Design better experience

We aim to create a society where everyone could enrich their lives through travel.
With the proclamation of the "United Nations Decade of Disabled Persons 1983-1992", the JAL Group began actively engaging in initiatives to provide a friendlier travel experience. We established our Service Committee, introduced the term Priority Guest for customers with physical disabilities and customers who are sick or injured, and we also created a service handbook. In 1994, we also opened a Priority Guest Center(Current:Special Assistance Desk) which is a contact center for customers with disabilities, and it was the first initiative in Japanese airline industry.
Since then, we have provided services to customers that match their individual circumstances, based on our experience from operating Priority Guest Center(Current:Special Assistance Desk) for many years and human resource training that leverages the knowledge of our employees with service care-fitter qualifications. The services we provide also utilize the know-how we have cultivated from our experience in everyday operations and helping various disabled sports organizations with their transportation needs.

2020 April, we abolished Priority Guest, and introduced new term Special Assitance to make it easier to understand and meet global standards.

Our goal is to make everyone can travel without barrierers, so that we will continue to improve accessibliy based on JAL Group Service Policy.

The JAL Group is actively working on improving the support device so that customers can use it safely and securely.

All airport staff and cabin crew are educated about special assistance services. In 2010, we started human resource training for the education of all airport staff by utilizing in-house personnel qualified, and we have continued it until now. Besides learning about the proper mindset and etiquette when assist customers who request special assistance, they learn how to support customers with disabilities, including practical skills.

Such things as sign language education free classes are also actively held.

In addition, for our flight attendants, we established an in-house qualification system “JAL Accessibility Assistant” in FY 2021, in which they learn how to provide specialized support for the restrictive in-flight environment, aiming to provide “the in-flight environment where everyone can enjoy traveling with peace of mind and smiles”.
From the planning stage of the qualification, employees* of JAL Sunlight co., Ltd. (https://www.jal.co.jp/jsl/), a special subsidiary group of the JAL Group,participated in creating inclusive learning materials combining the perspectives of flight attendants with those of people who experience barriers when flying.

JAL Sunlight co., Ltd.

Commits as Member of The Valuable 500

Japan Airlines (JAL) made the commitment to become a member of The Valuable 500, joining a global movement to focus on disability inclusion on January, 2019.

• Japan Airlines(JAL) Group's Valuable 500 Commitment（PDF file, about 288KB）
• Japan Airlines(JAL) Group's Valuable 500 Commitment TXT

Supporting Medical Travel

With our regular flights, we contiuusly supports help for medical-related transportation due to illness or injury, or for treatment or surgery overseas. In particular, we work to help customers survive, including such things as transportation for heart transplants, or transportation for pediatric care.

*Transportation for heart transplants began with a Los Angeles flight in 1994, and we actively support such travel based on the expertise that we have gained until now.

About U.S. law

About the U.S. Air Carrier Access Act

Based on the U.S. Air Carrier Access Act, for the U.S. routes where JAL operates flights, we provide various services so that customers with physical disabilities can comfortably use our aircraft. When there are questions or problems with regards to usage, if you ask airport staff, a complaint resolution official (CRO) can be consulted.

A CRO is a staff person who has received special education about the applicable regulations for disabled people in the U.S. Regarding such laws and regulations, you can check them on the website of the Aviation Consumer Protection Division of the U.S. Department of Transportation (English). Also, please use the following when making a direct inquiry.

Aviation Consumer Protection website

When making a telephone call from within the U.S.	Toll Free Hotline For Air Travelers With Disabilities 1-800-778-4838（TTY1-800-455-9880）
When making a telephone call from either within or outside of the U.S.	By Telephone to the Aviation Consumer Protection Division 202-366-2220（TTY202-366-0511）
Inquiries by mail	By Mail to the Air Consumer Protection Division C-75, U.S Department of Transportation, 1200 New Jersey Ave. SE, West Building, Room W96-432, Washington, DC 20590

About the Airline Passengers with Disabilities Bill of Rights

This Bill of Rights describes the fundamental rights of air travelers with disabilities under the Air Carrier Access Act and its implementing regulation, 14 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 382.

Airline Passengers with Disabilities Bill of Rights (U.S. Department of Transportation)Website

Initiatives to comply with Canadian Accessible transportation regulations

We provide a variety of services in accordance with Canadian Transportation regulation"Accessible Transportation for Persons with Disabilities Regulations (ATPDR)" for Canada routes that JAL operate so that passengers with disabilities are able to comfortably board our planes. You can check the details of regulations, and conditions to apply services from the website of Canadian Transportation Agency.

If you have any requests, questions or problems for using those services, please contact JAL call center.

Accessible Transportation for Persons with Disabilities Regulations (ATPDR)Website

About the Storage of Wheelchairs in the Cabin

For some aircraft of flights arriving in and department from the U.S. (including Guam), only one manual folding wheelchair can be kept in the cabin per flight.

For those customers who wish to request this, please ask at the airport on the day of boarding.

With regards to the conditions of use (applicable aircraft and size of wheelchairs that can be stored, etc.), please ask our staff at the time of making the reservation, or when checking in at the airport.

Please be aware that due to a change in the aircraft, there might be instances when this is not available.

About Assistance Dogs

On flights to and from the United States (including to/from Guam and Hawaii) and Canada, Service Dogs besides Guide Dogs, Hearing Dogs and Mobility Assistance Dogs will also be accepted in the passenger cabin as long as they meet the requirements. (e.g. Psychiatric Service Dogs, Alert Dogs)
Please contact us by 48 hours before departure since advance procedures are required.

Customers living in Japan	Special Assistance Desk
Customers living overseas	The nearest JAL branch or business office The nearest JAL branch or business office