$350 each way: Low-cost Zipair releases Vancouver to Tokyo route details

$350 each way: Low-cost airline Zipair to launch frequent route from Vancouver to Tokyo

Zipair Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner (Zipair) | Tokyo (f11photo/Shutterstock)

New details have been announced for Zipair’s brand-new low-cost, frequent, non-stop route flying between Vancouver and Tokyo, including the launch date, schedule, and fare scale.

Zipair, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Japan Airlines, has been steadily adding more routes linking the world to Tokyo, ever since the low-cost airline was first established in 2018.

Daily Hive Venture previously reported on Zipair’s new service in early November 2023, which will be the first low-cost flight option between Japan and Vancouver, and the airline’s fourth Trans-Pacific route.

As of today, bookings on Zipair’s service between Vancouver International Airport (YVR) and Tokyo Narita International Airport (NRT) are now open, with the inaugural flights scheduled for March 13, 2024.

You might also like:

Zipair will initially fly three roundtrips (six flights) per week, with flights scheduled for Mondays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays. Flights will depart YVR at 10:30 am and arrive at NRT at 1 pm the next day. For the return trip, flights will leave NRT at 4 pm and land in YVR at 8:30 am on the same day. As the year progresses, there will be very slight changes to the flight timings.

Zipair’s fleet is entirely comprised of Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner aircraft.

Zipair Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner (Zipair)

“This new route will strengthen our international network across the Pacific while meeting the growing travel demand between Vancouver and Tokyo Japan,” said Shingo Nishida, president of Zipair, in a statement.

“We sincerely look forward to welcoming customers in Canada to take advantage of our service, as this route will provide a valuable link for commercial and cultural exchange between the two countries.”

Full-flat seats start at only C$1,102 (JP¥118,559) for flights from Vancouver to Tokyo, and JP¥105,335 (C$979) for flights from Tokyo to Vancouver. This is just 20% to 40% of the fares on the business class seats of other airlines operating on the route with fully reclining seats that enable passengers to lie down horizontally.

Standard seats each way start at C$352 (JP¥37,887) for flights from Vancouver to Tokyo, and C$306 (JP¥32,960) for flights from Tokyo to Vancouver. This is less than half of the economy fares of the other airlines operating on the route, but there is a big caveat: as a low-cost airline, Zipair requires passengers to pay added fees for any extra baggage allowances — both carry-on and checked bags — and amenities.

zipair boeing 787-8 dreamliner full-flat seats

Full-flat, lie-down seats on Zipair’s Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner. (Zipair)

zipair boeing 787-8 dreamliner standard seats

Standard seats on Zipair’s Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner. (Zipair)

Each fare includes a maximum seven kg of carry-on baggage allowance, with additional weight of up to eight kg (total of 15 kg) provided by an added fee of C$52 (JP¥5,000).

For checked baggage, each checked bag up to 30 kg has an added fee of C$73 (JP¥7,000).

In-flight meals are also an added cost that can be booked in advance.

Alternatively, passengers can book their extras as a package. The “Value” package provides checked baggage of up to 30 kg, seat selection, and in-flight meal service for C$114 (JP¥11,000), while the “Premium” package offers everything under “Value” plus an additional eight kg for carry-on baggage and an amenity set (blanket, ear plugs, eye mask, neck pillow, and slippers) for C$187 (JP¥18,000).

The existing non-stop flight options between Vancouver and Tokyo entail routes operated by Japan Airlines and Air Canada reaching NRT, and All Nippon Airways reaching Haneda Airport (HND). Each of these three airlines currently fly roundtrip (two flights) daily for a total frequency of three roundtrips (six flights) per day.

Zipair also flies on eight other international routes between NRT and San Francisco, Los Angeles, Honolulu, San Jose, Singapore, Seoul, Manila, and Bangkok.

YVR Airport New Flights 2022-2024

May 1, 2022: Halifax, Nova Scotia (YHZ) — Air Canada, 5x weekly
May 16, 2022: Kelowna, BC (YLW) — Flair Airlines, 3x weekly
May 17, 2022: San Francisco, California (SFO) — Flair Airlines, 3x weekly
May 2, 2022: Quebec City, Quebec — Air Canada Rouge, 3x weekly (summer seasonal)
June 1, 2022: Austin, Texas — Air Canada, 4x weekly
June 15, 2022: Minneapolis, Minnesota (MSP) — Sun Country Airlines, 2x weekly (summer seasonal)
June 9, 2022: New York City (JFK) — JetBlue, daily
November 25, 2022: Nadi, Fiji (NAN) — Fiji Airways, 2x weekly (winter seasonal)
December 9, 2022: Toronto, Ontario (YYZ) — Canada Jetlines, 2x weekly
December 16, 2022: Houston, Texas (IAH) — Air Canada, daily
December 17, 2022: Miami, Florida (MIA) — Air Canada, 3x weekly
February 7, 2023: Toronto, Ontario (YYZ) — Porter Airlines, 3x daily
May 17, 2023: Atlanta, Georgia (ATL) — WesetJet, 4x weekly (seasonal)
May 19, 2023: Nashville, Tennessee (BNA) — WestJet, 2x weekly (seasonal)
June 1, 2023: Washington, DC (IAD) — Air Canada, 5x weekly (seasonal)
June 15, 2023: Boston, Massachusetts (BOS) — JetBlue, daily (seasonal)
October 28, 2023: Dubai, United Arab Emirates (DXB) — Air Canada, 4x weekly
March 13, 2024: Tokyo, Japan (Narita; NRT) — Zipair, 3x weekly
April 3, 2024: Singapore (SIN) — Air Canada, 4x weekly
April 11, 2024: Montreal, Quebec (YUL) — Porter Airlines, daily
April 28, 2024: Detroit, Michigan (DTW) — WestJet, daily (seasonal)

You might also like: