Going on a holiday can be quite an expensive venture. A lot of people simply do not have the money for it, even though all they want is a joyous vacation. In Japan, we now have First Airlines offer VR holidays including a first-class seat in an airplane. A very interesting business model that will certainly prove to be rather popular in the years to come.
The Concept of VR Holidays Seemingly Works
While many people would much rather physically travel to Paris or New York, it’s not always possible depending on one’s finances. In Japan, First Airlines have come up with a convenient solution, even though it’s not exactly what most people would expect. More specifically, the company offers an airplane-based virtual reality holiday to these locations, including a first-class seat and four-course dinner. Surprisingly, there was a lot of genuine interest in this product, even though only twelve people participated in this first “test”.
Preparing for a real trip is a hassle and simply costs too much money for a lot of Japanese residents. While that makes a lot of sense, it also shows the need for creative solutions in this regard. Being able to walk around in New York or Paris without leaving Japan is something a lot of people will enjoy. Additionally, the users took place in an airplane setting with proper seats and meals, to make the experience more holiday-like. There is even a safety demonstration and a check-in desk to make this whole experience look and feel more genuine altogether.
For the cost of 6,600 yen – or $62 – this experience certainly offers a lot of benefits. It is pretty interesting to see how things will evolve in this regard, as there will be additional locations to “travel” to in the future. Rome and Hawaii are two other locations First Airlines will “travel to” in virtual reality as of right now. The whole “flight” lasts for two hours, which is a lot longer than most people would expect.
To keep further improving this VR holiday experience, First Airlines are looking into adding domestic flights around Japan as well. This will include region-specific dishes to highlight the local cuisine. This whole approach may sound a bit silly at first, but no one can deny it seemingly works just fine and people are more than willing to pay the money for it. With mobile VR headsets to strap on, there appear to be no issues in this regard either. It will be interesting to see which travel destinations will be added in the future. Moreover, we can only hope to see some other companies offer similar experiences in the rest of the world.
