JAL's Hawaii route has a history of over 65 years, carrying the dreams of many Japanese people since the 1960s when it was called the "dream Hawaii route." It is now easier to travel to Hawaii than it was in the past, but regular flights are currently suspended due to the spread of the coronavirus. Therefore, we have planned a special charter flight in order to give people a taste of Hawaiian travel, even if just a little.
Planning a charter flight to promote Hawaii
Hasegawa: "As the number of international flights continues to be significantly reduced due to the COVID-19 pandemic, there were various thoughts within JAL about our long history of flights to Hawaii. Many people expressed a desire to 'liven up Hawaii,' and a volunteer group called the 'Hawaii Liven Up Squad' was formed. However, flights cannot be flown on feelings alone. We wondered if we could come up with a plan that would be imbued with emotion, and so this project was launched."
Arisa Hasegawa of the Public Relations Department looked back on the project. We asked JAL's travel agency, JALPAK, for help in planning a tour that would give people the feeling of traveling to Hawaii by having them board a domestic charter flight. Keiko Tanaka of the company continued:
Tanaka: "The project was launched in early October. JALPAK has a special attachment to Hawaii, so we really wanted to create excitement for the area."
The details of the charter flight were discussed at a rapid pace, with the flight date of November 14th in sight.
Tanaka: "The key to the project was how to bring out the essence of Hawaii."
Hasegawa: "There are many people who want regular flights to Hawaii, so we wanted to communicate JAL's long history with Hawaii. So we thought about what kind of plan we could come up with, how we could make our customers happy, and how much we could accomplish in a one-month period. And the idea that emerged was the revival of Resortscha."
Recreating Resortscha. Programs and amenities based on ideas.
Resortaccia was a resort route campaign that ran from 1994 to 2008. It introduced specially painted aircraft and incorporated ideas such as providing plans and amenities for customers to enjoy on board. This time, we began trial and error to see if we could create a flight that incorporated the atmosphere and essence of that time.
Hasegawa: "We revived the popular in-flight bingo project. We prepared an instruction video to help customers who enjoyed the game at the time reminisce about the atmosphere, and we also prepared prizes such as stainless steel bottles and mugs with the Resort's logo, accommodation vouchers, and domestic award tickets. We also ordered flight attendant uniforms from the department in charge at the time."
Tanaka: "We also prepared a handmade boarding certificate. It's a special item that can only be obtained by those who boarded on that day."
Other special amenities and gifts included towels and neck straps. The Hawaii Cheering Squad wrote message cards for the guests, and ground staff voluntarily helped carry them in, making for a truly handmade preparation.
In addition, while there are set routes for charter flights, this time a special arrangement was made. A route was set up over areas reminiscent of Hawaii and resorts, such as the former Hawaicho (now Yurihamacho) in Tottori Prefecture and Shirarahama Beach in Wakayama Prefecture, which has a sister beach partnership with Waikiki Beach in Honolulu, and a 3 hour 20 minute flight program was completed.
The odds of winning the lottery were more than seven times higher. The event was packed with Hawaii lovers.
Applications were accepted by lottery. We received far more applications than we had hoped for, and the event was packed with customers on the day.
Hasegawa: "We were able to have many customers, mainly in their 40s to 60s, who enjoyed the Rizotcha, and their families, participate as well. Thanks to you, it was very well received, and some customers even brought back prizes from the past that they had brought home."
Kona beer, which is served on flights to Hawaii, was provided on board to enhance the Hawaiian atmosphere.
Tanaka: "We received a lot of feedback from customers, with comments like, 'The special flight was fun,' and 'I was happy to receive the handwritten message.' We also received messages of support for JAL, which has been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, which has really encouraged us."
Hasegawa: "Even though many of our customers had never experienced bingo, I think it got them thinking about Hawaii. I felt their strong desire to go to Hawaii. We also had many media representatives on board, including those from television and newspapers. We were very grateful that they showed interest."
JAL offers a variety of charter flights
The "Hawaii Feeling Tour Charter" came to a close with applause from passengers on board, and a second one is scheduled for December 28th.
Hasegawa: "For the second round, we want to make the flight even more comfortable and satisfying. We will be running charter flights not only for Hawaii, but also for Singapore, and charter flights for stargazing at the Chubu Centrair International Airport. We are also planning to run Christmas and the traditional first sunrise flights. We have received requests from our customers, so we would like to make these a reality."
The joy of flying is not just getting to your destination in the shortest time. JAL will continue to plan charter flights that allow you to enjoy the flight itself. We are sure you will enjoy our carefully designed charter flights.
We'll take you behind the scenes of JAL's work, including inside stories on the introduction of the A350 and the development of in-flight meal menus.
The contents published are accurate at the time of publication and are subject to change.
