ZIPAIR Revealed - Japan's no-frills budget airline: USA to Tokyo
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- Опубликовано: 8 июн 2024
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I flew from San Jose to Tokyo Narita with ZIPAIR, the budget subsidiary of Japan Air Lines (JAL). This quirky budget airline offers lie flat business class seats, but with no service. Everything is sold in bundles and you've got to pay for everything. So, what's it really like?
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0:00 Intro
0:50 SJC Airport
1:45 Arrival of our 787-8 Dreamliner
2:51 The Club @ SJC Lounge (PriorityPass access)
3:55 Betterhelp advert sponsor segment
5:58 Boarding ZIPAIR "business class" flat beds
6:52 Taxi and Takeoff
8:08 FREE wifi!
8:30 Fares and how to book (and how almost nothing is included!)
9:30 Seat review
10:23 ZIPAIR paid meal service
11:00 Buy on board overview
11:29 Loo review
12:12 Bed time plus amenities
13:13 Optional, paid-for second meal
14:04 Approach and landing into Tokyo Narita
14:48 Conclusions, thank you and goodbye!
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Date of Travel: 7 SEP 2023
Airline: Zipair
Livery: Zipair standard livery
Route: SJC-NRT
Aircraft: Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner
Flight Number: ZG 29
Miles: 5,154
Airborne time: 11h 27m
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I flew from San Jose to Tokyo Narita with ZIPAIR, the budget subsidiary of Japan Air Lines (JAL). This quirky budget airline offers lie flat business class seats, but with no service. Everything is sold in bundles and you've got to pay for everything. So, what's it really like? (And yes - you've already seen the Shinkansen one - I released this a bit earlier for a few reasons! Go check it out if you haven't yet! ruclips.net/video/Ov-9tKkjCy8/видео.html)
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The pricing and variety of the on-board products for sale is really good. $4.70 USD for a beer and a pringles at 40,000 feet is amazing value.
Yeah I completely agree! They could charge what they like but it's surprisingly reasonable.
Not sure who you are flying ????
I wouldn't call it amazing value , quite reasonable id say
@@julienfroidevaux1143 it's amazing compared to typical U.S. carriers which rip you off whenever they get the chances. we are conditioned this way so when price is actually "reasonable" it's something of a wonder. sad really
@@gelade You may have a point .
I was looking it from the perspective of a Japanese resident who's wages tend to be lower than other powerful Dev economies .
In Switzerland you could almost double that price and it would be amazing value .
More airlines should go this way. Better than premium economy. I tend not to care about all the meals, priority boarding etc, but do like a flat bed. Great video and looking forward to more in this series.
Completely agree. I'm generally so stressed on long flights (especially in economy) that I don't even feel like eating. I don't need amenities either. However, being able to lie down on a 10-hr flight is priceless.
This should be what Premium Economy is a sort of halfway between Economy and Bussiness so maybe a recliner seat with a footrest or that lays flat but still in a Economy layout. Rather than an Economy seat with Extra Leg Room
The free WiFi on ZipAir -- and clean bathrooms with bidets -- make the experience better than U.S. full-service carrier in economy, as long as you don't mind just getting a single meal. I could even stream RUclips videos without interruption.
The new 10-hr YVR-NRT lane doesn't even come with a single meal. Not a big deal though. We'll eat before the flight with the money we saved on the fare 😉. For price comparison, ANA's same lane is more expensive for Premium Economy.
the free wifi on my flight from Narita to Singapore did not even work and have seen many complaints regarding it is either too slow to use or does not connect at all
@@Tasnim1970 sorry to hear. worked well enough for me to watch a youtube video without buffering.
I love the idea of a flat bed with no TV or distractions. I'd sleep the whole way for a change.
I actually like zipair besides the upfront price: free WiFi, good flight schedule, and no meals is actually better because I’d rather buy bento boxes at the train station to eat whenever I want on the flight. Nowadays I’ll try to fly with miles to Asia and go back to the US with zipair because the flight is shorter.
I really like idea of being able to properly recline and not having to pay business class prices. I'd definitely pay to be able to sleep properly. For me that's the only thing I think makes business class so desirable.
Zip air Japan will be starting service to Vancouver in march next year
just booked it! driving from portland to vancouver to save $5k for 4 of us to be in the flat seats (compared to SFO or LAX)
The plane livery has the be one of the best. It has a hint of old school paint jobs
I live in San Jose, CA and plan on going to Japan in a few months. After watching your video, I think I'll be taking Zipair flat business. You sold me.
Great video, Paul. I can't wait to see the rest of the series☺☺☺
I'm glad that you could spend your time in Japan.
Window seat all the way 🪟 🛫
That was wonderful, thank you for taking us with you.
This is the most comprehensive video I have seen about ZipAir, and now that I know more about them, I would definitely fly them, especially for the price of that lie flat seat. Thanks for sharing Paul!❤️✈️
Excellent video Paul! I’m flying ZIPAIR out of LAX next month and now I’m looking forward to it even more. Keep up the great work!
Welcome to Japan, Paul! I flew ZipAir October of last year with end-of-pandemic happenings. I flew the regular seat but I got the entire row to myself. Passengers who didn't could get up and move (they had to be in their assigned seats for meals and head-count though). Luckily, my empty row was natural. First thing - the seat pitch was AMAZING for a "back of the bus" seat. Also, because i was alone in my row, I got lie-flat for no extra charge! The crews on both flights were amazing and I most certainly will fly them on the regular on my next trip back to the States! A truly 8/10 experience! Great vid, Paul!
If you don't mind me asking, how much luggage did you take with you? And how much was it to check them in?
@@jay_bird83126 I paid for 2 carry one to LA which was an extra 25 at the time. I paid I think 50 for a check in between la and Tokyo. I think... Prices may have changed.
I'm pretty excited about this airline now. I live in Korea so it would be easy to get to Tokyo to try out a long haul flight on Zip. I fly business class but I often find myself never using the entertainment because I always have my very nice tablet and I generally like, but don't really care about the food. This airline is perfect for me.
Great flight, finally you try Zipair.
Welcome to Japan!
Personally, I can happily get by with ordinary food. The seat is a different story! That one looked very comfortable for the price. Thank you for the video!
That looks like a good value for flight no doubt
Good one Paul.
Absolutely fantastic trip report Paul!😸
Looking forward to your Japanese adventures! I too, have always wanted to go to Japan. Enjoy!
Thanks for this comprehensive review of ZipAir. The best part of business class is the lie flat feature and comfort overall of course, and this airline seems to fit the bill. I like this airline’s no-frills approach, too - a “basic airline” with what appears to be reasonably-priced a la carte options coupled with understated, excellent service. My jaw dropped when you showed us the bidet feature in the bathroom though. As one with three Toto washlet bidets in my three-toilet home, this amenity sold me on booking my March 2025 one way for two 😂😂 from LAX to NRT. As a result, I’ve also subscribed to your channel and look forward to watching more of your videos. Thanks, again, Paul.
Thank you for posting this vid! I am doing SJC to Narita next month via Zipair's lie flats. Honestly looking forward to the flight experience.
Can't wait for your Japan adventures.
Love the way u at least try the cocktail etc why not would be rude not to lol 👏👏
Another great flight 🎉❤
You have a great narration voice and positive nature. Great videos. Keep up the cracking work, mate.
Thank you so much!
great video, Paul! Zipair seem to have a workable business model and I wish them well. cheers!
You make a compelling case for ZipAir. I tend to avoid budget airlines, but ZipAir sounds like they make the price savings worth it
I absolutely loved Japan and Tokyo is such a beautiful city. I flew Air Canada Premium Economy when I went. For such a long flight the extra room was really appreciated. Another great video Paul.
I absolutely love this video. Getting excited about my trip to Japan now. Thank you for such great content. ❤
Thanks for this video! San Jose is my main airport so this was personally helpful. I think I know what airline I'm flying on my next trip to Japan.
Thanks for the review Paul. I visit Japan often and since Zipair have plans to start a route from Vancouver next year, I'm keen to give this one a try.
Thanks for showing us a great option for flying to Japan with more room but without the fanfare. Love it. And I can't wait to see the train videos!
I’m so happy to see the series on Japan 👏🏽
Great video! Thank you.
I had no idea about this airlines but would also love to go to Japan someday and this seems a great way from the west coast. Another outstanding video. Looking forward to your whole Japan series!
Best BetterHelp segment I have ever seen. Well done, Paul! #betterhelp
How long will you stay in Japan, Paul?
Fabulous video thank you!
Where have youy been Paul! I've missed your videos!
Always nice to see SJC get some love
I'm for sure attending the Expo 2025 in Osaka. Hopefully ZIPAIR is still around by then and I can get a cheap off-peak fare. And I don't mind paying for the extras, plus they offer bundles/packages online. Aisle seat is my preference for long haul since I like to drink water and alcohol...no bothering the neighbors to get up
Where the Bannana Kitkats are concerned, I'd imagine they're probably as unpleasant as the Strawberry Kitkats I ordered last year. Sounds like a good idea, but not executed very well in my book. I don't see myself ever trying any other specialty Japanese Kitkat again sadly.
Appreciate your comments on mental health. Something that isn’t raised very often in this environment.
Love that watch of yours ... Where can I get it. Thanks
Thank you Paulie! looking at this airlize for my second trip to JP. comes quite handy. much appreciated! cheers!
Unique experience.👌💚
Fabulous.
Great concept, I'd go with this class all the time given the choice! Flatbed over all the fancy frills any day!
Oooooh! Paul! Japan! I'm seriously considering returning after my first short visit back in 2019. Coincidentally Zip Air will soon be flying out of Vancouver, so I must look more closely at their scheduling. Their "business class" seats look great and well worth considering over regular business class on any of the other airlines flying the YVR-NRT or YVR-HND route. At the price they charge, I think it's well worth it because one doesn't really need all the extras. To me, the comfort is what counts. What a great positive review. Thinking about it, I don't think we could've expected anything less from what is a subsidiary of JAL. Looking forward to your onward travels through Japan for ideas and tips. Many thanks for a great video.
Looking forward to the upcoming content!
i couldn't imagine 12 hours without any sort of entertainment
Well it’s just for people who wanna pay for what they want. Many old Japanese who travel for work purposes don’t want entertainment and probably just wanna sleep. So this seems perfect for them. 8 hours of sleep on a 12 hours flight and they’re not paying for entertainment which they ain’t gonna use anyway.
Use your personal device?
Free WiFi!
The point is that you can use your devices to watch what you actually want to watch with the free wifi
I’m sold. This is an amazing value.
good video :)
Zipair should launch more Californian cities like San Diego, Oakland and Ontario
Great video. Interesting concept for a carrier
I love seeing the trip reports about these rare airlines. Another great one paul
I am claustrophobic and only seat bulkhead 1A or 1F, window seat.
If I had free wifi and could charge my phone I wouldn’t miss the tv at all.
Love seeing the appearance of SJC! My home airport and though SFO isn’t far away either, I always find SJC to be super convenient and pleasant to fly out of. Loved this review and it’s certainly making me think about flying with zipair soon!
Just came from there from FurCon & I was like "Oooh I know that airport!"
Always a great objective look at things - Paul always has such a balanced approach that prevents him from becoming a drama queen.
Keep up the great work Paul!
Thank you!
Too many trip reviewers are drama queens. Paul, and Jeb Brooks are two of the best.
This is the way to go! I Def want to try this from Hawaii.
You helped me make up my mind about ZIPAir. I will save money and use their lie flat seat on my upcoming trip to Japan, instead of paying for business on another airline. Thanks; I really enjoy your content!
Can we just appreciate how much work and support he puts into his videos ☺
Looks like a quality product for a budget airline.
I've seen a few reviews on these now and they look amazing for a low cost airline!
Nice work
Free WiFi On A BUDGET Airlines Wow Thats Great.Great Trip Report
Hi Paul, I used to fly to San Jose twice a month. After taking off from San Jose, I saw Moffit Field and SFO!!
I believe those airfields were Moffitt Field, SFO and Oakland
Flew that exact route last December on Zipair and loved it! Great price for flying out of SJC for sure.
Thanks for this video , I’m flying zipair business class in February from san Francisco to Tokyo ..
Just got back from Tokyo on Zipair from San José and it was great. I would go again! Just buy water and lunch at the airport prior to departure.
If it’s a more than 5hr flight ✈️ I like to select the fire exit seat. 💺
Enjoy your Shinkansen 🚄 ride 😃
Thanks
Thanks for another great video. Can't wait for the rest from your trip to the land of the rising sun. Hope you sampled all the different flavours of KitKat while you were in there. There is a few of them plus the seasionals.
I love the name of the airline. Certainly unique.😊
Thank you Paul, another superb video & more to come from the Far East!
Great stuff, Paul - I think it’s a very clever idea - and more airlines should do free WiFi I think. If I ever had the opportunity to fly across the pacific, I’d look at this airline.
I like to sit next the window!
Flew Zip back in march. It was a great flight. from the US the Meals were OK but coming back from Japan they are far better. The price of the On board food was very affordable though. The instant noodles and drinks are fantastic.
The food quality and options highly depend on the point of origin. Whether Japanese or foreign carriers, flights leaving from Japan will mostly be catered by Japanese food service companies. If there is a quality difference, it's a reflection of the price/quality of US catering services. (As for short-haul flights or destinations that are not known for food safety, there are airlines that pack for round trips.)
So excited you've been to Japan!!! Aren't the trains amazing?? (I've only seen them on videos...)
Not him, but the trains are so amazing in Tokyo. You can literally go everywhere and there are stations everywhere, so you can find a station just by walking a few minutes at times.
This looks like a lot of
Fun. I would consider flying with them out Washington, DC. I hope this works out and they can expand.
787 beautiful
I flew ZipAir from SJC to NRT 2 weeks ago and flying them back to SJC in two days. I was pleasantly surprised. I would def fly them again!
What a great review, I've been wondering about Zipair since my 11 year old is desperate to visit Japan, and I sure don't want to do it in economy. (I can't find any available dates in 2024, weird!) It looks just fine and cozy if your priority - like mine - would be just to have a place to lie down on such a long flight!
Love your videos and presenting style. So glad you haven't gone down the negative route of some other vloggers. Even when things go wrong you make positive videos. The trend with some of " things going wrong" or "worlds worst " or just negative feel reports I find hard. I appreciate all travel channels and the huge efforts they make but especially negative content is sometimes hard to watch. Am I being unfair Paul ????
Great video, Paul! I hope this airline sticks around long enough for my family to travel to Japan (is it too much to hope for them to also fly to SEA direct?)
Probably transit in Japan before flying into Southeast Asia
Good vid
I saw Moffett Field, SFO and OAK on your climb out of San Jose.
How do you do your globe graphic with the flight route Paul? Interesting video as always !
The free wifi is only to purchase meals and assessories. It does not include emails, apps or anything else. They are also very strict on the size of hand on carry bags. However their on line check in departing Toyota was all automated, no lines, online check in scanning passports. Planes are nice. Similar to Cebu Pacific. Wish they had the automated check in at NAIA airport
I’m so jealous you’re getting to see Japan, it’s on my list of places to go, are you visiting any of the theme parks while you’re there?
In those specific style of seats I prefer K followed by D so that the table is too my right.
There is a massive difference between business class and standard class. Business class was $1800 return and standard was $800.00. Seats in standard class are very tight and if you are normal size you will struggle
One of the airport views was of the enormous airship hangars - one now burned down.
I think Moffatt Field can be seen from San Jose and it has huge old airship hangers. The airship hanger that burned down was in Tustin/Southern California. Too far away from SJC to be seen.
@@WilliamMurphy-uv9pm Ah. Thanks for the correction. Certainly looked similar.
@@bradfordtownley9363 When i first heard of a huge aireship hanger burning, I immediately thought of Moffatt Field as I'd seen that location many times over the years. It was only in a telecon with a friend who grew up in Southern California that I learned of the other huge hangers. So, I made a similar mistake. No big deal.