Japan carriers woo flyers with extra bag allowance
Times of India | 5 December 2024
12 Kolkata: Japanese carriers Japan Airlines (JAL) and All Nippon Airways (ANA) plan to leverage their code-share agreements with Indian carriers to attract more tourists from Kolkata to the land of the rising sun.
While ANA entered into a code-share agreement with Air India this May, allowing passengers purchasing a ticket to Tokyo via Delhi to carry two bags of 23 kg each for those flying economy and two bags of 32 kg each for those flying business class, the code-share agreement between JAL and IndiGo that begins on Dec 16 will allow economy passengers flying into Tokyo via Delhi to carry two bags of 23 kg each and those flying business class to take three bags of 32 kg each.
There are two airports in Tokyo, Narita and Haneda. "Japan is one of the best shopping destinations, and Indians, Kolkatans in particular, love to shop when they go abroad. We offer one of the best baggage allowances in the industry that will allow a business class passenger to carry 96 kg of luggage on both our flights as well as partner airline IndiGo without any additional charge," said JAL vice-president & regional manager Akihito Takei.
Robin Tamang of ANA said the code-share agreement led to an increase in traffic from Kolkata via Delhi and hoped the promotion of tourism in Japan by the Japan National Tourism Organisation would attract more travellers.
Apart from ANA and JAL, Air India has four direct flights a week to Tokyo. "Kolkata had direct JAL flights to Tokyo till the 1970s. Thereafter, Thai Airways and Malaysia Airlines carried passengers from the city to Japan. We hope to change that with the code-share agreements," Takei added.
Japanese consul general Nakagawa Koichi hoped people from Bengal and Kolkata who love to travel will enjoy Japan's unique culture, cuisine, and hospitality. "We have forests, mountains, beaches, hot springs, friendly people, and local festivals," he said, adding that the Hindi movie starring Aamir Khan's son Junaid, shot against the backdrop of the Sapporo landscapes in Hokkaido, is expected to give tourism to the country from India a fillip.
Incidentally, the consulate of Japan in Kolkata, established in 1905, is one of the oldest foreign missions of Japan and is the first in India. "If you avoid the traditional Japanese holidays, Golden Week in May, Obon Week in August, and Christmas in December, it is fine," she said. The exchange rate is 100 yen to Rs 54.