Japanese airline simulates trips to foreign countries without ever taking off

A new VR experience allows passengers to take an immerse trip abroad in just 110 minutes of simulated flight

The idea of offering consumers experiences related to travel is something we have seen before. An example is the Swedish airport with an immersive Climate Portal, which allows travelers to experience the weather conditions of countries across the world. Another interesting application of VR aims to help customers to choose and book their holiday. Now, the Japanese company First Airlines has gone a step further, simulating the entire experience of a trip abroad.

Passengers can choose to ‘travel’ business or first-class to one of four destinations: New York, Paris, Rome and Hawaii. Upon boarding the airplane, customers experience the announcement and simulated take off, which is complete with engine sounds. The interior of the plane is fully-equipped and comfortable, featuring first-class seats, flight attendants, and indoor facilities that perfectly replicate a real working plane. During the immersive VR session, passengers are able to experience various activities specific to the country including meeting a local before the main meal is served. Passengers are offered typical cuisine from the destination country. The experience is complete with restaurant sounds and music to make clients truly feel as though they are abroad. After the meal there is some communication time, perhaps featuring some seasonal events in the visited country. The trip winds off like any typical aircraft experience, with the chance to purchase products on-board and a landing simulation. Passengers must reserve their seat in order to travel, and check-in starts from 15 minutes before flight time in the Ikebukuro International Airport. The price is much lower than a trip abroad, costing just 6,600 JPY for a first-class ticket, approximately 62 USD.

This innovation has also been featured in the report ‘The Future of Immersive Content’, which was inspired by recent research conducted by our partner Digital Catapult, the UK’s leading advanced digital technology innovation centre. Download the full report here.