Originally Posted by pe3ep (Post 12132977)

Is Japan Airlines racist?
it was certainly my experience.
two months ago I flew Chicago - Bangkok on JAL and scored a first class seat.
I though it was really going to be something special. Boy, did I have a surprise coming. They pump up first class on their website as something really amazing, with so many little extra comforts from fresh cooked rice to your choice of bedding. Too bad I never got to experience much of any of it.
Checked in no problem at T5 Ohare and was escorted to their first class lounge.
its really just a more private subsection of their regular lounge. the food, the drinks and service are the same , just a little more privacy.
I boarded, got comfy in my seat and waited for the first class service to flow. Unfortunately there was not even a trickle.
no welcome, no offer of a drink, which should be customary, nothing. it seemed weird at the time and still does now remembering it.
oh well, I figured, maybe when we get airborne.
not a chance. it was stunning: I was absolutely ignored. and its not like it was full, maybe 5 total including me, in first class. its big and spacious so not easy to get lost in the crowd. but the stewardesses absolutely refused to acknowledge me or even look in my direction as they were bringing drinks, pajamas and snacks to the two women in front of me or the guy next to me. I started watching the Japanese guy next to me get served endlessly and the stewardess could not stop serving him. there was always one attendant sitting on the floor next to him while others constantly visited him with pjs, snacks, drinks, reading materials not to mention big smiles. he must have been the japanese Bill Gates or Mick Jagger with the treatment he was getting. But they were also constantly visiting the two older japanese women seated in front of me.
It was an hour and forty minutes into the flight before a stewardess even stopped by my seat to ask me if I need anything. I asked for a drink and she never came back. I finally got up to go get my own and then she got a little jumpy and said she would bring it to my seat. Inside I was reeling. the guy next to me had already received and changed into his pajamas, was enjoying his third drink , what looked like a nice meal and the company of a young eager flight attendant.
Was I invisible?, I kept asking myself. In their eyes, very much so.
I was really getting a bad feeling by now, total downer on the whole first class thing.
it plain just sucked. In all my 38 years of lying I've never been that poorly treated, even worse than on any Southwest flight, and we all know what that's like.
I finally asked for the head stewardess(she called herself the Purser) and she came by and just kind of looked at me. and so I told her, where's my service?, where's my food?, where's my PJs?
and can somebody show me how to work the bloody remote?
she was polite and only slightly helpful. as long as they're polite, I guess, anything goes with the gaijin.
Food finally arrives but the whole experience so far has left such a real bad taste in my mouth that the food just seems tasteless. Even after this conversation nothing improves, I have to ask the purser again and again for water,for a drink for my pjs, for a magazine. Most of the time I had get up go to their station and wait for her to notice me.
On JAL's website they extoll their sleeping service in first class: fresh sheets, and your choice of pillows. I slept that flight on no sheets and just that little pillow that's there when you sit down. I had to wear my jacket to stay warm.
and the next morning I watched them all busily serve breakfast to the passenger around me, really only three, and then disappear. still kind of groggy, I didn't realize we were due to land in an hour and when I got up to ask for some food she said too late. plane is landing soon, please return to your seat.
I was the only white guy up there, everybody else was Japanese. draw your own conclusions
the other legs of my trip weren't half as bad and the fourth leg, my trip home Narita-Chicago I was booked on AA first class. I'll take it anytime. they might not have all the frills and new furniture but at least they treat everybody the same. it does make a difference and it does make for a pleasant flight.
I tell you though, I was stunned and offended by the poor service I received on JAL, really it was no service at all. I've never experienced that level of discrimination before in my life.
It was a real eye opener , especially after what I had spent on tickets.
Is JAL racist? I'm not sure how else to describe the way I was treated.
My answer is yes, yes they are.
If you're thinking about flying with JAL and especially any of the higher classes, you may want to reconsider if you are not Japanese. for them, its a joy ride. For me, it sucked big time.
I would be very interested to hear if others have had a similar (bad) experience with JAL. please post.
thanks for reading.

Originally Posted by justforfun (Post 12133067)

It sounds like you had an awful flight. I would definitely send a letter to JL.

For what it's worth, I've flown JL F a fair number of times over the past few years, and I've had nothing but perfect service. At times, I've felt the Japanese FAs actually went out of their way to make me, often the only caucasian, welcome.

Also, JL does not do a pre-departure drink while on the ground, even in F. That is standard, so don't let that part of the experience upset you.

Originally Posted by GUWonder (Post 12133662)

Caucasians -- more so European-Caucasian males -- on some Asian airlines are known for getting better service from flight crew than non-Asian and non-European Caucasian customers on those flights. Being a female and a non-Euro-Caucasian and/or non-Asian has often been an invitation to lesser service. Being non-Japanese has been an invitation to lesser service from Japanese airlines in some cases. Racism and sexism are rampant on some airlines still but there are also times when it's lack of confidence in language ability that results in poor service. It takes a keen eye to tell the difference in circumstances.