Japan Airlines (referred to as JAL) has announced that they will provide international tourists with free domestic flights to any destination within Japan, but there are certain requirements that need to be met in order to enjoy this benefit.
Most international tourists visit Japan to explore well-known cities like Tokyo, Osaka, and Kyoto. However, JAL’s promotion aims to encourage tourists to venture into other regions of Japan.
In a press release on September 13, Japan Airlines stated that when people book international flights to Japan, the company will offer free domestic flights to allow foreign tourists to explore more of Japan. This promotion aims to create a “seamless travel experience” in Japan. The promotion started on September 10, with different countries having varying activation dates for the offer.
Foreign tourists must book both a Japan Airlines international flight and a corresponding domestic flight within the same reservation to be eligible for the offer. Booking domestic flights in Japan separately does not qualify for the promotion.
Travelers from the United States, Canada, Mexico, and China will be required to pay a stopover fee of $100 or 300 Chinese yuan if they stay at their first destination in Japan for more than 24 hours. Visitors from other countries will not incur additional charges for taking domestic flights.
It is currently unclear why JAL has chosen to impose additional stopover fees specifically for travelers from these four countries, while exempting travelers from other countries from such fees. It may be related to the high demand for air travel from these countries/regions.
Japan Airlines serves 64 domestic airports, providing passengers with the opportunity to visit places such as sake breweries in Niigata, Hawaii-style beaches in Okinawa, and the 17 UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Kyoto.
To date, tourists from the United States, Canada, Mexico, Thailand, Singapore, Australia, and New Zealand have been able to enjoy the complimentary domestic flights offered by JAL. Starting on September 25, visitors from Vietnam and the Philippines can avail of the offer; and from September 27, tourists from Indonesia, India, China, and Taiwan will also be eligible for the promotion.
(This article referenced reports from USA Today and “Simple Flying”)