I passed near Itami Airport today and got excited when a plane flew low right overhead.

I’m Fuu, a column writer. I love airplanes so much that I can identify the model just by looking at one—Boeing, Airbus, and so on. Peach and Jetstar are what we call LCCs. Since they have to pack in as many passengers as possible to keep fares low, the seats are narrow. You’ll also be charged extra once your luggage exceeds a certain weight, so be careful—it can happen quickly. When checking in, you have to complete the process by the deadline, or you won’t be allowed to board. I often see people arguing at the Jetstar counter. Also, if you haven’t boarded by the deadline, JAL and ANA will run around the airport calling your name to find you, but LCCs won’t come looking for you. If you’re not on board in time, they simply depart without you. LCC boarding gates are often far away. At Narita, getting to the Jetstar gates involves so much walking it’s practically depressing. With JAL and ANA, unless you’re flying to a particularly remote destination, you can usually walk straight from the gate onto the plane via the stairs. With LCCs, you often have to take a bus across the airfield to board and get off the plane, which adds a considerable amount of time—around 20 minutes each way. My recommendation is Skymark. Its fares are somewhere between JAL/ANA and the LCCs, and I believe you can bring up to 10 kg of carry-on luggage. You can also walk up the stairs to board the plane. One thing to note is that they use Airbus A320s, which have a 3-3 seating layout, so when booking online, be sure to choose your seat and avoid ending up in the middle seat. That said, I personally like JAL, and I’m a frequent flyer with both JAL and Delta. I’ve flown to Hawaii twice using miles. That was Fuu, the aviation nerd. I wrote way too much—so long, lol.

I’m a lost soul in my 60s. Before I knew about dating clubs, I met a woman who had just joined JAL as a flight attendant. She told me which flight she’d be operating for her on-the-job training, so I flew all the way to Naha. That’s why I’ve been loyal to JAL ever since.

I’m in Seattle. I was just on an ANA flight. JAL has relatively few first-class flights, so I prefer ANA’s Premium Class and mostly fly with them. Peach and Jetstar aren’t bad either, but they’re cramped, so I usually choose ANA.

Maezawa from the CEO’s office here with an answer as well. I remember Tōa Domestic Airlines having a lot of Airbus planes, but… Huh? It doesn’t exist anymore? Oh, right—it changed its name to JAS. Wait, that doesn’t exist anymore either? The rainbow-colored planes were great… But anyway, > Today, I passed near Itami Airport, and I got excited when a plane flew almost directly overhead at close range. It’s great seeing them up close, isn’t it? Apparently, there’s an airport somewhere in the world where you can get even closer. It used to be featured on TV quite often. I feel like it may be the only place where you can stand right behind a plane and feel the wind from its jet engines. In the video below, it looks like a woman was blown away and injured, though. It’s still an airport I’d like to visit at least once. https://youtu.be/LV28AL0k1kY > Are JAL and ANA different in quality from Peach and Jetstar? You may be asking about the difference between LCCs (low-cost carriers) and regular airlines. JAL and ANA are airlines that operate with standard fares, while Peach and Jetstar are generally considered LCCs. LCCs use various methods to keep fares low. For example, they have shorter turnaround times between arriving at the airport and departing again, so if one flight arrives late, the next flight is more likely to be delayed. They can also reduce costs by carrying as many passengers as possible on the same aircraft, so they may have more seats. The trade-off is that the legroom can be tighter. In-flight meals and drinks are also generally available for an additional charge. > When you travel, do you have a preferred airline? When I travel to Europe, Emirates is often the cheapest option, and I like it because even economy class is more comfortable and better equipped than on many other airlines. However, it takes a major detour compared with a direct flight, so it takes longer. Sometimes the connection in Dubai also takes a while, and I find myself wondering why I’m using Emirates. But the onboard service is good… In the past, there were sometimes inexpensive direct flights with airlines like Air France, but I don’t see them much anymore.

I’m Kazu, a male member. What kind of quality are you asking about? On international flights, there’s a difference in onboard service between full-service carriers like JAL and ANA and low-cost airlines like Peach. But when comparing economy class on domestic flights, there isn’t much difference. Full-service carriers have mileage programs, so you can earn miles by flying both domestically and internationally. That’s why I try to fly with JAL whenever possible.

I’m Nana Ayase ♡ I felt like Peach’s flights were a little rough. Jetstar seems better to me. I’ve never flown with an expensive airline like JAL, though.