East Asian Airlines Upgrade
ANA, JAL, Tiger Airways, Malaysia Airlines and Singapore Airlines
East Asia Airlines offer better entertainment and more flights, plus a dedicated business traveller section between Japan and China from ANA.
All Nippon Airways (ANA) now has a specialist business traveller service between Nagoya’s Central Airport and Guangzho. It is presumed that this is because many senior executives in Japan will not travel with those of a lower rank in the company. However, the ANA flights are a two-class operation unlike those of some newer one-class executive services operating from Europe. The 48-seat Boeing 7370700-ER has 24 business class and 24 economy class seats both in a 2 x 2 configuration, with the Club class having a pitch of 61” and economy having 38” pitch.
This is ANA’s fifth international route from Nagoya (and they offer 20 destinations in China with 147 flights per week), and it is a flight specifically tailored for the business community.
Japan Airlines (JAL) became a member of One World on 1st April 2007 since when it has been offering a full range of the alliance’s services and benefits. Five other members of the JAL group have become part of One World alongside Japan Airlines as affialiates - JALways, Japan Asia Airways, J-AIR and Japan Transocean Air.
To mark the occasion, JAL has painted the first of two new Boeing 777’s with a special new One World design to celebrate their joining the global airline alliance. The aircraft will initially operate between Japan, Amsterdam and Paris, but will service other European routes as well in the future.
Also joining One World as members on April 1st were Malév Hungarian airlines and Royal Jordanian. LAN Argentina and LAN Ecuador joined as affiliantes.
Malaysia Airlines is going to codeshare with Italian carrier Alitalia, on flights between Malaysai, Australia and southern Europe as and from 1st June 2007. From this date Alitalia will have access to Malaysia Airline seats on all flights between Kuala Lumpur and Rome, and between Kuala Lumpur and Penang in Malaysia, while Malaysia Airline customers will be able to fly to Rome, Milan, Barcelona, Athens, Geneva, Frankfurt and Madrid from Rome.
At the moment there are no facilities to earn and redeem airlmiles on each other’s flights but the matter is being discussed.
Tiger Airways. Singapore’s low fare airline Tiger Airways has just launched its portable inflight entertainment sets which it promises will transform the passengers inflight cabin into a cinema, on the routes between Singapore and Perth (Australia) and Singapore- Darwin (Australia). Features include movies, TV programmes, sports, documentaries and MTV, plus electronic games for children.
It is planned to make these sets available for rental on all flights to Australia.
has just signed a SG$1million tourist agreement with the state government of Victoria, Australia in which both parties commit to the funding of a programme to promote Victoria in Asian markets served by Singapore Airlines - Japan, China, India and Singapore.
Singapore Airlines
The airline currently runs 3 daily flights to Melbourne and provides a vital link between that city and key markets funnelled through its Singapore hub.. Victoria has a long term plan to increase its international tourism stake and over the next two years expect to see a campaign to raise its profile as a holiday destination.
