Japan Airlines Grows in North America: New Routes Amid Tourism Frenzy

As the cherry blossoms bloom and travel enthusiasm surges, Japan Airlines (JAL) is set to elevate its services between Tokyo and Chicago, announcing a new daily flight that promises to deepen connections between these vibrant cities.

New Daily Flight from Chicago to Tokyo

With plans to enhance its West Coast routes as well, JAL is capitalizing on a booming local tourism scene, making it easier than ever for adventurers to explore the beauty and culture of Japan. The Japanese carrier already flies daily from Chicago O’Hare (ORD) to Tokyo Haneda Airport (HND).

Photo: Courtesy of Chicago O’Hare Airport

The new daily flight will connect the Great Lakes city to Tokyo’s other major international airport, Narita (NRT), and double its capacity between the cities.

Narita is further from central Tokyo than Haneda: the train takes 60-90 minutes, while you can be in Shibuya just 30 minutes after departing Narita. That could mean lower prices on JAL’s new flight to Narita or more chances to nab award flights and upgrades for oneworld elites, as premium travelers opt for the quicker connections from Haneda.

Responding to Growing Demand

JAL says it’s adding the new flight in response to robust demand between Japan and North America and strongly connecting demand between North America, Southeast Asia, and India.

The flight will be a codeshare with JAL’s oneworld partner, American Airlines, allowing travelers to connect to each airline’s extensive network of destinations.

Photo: Courtesy of Airbus SAS

As the more international of Tokyo’s two main airports, Narita is a better entry port for these connecting travelers.

Codeshare with American Airlines

The flights are arranged to ensure convenient connections. Flight JL055 will take off from O’Hare at 12:30 PM Central Daylight Time (CDT) and is expected to arrive in Tokyo at 3:15 PM Japan Standard Time (JST) the next day after a roughly 12-hour journey.

Photo: American Airlines, Boeing 777-300ER. Courtesy of Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport

For the return trip, flight JL056 will depart Narita at 6:15 PM JST and will reach Chicago at 4:00 PM CDT on the same day. This service will commence on May 31, with ticket sales starting on February 3.

Competing in a Booming Market

JAL will face stiff competition between Chicago and Tokyo. Fellow Japanese carrier All Nippon Airways (ANA) operates a daily flight from O’Hare to Narita, while ANA and its Star Alliance partner United Airlines each have a daily flight to Haneda.

Photo: Tokyo Haneda International Airport

But Japan is seeing an unprecedented tourist boom, driven by a slump in the yen value, which tumbled to a 38-year low against the U.S. in June. In total, 36.6 million visitors flocked to Japan last year, surpassing the previous record of 32 million tourists set in 2019.

The U.S. is a major source of those tourists: more than 900,000 Americans flew to Japan in just the first five months of 2024, numbers up 35% from 2019, the U.S.’s International Trade Administration said. So, as it adds another Chicago flight, JAL is doubling down on many of its other U.S. routes “to accommodate high demand” this summer.

Introduction of the Airbus A350-1000

On March 30, JAL will begin flying daily between Tokyo-Narita and San Diego (SAN), up from four times weekly. Then, on July 18, JAL will make its 5x weekly flight between Los Angeles (LAX) and Osaka (KIX) a daily operation.

JAL will also “gradually introduce” its new Airbus A350-1000 on its Los Angeles-Haneda route this summer, although it hasn’t revealed a start date. The A350-1000 is outfitted with JAL’s new luxurious business-class product, Sky Suites. Each of the 54 suites has a lie-flat bed, direct aisle access, and closing doors.

Photo: Courtesy of Japan Airlines

The A350-1000 also hosts JAL’s most lavish first-class cabin, with suites that evoke private train compartments, banquette seats that can be configured multiple ways, faux-marble countertops, and massive 43-inch 4K entertainment screens.

Increased Links to Hawaii

JAL has just nine A350-1000s and deploys them only on prestige long-haul routes, including from Haneda to New York (JFK), London (LHR), Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW), and starting in May, Paris (CDG). JAL is also increasing links to Hawaii this summer.

Photo: Honolulu, Hawaii. Courtesy of Cosmin Serban / Unsplash

Its four-times-weekly flight between Honolulu (HNL) and Nagoya (NGO) will fly daily between July 18 and October 15, and its flight between Honolulu and Narita will run twice each day in July.

Rebuilding Air Capacity Post-Pandemic

JAL’s new flights will go toward rebuilding air capacity between the U.S. and the Asia Pacific, which has recovered more slowly from the pandemic than in other markets.

Today, the number of flights operating between the U.S. and China is just a quarter of the number seen in 2019, largely due to the closure of Russian airspace to U.S. carriers and the decline in business travel.

Photo: Japan Airlines, Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner. Courtesy of Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport

As many of these scrapped Chinese flights served as an entry point for Americans to Asia, connecting travelers have had to find other routes, including through Japan.

U.S. Airlines React to Tourism Surge

The strong demand for flights to Japan from tourists and connecting travelers hasn’t escaped the attention of U.S. airlines. Alaska Airlines has picked Tokyo-Narita as its premiere transpacific route.

Its flights from Seattle (SEA) will begin in May. Meanwhile, American Airlines will increase frequencies on several routes to Japan this summer, including from Dallas-Fort Worth and Los Angeles.