Four Corners
Our high-flying columnists from the four corners of the globe bring us their views on the inflight experience from the US; the latest on airports in Japan, and a look at service levels in Australia
JAPAN Tokyo International Airport (Haneda) Tim Zandbergen
manager sales and marketing TFK Corporation
Continuing on the subject of Tokyo International Airport (Haneda) which first opened in 1931, following WWII and the 1960’s, demand outpaced expansion hence the building of Narita. In 1978 Narita was assigned Tokyo’s international airport and Haneda domestic. Both airports had little excess
“Haneda has turned into an
international hub airport and
growth continues” UNITED STATES KISS for the passenger! David Loft
vp sales and service, Flying Food Group
“Many people agree that a
simple, good quality, well-
served product is all they really want on board”
44
www.onboardhospitality.com
I was honoured to be invited to observe a focus group recently in New York. They were discussing the ‘in-flight experience’, specifically focused on catering. The evening was divided between two groups, one for Premium travel and the other for Economy. Both comprised of a mixed selection of well- seasoned international travellers. Whilst it would be wrong of me
to go into great detail, there were several interesting comments made by both groups that I wanted to share! It was especially interesting for me to see how much the participants discussed service as well as the food. The service often making the difference between a good flight and a great
flight. It was even more interesting to hear how many people felt that we (airlines and caterers alike) try too hard to offer an expectation that more often than not cannot be achieved, more so in the confines of any aircraft cabin. On speaking with other
colleagues in the industry and of course friends who fly often (and critique....), many seem to agree that a simple, good quality, well- served product is all they really want on board. So why do we (as a group) insist
on trying to outdo ourselves by developing more and more elaborate dishes for our guests? My thoughts are two-fold: There is a push from airline marketers
to be able to WOW their guests with tales of restaurant quality, and secondly, we encourage our chefs to be creative and show their innovative side, which is great, but this has to be tempered with the guests’ real desire. The problem is that the more
complex we make the food, the more difficult it is for the caterer to produce, the more difficult for the crew to serve, and less likely to reach the guest as it was intended. It was an interesting evening,
with many differing points of view. The overall message being that we should offer the highest quality that is affordable, keep it simple and don’t over complicate things….KISS!
land capacity but this changed in the 1990s as the Metro Government began using nearby Tokyo Bay areas for waste dumping which was used inadvertently for Haneda’s terminals and runway expansion (so in fact Haneda is built upon a garbage heap). Haneda turned into an
international hub airport and growth
continues. There are two key driving factors: a new runway (Haneda’s fourth) which is 2,500-metres-long and the world’s first hybrid runway. And a newly-built international terminal. Both are on schedule for an October 2010 opening. Haneda’s key advantages
are that it is only 18km from downtown and that it is the country’s main focus for both domestic flights and key business cities in China and Korea. Further to this, given Japan’s status as a major hub for US trans-Pacific routes, it is no surprise that attention has focused on the offer of four routes to US airlines that were hotly contested. European and more Asian flights
have also been given the go ahead including Singapore Airlines, Cathay Pacific, Malaysian, Air Asia X, and non-stop routes to Paris, London, Amsterdam and Frankfurt. The planned schedule will be 40 daily flights to Seoul Gimpo, Shanghai, Beijing, Taipei and Hong Kong and 40 late night/early morning flights to Asian, European and North American airports. As the expansion of Haneda transforms travel to Tokyo by being a 24-hour conveniently located airport, it will only turn out to be positive if the airport brings in additional flights and passengers and does not result in a shift of capacity from Narita to Haneda.
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68