With stocks at 100 yen the end looks to be near for JAL.

Or the perfect time to buy!

I just find it funny that I can find cheaper flights to The Philippines than I can find to Okinawa. Or cheaper flights from Tokyo to Korea than from Tokyo to Kyoto.

Cheaper domestic transportation would be nice Japan, and it would help international travels visit Japan as well.

WideIslandView: I just went to Ishigaki (through ANA... I know, not helping JAL at all) with a package deal, and it was about as much as I paid for just the airline ticket when I went to Thailand.

Things are a little cheaper now with the fuel taxes gone, but when talking domestic vs. overseas, what really gets you is the money you spend after landing!

Hmm.... prices for things in Japan vs prices for things in Thailand....

Dinner in Japan vs Dinner in Thailand....

Drinks in Japan vs Drinks in Thailand....

Being in Japan for vacation vs not being in Japan for vacation...

(I just want to go diving, and you may up the nose to go diving in Japan vs the rest of Asia.)

Mmm... booked to fly JAL at New Years. Should I be worried?

Same...im booked through JAL to fly into Narita around New Years. Should I just shrivel up and cry about how I won't be able to go or is this bailout going to keep my flight existing?

Even if it goes under, they're not going to stop flying - in the worst case, JAL gets nationalised.

...or bought out by Delta/Northwest.

A buy-out is unlikely - I don't think Delta has the money, and the government aren't going to let the national carrier get bought. They're talking about a "capital alliance" with Delta, American and maybe Air France.

Northwest is an unlikely candidate, as they are a Star Alliance member (as are ANA) - JAL is OneWorld. The anti-trust provisions would be ugly.

Delta and NW actually merged, so the two are one and the same. Speaking of the OneWorld/Star Alliance thing, I wonder how that works w/ frequent flier miles though...

Was really just recalling reading this over at Mutantfrog on the topic:
http://www.mutantfrog.com/2009/09/18/showdown-at-narita-jal-vs-ugly-americans-vs-the-dpj/

I'd forgotten that, but of course you're right. That MutantFrog article is very good. I had no idea that Delta was #3 at Narita now.

When I booked a few weeks back I thought about trying ANA for a change. After mulling it over, I stuck with JAL simply because I already have some mileage points with them. For ease of mind I kind of wish I hadn't.