Houston’s New Low-Cost Link to Tokyo: What You Need to Know

14.10.2024 - 10:53 / skift.com / United Airlines / Gordon Smith

Nonstop travel options between Texas and Tokyo are about to get interesting. On Thursday, low-cost carrier ZIPAIR Tokyo announced a major new route linking Houston with the Japanese capital. 

From March 4, its nonstop service will connect Houston’s George Bush Intercontinental with Tokyo Narita. It represents ZIPAIR’s fifth transpacific destination after Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Jose, and Vancouver. The airline also serves Honolulu in Hawaii as well as several Asian cities.

Despite being a budget subsidiary of national carrier Japan Airlines, the brand remains relatively unknown in the U.S. market. ZIPAIR was due to launch ahead of the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, however the pandemic severely disrupted its rollout. The company is now making up for lost time and expanding strongly in Asia and North America.

Services will operate from Houston four times weekly on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays, and Sundays using Boeing 787-8 Dreamliners sourced from Japan Airlines. 

In a statement, ZIPAIR highlighted Texas as becoming “more business-friendly in terms of tax and cost” in recent years, with a booming population fuelling demand for flights. The carrier also flagged that more than 50 Fortune 500 companies are headquartered in the state. 

However, the newcomer won’t have the Houston market to itself. The Texan city already has well-established links to Tokyo with two major carriers. United Airlines flies daily to Narita using the 787-9 Dreamliner. Japan’s All Nippon Airways also operates a daily service to Tokyo’s downtown Haneda Airport using the slightly smaller 787-8 aircraft.

To capture interest and fill seats, ZIPAIR is offering promotional fares from Houston to Tokyo for just $333 one-way. Regular fares will be around $450 each way.

As well as catering to point-to-point traffic, the airline also noted Houston’s “extensive network of domestic flights within the U.S. and to Central and South America,” adding that “connections to domestic and international destinations are very convenient.” 

In practice, ZIPAIR passengers transiting in Houston will face several hurdles. Although Japan Airlines is part of the powerful oneworld alliance, ZIPAIR does not benefit from any of its parent company’s partnerships for easy connections. 

As the airline’s FAQ page notes: “You cannot transfer between ZIPAIR and other airlines. You will need to go through the immigration procedures set by each country at the transit airport, so please be sure to check the necessary travel documents for your entry at the embassy.” Any hold luggage will also need to be collected and checked in again.

Unlike its better-known parent company, ZIPAIR’s business model requires passengers to buy extras on an a la carte basis. Even inflight