Guava

Agreed, that's why I make an extra effort to be courteous to other passengers and the crew on the plane, and even on the ground whenever I can. I definitely adopt a proactive attitude about this and it makes your own flying experience better too, it really does.

Incidentally, with the report of some significant decline in ANA premium cabin service, I will likely fly JAL First next time. I haven't yet been to their new F Suite so hopefully, I can add another positive review for their newest product.

Flyingfox

see below

Flyingfox

Classy comment..........

The advice in my post was not meant for you, it was meant for others reading this - you apparently fancy yourself to know everything about Japanese culture anyway.

I think I will refrain from further commentary.

somuchtosee

Agreed. Sadly, discrimination happens all the time, especially some places in US and in Europe for non-whites. I dont mean to sound uncompassionate, but if what you claimed really happened in JL, at least now, you've had taste of discrimination and experienced what many people go through on dailly basis.

I suggest you write them a letter and explained what happened. For paying passenger, or even for an award ticket, F class should be something special.

virmaior

nevermind...

Pickles

Prove it. Japan being Japan, somebody somewhere has run a survey or a poll on the most popular and/or most highly regarded occupations for women. Japanese text OK.

joejones

http://www.tjf.or.jp/clicknippon/en/jcn/t19jcn_e.html

Flight attendant is #18 among junior high school girls and #15 among senior high school girls. "Grand hostess" (i.e. uniformed airport ground staff) is #17 among senior high school girls.

Pickles

Domo domo young Jedi of Kojimachi-ku. I guess it qualifies as "popular", but I wouldn't say it is "super popular". Any findings on how respected or highly regarded the different professions are? It will save you from buying us the trimmings during the Mabon Festival next week.

joejones

A 2005 magazine survey of adult women in Japanese gives the following ranking of popularity in broader categories:

1) Advertising/PR
2) Bookkeeping
3) Marketing
4) Translating/interpreting
5) Secretary
6) Wedding planner
7) Corporate services/HR
8) Film production
9) Airline cabin/ground staff
10) Decorator

techgirl

I couldn't have had a more opposite experience from you on my JAL F flight (an award w/ AA miles, btw) yesterday from NRT-LAX.

I landed in NRT to discover there was a serious issue with my ticket due to an AA mess up - JL met my flight from DPS and walked me from the remote terminal to the lounge. Two separate agents in the First Class Lounge spent almost four hours working with me to resolve it including walking with me three separate times to AA (twice to the AC, once to ticketing) until the problem was fully resolved. When we expressed that we had hoped to go into Narita City to the Muji store, they plotted out for us instead how to go over to Terminal 1 to to the Muji-to-go (even calling to make sure they had what we needed before we left), walking us over to immigration, and drawing us maps - and printing out train schedules and maps to the Narita City store in case we didn't find what we needed there.

When we got back, they came and checked on me a couple of times in the lounge with my friend (who was flying business) to make sure we had everything we needed to be comfortable. (These were the nice ladies in the lavender suits, not the lounge attendants).

My flight was spectacular in terms of service. I felt like the crew doted on me and attended to my every need (without me needing to ask for anything) - in fact, I'm usually a pretty low maintenance passenger but the three attendants who worked our cabin absolutely fussed over me - suggesting I try different wines, offering me seconds on caviar, cocktail snacks, cheese, etc., bringing me things and checking on me throughout the flight. They wanted to know where I had come from and what I had done on my vacation, etc. I never had to ask for anything - things were suggested or presented before I could even think to want them.

I was the only westerner in First and I'm a Caucasian female in my mid-30s. I was dressed casually but smartly (pressed skirt, linen blouse, nice leather sandals). There were six Japanese in First also, four men, two women. My personal impression was that I had the best service - they seemed to spend more time at my seat than any other. My impression of JAL yesterday after this (and it was not my first time in JAL F or the Narita facilities) is that it is my new favorite carrier.

virmaior

Let's get back to coming up with stories about the op (who has long since departed) rather than critiquing each other (a fault for which I bear much guilt here).

Maybe the dude just snuck up to first class rather than paying? That could explain exceptionally poor service, because the FAs would being thinking ...?

MIKESILV

Seems you havent yet mastered the art of quitting while behind have you?

mike

KPT

I have flown both JAL and ANA, not first class, but I certainly feel like I have had a much better experience since I both speak and look Japanese (but I'm not). I can't at all vouch for what happened to the OP, but the last time I flew JAL was 3 years ago...

Recently I've flown with ANA, and it looks like they're really short staffing their flights. I can't imagine being treated the way you did, but if I felt ignored I would have piped up at the very beginning.

joejones

They are indeed short staffing their flights, and I believe JAL is in a similar situation though I haven't flown with them lately. The cabin service is taking a long time and I expect it will be even slower once they start charging for things. It's still better than, say, United or American.

LTN Phobia

I wouldn't go that far.

Most very upper class Japanese females would not consider being a cabin crew member as being in 'the right' occupation. It is more of what is perceived to be a 'glamour' job for lower middle to middle class girls. A few rebellious upper class ones do it for travelling and fun, but it is certainly not such a coveted job among them.

They are definitely not considered on the same level as being a doctor or a lawyer. They are 'different' - you can be ugly as sin and become a doctor or a lawyer, but you can't become a cabin crew member. So, the attraction of the job is at a different level.

However, if you are a middle class man and marry a cabin crew member, you'd be deemed to be 'doing well' - it's a widely held idea (rightly or wrongly) that CCs are attractive, and at least have a little bit of brain, and good as looking after people.

Part of the attraction of being a cabin crew member for girls in Japan is the possibility of marrying well. There are quite a few ex-cabin crew members who married F passengers that they met on board (not your average F pax on award tickets - they are directors of very large companies etc), and also pilots (airline captains on a jet are occupationally/status-wise on a par, generally speaking, with doctors and lawyers in Japan).

So, it really is not seen to be 'above being a doctor' and it's not really a 'respected' job per se. It's just that many girls want to become one.