business

Boarding now for a flight from Tokyo to Paris that never takes off

42 Comments
By Kwiyeon Ha

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42 Comments
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Wonder how long they are going to stay in business?

1 ( +5 / -4 )

Wall on the right side, elevated windows on the left side.

Looks more like a cinema than airplane to me

Hope they have good inflight entertainment, otherwise I do not see much the interest

3 ( +5 / -2 )

It would have to be way better than Google Street View, but I'd pay a few thousand yen to do a VR tour of somewhere special. It strikes me as the most sustainable form of tourism. A day will come when a VR tour of a deserted Angkor Wat on a sunny day with personalized AI guidance will be more rewarding and educational than slogging through crowds on an actual tour in the rain.

I wouldn't need them to recreate the flight experience though. That is a minus, not a plus.

7 ( +7 / -0 )

New theme leisure venue restaurant for the elderly.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

lol

1 ( +2 / -1 )

zizou2016: if you are still young and physically able to fly, I suggest that you get yourself a real flight.

-2 ( +1 / -3 )

The customers’ reasons are, uh, weak. Actually going to a foreign country? Big hassle. Time consuming.

In an actual visit to the actual place you’d also have to interact with locals, move your feet, and deal with the weather. Sitting with your VR headset: perfect. And no human contact, what a plus!

1 ( +4 / -3 )

wish i didn't have to work and had free time on my hands to waste on drivel like this...

-4 ( +1 / -5 )

You know like sometimes it's said that art predicts the future ? This kind of new companies makes me think more and more of a Philip K. Dick universe.

5 ( +5 / -0 )

I though Japan and it's wonderfully crazy people couldn't get weirder.

I guess they can.

-1 ( +4 / -5 )

I am a traveler and love to go places, experience people, cultures, etc. Been doing so most of my life. However I think this is a very cool idea and nice for older people who really have a hard time making a long trip like that. Having older parents, relatives, etc. I can certainly see they would love to give this a try.

This appears to be and I think it will continue to be a successful business and I bet it will be around a while. Not sure why all of the negativity from the posters here.

4 ( +5 / -1 )

If you sell it they'll buy. Weirdness (and stupidity) knows no bounds.

-2 ( +3 / -5 )

@goldorak - so you say anyone (say an elderly person) that partakes in this is stupid or weird? If an elderly person takes advantage of this (especially with VR) it is pretty cold to call them stupid or weird.

6 ( +7 / -1 )

We are getting closer to seeing "Brainstorm" become reality, for anyone that remembers that movie.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

Actually I see this being quite interesting for people who have a fear of flying.

6600 yen is quite steep though.

2 ( +3 / -1 )

@papi - 6,600 Yen for 2 hours is steep but if it includes wine, champagne and use of VR - who knows? I might try this just out of sheer curiosity and if the wine flows free I think I will come out about even.

0 ( +2 / -2 )

@Tokyo-Engr

Not sure why all of the negativity from the posters here.

I'll try to explain how I feel about this, but I have mixed feelings anyway so...

First, I get the point that travel is expensive, and takes time, and may be (very) difficult for seniors mostly.

On the other hand, this is part of the experience of travelling. To prepare, and go to a place for real, to see it with your own eyes and living even a small part of the culture there. And this is what makes travel so special, and something that stays in your head for a long time. This 2 hours virtual reality trip will certainly stay in people minds until they go home and turn on the TV.

Travel is expensive, yes : that's why people plan it in advance and save money to afford it. Just like they would do to buy anything else. These people won't do it, even though travelling is easier than ever nowadays. This just looks like laziness to me

What about that :

Abe added that domestic flights around Japan will be added soon, with meals highlighting the region's cuisine.

People won't even bother to take the train for a few hours now ?

-2 ( +1 / -3 )

How wonderful. Travel is an expensive business and this is a nice little "taster", if you will, of the real thing. Combine a meal out with a flight. Should be perfect for those who cannot afford the real thing, or those who are unable to fly for various reasons.

Once again, Japan's innovations astound.

1 ( +3 / -2 )

Beware, it says First and Business Class seats! French food!? These are probably really expensive tickets on this super Concorde flight.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

@goldorak - so you say anyone (say an elderly person) that partakes in this is stupid or weird?

Sadly weird, yes. I get the VR thing, desire yet inability to travel etc but I find the whole 'flying' experience thing (well 'near/fake') silly, sorry. Seatbelt, flight-attendants, blanket, 'window or aisle seat, sir?', come on. Sitting on a plane isn't/shouldn't be anyone's highlight of their trip.

Would have no problem with a VR tour & proper local-feel resto experience though.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

It's not my cup of tea, but I can see the attraction it might have for some.

I certainly don't think the customers are 'weird' or 'lazy' or xenophobic.

A proper four-course dinner for ¥6000 isn't expensive (assuming it's a proper meal, not the excuse for food that's usually served in cattle-class).

Someone who has never been on a plane, is nervous and wants a 'rehearsal' prior to the real thing, might find it useful. Someone who wants to see foreign parts but is unable to travel for financial reasons or because of physical limitations, might find it helpful.

I love the seeing-other-places bit of travel; I see the flight there and back as a trial that has to be endured in order to get to the good stuff. No way I would pay to pretend to be on a flight to nowhere.

1 ( +3 / -2 )

Japanese innovation? Sitting in a chair pretending to fly?

1 ( +2 / -1 )

The only reason I get on a plane is to get to my destination. It is a means to an end. Not the end itself.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

By the way if you really want to make them think they are flying why are you serving nice food?

1 ( +2 / -1 )

Cool, I remember I was doing something like this when I was a kid, and many other things. This is like a game, it involves a lot if imagination.

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

Like it or not , this will be big. I think people all over the world will enjoy this.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

@Tokyo-Engr here is information about the food.

http://firstairlines.jp/food.html

I agree, its not just the food you are paying for so maybe not that steep for just a one time experience...i guess.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

To complete the travel experience they need to add; Security Check (TSA Style), Baggage Collection and Immigration, A Spot of Simulated Inflight Turbulence, Filling Out Immigration and Customs Forms Game, The Tray Table and Limited Leg Space Environment, The Screaming Child for Duration of Flight Bonus.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

To complete the travel experience they need to add; Security Check (TSA Style), Baggage Collection and Immigration, A Spot of Simulated Inflight Turbulence, Filling Out Immigration and Customs Forms Game, The Tray Table and Limited Leg Space Environment, The Screaming Child for Duration of Flight Bonus.

BRILLIANT Mate!

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Cue Jay K, ''Future's made of virtual insanity...''

0 ( +0 / -0 )

The American version comes with virtual TSA and random checks.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Only 12 passengers? They’ll have to encourage passengers to stay in the bog for an extra 10 minutes to make it more authentic.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

LOL seriously I had the same idea for years, but no money to make this business .

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

Why not ?

Cobra manga series introduced it.

Going for Matrix.

People 's choice.

Problem is if fake is presented as good as the real stuff.

No certainty of the quality of resemblance with original.

Fake plane environment : for the fun or they sell it as real, which it is not ?

Anyway, it is just more business and VR is the future.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

@Papi - thanks for the link! Quite interesting idea. As some other posters mentioned there are other positives to this (such as helping with fear of flying etc).

0 ( +0 / -0 )

And no jet lag!

Sign me up.....

0 ( +0 / -0 )

@West sea

I do not really understand your reply to my comment

Anyway, I am in the middle age and fly many times a year, no need for me to go to such a place

0 ( +0 / -0 )

OK, I guess it shouldn't be surprising here in Japan... as we have Monster Cafe's, Robot Cafe's, Maid Cafe's... so why not a Cafe with the theme of being in an Aeroplane... though it would have been perhaps a bit more interesting, had they based if upon something that you couldn't experience these days.

Further investigation shows that this type of themed cafe isn't unique to Japan

https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/airplane-themed-restaurant-fly-kouzina_us_55e45f85e4b0c818f6186434

https://www.zomato.com/chennai/747-thuraipakkam

0 ( +0 / -0 )

To get the h real feeling they could have just chopped a retired air frame apart to make it look realistic. This would be the first flight in Japan that would have leg room for people over 6'! My femers are to long for Japanese seat spacing....the person reclines their seat and my knee caps come off.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

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