JAL Group to offer Japan Air Pass

The Japan Airlines Group is introducing a new discount domestic air fare for overseas visitors to Japan, the JAL ''Yokoso (Welcome) Japan'' Air Pass, available for use from April 1.

The new fare can be used to 47 cities in Japan served by JAL and two regional subsidiaries, JAL Express (JEX), based in Itami Airport, Osaka, and Japan TransOcean Air (JTA), based in Naha, Okinawa. 

Passengers have to be resident overseas and must purchase the JAL ''Yokoso Japan'' Air Pass in advance in conjunction with their JAL Group international ticket, prior to departure for Japan. The new fare goes on sale from today, March 25 and can be used from April 1.

One requirement is that travel to and from Japan from overseas must be made on a JAL Group flight, such as Japan Airlines (JAL), Japan Asia Airways (JAA) and JALways (JAZ). Also, the fare is available overseas only and is not on sale in Japan. 

Each domestic sector (minimum two) is priced at 10,000 yen (e.g. US$ 96.00 at 104yen:US$) and additional sectors up to five will be charged incrementally. There is a special insurance charge of 300 yen per sector.

Only the flight on the first domestic sector needs to be booked in advance. The remaining sectors should be specified in advance but the individual flights can be booked later, when the passenger is in Japan.