Low-cost carrier "Vanilla Air" to launch its first flight from Tokyo to Taipei on December 20; bookings open in November

▲ "Vanilla Air" officially begins operations on December 20, with one of its two inaugural routes being the "Tokyo–Taipei" flight. (Photo / Courtesy of Vanilla Air official website)

Travel Center / Comprehensive Report

The low-cost airline "Vanilla Air" held a product launch event on September 30, announcing that it will begin operations on December 20. The airline has designated the "Tokyo–Taipei" route as its inaugural flight for that day, highlighting its strong focus on the Taiwanese market. For ticket pricing, a one-way flight from Tokyo to Taipei starts at 10,000 Japanese yen, with bookings expected to open at noon on November 1.

Following the "split" between ANA (All Nippon Airways) and AirAsia, the two major shareholders, ANA announced that the new low-cost carrier "Vanilla Air" would take over. At yesterday’s product launch event, it was announced that flights will begin on December 20 for the "Tokyo (Narita) – Taipei (Taoyuan)" and "Tokyo (Narita) – Okinawa (Naha)" routes. The "Tokyo (Narita) – Taipei (Taoyuan)" route will depart Tokyo at 14:00 and arrive in Taipei at 17:50, with one-way tickets starting at 10,000 Japanese yen.

Before January 28, 2014, the "Tokyo (Narita) – Taipei (Taoyuan)" route will maintain one daily flight. After January 28, an additional late-night flight will be added, departing at 3:00 AM and arriving in Tokyo at 7:10 AM. On March 1, 2014, the "Tokyo (Narita) – Seoul (Incheon)" route will also be launched.

For ticket pricing, "Vanilla Air" has announced three fare types: "Simple Vanilla," "Combo Vanilla," and "Exciting Vanilla." The "Simple Vanilla" fare includes 20 kg of free checked baggage, but changes to the itinerary incur a fee of 2,000 Japanese yen (non-refundable), and seat selection costs 300 Japanese yen. The "Combo Vanilla" fare is 2,500 Japanese yen more than "Simple Vanilla," allows for ticket refunds (with a 3,000 Japanese yen fee), charges 500 Japanese yen for itinerary changes, and offers free seat selection. The "Exciting Vanilla" fare may be a promotional ticket, which does not allow changes or refunds, and additional fees apply for checked baggage.