Zipair Adds New Route from San Francisco to Tokyo

Japanese low-cost carrier ZIPAIR will launch flights between Tokyo Narita and San Francisco International Airport on June 2 with ticket sales already on sale this week. The service to San Francisco will become the carrier’s third route across the Pacific, following Los Angeles and San José Mineta International Airport.

ZIPAIR operates the highly efficient Boeing 787-8 aircraft on its international routes and will initially offer five flights per week between Tokyo Narita and San Francisco. The carrier provides a convenient low-cost option, allowing more people to connect between the U.S. and Asia.

A one-way flight ticket from San Francisco International Airport to Narita International starts from just 10,000 Japanese yen, or $91. But there’s one major catch to get this ultra-low fare. The passenger should be six years old or younger, and the ticket must be purchased in Japan. One-way tickets for passengers who are seven years old or older start from 35,000 yen, or $325. 

Established in 2018 as a wholly owned subsidiary of Japan Airlines, ZIPAIR features a fully customizable travel experience based on a n LCC business model, with complimentary Wi-Fi for all classes of travel. It currently operates flights between Tokyo and six cities — Los Angeles, San Jose, Honolulu, Bangkok, Seoul, and Singapore. 

ZIPAIR offers two types of seats. Upper-rank ZIP Full-Flat seat and regular Standard seat. Tickets for Zipair flights between San Francisco and Tokyo are available for booking on its website.

It should be noted that the airline currently has a customer rating of 3/10 on SkyTrax from 31 reviews so far, which is not that great.