Advertisement
Australia markets closed
  • ALL ORDS

    8,153.70
    +80.10 (+0.99%)
     
  • ASX 200

    7,896.90
    +77.30 (+0.99%)
     
  • AUD/USD

    0.6514
    -0.0022 (-0.34%)
     
  • OIL

    82.36
    +1.01 (+1.24%)
     
  • GOLD

    2,226.80
    +14.10 (+0.64%)
     
  • Bitcoin AUD

    109,522.41
    +2,437.85 (+2.28%)
     
  • CMC Crypto 200

    885.54
    0.00 (0.00%)
     
  • AUD/EUR

    0.6028
    -0.0003 (-0.05%)
     
  • AUD/NZD

    1.0896
    +0.0016 (+0.15%)
     
  • NZX 50

    12,105.29
    +94.63 (+0.79%)
     
  • NASDAQ

    18,284.38
    +3.54 (+0.02%)
     
  • FTSE

    7,960.98
    +29.00 (+0.37%)
     
  • Dow Jones

    39,738.52
    -21.56 (-0.05%)
     
  • DAX

    18,491.71
    +14.62 (+0.08%)
     
  • Hang Seng

    16,541.42
    +148.58 (+0.91%)
     
  • NIKKEI 225

    40,168.07
    -594.66 (-1.46%)
     

Why this airline is giving away 50,000 free flights

Here's why Japan Airlines is giving away free tickets. Image: Getty
Here's why Japan Airlines is giving away free tickets. Image: Getty

Japan has a problem: with Tokyo hosting the Olympic Summer Games in 2020, it needs to find a way to take the tourism pressure off the heaving capital city.

Enter Japan Airlines.

The major carrier is giving away 50,000 free round-trip domestic air tickets to encourage international tourists to visit destinations in Japan off the beaten track.

The Asian country saw foreign visitors triple between 2014 and 2018 to 31 million, with 10 million visiting Tokyo.

To win the tickets, travellers must be international and registered with Japan Airlines’ Mileage Bank frequent flyer program.

They also must be up for a surprise: travellers won’t know their destination until a few days after they apply.

ADVERTISEMENT

And, visitors must only be travelling over June - October in 2020.

“Enjoy the charms of areas of Japan you have yet to discover,” Japan Airlines said.

Flights will depart and return to Tokyo (Haneda) and Osaka (Itami/Kansai) only, but will be to four possible destinations. Travellers can also enter the competition to travel in groups of up to four people, with the option to choose from a few departure and arrival time slots.

Applications open in late February 2020.

At the beginning of 2019, Japan introduced an international tourist tax of 1,000 yen, or around AU$13, levied on departing tourists to help pay for the 2020 Olympics.

Make your money work with Yahoo Finance’s daily newsletter. Sign up here and stay on top of the latest money, news and tech news.