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Japan Airlines (JAL) will begin flying to Seattle in March, a move that will bring the carrier back to the city for the first time since 1992.
JAL’s return to Seattle will come March 31, when the airline launches daily service to Tokyo Narita. JAL will fly the route with its Boeing 787-8 “Dreamliners.” The versions JAL typically flies on long international routes seat 161 passengers, include 38 in “Sky Suite” business-class seats that convert into lie-flat beds. There also and 35 recliner seats in JAL’s international Premium Economy Cabin. Tickets for the route, which still must be approved by regulators, will go on sale on Nov. 5.
JAL will become the third airline to fly nonstop between Seattle and Tokyo Narita, joining Delta and Japanese rival All Nippon Airways (ANA).
JAL says the Seattle route is part of an effort boost service to the U.S. cities with the highest demand for Japan travel. Seattle is the No. 5 market for travel from Japan, trailing Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco and Las Vegas, according to the carrier.
JAL operates a large connecting hub at Narita airport (NRT), meaning Seattle customers will be able to connect to JAL’s destinations across Asia and Australia with a connection in Tokyo.
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“JAL has established an optimal departure and arrival time to and from NRT, allowing customers to seamlessly connect throughout the carrier’s international network,” Japan Airlines says in a statement.
JAL will market the route along with joint-venture and oneworld frequent-flyer partner American Airlines.
“This new route will strengthen American and JAL’s joint business across the Pacific and meet the growing demand in the Seattle-Tokyo market,” American Airlines President Robert Isom adds in JAL’s statement. “Our customers in Seattle will soon have nonstop service to one of the world’s most important business and leisure destinations, as well as convenient connections to many other cities in Asia.”
JAL also is a partner of Seattle-based Alaska Airlines. JAL says it already codeshares with Alaska Airlines “to 16 unique destinations on 25 U.S. West Coast routes.”
With the launch of JAL’s Tokyo-Seattle route, JAL says it “will gain codeshare access to over 40 new cities on flights operated by Alaska. Through this expanded agreement, customers will be able to seamlessly connect in Seattle when traveling to and from Asia.”
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