A Japanese domestic airline has started a month-long “all-you-can-fly” service from Tokyo, seeing an opportunity to cash in as work routines undergo a dramatic shift in the wake of the Covid pandemic.
Star Flyer Inc.’s “Star Pass” targets commuters wanting unlimited flights between the capital’s Haneda Airport and Kitakyushu — a city near Fukuoka where the carrier is based, on Japan’s southern Kyushu island — for remote work and leisure.
For ¥40,000 ($286), people under 26 can make as many trips as they want during a 30-day period that will end on June 13. Users older than 26 pay ¥150,000.
The flight passes are an attempt to bolster business after Covid, which saw domestic travel all but grind to a halt as the country encouraged people to suspend travel for work and leisure during peak infection periods. They also cater to people who would prefer to work from home or as digital nomads rather than return to office life.
Still, it’s unclear how much of an impact the promotion will have on Star Flyer’s bottom line. The carrier — which operates five routes to southern, western and central Japanese prefectures — took a particularly hard hit during the pandemic, with operating profit for the financial year that ended in March in the red for the third consecutive period.
Star Flyer’s shares fell 11% last year, while ANA Holdings Inc. rose 16% and Japan Airlines Co. was up 23%. This year, stock in Star Flyer is up about 7%.
The airline, which announced the campaign on April 14, said it had 550 applicants for the passes and issued 90 through a lottery. It declined to comment on how many of those who’d won actually bought passes.
Star Flyer had last year planned to roll out a monthly subscription service in 2023 that would include rented accommodation in and around Fukuoka on top of the unlimited flights between Tokyo and Kitakyushu.
Kaito Kuroiwa, a 23-year-old engineer from Kyushu’s Kagoshima city, said he’s used his flight pass for five round trips and plans to take 10 in total before June 13. He said he’s flown 90 times domestically in 2022 on JAL and ANA — but was lured to Star Flyer by comparatively inexpensive fares.
On his remaining visits to Kitakyushu, he plans to meet up with friends and travel locally. The downsides included having to choose flights from only three time slots, he said.
Still, on his latest trip, he said he worked and enjoyed local delicacies including fresh sashimi.
“The fish was way fresher and tastier than Tokyo,” he said.
