying, but these cuts seem to affect JAZ flying more than anything. Almost all flights out of Hawaii are done by JAZ pilots and FAs. The same goes for Saipan.
AMS From United States of America, joined Aug 2003, 1689 posts, RR: 12 Reply 6, posted (7 years 12 months 18 hours ago) and read 2394 times:
I know that JAL is flying DC-10's between FUK/SPK and Honolulu, just wondering if the retirement of JL DC-10's is also a factor in these route cancellations?
Carpethead From Japan, joined Aug 2004, 2769 posts, RR: 4 Reply 8, posted (7 years 12 months 17 hours ago) and read 2336 times:
All these flights are full of low-yield package group tours. They are probably loss making routes most of the year while only making money during traditional holidays when prices for these tours skyrocket.
The retirement of the DC-10 is one reason, but it is obvious that JL isn't replacing them for a one-to-one basis with 772ER/763ERs.
Since most US carriers are short of widebody jets, perhaps CO/CS is interesting in taking over some routes from GUM/SPN to Japan. They expanded flights to Hiroshima last year. Perhaps a return to KIX is in the works. A mainland based 738 could be certified to ETOPS and put it in GUM.
I wonder HA would like to commence service to Japan. 763ERs have range to cover any Hawaii-Japan route. They expressed interest in Tokyo Narita but unfortunately turned away by the NAA.
Johnboy From United States of America, joined Aug 1999, 2469 posts, RR: 1 Reply 9, posted (7 years 12 months 16 hours ago) and read 2194 times:
I don't understand the comparison between Hawai'i and Korea either. I DO understand the explanation, but one is a tropical paradise, and the other..........isn't (ahem).
Has Hawai'i gotten more expensive for Japanese that they would visit the beaches of Korea instead of Waikiki (even if they had to change planes in Osaka or Tokyo)?
Ryanair!!! From Singapore, joined Mar 2002, 4652 posts, RR: 27 Reply 10, posted (7 years 12 months 14 hours ago) and read 2079 times:
In summer, the beaches in Korea are as good as those found in Hawaii. Cheju island is one such example of an island resort specifically catered for that purpose... summer beach holiday makers!
Welcome to my starry one world alliance, a team in the sky!
Gamarocchi From Italy, joined Nov 2003, 198 posts, RR: 1 Reply 11, posted (7 years 12 months 13 hours ago) and read 2037 times:
And what is more, Korea is becoming a "sweet place to visit" in the minds of many Japanese people (especially women) due to the smash-hit-success of Korean Tv dramas, while the US popularity is not growing in Japan. And then, Japanese economy is not so good and the Japanese are becoming... cost conscious at the end. So. Korea UP, Hawaii down...
FA4UA From United States of America, joined Nov 2003, 812 posts, RR: 22 Reply 12, posted (7 years 12 months 13 hours ago) and read 1997 times:
Last weekend while on my SFO-NRT flight I was reading in a major Japanese Paper (I forgot which one) that JAL is taking heat from all sides on it's poor financial performance. The article said that thier insitence on flying unprofitable routes is in part due to the nation's expectation to have a broad presence and can be considered part of Japanese foreign relations. This action of cutting service makes sense because the article spoke of how it was time for JAL to re-evaluate each and every route and cut the unprofitable ones.
Meanwhile at the Star Alliance camp... ANA is posting great numbers as it increases it's focus on domestic flying.
FA4UA
The debate continues... Starwood or Hyatt... which is better
Ha763 From United States of America, joined Jan 2003, 3492 posts, RR: 6 Reply 13, posted (7 years 12 months 12 hours ago) and read 1981 times:
Quoting AMS (Reply 6): I know that JAL is flying DC-10's between FUK/SPK and Honolulu, just wondering if the retirement of JL DC-10's is also a factor in these route cancellations?
The plan was to replace the DC-10s on Hawaii routes with a mix of 767-300s and 777-200s with the 777-300s eventually replacing some 747s. Currently, JAL uses the 767-300 and 777-200 for extra section and charters from secondary airport flights.
Quoting Carpethead (Reply 8): I wonder HA would like to commence service to Japan. 763ERs have range to cover any Hawaii-Japan route. They expressed interest in Tokyo Narita but unfortunately turned away by the NAA.
HA wasn't turned away, they just couldn't get the right slots to make it worthwhile. The same goes for AA, who ended up getting the route authority after HA dropped it. They haven't started NRT-HNL due to the same slot issues.
Ikramerica From United States of America, joined May 2005, 21025 posts, RR: 60 Reply 14, posted (7 years 12 months 11 hours ago) and read 1899 times:
American also delayed their LAX-NRT for a year (2003 to 2004). I assume American will do HNL-NRT eventually, but with 763ERs with no real first class, correct?
Of all the things to worry about... the Wookie has no pants.
Cessna172RG From United States of America, joined Aug 2000, 744 posts, RR: 0 Reply 15, posted (7 years 12 months 11 hours ago) and read 1878 times:
From my experience, most Japanese go to Hawaii during Golden Week (end of April, first part of May), during Christmas, and in August. That is when that Fukuoka-Honolulu flight gets full. I know this from personal experience in Japan, where my job that I used to have (now I work for Horizon, need to update my flag...) would send kids and parents to Hawaii during Christmas and August, and would have problems getting tickets on those flights.
Carpethead From Japan, joined Aug 2004, 2769 posts, RR: 4 Reply 16, posted (7 years 12 months 9 hours ago) and read 1839 times:
Previosuly, JL flew daily from CTS-HNL and six-weekly from Sendai (SDJ) to HNL with DC-10s. Obviously, load factors and profitability was good during traditional long or even long weekends, but even fare sales during the low season didn't help much with yield or load factors. Thus elimination of these routes to charter status. JL will put more emphasis on charter operations to these low-yield destination rather than operate them on a fixed schedule.
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