A Japanese company called First Airlines is selling tickets to Paris, New York and other destinations to passengers who never leave the ground. Instead, in first- and business-class seats they go on a 2-hour ‘trip’ via virtual reality in an airplane-themed space.
Arthur Frommer once famously proposed that with so many attractions and events on board it would no longer be necessary for cruise ships to leave port; this may be the aviation equivalent. It even comes with costumed ‘flight attendants’ doing the safety and seat belt demonstration and serving airline food.
The company’s trips, which cost about $62, have been booked solid since Day One in 2016. The company says they are especially popular with elderly Japanese; a company spokesperson says that “We have lots of elderly customers who want to go overseas but are not able to easily, given their physical limitations.”
