All About the JAL Group - CSR Report 2007

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The staff at the JAL Group work towards providing the best in products and services at each stage of the flight process — from reserving and purchasing tickets through boarding and departure to arrival at the destination — so that our customers genuinely enjoy the JAL flight experience.

Reservation Center
Staff at the reservation center take seat reservations on JAL Group routes and respond to various inquiries via telephone, working to address the needs and requests of our customers. We offer support so that unaccompanied children, passengers with babies and those in wheelchairs can freely board their flights without undue concerns.

The Key Role of Communication

I’ve been with JAL for almost a year now as a call-center manager in the London Office. I look after a complement of around 55 people from different cultures, languages and backgrounds, and that feature makes my job interesting and dynamic. This is the first time for me to work in a Japanese business environment, and I’m finding it to be a great learning experience. My main goals for this year and next are to achieve the highest level of customer service on the phones and to increase the productivity of the call center at all levels. I’m a great believer in communication being the key to success for all businesses. I will do my best to promote communication in Europe, the Middle East and Africa and to create a dynamic office where there is a willingness for change and innovation as well as respect for our customers.

Simonetta Di Benedetto
JAL European Call Center, London Office

Ticketing Counter
In addition to standard ticketing, staff at the ticketing counter respond to requests to reissue tickets as a result of rerouting as well as provide refunds where appropriate. Recently, more customers have taken advantage of the JAL Ticket Service, where tickets are delivered via mail or courier services, in addition to using paperless e-tickets.

Fulfilling Customer Needs

At the Reservation and Ticketing Department, we aim to provide customers with warm and considerate service that distinguishes JAL from other airlines. It is also important to provide satisfying service that fulfills customers’ needs. When we deal with Japanese expatriates and businessmen in Shanghai, we pay close attention to our communication skills. This is important because through thorough understanding we’re able to fully understand customers’ needs and help reduce stress for those planning to go abroad or beginning life overseas for the first time. We also propose itineraries for people planning to travel overseas and predict and circumvent problems that may occur during travel so that customers may enjoy their journeys to the fullest. We will continue to work hard at being a trusted airline chosen by customers.

Yang Peiyi
Reservation and Ticketing Department, Shanghai Office

Airport Operations
The airport is the cornerstone of the service, safety and maintenance involved in serving our customers, and work of the airport staff includes passenger operations and ground handling. Counter-based ticketing, boarding proceedings and assisting passengers at the boarding gate are the major tasks of passenger operations. Ground handling involves loading baggage onto the aircraft and a variety of departure and arrival operations. JAL also provides the JAL Priority Guest Support and JAL Smile Support services to support and assist elderly passengers, those with disabilities and passengers with children.

Importance of Teamwork

Our 65 staff assist inbound and outbound passengers on 12 flights a day. On any given day, there are countless safety issues that we may encounter. Many of these are resolved with minimal or no flight delays through the assistance of fellow JAL Group staff, subsidiary staff and management. As a relatively small department, we’ve developed a supportive network in which all staff work closely together to assist and support each section in the timely resolution of any issues. While we diligently comply with government safety regulations, all the while we’re aware that our actions, attitudes and behavior towards each passenger will create a positive or negative impression of JAL. When faced with a flight delay, we keep passengers informed through frequent announcements, offer refreshments or meals, distribute phone cards and suggest alternative flight arrangements. With the assistance and cooperation of various sections and departments, we strive to maintain customer satisfaction.

Dale Hatakeyama
Passenger Service Department, JAL Hawaii

Work of the Flight Crew
Periodic Training to Maintain Flying Techniques and Reduce Human Error
Each member of the JAL flight crew is obliged to undergo periodic proficiency screening and flight training. Any crew member who fails to pass the proficiency examination, conducted once every six months, loses the qualification to fly. JAL also uses the flight simulator in training, which is designed to help pilots cope with sudden changes in wind direction during takeoff and landing and to train them in evasion procedures at times of abnormal ground approach. Group training is conducted to ensure that the flight crew work as a team and can tackle such situations as engine trouble occurring at the same time as an onboard medical crisis. This training is designed to ensure flight safety.

http://www.jal.com/en/safety/training/training2.html

Flexible Response to Different Situations

Before each flight, we always make thorough preparations to deal with a variety of possible situations arising. But having made these preparations, we still have to respond flexibly during the flight to a wide range of cases and conditions. For example, if turbulence is reported up ahead, we immediately have to decide what to do. We could choose to prioritize passenger comfort and bypass the turbulence altogether by altering course, or we could put the emphasis on arriving on schedule and continue with our course. In such situations, we begin by checking a number of factors, including the progress of the inflight meal service and the traffic situation at the destination airport, before making the appropriate decision. I’m delighted when we arrive at the destination airport on schedule and also offer our passengers a pleasant flight.

Hisashi Sugimoto
Flight line instructor, Flight Crew Training Division

Aircraft-Operation Control
Every aircraft in the JAL fleet is under centralized control 24 hours a day every day of the year by the Operation Control Center (OCC), situated at JAL’s Tokyo headquarters. Dispatchers at the OCC continuously monitor the aircraft to ensure that they are flying normally. For example, in cases where an area of turbulence develops along the flight path and danger is anticipated, the dispatcher contacts the flight crew and directs them towards a safer route. When passengers hear inflight announcements regarding turbulence, these are based on information relayed from the ground. In cases where unexpected situations arise, including airport closures, the dispatcher may change the destination airport. The job of the OCC dispatchers is divided by area into long-distance international routes, short- and medium-distance international routes and domestic routes.

http://www.jal.com/en/safety/flight/flight2.html

Relaying Advice Quickly

The first point of contact for the flight crew in cases where the aircraft or flight equipment develops problems is the Operation Control Center. There’s quite some pressure involved in relaying appropriate advice to support the flight crew within a limited amount of time. But that’s also the challenge of the job. I’m constantly prepared to cope with anything that may arise while I’m on duty, and I’m happy when my shift ends without incident.

Maki Okashita
Operation Control Center

Role of the Cabin Crew
Providing High-Quality Service and Safety
In the aircraft cabin, it is the job of the cabin crew to protect the safety of our passengers so that they can pass their time pleasantly during the flight, secure in the knowledge that all is well. The cabin crew apply the expertise they have acquired in specialized training to provide a high-quality service. Because of irregular schedules and time differences, these staff need to have enough energy to carry out their duties. All members of the cabin crew meet before departure and after arrival for briefings at which they reconfirm their roles and responsibilities and also exchange opinions.

Cabin-Crew Training

Rescue Drills
All JAL cabin crew are obliged to undergo rescue drills once a year. Training is carried out under a variety of simulated emergency situations, involving, for example, use of the emergency exits and the indoor training pool. Joint exercises with the flight crew are also conducted so as to confirm the role of each participant and come up with better ways for the participants to cooperate with one another. At present, there are approximately 30 instructors (serving cabin-crew members) at the Emergency Training Center, where cabin-crew members undergo training almost every day.

http://www.jal.com/en/safety/training/training4.html

Atmosphere of Safety

Most of the measures taken by JAL staff to ensure safety on our flights remain invisible to the passenger. For that reason, I strive to display a serious and responsible attitude towards safety matters in the cabin as a first step to customer satisfaction. When I have to make a safety-related request of a customer, such as asking them to stow their carry-on luggage, I think it’s important to find a balanced, polite, yet firm approach. Once this atmosphere of safety has been established, I feel confident in providing warmhearted and friendly service, understanding each passenger as an individual. I try to stay aware of the fact that people come from different backgrounds and remain sensitive to such factors as body language and gestures in order to achieve full customer satisfaction. After all, this is what makes my duties most enjoyable to me.

Katharina Schnurbus
Cabin attendant, Frankfurt

The Mission of Our Maintenance Staff
Safety and Credibility
Maintenance of flight equipment on the parking apron and in the hangar, including which parts to maintain and in what manner to do so, is required by law, based on the number of hours an aircraft has flown, flight frequency and the number of days since the last mechanical check was conducted. Maintenance functions can be broadly divided into preflight checks, carried out before each departure, and the closer checks and repairs carried out during regular maintenance work, performed in the aircraft hangar. During preflight checks, in addition to inspecting stipulated items (such as dents in the fuselage or oil leaks) action is taken based on reports of malfunction or trouble received from the flight crew. The maintenance crew ensure that they uncover any potential problems and take appropriate action to fix everything within the limited time before the next scheduled departure. It is also the duty of the maintenance crew to perform last-minute checks to ensure that refueling and cabin cleaning, which are done at the same time as maintenance tasks, have been thoroughly and satisfactorily completed.

http://www.jal.com/en/safety/section/section5.html

Maintenance Outsourcing
Only Accredited and Proven Companies
JAL outsources a portion of aircraft-maintenance duties to specialized maintenance companies based largely in Singapore and China. These companies have all been accredited by such bodies as the Japanese Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration and European aviation authorities. They are commissioned with maintenance tasks by the world’s major airlines and are companies with sufficient technological capabilities and proven track records. In addition to JAL investing in SASCO in Singapore and TAECO in China, which are our major outsourcing clients, locally based JAL staff also carry out rigorous quality checks.

Rigorous Maintenance Checks

I joined the Shanghai Office in August 1994 and obtained First Class Qualified Engineer certification in December 2006. I’m now responsible for preflight checks of 767s. Completing a thorough maintenance check in the short period of time available to us before a flight departs is demanding work, but when we wave good-bye to passengers as the flight takes off, I feel a great sense of pride and satisfaction in a job well done. I will ensure that my team continues to work diligently to maintain passengers’ trust and satisfaction in what we do.

Zhou Yong
Maintenance, Shanghai Office

Airport Staff
Smooth Cargo and Baggage Transfer
At busy times, a commercial airliner may carry in excess of 20 tons of cargo. At JAL, we take the greatest care when handling cargo, which can include such items as precision equipment and artworks. We also make every effort to deliver cargo to our customers at their destination without any undue delays. Loading work requires specialized knowledge and technology, not only to protect the material being loaded but also to prevent damage to the aircraft. Staff engaged in this work have to undergo special training and obtain a proper qualification.

Operations at Anchorage

I joined JAL in 1987, and during my tenure I’ve experienced many changes at Anchorage. Initially, we were very busy dealing with cargo flights and exporting various fresh-seafood shipments to Japan along with handling daily passenger flights transiting between Japan and Europe. In 1991, our passenger flights between Japan and Europe became nonstop and we focused on cargo flights and the seafood-export business.

The summer of 1998 saw Anchorage handling passenger charters, beginning with JALways flights and then the return of JAL passenger charter flights. These flights have increased from summer charters at Anchorage to include charters managed by Anchorage staff at Fairbanks.

As we proceed into the future, we’ll continue to make efforts to contribute with new export cargoes and the safe handling of import cargoes and passenger charters, thereby providing the best service possible for our valued customers. We’re proud to be part of JAL, and we wish the best to our colleagues worldwide.

Paul Trush
Administration & Traffic, Anchorage Office

JAL Mileage Bank
More Uses for Mileage
Recent years have witnessed an increase in the number and scope of opportunities to earn mileage, extending beyond air travel to include a variety of daily activities, such as shopping and dining. For greater customer satisfaction, JAL Mileage Bank (JMB) also examines ways of increasing the number of partner companies with which customers can redeem their mileage for awards. At the same time, JMB introduces convenient services and runs various attractive campaigns. In May 2007, membership in JMB topped 20 million. Since JMB keeps personal information about our customers, we have in addition to take great care with data management and protection.

Ease of Use

I work on frequent-flyer agreements with partner airlines and plan mileage services. Since JAL joined oneworld this April, JMB members have greater opportunities for earning and redeeming mileage, and the variety of award travel has increased significantly. Mileage has to be easy to earn, use and understand. We are doing our best to create a more user-friendly program so that we will be chosen by even more customers.

Rika Matsumoto
Mileage Center

Cargo Staff

Delivering Cargo Safely, Reliably and Rapidly

Reservations
Central Counter for Reserving Cargo Space and Handling Various Inquiries
At this desk, we try to give accurate advice and reply to inquiries about cargo-handling and flight scheduling from our customers. When sending cargo overseas, restrictions and procedures differ according to the country, so our staff need to be extremely knowledgeable about the various conditions.

Exports
Protecting the Safety of Cargo and Operations
We load checked cargo onto pallets and into containers. This entails a broad variety of handling requirements, depending on the type of cargo. We have to deal with such items as dangerous goods, sensitive cargo and materials that require cold storage. It is also our responsibility to control the weight of loaded materials to maintain operational safety.

Inflight
Taking Proper Care of Cargo During the Flight
The needs and requests of our customers are relayed from the cargo staff to the responsible loading officer and flight crew. We sometimes transport such specialized loads as racehorses and works of art, and in some cases the client wishes to accompany the valuable object inflight. Staff maintain the inflight temperature at appropriate levels and keep close watch on the condition of the cargo throughout the journey.

Imports
Returning Cargo to Passengers
We break down cargo from pallets and containers following arrival and deliver it to customers as rapidly as possible after confirming the number and status of individual pieces. Our job also involves the reporting of any discovered illegal goods to customs officials.

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