Japan Airlines and fellow oneworld alliance members British Airways and Finnair
will start their planned joint business between Europe and Japan starting on
April 1, 2014.
The joint business means that the three airlines will share revenue and
cooperate on scheduling and pricing between Japan and Europe, providing
customers with more flexible routing options and an attractive range of fares.
Last October Japanese regulators gave approval to the airlines’ plans to include
Finnair in the joint business established in 2012 by British Airways and Japan
Airlines, and in February the three airlines began selling joint fares on select
routes for travel after April 1.
The joint business opens up all three airlines’ networks between Japan and
Europe and allows the airline partners to cooperate on expanding their presence
in this growing and important market. The agreement also strengthens the
oneworld alliance and enables it to compete more effectively around the world
with other global alliances.
Customer benefits of the joint business will include:
• The ability to mix and match flights on all three carriers for the most
convenient scheduling and best pricing
• Online booking capability and check-in with any of the three airlines,
regardless of which is being flown
• Integrated customer support across the three airlines
• Greater connectivity on all three airlines in case of disruption
Currently, Finnair flies daily from Helsinki to Tokyo and daily in summer (five
times per week in the winter) to Osaka and Nagoya, connecting Japan to more than
50 Finnair destinations in Europe. Japan Airlines also operates daily from Tokyo
to Helsinki, Frankfurt, Paris and London, while British Airways operates daily
flights (from April 9) from London to both Narita and Haneda airports in Tokyo.
“Since the authorities gave the green light for us to enter this joint business,
we have worked very hard with our new partners to establish a well-functioning
cooperation,” says Finnair CEO Pekka Vauramo. “Together, the three of us will
constitute the single largest player in Europe-Japan traffic, offering an
extremely competitive customer proposition in this vital market.”
“The start of three carriers’ joint business between Europe and Japan is one of
the great milestones in our Mid-Term Management Plan,” says President of JAL
Yoshiharu Ueki. “Tighter cooperation with our oneworld partners, British Airways
and Finnair, will provide more seamless, consistent services and more travel
choices for our customers.”
Keith Williams, British Airways’ Executive Chairman said: “Finnair’s inclusion
in the joint business with British Airways and Japan Airlines will open up a
whole new world of opportunity for customers travelling between Japan and
Europe. With an expanded range of routes, special fares and greater rewards for
frequent flyers, it has never been a better time to plan your journey between
east and west.”