Originally Posted by
Unimatrix One
I find JAL's call centers to be the weak link in an otherwise great airline. Wait times are horrible, even at the elite lines. And if there is any issue where there is a "gray area," i.e. it's not clear how the rules should apply in a given situation, the agents always interpret the rules in JAL's favor, to the detriment of the customer (even for long time elite members). And if you do dare to ask for a waiver of any fee or rule, you can forget it. Waivers are never, ever granted, even for long time Sapphire members.
The agents are very polite and say all the right things, but if you ask for anything out of the ordinary, the response is always "I'm very sorry, but we can't do that."
To be fair, it's not just a JAL thing. My experience with ANA is the same.
It is not even a JAL and ANA thing, that's just the way customer service works in Japan. Usually, it does also work extremely well. Though sometimes you get some frustrating "computer says no" moments.
My only gripe ever with JAL call centers has been waiting time, which can be long at times. Don't call during lunch hour time, or around 17:30 to 18:30 when most offices officially end working hours. Seems each and every JAL passenger in Japan picks up the phone to call at those hours...
