Jaunted - Tag: japan travel

Watch Out, EVA Air; Japan Airlines Has a 'Hello Kitty' Plane Too

kjb — 2012-01-16T10:09:17-05:00

The carriers over in Japan just can’t get enough of wacky airplane liveries and specialty paint jobs, and that’s fine with us because we can’t stop talking about them. Japan Airlines is the latest to reveal a fresh look, and it’s a brand new tribute to the Hello Kitty empire.

It’s not just all fun either, as this latest color scheme (for this plane only) is hanging around to bring recognition and awareness about cervical cancer. Japan Airlines, TOKYO FM, and Sanrio are all joining forces as part of the "Hellosmile Project." The plan is to support prevention programs with the plane—it’s a Boeing 777 with the registration number JA8941—as it flies in and around Japan and the globe for the next year or so.

2012 is Totally Japan's Year...for Aviation

jetflyboy — 2012-01-03T11:26:57-05:00

2011 wasn't a banner year for Japan, not to mention for any industry in the country. We saw the ripple effects of natural disasters throughout the aviation world with the Japanese earthquake and resulting tsunami topping the list. What can be more indicative of Japanese pride, but to quickly rebuild stronger and better? Fortunately for us, airlines are towards the top of the progress.

· Peachy Keen
Last year we talked about the introduction of ANA's budget carrier based out of Osaka, Peach. With only 3 destinations, the airline will draw business passengers, eventually moving into the leisure market. Flights are taking off in March and tickets are already to purchase.

Happy Peach Fares have no baggage allowance or advanced seat selection but are quite affordable at around $175 return to Sapporo. If you need the sweet little perks, cough up about $75 more. Happy Peach Plus fares allow you to pick where you park yourself on the plane and some space in the belly for your luggage. With a bright purple livery and cabin, Peach is on our short list!

ANA is Keen to Launch New Budget Airline, 'Peach'

JetSetCD — 2011-11-14T09:50:01-05:00

In case you were wondering where all the airline action is these days (you probably aren't, but we're going to tell you anyway)...it's in Asia. New airlines are popping up like pimples on prom night. AirAsia's got AirAsia Japan and Caterham Jet, Qantas is toying with RedQ and Singapore wants to Scoot. Oh, ANA (aka home of the first 787s) wants in one the game too, and they're launched a cute little airline called "Peach."

Peach is really happening, as they've just taken delivery of their first actual plane, a leased Airbus A320 painted in some hot pink and fuchsia livery. March 2012 is the projected go-time for Peach, which is based at Osaka's Kansai International Airport and planning to fly from KIX to domestic spots like Fukuoka and Sapporo, with international routes to follow.

In-Flight Cocktail of the Month: ANA's 'Aromatic Kabosu'

JetSetCD — 2011-11-04T14:17:33-05:00

As many already know, we have a serious obsession with airline cocktails, and so much is our passion that we've created a whole first-Friday-of-the-month feature called In-Flight Cocktail of the Month, which highlights the special concoctions that flight attendants whip up with only a cocktail shaker, some tiny liquor bottles and a whole lot of hope that it won't make you drunk and unruly.

Now that the new Boeing 787 Dreamliner is finally up in the air and regularly flying passengers around Japan with All Nippon Airways, it's time to start thinking about making the trip. When you do, it's not only a unique experience because of the chance to fly the latest in commercial aviation technology, but also because ANA features little details in their in-flight service you don't find on other airlines.

For one, ANA still gives out metal utensils (stamped with the ANA logo) to first, business and economy passengers at mealtimes. For another, they have their own special non-alcoholic drink called "Aromatic Kabosu."

Even More Photos of EVA Air's Three New 'Hello Kitty' Airplanes

JetSetCD — 2011-11-02T08:52:07-05:00

Last week, in a frenzy of excitement, we broke the news (for English-language press, at least) that Taiwan's EVA Air would celebrate their 20th Anniversary by bringing back the old, immensely successful Hello Kitty-painted airplane. Instead of only one as before, however, there'd be three A330s, each with a unique paintjob and the full treatment of Hello Kitty-ization on the inside and out.

That alone was awesome news, and now we have more. Although the Hello Kitty plane routes only operate from Taipei-Taoyuan International to Tokyo, Fukuoka, Hokkaido, Seoul and Hong Kong, EVA Air has just begun long-haul flights from New York-JFK to Taipei. Switching operations from Newark to JFK means it's now that much easier for American travelers to hop an EVA flight and connect at TPE to one of the Hello Kitty jets.

OMG OMG. The EVA Air Hello Kitty Airplanes are Back!

JetSetCD — 2011-10-28T10:26:00-05:00

If you've ever considered a getaway to Taiwan, now is the time because on this upcoming Monday, Taiwanese airline EVA Air will launch three—count 'em—three Airbus A330s each painted with a unique Hello Kitty design.

This will be the second time EVA makes a splash with the Sanrio character as they previously had two planes bearing the cartoon kitty-cat, but retired that livery back in 2009. See a picture of the old design here. This year, however, the airline has added a third plane and freshened up the entire look, which includes everything from the flight attendant aprons to the sugar packets onboard, all Hello Kitty-themed.

Tokyo: Inside a Day Room at Tokyo's Narita International Airport

JetSetCD — 2011-10-21T12:05:13-05:00

You've had a long flight, or maybe you're about to have a long flight, or maybe—horror of horrors—both. You've got some sizeable layover time at Tokyo-Narita Airport and you're desperate to have a shower, take a nap or work in peace and comfort—or all three things. If you're flying economy you don't have the option to crash in a lounge, but luckily Narita is a large (and awesome) enough airport to offer Shower rooms and Day Rooms, and we just tried them out!

Our story involved a long flight to NRT from Bangkok, an 8-hour layover and another long flight back to the States in economy. Typically we'd enjoy the airport like an amusement park, but we were under the weather and sleepy. Although the day rooms may be reserved online up to one month in advance, we just walked in and plonked down our credit card for five hours in a single room.