It seems as though ANA’s Airbus A380 flights to nowhere are now becoming a monthly fixture. The airline is currently accepting applications for its December A380 flight to nowhere, which will have an ‘early Christmas’ theme.
Around the world, flights to nowhere have taken off in popularity. As passengers have been unable to travel abroad, the appeal of a sightseeing flight has grown. Meanwhile, such flights are also a boon to airlines who can make at least some money off their grounded aircraft. However, while such flights have been popular in Asia, they’re yet to really take off in Europe.
A special Christmas flight
For the past few months, Japanese carrier All Nippon Airways has been operating monthly Airbus A380 flights. However, rather than flying to Honolulu as the airline had planned with the aircraft, the giant of the skies is merely keeping its engines turning while showing off the sights around the Tokyo area.
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On December 12th, the airline will operate the last planned Airbus A380 charter flight of 2020 from Tokyo’s Narita Airport. The flight will board at around 16:00, with a three and a half hour flight time. It is due back at Narita at roughly 20:00. With sunset taking place at 16:28 in Tokyo on December 12th, passengers will get the opportunity to view Japan’s lights from above.
So far, the flights have been incredibly popular with far more demand than available seats. As a result, the airline is holding a lottery for the available seats. The lottery is open until Friday, with winners being notified next week.
What do passengers get?
All four classes of travel on the Airbus A380 are available as part of the lottery. Successful passengers will pay between ¥100,000 ($950) for a first class seat to ¥33,000 ($314) for an aisle seat in the economy.
All passengers on the flight will receive an Airbus A380 turtle backpack featuring a face towel and a “shaka-chan” from the Hawaii Tourism Board, along with a flight certificate. Those in premium economy will also get a branded tote bag. Meanwhile, those in business and first will each get an amenity kit.
All passengers will get a standard in-flight meal accompanied by mojitos, coffee, and soft drinks. Those in the business and first cabins will also be able to access beers, wine, and champagne.
Unique to this flight, ANA will also be holding a raffle on the flight. Marriott Hawaii Resorts are offering two-night accommodation vouchers for stays at two of their properties in 2021. The ANA A380s are due to fly to Hawaii outside of the current situation.
Would you pay to fly on one of ANA’s trips to nowhere? Let us know what you think and why in the comments!