Both the UK's SKYTRAX and the US's APEX are agencies that rate airlines. By 2020, JAL had been certified as a 5-star airline, the highest level, by SKYTRAX for three consecutive years. JAL's high-quality service has also been recognized by APEX. However, since last year, the impact of the global COVID-19 pandemic has significantly changed the environment surrounding airlines, as well as the quality standards required.
Infection control has become quality itself: Changes in the services required of airlines
Park: "Before COVID-19, all of the rating agencies evaluated products and services for customers, such as airport and in-flight services (quality of in-flight meals and seats, etc.). However, after COVID-19, customer values changed, and infection control measures themselves became the quality that customers wanted."
This is what Park Na-hye of the Customer Experience Division said. In response to changes in society, SKYTRAX and APEX also conducted an infectious disease prevention audit as a new evaluation in 2021.
Park: "They checked whether masks and social distancing were being required at airports, lounges, on board aircraft, and in all other places used by customers, and whether hygiene and cleanliness were being maintained. In addition, each company was searching for ways to combat COVID-19 and rebuilding their services. At the time, there was no standard like the '5-star standard,' and we had implemented thorough measures, so we went into the audit with confidence."
Received the highest ranking from two international rating agencies
As a result, JAL's thorough safety and security efforts have been highly praised, with the company receiving a 5-star rating in SKYTRAX's "COVID-19 Airline Safety Rating" and the highest rating of Diamond in APEX's "Health Safety Powered by SimpliFlying Audit."
Park: "Both SKYTRAX and APEX had similar evaluation criteria, but APEX also placed emphasis on collaboration with other companies. For example, our efforts to collaborate with PCR testing institutions were also highly evaluated."
JAL has been working with multiple testing agencies from an early stage to provide a service where customers can take a PCR test before traveling or going on a business trip. In addition, we have partnered with Allianz Travel to provide a service called "JAL Corona Cover" that covers medical expenses and accommodation costs for customers who use international flights if they test positive during their trip. We have collaborated not only within JAL but also with other companies. From March 2021, we have also started a service where customers who use domestic flights can take a PCR test for 2,000 yen (2,500 miles), which is even more comprehensive.
A completely touchless boarding experience at the airport
Let's take a look at our past efforts and latest measures along the path customers take when traveling by plane. The airport is a must-visit place before your flight. JAL has promoted "JAL SMART AIRPORT," which provides seamless boarding procedures, including the introduction of self-service baggage check-in machines. Yasuharu Onishi from the Airport Headquarters explains the new features added in 2021.
Onishi: "Since March, we have been installing touchless sensors on our self-service check-in machines, so that you can operate them without touching them, just by bringing your finger close to the screen. Installation was completed in April this year at major airports such as Haneda, Chitose, Itami, Fukuoka and Okinawa. In addition, self-service baggage check-in machines will be installed at these airports during fiscal 2021, and we will provide our customers with a smoother and more comfortable boarding experience with 'JAL SMART AIRPORT.' Thanks to this, we have received comments from customers who have not visited the airport for a while saying, 'I didn't realize it had become so advanced!'"
"JAL SMART AIRPORT" is an initiative that started before the COVID-19 pandemic. With this touchless initiative, we have achieved contactless travel for all steps up to boarding the aircraft.
Park: "The SKYTRAX auditors were also interested in the non-contact sensors!"
Additionally, within the airport, we are working to enable ground staff to provide services without having to come into direct contact with customers, while still maintaining the same level of service.
Onishi: "Since 2020, Haneda Airport has been operating a customer guidance robot called "JET" that is remotely controlled by ground staff. We also have an autonomous wheelchair called "WHILL" that was introduced in collaboration with the airport building. This is an unmanned robot that takes customers to their destination gate and then automatically returns to its base. There are currently two in operation, and we plan to increase this number in the future."
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, JAL has accelerated a series of initiatives, including these contactless initiatives in airport lounges.
Contactless lounge service without compromising on quality
Okamoto: "At the lounge, we ask that you disinfect your hands at the reception desk, and we are taking basic measures against infectious diseases such as installing partitions and having staff wear masks and gloves, but we are also strengthening our contactless efforts."
Yuki Okamoto of the Customer Experience Division said, "We offer a variety of services, including meals, in the lounge, and we have reviewed each one of them."
Okamoto: "Until now, the dining room has been buffet style, but customers still have to touch the lids and tongs, and even if we change and clean them more frequently, many customers are still bothered by this. So initially, we served everything individually wrapped. However, since many frequent flyers use the restaurant, we couldn't compromise on the texture. So, taking inspiration from the initiatives of foreign luxury hotels, we also introduced a mobile ordering system. This is a restaurant-like service where you can order food from your browser by scanning a QR code on the table with your smartphone or other device, and a member of staff will bring the food directly to your table. We have wanted to introduce a mobile ordering system for some time."
There are also magazines and newspapers available for your use in the lounge, and we have begun efforts to digitize these.
"Just recently, we made it possible for customers to view the magazines on their own smartphones in the domestic lounge at Haneda Airport. When they connect their device to the lounge's Wi-Fi, they can automatically jump to the e-book page. We used to throw away large quantities of paper magazines, so going digital has benefits from the perspective of the SDGs. In the future, we would like to expand this service not only to Haneda Airport, but all over the world."
Manual wiping, cleaning and disinfection by cleaning staff
Customers who use airports where thorough infection control measures are in place will board the aircraft through the boarding gate. Thorough infection control measures are also in place on board. Cleaning and disinfection are key. Ryuta Matsuyama of JAL Engineering's Haneda Aircraft Maintenance Center looks back on the response to the spread of COVID-19.
Matsuyama: "In February 2020, we first began disinfecting cabins on routes to China. From there, we gradually expanded the number of routes, and by the end of April, disinfection of all aircraft cabins became standard. The difficult part about cleaning and disinfecting is that we have to do it between the limited time between flights. So we established a cycle where we thoroughly disinfect international flights, which have long time gaps between flights, and pinpoint cleaning for domestic flights, which have short time gaps, and then do an even more thorough cleaning and disinfection at night."
Each airline has different cleaning and disinfection methods, but at JAL, our cleaning staff thoroughly cleans and disinfects every nook and cranny using hand wipes recommended by the WHO.
"What we want is true safety and peace of mind. The cleaning team all began cleaning and disinfecting the plane at once, focusing on areas that customers are likely to touch, wiping each and every area carefully with human eyes to ensure that the chemicals reach every nook and cranny. This adds a new process that we didn't have before, but because our job requires us to not disrupt regular operations, we've introduced chemicals that can clean and disinfect at the same time, and are making efforts to thoroughly disinfect even between the limited number of flights."
Aiming to be the most beautiful in-flight restroom in the world
Once the cleaning staff has kept the cabin clean, the baton is passed on to the flight attendants. Even before COVID-19, JAL had received high marks from SKYTRAX in terms of hygiene and cleanliness.
Matsumoto: "Japan is known for having a high level of hygiene even on a global scale, and customers who use JAL often have the impression that Japan and JAL are 'a clean country and an airline with clean cabins.' In order to meet these expectations, cabin attendants learn thoroughly about in-flight space design and service methods from the training they receive after joining the company. In particular, the lavatories are the place where customers are most concerned about hygiene and cleanliness, so we carry out frequent cleaning even during flights, with the motto 'JAL lavatories are the most beautiful in the world,' passed down from our predecessors for generations. Since the COVID-19 outbreak, in addition to introducing cleaning tools, we have created a cleaning procedure manual with advice from external organizations with specialized knowledge."
Yuka Matsumoto of the Cabin Staff Division explains: "There is a wide range of services on board, including food, drinks, and entertainment, but the cabin attendants who are in direct contact with passengers pay the utmost attention to detail.
In-flight service pursues the highest level of satisfaction even with contactless operation
Matsumoto: "The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly changed the situation on board. Cabin attendants now wear masks, gloves, and safety glasses, as well as protective clothing and face shields when cleaning. We have also created new forms of service, such as reviewing the style and procedures for serving in-flight meals and introducing guidance methods using electronic devices."
Even while hygiene considerations are a necessity, our number one priority is to "not compromise the quality of service expected of JAL."
Matsumoto: "As a full-service carrier, we have always placed great importance on the service that is born from the interaction between customers and crew. However, now that contactless travel has become a consideration, we have had to make major changes to how we communicate with customers. We are searching for the best way to provide service, such as changing to in-flight announcements and using drink and menu cards that allow us to ask customers what they want without having to speak."
On the other hand, there are also customers who want the same services as before. Now that more than a year has passed since the spread of the infection, we will consider appropriate services while also utilizing digitalization in order to flexibly understand diversifying needs and provide the best service.
Various measures will be implemented before and after flights in the future
The series of measures taken during the COVID-19 pandemic were designed to ensure the safety and security of our customers, but we would like to significantly expand the framework of these measures going forward.
Park: "As the department that has been in charge of JAL's safety and security efforts, the Customer Experience Headquarters is currently taking on new challenges. During the first phase, when the infection spread, we focused on thorough cleaning and disinfection. Since then, we have been proactive in anticipating the situation, leading the industry in promoting contactless and automated travel using digital technology, and enhancing support for traveling with peace of mind, such as PCR testing services. In the next phase, we have begun creating a system that will provide not only safety, but also peace of mind and comfort. We would like to provide support to eliminate anxiety when traveling, ways to use mileage points to promote health, and comfortable travel that does not make you feel tired, including in your daily life. In a society that has experienced the COVID-19 pandemic, healthy living is more important than ever. We would like to help you achieve this."
This is an approach that includes both before and after the flight. We are preparing to widely utilize the know-how we have cultivated through our efforts during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Onishi: "In order to provide even greater safety and security to our customers at the airport, we plan to apply an anti-viral and anti-bacterial coating to areas that customers touch. This work will be carried out by JAL Group staff. By expanding this initiative to public facilities and public transportation as one thing we can do now, we hope to not only contribute to society, but also provide comprehensive safety and security to our customers throughout their entire journey."
Further refining our approach to safety and security
At the same time, we will continue to not only broaden our approach, but also deepen it. We are further refining the hygiene quality that JAL provides to our customers.
Matsuyama: "Going forward, we will be focusing on the prevention phase, such as applying antiviral and antibacterial coatings to the interior of our aircraft. Compared to what can be used on the ground, the standards for chemicals that can be used on aircraft are stricter, so we have been conducting verification over the last few months to see if they would have any effect on the aircraft, and we have finally found a special chemical that has been recognized as safe and has a long-lasting effect. This coating work will begin in April and is scheduled to be completed by the end of July (for some group airlines by the end of the year). This is the first such initiative by a Japanese airline, and it is a measure we have taken with the desire to make our customers feel more secure than ever before when using our aircraft."
In this series of initiatives, even as we improve the quality of safety and security, it will remain our basic premise that we do not neglect the quality of our service.
Okamoto: "JAL's policy is not to lower the quality of meals or discontinue services as a COVID-19 countermeasure. We first consider how we can continue while ensuring safety and peace of mind. The key to this is digitalization. In addition to mobile ordering at the lounge, we would like to provide a shower room reservation system in the future. This can be completed using only a browser without the use of a dedicated app. We place importance on making it easy to use for as many customers as possible."
Of course, we are having thorough discussions to ensure that we can continue to provide high-quality service not only on the ground but also in the air.
Matsumoto: "As a department that directly interacts with customers, we strongly feel that we do not want to give up on the unique JAL service that we have cultivated up to now. We have also established a teleworking system so that all cabin attendants can acquire new knowledge and receive education, and 'it's because of COVID' is no longer an excuse. Our future challenge is to thoroughly implement education and operations, and to maintain and manage a safe and secure in-flight environment and service quality."
We will continue to improve the quality of our services with the cooperation of our customers.
The high evaluations of SKYTRAX and APEX were due to our ongoing efforts in various areas amid the COVID-19 pandemic. At the same time, these high evaluations were also made possible thanks to the cooperation of our customers.
Onishi: "I've mainly talked about our own efforts, but we also rely heavily on our customers' cooperation. We've taken measures with the cooperation of each and every customer, such as taking temperatures, wearing masks, and minimizing carry-on luggage. We're truly grateful for our customers' cooperation."
Park: "The judges from SKYTRAX commented that JAL customers have a high awareness of cleanliness, and that the reason JAL's cabins are so clean is not only due to the diligent cleaning by our flight attendants, but also due in large part to the cooperation of our customers. I believe that we were able to win this award thanks to the cooperation of our customers, more than anything else."
JAL will continue to strengthen its pre-travel support system and efforts to welcome customers in a hygienic and clean environment at all scenes, including at the airport and on board, in order to provide safer and more secure services and improve their quality.
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The contents published are accurate at the time of publication and are subject to change.
