If Spirit Airlines Had Business Class: Onboard Zipair Tokyo

It's incredibly easy to take a trip to Japan on a budget. Some even claim only to spend $1,000 on a week-long or 10-day venture, but if you can spare around $2,000, you can still fly to Japan and back in business class with ZIPAIR.

ZIPAIR is a Japanese international airline that is fully owned by Japan Airlines. It provides economical flights that are even more valuable than regular-class seats from popular commercial airlines. So, if you're looking to find a low-cost yet appealing airline to fly with, take a look at what ZIPAIR might be able to offer you.

Sleeping Easy Over Seoul

ZIPAIR offers very affordable flights from California to Japan or another Asian country. According to the official ZIPAIR website, one-way tickets cost just $312 per passenger over the age of seven. This is considered a great value that can potentially save thousands of dollars on airfare.

Where Does ZIPAIR Fly?

The airports where ZIPAIR does business at include the following:

• Bangkok - Suvarnabhumi Airport (BKK)
• Honolulu - Daniel K. Inouye Airport (HNL)
• Los Angeles - Los Angeles International Airport (LAX)
• Manila - Ninoy Aquino International Airport (MIA)
• San Francisco - San Francisco International Airport (SFO)
• San José - San José Mineta International Airport (SJC)
• Seoul - Incheon International Airport (ICN)
• Singapore - Singapore Changi Airport (SIN)
• Tokyo - Narita International Airport (NRT)
• Vancouver - Vancouver International Airport (YVR)

ZIPAIR flies from 10 airports located in six countries, with all of the airline's North American destinations located on the west coast.

Standard seats are distributed in a 1-2-1 layout — one seat on each side of the aisle and two in the middle. While there aren't many seats compared to the typical commercial plane, every passenger has plenty of room to relax, and each seat has easy aisle-way access. 

These seats also have their own surfaces to put a passenger's belongings, such as a carry-on bag or laptop.

Business class upgrades include lounge access and "ZIP Full-Flat" seats. The comfortable leather seat can fold into a 76-inch bed, allowing passengers to recharge for when they land in the other side of the world.
 

The Downsides of ZIPAIR

However, ZIPAIR has shortcomings that are practically unheard of with other airlines. Firstly, necessities that you expect to be free on a typical long-haul flight are charged as add-ons, including luggage and meals.

Secondly, passengers under seven cannot sit in a "ZIP Full-Flat" seat for safety reasons. This means those who are traveling with their children are unfortunately stuck with standard seating.

Finally, if you want to change your flight, you can't transfer a ticket to another passenger. The ticket is in the passenger's name, so ZIPAIR suggests canceling the ticket first and then purchasing another ticket in the new recipient's name. 

If you're on the West Coast and want to travel to Tokyo and other popular international cities, ZIPAIR can be a viable and cheap option. Still, this airline isn't without the typical nickel-and-diming.