I dedicate this review to anyone who (at any point in their life) has cursed while looking for good deals on business class for flights to Asia. I’m talkin’ the kind of cursing that would make Andrew Dice Clay blush.
Thanks to Zipair, you can now fly to Tokyo in a lie flat seat for the price of premium economy. The catch? There are no video screens (though streaming in-flight entertainment is available). You also have to pay for extras such as snacks, blankets, pillows, etc.
They call it the “Full Flat” seat. I call it the ultimate cheat code for affordable business class. It’s about ************* ******* time!
ZG025 San Francisco, CA (SFO) – Tokyo, Japan (NRT) Monday, April 29, 2024 Aircraft: 787-8 Registration: JA826J Duration: 10 hours 29 minutes Seat: 3K (Premium / Full Flat)
Zipair 787-8 (JA826J) side view illustration by NorebboStock.comOur route from San Francisco to Tokyo / Narita this evening as ZG025.
My full review of the Zipair 787-8 Full Flat experience from San Francisco to Tokyo (Narita)
At the time of this writing, Zipair flies to Tokyo from both Los Angeles and San Francisco in the United States. I wanted to go out of LAX, but all of the Full Flat seats were sold out. SFO was the only other option.
Arrival at the International Terminal at SFO
I flew up from San Diego in United 737-800 Economy Plus. That flight got me into SFO approximately 4 1/2 hours prior to this Zipair departure to NRT. It actually worked out well since it gave me plenty of time to grab a leisurely lunch before exiting Terminal 3 and walking over to Concourse A in the International Terminal (something you can’t do airside).
Welcome to the International Terminal at SFO! I found the Zipair check in counter without any issues, but…what the hell is the “Express Service” thing all about?When in doubt, stand in the normal line (and pretend hard AF that you know exactly what you’re doing).For an airline that everyone in the aviation community calls “zippy”, they sure do seem to be taking their sweet a** time getting people checked in today. Hello? Konnichiwa?It’s been a while since I’ve been inside Terminal A at SFO! Remember my Icelandair 767-300 economy experience to Reykjavík? I don’t either, but that flight departed from here as well.Parked all the way at the end (gate A12) is the Zipair 787-8 tasked with the chore of taking us to Tokyo tonight. Considering that this aircraft started life with JAL, I’m willing to bet that it could fly to NRT without any human intervention at all. “Wow, it looks like there are a lot of people going to Tokyo today!” – SANspotter (as he mistakenly takes a picture of passengers getting ready to board a Qatar Airways flight to Doha)There we go. THIS is the gate for the flight to Tokyo / Narita. “Wow, it doesn’t look like there are that many people going to Tokyo today!” -SANspotter (and probably the Zipair executive team too)
The boarding process for flight number ZG025 to NRT
Want to know what’s really trippy? Showing up to the gate for a flight to Tokyo out of SFO only to find it completely vacant. San Francisco to Tokyo has got to be one of the busiest international routes in the world, but you wouldn’t know it by looking at the gate area for this Zipair flight to NRT. It was a total ghost town.
My boarding pass. “ZIPFULLF” FTMFW.Zip zip zipping down the jet bridge into my first low cost lie flat seat experience since that ridiculously fun AirAsia X A330-300 Premium Flatbed flight from Kuala Lumpur to Taipei back in 2020. Let’s just hope the food is better on this one…Whoa. I didn’t think that seeing the Zipair 787-8 Full Flat cabin for the first time would hit me that hard, but…I recall being slightly lightheaded (and seeing stars) as I made my way to my seat.
My first impressions of the Full Flat seats
Make no mistake about it – the Zipair Full Flat seats on the 787-8 are every bit as impressive as any other long-haul international business class product that I’ve ever tried. No, they aren’t as feature rich, but they are as every bit as spacious and private. Even without video screens, they look (and feel) very premium.
< insert the Japanese equivalent of “sweet Jesus!” here > Yup, these Zipair Full Flat seats are fully legit.3K looks like a pretty nice business class seat, doesn’t it? They’ve convinced me. I’ll take it.That moment when you start to understand why your ticket was so cheap. Seeing a modern business class seat without a video screen is like seeing Marilyn Monroe without hair (or SANspotter *with* hair). It’s weird.“This is freakin’ weird, yo.”It may be weird, but it sure is nice. That’s a good looking headrest.From certain angles (especially when I crop out where the video screen is supposed to go), this looks every bit as nice as the JAL 787-8 Sky Suite. Leg room is よし!Ooooh, I can’t wait to run my fingers up and down that control panel!There may not have been enough money in the budget to give us video screens, but they made up for it with Grand Canyon-like storage space. You could park a Suzuki Samurai in that hole.I especially like the fact that there’s a button for putting the seat upright beneath my right elbow. I referred to it as the “sake recovery button” (which will no doubt to come in handy to anyone who drinks too much, passes out, and has difficulty reaching the main control panel).Oh, and that armrest? Hell yeah it’s adjustable.Fun fact: this was not the first time I’ve flown transpacific out of SFO without video entertainment. Yup, my United 747-400 upper deck business class experience was just as fun as it was glitchy.That looks like an awfully satisfying seatbelt tug, doesn’t it? I don’t remember it feeling as good as this looks.
The departure out of SFO
Pushing off the gate 3 minutes early might normally seem like a pretty big deal, but there was nothing normal about this flight. The premium / Full Flat cabin looked to be 100% full, but it was nearly empty back in economy class. The boarding process was extremely quick, and I figured they’d have us on our way out of here ahead of schedule. I guess they did. Sort of.
The theme for today’s taxi and a departure out of SFO was: wind. MF’n W I N D. I could actually feel the plane rocking in the wind gusts as we made our way out to the runway.Zipping (and flexing) off runway 28L like only a Boeing 787 can. Full powah!That view. Everyone who hates San Francisco for being foggy all the time can suck a you-know-what.
I also recorded a video of the departure process. It’s definitely worth a look if you love the sound of a Boeing 787 at full send:
In-flight entertainment
Yes! There is in-flight entertainment (movies, TV shows, and Spotify). It’s of the streaming variety though, accessible via your personal device(s) only. I highly recommend bringing an iPad (or laptop with a good screen) if you plan on watching movies and/or TV.
Well, I’ll be damned. It turns out there’s Wi-Fi *and* streaming in-flight entertainment. The hell kind of low cost carrier is this anyway?Not only that, it’s as zippy as it is snappy. It’s really fast!This ain’t no LCC-style in-flight entertainment crap either. We’re talking movies, TV shows, an in-flight map, and Spotify. There’s even a shopping portal for purchasing food and amenities (because they gotta get your money somehow).
The selection of content isn’t exactly what I would call extensive, but there’s certainly enough to hold most people over for 10+ hours.
Dang it. There goes my plans to bitch and moan about flying all the way to Japan on a crappy low-cost airline. There are like…options.VERY good options. Not only did they have the most recent Minions movie, I watched it in Japanese (which, let me tell you, is a trip).
The dinner service
A free meal is one of the perks of sitting in a premium / Full Flat seat. You’ll be able to make your selection at the time that you book your ticket online. The good news? There’s an extensive onboard menu stuffed full of all kinds of snacks and small meals available for purchase once inflight as well. You’re not going to starve.
Freshly wiped tray table engaged. At least I hope that’s moisture from being freshly wiped (and not sweat from the belly of the disgruntled ground staff guy who picked up trash around this seat back at SFO).No you guys, you’re not gonna starve when flying Zipair.You will be bored AF while eating though. I’ve already read that in-flight Wi-Fi service card twice now, and I refuse to do it again.The “Meatball tomato sauce with cheese.” I believe this to be a dish native to Northern Japan (going all the way back to the 1400s).Completely immersing myself in the culture wherever I go is fun!
All jokes aside, the food was extremely basic but good. Think of it like a cheap microwave dinner (inexpensive, nourishing, and enough to keep you alive until your next meal). Quality wise, it wasn’t as good as what you would get on other airlines in long haul economy class.
Testing out the lie flat seat
Other than the obvious lack of a video screen, the Full Flat seat feels every bit as fancy (and comfortable) as any other lie flat business class seat. The only difference is that you’ll have to pay extra for the amenities to make it as comfortable as possible. Want a blanket and pillow? That’s going to cost you.
Let’s see what this bad boy can do…Low cost long haul my a**! This lie flat seat feels every bit as spendy as any other international business class seat that I’ve ever tried.As much as I’d like to tell you how well endowed I am, the honest truth is that my feet are normal size and the footwell is a little tight.The only criticism I have about this lie flat seat experience is my stubbornness to resist purchasing a blanket and pillow. Pro tip: purchase the blanket and pillow if you plan to sleep.
Some thoughts about the midflight experience
Once the meal service is over (and your seat is in a lie flat position), it’ll feel like proper business class on any other airline. OK, yeah, you will have to pay for any drinks and snacks. But that’s a small price to pay when you’ve paid so little for that kick ass lie flat seat (at least compared to what other airlines are charging).
Oh! The fact that these are not Japanese style toilets is another minor criticism. Sorry, you’ll have to do all the wiping yourself.Looks like somebody came prepared. Too bad she had the brightness cranked all the way up to “sun” though.At least the flight attendants were kind enough to flip the master switch that dimmed everyone’s window for the entire duration of the flight. You just know there would’ve been at least one a**hole who would have insisted on blinding the entire cabin with “their god-given right” to do whatever the hell they want with their window shade. ‘Murica!Feeling thirsty (or hungry)? There’s an app for that.“Oooooh, that Silica water 500 ml looks gooood!”Not only was my water delivered quickly (2 minutes and 48 seconds after making the purchase), it was presented me with the kind of smile that made it seem like I made that flight attendant’s day for giving her something to do.
The pre-landing meal
Wait. There is no pre-landing meal service on Zipair. Sure, they’ll encourage you to order something off the menu, but they’re certainly not going to give you anything for free.
My plan: To outsmart Zipair by purchasing this assortment of snacks back at SFO before departure. The result: A swing and a miss. It turns out that all of this cost me more than what it would’ve cost to purchase something off the menu prior to arrival at NRT. It worth noting that they won’t even ask if you want a pre-landing meal. If you don’t order anything via the app, they’ll ignore you harder than women have ignored me for my entire life.My recommendation? To get as amped up as possible to take on Tokyo prior to arrival, fill your belly with beef jerky, salted peanuts, and Cliff Bars. Let’s. Freaking. Go!
The descent and arrival into Tokyo / Narita
The sun had completely set by the time we began our descent into NRT, so there’s not much I can show you in regards to the landing. We did arrive 7 minutes early though.
Just in case you’re wondering why I haven’t shown you any pictures of the scenery yet. Welcome to Tokyo / Narita…I think?I may be amped, but I can’t see sh*t!Oof. This wasn’t supposed to be one of my best ever long haul flights, but…I think it was one of my best ever long-haul flights.“Zipair and SANspotter sitting in a tree…”“…kay eye es es eye en gee!” Seriously though – this was a really fun (and comfortable) experience. Let’s just hope Zipair survives.
Pros and cons of the Zipair 787-8 Full Flat experience
The best way to sum all of this up just to say that Zipair isn’t for everyone. If all you want is a really comfortable seat (and you couldn’t care less about the food and in-flight entertainment), this is the airline for you!
Those of you who live to be wined and dined with 5 star service are going to be disappointed. I recommend reading my Emirates A380 business class review if that’s what you’re looking for.
Pros
It’s a 100% legitimate (comfy) full lie flat business class seat.
Privacy is quite good – especially if you can nab a seat by the window.
There’s plenty of food, drinks, and snacks to purchase. You don’t have to bring your own if you don’t want to.
Wi-Fi (for streaming in-flight entertainment) is fast and free.
The onboard service is impeccably Japanese – equally as good as what you would get on any other Japanese airline.
Cons
The meals are fairly low-quality – but perfectly edible.
Amenities (such as blankets, pillows, eye masks, etc) cost extra.
Well…I guess you get what you pay for. Reading the review however, I had this horrific vision in my head. This is the future of transcontinental travel on American carriers, except you won’t be paying a ZipAir price. You’ll be paying a lot more. And you’ll be telling younger people about how “there was a time when you would not get just one meal flying to Asia from America but TWO meals! And they were real meals too, not just meatballs in a box!!” I know there are airline executives looking at this and wondering how far they could cut down the amenities and benefits of first class/business travel while still charging a first class/business class price. I mean if Zipair can do it, well….?
I hate to say it, but I think I agree with you. It’s been a total race to the bottom for the past 20 years or so – and it’s hard to imagine it getting any better.
Time will tell if Zipair (and this business model) will be a success or not. Low-cost long haul hasn’t worked out all that well for most airlines!
This is easily one of the most original Business Class products out there, and I find it to be a great initiative for those wanting to fly up front in a comfortable seat for a cheap price. It’s also nice to be able to pay just for the things you want and nothing else.
That being said, it’s not like I want to every single airline doing this. As much as I like this initiative, it’s not something I’d like to see the likes of, say, Singapore Airlines doing, as I still like having “all-inclusive” J class products. There’s pros and cons to both types of products, and I like having both on the market!
Totally agree. And based on how so many other airlines are struggling with the long haul low-cost thing, it seems that many people align with this sort of thinking as well. Comfort (and service) is important!
The sick thing? I kind of want to do this again…but in economy class. Haha!
I wouldn’t mind more airlines foregoing the video screens for inflight entertainment if that lowers prices a bit! I don’t really expect that it will positively affect prices with non low cost carriers, though.
I see so many people already watching downloaded stuff on their own phones and ipads, sooner or later, we’re bound to see either the demise of screens, or the option to connect your own device to the screen so you can watch your own content.
It will be really interesting to see if this catches on or not. Here in the US, video screens are making a comeback – at least for the legacy carriers. That’s a trend I like, since I’ve never been a fan of watching video content on my phone. Not having to carry an iPad with me is nice too.
I don’t know why it was suck so firmly in my mind that they flew to SJC, but based on that, I assumed that their North American presence was bigger than it actually is. I was surprised to see that it’s currently limited to those three cities in California and YVR. Agreed that JFK seems like a likely expansion target.
JCC
Well…I guess you get what you pay for. Reading the review however, I had this horrific vision in my head. This is the future of transcontinental travel on American carriers, except you won’t be paying a ZipAir price. You’ll be paying a lot more. And you’ll be telling younger people about how “there was a time when you would not get just one meal flying to Asia from America but TWO meals! And they were real meals too, not just meatballs in a box!!” I know there are airline executives looking at this and wondering how far they could cut down the amenities and benefits of first class/business travel while still charging a first class/business class price. I mean if Zipair can do it, well….?
Scott (SANspotter)
I hate to say it, but I think I agree with you. It’s been a total race to the bottom for the past 20 years or so – and it’s hard to imagine it getting any better.
Time will tell if Zipair (and this business model) will be a success or not. Low-cost long haul hasn’t worked out all that well for most airlines!
Peter
This is easily one of the most original Business Class products out there, and I find it to be a great initiative for those wanting to fly up front in a comfortable seat for a cheap price. It’s also nice to be able to pay just for the things you want and nothing else.
That being said, it’s not like I want to every single airline doing this. As much as I like this initiative, it’s not something I’d like to see the likes of, say, Singapore Airlines doing, as I still like having “all-inclusive” J class products. There’s pros and cons to both types of products, and I like having both on the market!
Scott (SANspotter)
Totally agree. And based on how so many other airlines are struggling with the long haul low-cost thing, it seems that many people align with this sort of thinking as well. Comfort (and service) is important!
The sick thing? I kind of want to do this again…but in economy class. Haha!
Alex
Thanks for this review, very helpful!
Scott (SANspotter)
You’re very welcome Alex! Glad you enjoyed it.
Mike
I wouldn’t mind more airlines foregoing the video screens for inflight entertainment if that lowers prices a bit! I don’t really expect that it will positively affect prices with non low cost carriers, though.
I see so many people already watching downloaded stuff on their own phones and ipads, sooner or later, we’re bound to see either the demise of screens, or the option to connect your own device to the screen so you can watch your own content.
Scott (SANspotter)
It will be really interesting to see if this catches on or not. Here in the US, video screens are making a comeback – at least for the legacy carriers. That’s a trend I like, since I’ve never been a fan of watching video content on my phone. Not having to carry an iPad with me is nice too.
Nicholas Elzi
Zipair flies SJC-NRT as well
Scott (SANspotter)
Hopefully they’ll expand eastward. I suspect JFK will happen at some point.
Nicholas Elzi
I don’t know why it was suck so firmly in my mind that they flew to SJC, but based on that, I assumed that their North American presence was bigger than it actually is. I was surprised to see that it’s currently limited to those three cities in California and YVR. Agreed that JFK seems like a likely expansion target.