Review: Zipair Airline

The Soar

Let’s start with Zipair’s soaring positives.

#1. Zipair is cheap

Zipair flights from Tokyo to the US (Houston) is a direct flight for $333 but this is bare bones pricing. There is also a business class seat for $1300 on sale or higher. If you have luggage and carry on, there will be additional fees based on weight but even with the added fees, Zipair is still probably the cheapest flight from the US to Japan.

#2. Zipair seems technically ahead of others

Zipair has neat QR code that opens  browser on phone and allows you to order food and beverages.  The flight attendant then brings you your items.

#3. Zipair has nicer seats and staff than most other airlines

The leather and nicely padded seat is by far the best in the airline industry that I’ve sat in over the years. The plane was nice, 787, and a smooth flight all the way through. Staff was helpful and friendly if you follow the rules.

The Bore

Zipair flies out of Terminal 1 from Narita airport which is about an hour from Tokyo and an Uber/taxi will cost $200  but there is a bus you can take for about $20 so factor that in to your decision to fly Zipair.

Check in was slow.  Some passengers checking in took forever to get checked in, some had issues with the app or tickets for some unknown reason.  Weighing every bag, including carry on takes time.  Zipair has the slowest check in I have ever experienced on any airline and they seriously need to figure a way to speed this up.

No free meals, drinks, blankets, slippers, etc. everything must be ordered and purchased.

No free baggage nor free carry on and you have to pay penalties if weight is too heavy.

There are strict rules of ONE carry on and ONE personal item.  Several passengers were chastised for having bought bags of stuff at duty free shops.  I am not sure if they had to pay extra or not but they did get plenty of finger wagging.

The Gore

The flight I was on was half empty and there were rows and rows of empty seats (see image above).  The couple in the row ahead of mine asked if they could move as they were sitting in a window and middle seat.  The flight attendant said no, they would have to pay to move seats.  The couple ended up paying for two aisle seats on an empty row.  I am not sure how much they paid to move but there is no free seat or lunch on Zipair.

There is no entertainment. No flat screens tv or anything else but there are power ports to charge your phone, tablet or laptop. There is no wifi except for ordering items. I entertained myself by looking for UFOs out the window for 11.5 hours.

The Lore

Would I fly Zipair again? Absolutely. While Zipair isn’t perfect, it is a refreshing alternative to the stagnant airline monopolies that continue to degrade service over time. I may try the business class seat next time around to compare and contrast.