Originally Posted by
108912
I think things have changed over the years. And there are three factors to address here.
Firstly, JAL has very high expectations of their cabin crews - Japanese or otherwise. This is why the initial Cabin Crew training for JAL takes three MONTHS verus three weeks for some airlines (although the average in the UK is around five weeks). Obviously when they recruit people they are also on the look out for certain kinds of behaviours that 'fit in' with the JAL culture. Training is completely Japan-centric.
Secondly, the main reason JAL had foreign based crews was because of the limited english most Japanese crew spoke. Although this has definitely changed in the last decade, most Japanese crew fifteen or so years ago spoke very, very small amounts of english. I flew JAL from Helsinki to Tokyo in December last year and the crew was entirely Japanese. And the crew member serving me had great english. So, things are changing there.
Thirdly, it's personal choice. I got a bit of a kick (in the best possible way) the first time I flew JAL to Sydney via Osaka around twenty years ago. The flight was ever so Japanese but it was also really interesting to see a couple british crew in the mix and from my experience, they fit in seamlessly in the business class cabin. Yet, they were also to offer to me what I like as a passenger from crew - banter. And banter is difficult with the Japanese crew. It really was the best of both worlds.
Interesting take.
While an extended training period will allow skills to be developed, in my opinion the provision of service here (in Tokyo) is significantly (gross understatement) different than in many other countries, especially those in which I have spent extended periods, i.e. the US and the U.K. This difference is what we see onboard an NH or JL flight. It is what we are used to at any service establishment from SBUX to fine dining to department stores to medical clinics here. The goal, the way in which one derives pride in their job, is to make the customer feel good.
There is no sense of "me" or "I" during work hours although the service personnel are individuals. While they are at work, their sole role is to make others happy. This is exactly the opposite of what is found in the US or the U.K. in many instances. There one often encounters a service person talking about themselves or sharing their own opinion. This is the opposite of what we like here in Japan. The level of sophistication and dedication is so very different here. It makes it hard for me to fly with other carriers. The BA crew in F Cass are good, but far too chatty and familiar. Also, it is not a pan-Asian thing. I find the same level of uncomfortable familiarity on SQ and CX, both highly regarded by many. I will fly BA, SQ, or CX though if the schedule is a good fit as the rest of the product is quite nice. I also love OS but their route structure does not work so well for me. When it does though it is a great choice.
As a fluent speaker of Japanese (I only ever speak Japanese when flying JL or NH) I have found the level and amount of conversation I engage in with the staff onboard is perfect. Polished, sophisticated, appropriately deferential, and requiring if the same from me. More of a "Yes, please" environment than a "Yeah, sure" I guess is the best way to explain that.
One person's opinion, but this is how I feel about the difference in quality between Japanese FA and non-Japanese FA's even those working for the same airline.