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There’s a new way to get to Japan from the US — and it’s pretty cheap, too.

Japanese low-cost carrier Zipair announced last week that it will operate from Houston’s George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH) to Tokyo’s Narita International Airport (NRT) beginning March 4, 2025. The new four-times-weekly flights will operate on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays.

Zipair will deploy a 290-seat Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner with 18 lie-flat business-class pods and 272 standard economy seats on the route.

You might not have heard of Zipair before, but the carrier’s inaugural fare sale is sure to get your attention. The airline is offering round-trip flights from Houston to Tokyo for as low as $666, or $333 each way. Travelers have to book flights by November 30 to avail the sale.

Note that as a low-cost carrier, Zipair charges additional fees for inflight meals, checked baggage, seat selection and more. But even after adding up all the incidentals, it can still be cheaper to fly to Japan with Zipair versus a larger network carrier like All Nippon Airways or United Airlines.

Related: Zipair Economy Vs. Business Class to Japan: Is a Budget Carrier Worth It?

Better yet, those looking for a fancy lie-flat seat will also find Zipair’s offering appealing. Starting fares start at just $1,500 each way—a fraction of what a lie-flat bed can cost at a competitor. Zipair’s business-class product is comfortable — you get a lie-flat bed in a reverse herringbone configuration — but you need to pay for extras, just as you would if you were flying economy. True to its low-cost roots, you won’t find a TV at every seat either (but there is free Wi-Fi).

Zipair’s new Houston service will become the carrier’s fifth transpacific route, joining service to Los Angeles; San Francisco; San Jose, California; and Vancouver, British Columbia. (Los Angeles was the carrier’s first transpacific destination, and it resumes in late 2021.)

The new flight will depart Houston at 8:45am and land in Tokyo the next day at 1:50pm local time. The return flight will depart Tokyo at 10 am and land in Houston at 6:45 am the same day.

Zipair is the low-cost subsidiary of Japan Airlines. ANA and United already fly from Houston to Tokyo, so this new route will allow Oneworld-affiliated Japan Airlines to compete on this 6,643-mile route. (In fact, this route will be the longest in the Zipair network.)

If you can pay for all the incidentals, this new route will definitely make it more affordable to go to Japan. And who knows, if ANA or United match these sale fares, maybe you can even fly one of the more established network carriers for a lower-cost alternative price.

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