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Low-cost airline ZIPAIR will soon provide passengers with more options for traveling to Japan.
The airline has just announced the addition of a new flight route between Tokyo and the U.S.
ZIPAIR, which already services 3 U.S cities, will begin flying between Tokyo’s Narita International Airport and San Francisco International Airport this Summer.
Flight Details
ZIPAIR’s new route will launch on June 2, 2023, and operate 5 times each week.
- The new nonstop route is between Narita International Airport in Tokyo (NRT) and San Francisco International Airport (SFO).
- Flights are scheduled for each Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday from June 2, 2023 – October 27, 2023.
- Flying time is just over 11 hours when flying west from SFO – NRT, and just under 9.5 hours when flying east from NRT – SFO.
- Asia-bound flights will depart San Francisco at 5:00 pm and arrive in Tokyo at 8:05 pm the following day.
- U.S.-bound flights will depart Tokyo at 9:35 pm and arrive in San Francisco at 3 pm.
- ZIPAIR uses Boeing 787-8 aircraft with a 290-seat layout.
Perks Of Flying ZIPAIR
ZIPAIR, which is a subsidiary of Japan Airlines, launched in 2018 and has since established itself as a low-cost option in Asia and the U.S.
Currently, ZIPAIR has flights operating out of 7 other cities, including Los Angeles, San Jose, Honolulu, Singapore, Bangkok, Manila, and Seoul.
As the airline continues to expand, we can expect more connections between the two continents.
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When flying ZIPAIR, passengers are allowed a total of 15.4 pounds of carry-on luggage and can choose between standard economy seats or full lay-flat seats.
Each flight has complimentary WiFi and a contactless inflight experience, meaning meals and goods can be ordered through a personal smartphone or tablet.
How Do The Fares Stack Up?
When comparing flights between ZIPAIR and other airlines using Google Flights, ZIPAIR comes in as the cheaper option.
Using the summer dates of June 30 – July 9, we found the following fares between San Francisco and Tokyo.
- ZIPAIR – $959 round trip
- ANA – $2,595 round trip
- United – $2,595 round trip
- Japan Airlines – $2,765 round trip
Fares for ZIPAIR’s Full-Flat seats are comparable to the price of economy seats on other airlines and come in at around $1,400 per leg for flights this summer.
Passengers can also take advantage of deeply discounted fares for children who are 6 years old or younger.
Under 6 fares between San Francisco and Tokyo Narita start at just $91 each way. Checked bags, meals, and seat selection are all available to passengers for an extra fee, meaning passengers only pay for the services they want to take advantage of.
A Good Time To Visit Japan
Traveling to Japan will become easier starting next month.
On May 8 the country will lift all COVID-19 travel restrictions and requirements, making vacations to Tokyo, Kyoto, and other popular spots throughout the country much easier.
When the restrictions end, visitors will no longer need to show proof of three vaccine doses or proof of a recent negative COVID-19 test.
The country only recently eliminated mandatory mask requirements on March 13, although mask-wearing is still a common practice in much of the country.
Japan was also one of the countries that took the longest to reopen their borders to international tourists, only welcoming them back in October of 2022.
The upcoming changes mean that in the coming weeks, travel will return to normal after three years of compromise due to the pandemic.
Read More:
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This article originally appeared on TravelOffPath.com
Selwyn King
Wednesday 19th of April 2023
THINK TWICE...Zipair has the worst record for resolving issues. They have one bacic rule. Do what's best for us with 100% disregard for the traveling passengers. Here is an example. A few weeks ago Zip cancelled multiple flights for several days in and out of Tokyo (Narita). Each time they claimed mechanical problems. They companies policy is to refund each traveler. That procedure can take days and requires you to file for a refund if you are lucky enough to be able to speak to a representative (the online process does not function) . By offering a refund Zip Air seems to think they have zero responsibly in any way to the 1000's of paying passengers they leave stranded. No help to to re-book, no assistance on finding a hotel nothing. To make matters worse because they have been know to do this day after day it can be virtually impossible to find other flights. One couple told me the only way home was to spend two additional days at an airport hotel at several hundred dollars per night fly to Seoul at three times the original ticket price where they were able to get seats back to the U.S. Because they offer a "full refund" most travelers insurance probably will not compensate you. As bad as the South West debacle was at least the took responsibility and reimbursed for the mess they caused. With Zipair nothing. By the way, that couple I referred to ended up several thousand out of pocket and still have not heard any word on getting reimbursed for there cancelled flight. A class action suite is probably in order.
As I said....THINK TWICE. Use Hawaiian, JAL or ANA anything but Zipair