Skip to main content

'Mock flights' entice restless holidaymakers who have been left grounded because of coronavirus travel restrictions

* A Japanese virtual reality company is offering "mock flights" which let passengers sit in fake airline cabins while being served in-flight meals and drinks. * First Airlines has seen an increase of interest since the start of the pandemic as more holidaymakers are grounded due to coronavirus travel restrictions.  * The two-hour virtual reality experience enables passengers to "travel" to cities such as Paris and New York without actually ever taking off.  * As millions of people are staying at home, there's a growing interest in the mock flight trend. * Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories. A Japanese virtual reality company allows people to enjoy all the perks of flying on a plane — without ever taking off. For only 6,580 yen ($62) per ticket, Tokyo entertainment company First Airlines offers "mock flights," which let passengers sit in fake airline cabins while being served in-flight meals and drinks. The two-hour virtual reality experience comes complete with a comfortable first-class seat, four-course meal, and even window TV screens that replicate different outside views. Passengers are also issued a "boarding pass" and are required to "check-in" and flight attendants carry out safety protocols. First Airlines jets its passengers to long-haul "destinations," including Paris, New Zealand, Rome, New York, California, Helsinki, and Hawaii.  But since they're not physically arriving in these places, passengers are instead given VR headsets, which provide them on-ground tours and experiences as if they were there. "I often go overseas on business, but I haven't been to Italy," one local businessman who tried the experience, told Reuters.   "My impression was rather good because I got a sense of actually seeing things there," he added. The company even customizes the meals it serves, depending on the "flight" destination. On the flight to Rome, passengers enjoy a menu consisting of classic dishes like tiramisu and minestrone soup. The New York menu includes Manhattan clam chowder and cheesecake. First Airlines was founded in 2017 but is only really taking off now, as millions are grounded due to coronavirus restrictions.  According to its president, Hiroaki Abe, bookings are up about 50% since the pandemic began.  "We get some customers who normally travel to Hawaii every year and they can experience some of that here," Abe said, according to Reuters. More companies are embracing the "mock flight" trend First Airlines in Japan is not the only company coming up with quirky ideas to keep "travelers" entertained. Australian airline Qantas announced earlier this month that it will be running sightseeing flights over Antarctica. In a 12-hour long journey, passengers will get to fly over the icy expanse of the continent, before landing back where they took off. The flights, operated by tour company Antarctica Flights, are considered domestic because passengers technically don't leave the country since they never disembark the plane.  "There is no passport or luggage needed for an Antarctica Flight, you can even go in board shorts if you wish," Antarctica Flights CEO Bas Bosschieter told 7News Australia. "I personally think it's the best answer to the question 'What did you get up to on the weekend? Just popped down to Antarctica,'" Bosschieter added. Meanwhile, Taiwanese carrier EVA Air is also offering a sightseeing flight over Taiwan's coastline — although it will only be three hours long and is Hello Kitty-themed. For $180 per person, the flight will circle of Taiwan's coastline, continue on to Japan's Ryukyu Islands, before returning to the same air hub it departed from. As they fly, the passengers will be able to "overlook the magnificent scenery of Taiwan's east coastline" while sitting in Hello Kitty-themed chairs and being served Hello Kitty-shaped food, according to The Washington Post. "The onboard meal [was] a selection of seafood chirashi-sushi rice designed by Michelin-starred chef Motoke Nakamura," EVA Air said in a news release. EVAair planned a special #HelloKitty flight this past Saturday, August 8, 2020 as a fun way for passengers to celebrate Taiwan’s Father’s Day. Take a look at the photo of the flight map. The Captain created a heart shape around Parpa, to bless all the fathers in the world. 💚 pic.twitter.com/yoFAc8mycC — EVA Air (@EVAAirUS) August 12, 2020   Going on a "mock flight" is not an option for some people, which is why they've been taking to social media to recreate the flight experience at home instead. People on social media have been recreating their travel or flight experiences from their homes, using nothing more than everyday household items like toilet seats, treadmills, and their washing machine.  One Dutch TikTok user, Jeroen Gortworst, went viral after he recreated an airplane experience in his laundry room in Rotterdam, Netherlands. @jeroengortworst Quarantine day 14 got me like... 😩😂 ##fy ##fyp ##foryou ##foryoupage ♬ origineel geluid - jeroengortworst   "We got so many messages like, 'Thanks for making my day. These are pretty sad times and this is what we need right now,'" Gortworst previously told Insider. "We got all sorts of messages and all of them were positive." The airline industry has been one of the worst-affected sectors in the coronavirus pandemic. It is set to lose $84 billion this year alone, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) said in June. The road to recovery will not be as smooth for the industry as many had hoped. According to IATA, which represents most of the world's major airlines, the industry will not bounce back until 2024. * Read more: * If you must travel or fly during the COVID-19 pandemic, here's what you should do to stay safe * Is flying safe right now? Experts break down the risks associated with boarding a flight during COVID-19. * I flew on 7 flights with the largest US airlines in June. Here's what surprised me the most about flying during the pandemic. * EasyJet resumes some domestic and international flights after halting services due to COVID-19 Join the conversation about this story » NOW WATCH: We tested a machine that brews beer at the push of a button
https://bit.ly/3j3tNVp

Popular posts from this blog

SpaceX has a 'go' from NASA to return 2 astronauts to Earth on Sunday as Hurricane Isaias threatens several Florida splashdown locations

* NASA on Saturday gave SpaceX a "go" to undock the company's first crewed space mission, called Demo-2, and land it on Sunday evening. * Hurricane Isaias complicated original plans to return two astronauts to Earth aboard SpaceX's Crew Dragon spaceship in the Atlantic Ocean. * Elon Musk's aerospace company may now try to splash down NASA astronauts Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley in the Gulf of Mexico. * Two out of seven total landing sites near Florida must have good weather conditions, and NASA has until about 5 p.m. ET on Saturday to call off the undocking. * Should the weather worsen, NASA and SpaceX can try again a day later or some other date over the next two months. * Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories. Astronauts Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley have a "go" to return to Earth this weekend and wrap up an historic space mission for both NASA and SpaceX.  Behnken and Hurley launched to orbit aboard SpaceX's Crew Dragon vehic...

What an independent contractor actually is and how it's classified under California's Assembly Bill 5, the gig worker law Uber, Lyft, and others are fighting with a November ballot measure

* California's Assembly Bill 5 (AB5) went into effect in January, adopting a narrow definition of independent contractor that forces Uber and other gig economy businesses to choose between reclassifying workers as employees or risking significant liability for misclassification. * The law serves as a reminder to California businesses to be careful when classifying workers as contractors.  * Classifying independent contractors falls into two main categories: the "right to control" test (often called the "IRS test") and the tougher "ABC test" recently adopted in AB5. * Uber, Lyft, and DoorDash have recently poured $30 million into Proposition 22 — a ballot measure intended to exempt major ridesharing and food delivery companies from AB5. If California residents vote the measure into effect in November, Uber and Lyft can continue classifying drivers as contractors.  * Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories. In September 2019, Californ...

PayPal parts with top advertising executive after shifting its marketing strategy during the pandemic

* PayPal's chief creative officer Steve Simpson, its top advertising executive, left the company after about a year. * The move came after PayPal shifted its marketing strategy during the coronavirus pandemic, placing less emphasis on the brand and more on catering to small businesses, said a source with direct knowledge of the marketing operation. * Simpson's departure followed that of CMO and former Apple executive Allison Johnson in May. Both "decided to leave PayPal" as the company streamlines its global marketing functions, according to a PayPal spokeswoman. * Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories. PayPal's highest-ranking ad executive Steve Simpson left earlier this month after just over a year as part of a restructuring of its global marketing business. Simpson, who was chief creative officer, was hired to make high-minded ad campaigns to help PayPal stand out from competitors like Square, Stripe, and Apple Pay. But this strategy chan...