Japan Airlines' service makes passengers hesitant to lose their temper

The last thing you want when traveling by air is to encounter "flight delays" or "cancellations." Sometimes, being stuck in the cabin for extended periods with no one in charge—no flight attendants in sight, poor service attitudes, lack of accurate information, reasonable explanations, or reassurance—can ignite passengers' anger. Some even resort to outrageous behavior. While such incidents are inevitable during travel, resentment or anger won’t change anything, so it’s best not to get upset and treat these as minor unexpected hiccups in your journey.

Japan Airlines, whose core spirit is safe operations and thoughtful service, places great emphasis on punctuality in addition to safety. Every passenger’s time is precious, and only an airline that strictly values punctuality can ensure flights depart on time—a principle Japan Airlines takes very seriously. However, during a recent vacation, I experienced an unexpected hiccup when my Japan Airlines Flight 809 from Tokyo to Taipei was delayed.

Flight 809 was originally scheduled for boarding at 5:40 PM and departure at 6:00 PM. But at 5:25 PM, ground staff announced in Japanese, Chinese, and English that due to a malfunction in the passenger check-in and boarding systems, the flight would be delayed. Further details would be provided at 5:40 PM, and passengers were welcome to contact ground staff for assistance with any issues. They expressed deep apologies for the inconvenience. The tone conveyed Japan Airlines' sincere regret, and the information provided was quite transparent, so there was no sign of passenger agitation or cursing.

True to their word, at 5:40 PM, ground staff made another punctual announcement, but the system was still down, with further updates to come at 6:00 PM. Then, right on schedule at 6:00 PM, ground staff announced again that the system issue couldn’t be resolved but that boarding was expected to begin at 6:20 PM. They apologized for the inconvenience. At that point, I wondered how boarding would proceed if the system was down—unless they manually tore tickets and recorded passenger names, which would be time-consuming and, with limited staff, would likely cause significant delays.

Yet, before 6:20 PM, a large contingent of backup ground staff and office supervisors appeared at the gate. Sure enough, boarding began at 6:20 PM. Ground staff manually tore boarding passes and sincerely said, "申し訳ございません (We’re very sorry)." Several supervisors then acted as runners, delivering the torn boarding passes to a group of supervisors at the back who were recording names by hand. As they passed through, these supervisors also apologized to passengers, saying, "申し訳ございません (We’re very sorry)." There were about eight of them, all sharing a sense of mission: "The flight is delayed, and we deeply apologize." Each professionally and skillfully assisted with this archaic boarding process to get the flight off the ground as soon as possible. Honestly, having flown with many airlines, when delays occur, it’s usually junior staff who show up—never the supervisors. Seeing such a high-level response from management was truly unique to Japan Airlines’ work culture. Their exceptional Japanese-style service left passengers with touching, memorable experiences.

After boarding, due to the outdated boarding process and issues with mismatched passenger counts, there was still a long wait on the plane. But the captain and the purser, Ms. Haruna, made announcements about the flight status roughly every ten minutes. That day, Taiwanese flight attendant Rebecca handled Chinese announcements. Each time, aside from providing flight updates, her tone conveyed genuine apology and reassurance. You could feel she wasn’t just offering service, but a kind of care that warmed even strangers’ hearts. Taiwanese flight attendants Bonnie, Syavia, and Japanese attendant Kuneta were also busy. During the wait, they sequentially offered passengers juice, bowing and apologizing to each one: "申し訳ございません (We’re very sorry)." From their actions, I observed that these Japan Airlines flight attendants truly embodied the highest standards of hospitality—they "always stay one step ahead of the customer," anticipating needs before passengers even realized them and preparing services in advance. So, if any passenger looked displeased, an attendant would immediately approach, apologize, and ask if something was wrong. Their meticulous service was so attentive that, even with a delayed flight, how could passengers possibly lose their temper? There’s definitely something to think about here.

Finally, the flight departed the jet bridge at 7:19 PM and arrived at Taoyuan Airport at 10:40 PM, 1 hour and 40 minutes behind schedule. Upon arrival, purser Haruna apologized once more and announced that ground staff would assist with any transportation connection issues. This was an extra service I rarely encountered with other airlines during delays.

Japan Airlines’ robust emergency response mechanisms are inseparable from its thoughtful and meticulous service. In the event of delays or cancellations, the airline notifies passengers as quickly as possible via its website or ticketing platforms with SMS or email alerts. If delays are due to weather or uncontrollable natural causes, Japan Airlines provides firsthand meteorological data to seek passengers’ understanding. On my trip from Osaka to Hakodate, heavy snow in Hakodate led Japan Airlines to email me the weather forecast six hours before departure, informing me the flight might divert to New Chitose Airport. This gave me ample mental preparation. Unlike some other airlines, which sometimes fabricate odd excuses for delays caused by human error.

Although the flight was delayed, Japan Airlines handled the situation transparently, providing clear delay information that reassured passengers. Supervisors stepped in to fulfill a shared mission, and flight attendants on every flight delivered consistently warm, high-quality service. They always “think one step ahead” for passengers. Under these circumstances, Japan Airlines’ service truly makes it hard for passengers to lose their temper.

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