
JAL wants visitors from overseas to see more than just Tokyo during the Tokyo Summer Games.
Japan is expecting a huge influx of overseas travelers next summer, when Tokyo hosts the Summer Olympics. But as exciting a city as Tokyo is, especially with the boost it’ll be getting from the Games, there’s more to see in Japan than just its capital.
So to help visitors see other parts of the country, Japan Airlines (a.k.a. JAL) is offering 100,000 free plane tickets to foreign travelers next summer. The round-trip tickets will be for domestic routes that connect to Tokyo’s Haneda, Osaka’s Kansai International, and Hokkaido’s New Chitose airports. With Haneda and Kansai being two of Japan’s largest international hubs, the free tickets should allow international travelers to easily add an in-Japan side trip to their Olympic travel itinerary at either the start or finish of their time in Japan.
JAL will begin taking applications for the free tickets in February, with non-Japanese members of its mileage club eligible to receive the freebies. The round-trip domestic line tickets can be used between the beginning of July and the end of September, straddling the Olympics themselves, will take place from July 24 and August 9.
There is one catch, or perhaps an exciting wrinkle, depending on how adventurous you are. While the round-trip tickets will all connect to Haneda, Kansai, or Chitose, you don’t choose where you’ll be going from there. The mid-point destination of the round-trip tickets is up to JAL, which is hoping that the program will encourage travel to less-publicized parts of Japan. Still, with each part of Japan having its own unique charm, this is an amazingly generous offer, and considering some of the hotel bargains available in Japan, an incredibly affordable way to see more than just Tokyo during your stay.
Source: Tele Asa News via Hachima Kiko
Top image: Pakutaso
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