ANA has unveiled the service details of its new AirJapan brand for medium-haul international flights.
Since the company’s brand name was announced almost a year ago, on March 8, 2022, Air Japan President Hideki Mineguchi opened with “It’s been a while,” and described the company’s services as “uniquely Japanese with a focus on quality and ideas.
First, let’s talk about the seats. The seat pitch is 32 inches (approx. 81 cm), which is the same as or higher than that of economy class seats on full-service carriers. The seat surfaces are made of synthetic leather, which has a lower environmental impact than genuine leather or vinyl chloride, and the carpet is made of recycled nylon.
Since the company is a medium-haul international brand with flights of around 7 hours, the front and rear widths are generous, allowing for deep reclining angles, which Mr. Mineguchi described as “a spacious cabin that sets them apart from LCCs.
In addition, there will be no personal monitors in the seats, and a system will be provided for users to use their own smartphones/tablets to connect to the in-flight server and watch movies, videos, and other in-flight entertainment. In-flight Wi-Fi in such cases will be free of charge, but the company is still considering whether free or paid access to the Internet will be available.
In-flight meals will not be included in the ticket, but will be pre-ordered and ordered on the day of the flight. The specific menu will be announced at a later date. The boarding music to be played during boarding and disembarkation was composed by Noeiru Kusui, a master’s degree student at Tokyo University of the Arts, in an industry-academia collaboration. It is an ensemble of Japanese and Western musical instruments.
The uniform was studied from the planning stage with the participation of current CAs. The uniform allows CAs to choose from two types of skirts and pants, and features a borderless design that can be worn by all ages and genders. The uniform is also the first in the ANA Group to use sneakers, with a choice of pumps, flats, or leather shoes.
The fabric color scheme incorporates the brand colors “indigo” and “akebono,” and the “knotted” obi around the waist of the jacket expresses Japanese traditions and ties with the users.
Mr. Mineguchi previously explained that the service would begin in the second half of FY2023, but now he is planning a more specific date of “February 2024. He said that the destination will be announced in the summer due to the number of slots available. The company also revealed that it plans to launch flights between Kansai International Airport and Southeast Asia in the future. The company is targeting demand from passengers visiting Japan, and hopes to increase its competitiveness by having two bases, one at Narita and the other at Kansai International Airport.
He stopped at stating that the destinations would be “where demand is strong,” but explained that in that case, there would be no competition within the group with ANA, as Air Japan mainly targets inbound demand, while ANA is for those who seek a higher range of fare services.
© Source travel watch
Auto Amazon Links: No products found.
Auto Amazon Links: No products found.