Virtual Reality: This Japanese firm takes you on virtual holidays
First Airlines, a Japan-based virtual reality (VR) tour firm, takes its customers on VR holidays and provides them with a first- and business-class airline experience. Customers can enjoy all the comforts of a luxurious flight and at the same time, take a tour of foreign lands right from their seats. Here's more on how VR is making its way into newer business models.
Customers feel like they are in a luxurious airline
The Tokyo-based company invites its customers inside a fake plane cabin where the pretend travelers can relax in their first and business-class seats. They are then provided with VR headsets that take them on 360-degree immersive tours of places like Paris, Rome, Hawaii, and New York. This means that passengers sit enjoying a two-hour-long flight that never takes off.
The make-believe flight is complete with attendants, dinner
For a wholesome experience, First Airlines has hired people to dress as flight attendants, who complete check-in desk formalities, deliver safety briefings, and serve appetizers to the guests. They are also provided with a four-course dinner before the VR tour starts.
It seems like a win-win situation for the company, customers
"A real trip is...expensive, and takes time. So I think it's good we can enjoy all this hassle-free," a 39-year-old satisfied customer said after his virtual tour of Paris. Company representative Hiroaki Abe explained that older people formed the majority of First Airlines' clientele: "We have lots of elderly customers, who want to go overseas but aren't able to easily, given their physical limitations."
The company will also start offering domestic flights soon
First Airlines started in 2016 and has been fully booked for its two-hour flights to various places since then. It also plans to add more destinations to its kitty soon, which will include domestic flights offering region-specific cuisine. So far, these flights cost 6,600 yen.
