How The Paris Attacks Have Impacted Airlines

Japan is far away from France, and you never know how the media have been reporting on the question. If there's a lot of fearmongering within their press, it's understandable that they would want to fly less to France...

As a French guy in London, I can tell you that Eurostar prices weren't as high as usual this Christmas, which is a first. I was trying to wait a bit to try to keep my status (it's revenue based), but it just didn't reach the amount 2 weeks out -- it's usually at full price before the end of November...

I have flown from Tokyo to Paris twice since the attacks. Once on an empty ANA flight (load factors <30%), and once on a totally full AF flight.

I think the Japanese airlines are mainly carrying O&D passengers on this route due to their lack of connecting partners at CDG. On the other hand, AF has the luxury of carrying a lot of people connecting to/from other European countries.

Goes to show the irrationality of many people. Paris in the days after the attack was probably the safest place in the entire world.

On a different but related note, I've heard from several people that in the US, you now have to take coats/jackets off when going through TSA Precheck, as opposed to being able to leave them on before? Reason given to both people who have told me this was a vague "because of the recent attacks." Can anyone confirm this?

@Andrew - Was keeping coats and jackets on ever a precheck privilege? Outerwear heavier than a sweater or blazer has always been a no no in any security line.

Paris as a destination is extremely idealized in Japan, and is a very popular vacation spot. This idealized version is sometimes so acute that the disconnect between reality and the ideal can cause a sudden shock.

It is called Paris Syndrome https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paris_syndrome

The Paris attacks would be a very public expression of this disconnect. I imagine many trips were cancelled. ANA and JAL would be hit hard by this.

@Brian B - Fascinating read, thanks.

Lucky I can confirm that it is due to the Paris attacks.
They sent emails out to emeralds a few days back to cut out the Narita - cdg route.
Media here. Makes the Japanese population go into shock for sure

It's because they are Japanese! They over react and panic more than anyone else. My wife is Japanese and ever since the 3/11 tsunami and Fukushima disaster, she refused to go back to Japan since and refuse to eat anything imported from Japan, and her mom decided to sell everything she had in Japan and migrated to Australia.

After hearing the Paris attack, not only she asked me not to go to Paris, she asked me not to go to Europe at all!

So I wouldn't be surprised that majority of the Japanese thinks the same way.

Oh, and my wife just told me that she received an email from the Japanese consulate to not make unnecessary trips to Paris. So even the government is behind this.

I remember a few years back in the aftermath of the earthquake/tsunami/nucleur meltdown PE fares SYD-NRT were a third of what they are now.

should mention airline was JAL

Another fun data point: Air France quoted me about 500,000 yen for a return business class ticket from Tokyo to Paris this week, while JAL wanted 900,000 yen.

Same situation in China :

My wife's family came from China to visit us in France last week they took Air China direct flight from Beijing to Paris and they said the plane was not even half filled. At first I was surprised to see that the plane was delay almost 5 hours but finally it's because they didn't have enough passengers to fill the plane so they joined two flight together ! Finally the plane left with pretty much 100 passenger on board for two flight !!!! (it was a A330 - flight CA875) I believe the plane can take 237 passengers totally.

When they ask the agent why they said most people are scared of terrorist attack and they just don't want to take any risk. So the terrorist attack is indeed affecting all the airline in the world with route to Paris.

Just got back from Paris after spending a few weeks there and talked about asked about cancellations at my hotel. They said everyone from Japan, China and America cancelled and did not seem to be re booking. Fellow Europeans not so much. Been there many times and have never been thanked so much for supporting them. Felt more safe there then I do in Seattle.

I'm in Paris now and everything is fine here. I've been coming here every year for nearly 25 yrs so I can't think of anything that would stop me from my visits. The French take security very seriously and I have full confidence in them. You'll see increased security at large department stores but that's all I've seen different. If you're thinking of coming here, don't hesitate.