Will you opt to skip meals on Japan Airlines flights?

Courtesy Getty Images

One of the things that I like about flying Japan Airlines (JAL) is its quiet cabin. The airline actually advises its customers not to speak too loudly in consideration of other travellers. For many people. the serene atmosphere can do a lot to calm the stress of being airborne especially on a long flight.

Now the Japanese national carrier has issued a new “ethical” option for its passengers: skip the meal. This option which was first tested on a Bangkok-to-Tokyo flight in 2020 became available for all routes from December 15, 2022.

JAL called the “JAL Ethical Choice Meal Skip Option” a new service “where you can cancel your meals during reservation to enjoy your sleep throughout the flight.” In its message to customers, it advised them to “use this service if you would like to take a good rest on the plane or if you would like to help us reduce food waste.”

This has ruffled quite a few feathers. For many travellers, the meal is a flight’s highlight. It may also be their regular meals particularly on a long journey. Economy class passengers are not as privileged as business and first class passengers who may be able to fill up in the airline’s lounge before boarding. One major airline which served meal-to-order in advance in their lounge in the hope that this would replace the service on board found out it didn’t work out as expected.

And, of course, short of adequate diversion, it is a distraction from the boredom of being cooped up in a cabin.

However, JAL would have known that even before this option was published, some passengers are already skipping meals to catch up on their sleep. And not just when flying JAL, but on other airlines as well.

A stronger reason may be that wanting to reduce of wastage. According to the International Air Transport Association (Iata), passenger flights generate approximately six million tonnes of waste per year, of which 20 per cent was caused by unconsumed food and drink. JAL’s good intention should Delta Air Lines, for example, offers business class passengers a “skip” option to “help reduce food waste”.

But to call it an “ethical” choice may be what that is raising some people’s shackles. Bloggers were quick to indulge in the controversy, even suggesting that JAL says it is not ethical to eat on board. That’s not quite the same. Perhaps JAL didn’t mean it that way: it is not ethical to waste, but not to eat when you need to do it.

So JAL has been criticized for wanting to cut costs at the expense of the customer since it is understood that the fare includes meals, meaning they have already been paid for, unless budget carriers which may not serve meals on short sectors or, if they do, offer them at a fee. So, passengers know what they are paying of, and there is the option to purchase. And, mind you, JAL is not a budget carrier but a full service airline.

The controversy has overshadowed JAL’s intention to donate a portion of the savings (why not the full amount, one may ask) to charity to feed hungry school children in developing countries. What about doing the “ethical” thing to reduce the airfare instead? That, asked unhappy passengers.

JAL might have done it better just offering the option—telling it as it is—without any suggestion of it being judgmental. One word can make all the difference. Lost in translation? Blame it then, perhaps, on culture.