Virtual reality holidays

Fasten your seatbelts for a flight departing to Paris—and never leave the ground.

That’s exactly what 12 passengers did at First Airlines in central Tokyo this week, where they relaxed in first and business-class seats and were served four-course dinners, before immersing themselves in 360-degree virtual reality (VR) tours of the City of Light’s sights.

“A real trip is a hassle to prepare for, and expensive, and takes time. So I think it is good that we can enjoy all this hassle-free,” said Takashi Sakano, 39, who was on his first VR trip, adding that he wanted to try Rome next time.

At 6,600 yen ($62), a fraction of the cost of an actual trip overseas, it’s easy to see why First Airline’s two-hour “flights” to Paris, Rome, Hawaii and New York have been fully booked since the company opened in 2016.

“We have lots of elderly customers who want to go overseas but are not able to easily, given their physical limitations,” Abe said, explaining that the majority of First Airlines’ customers are older Japanese from around the country.

Discussion: 
What is your opinion of virtual reality travel? Do you think First Airlines will be successful in the long term? Do Homework
Would you take a virtual reality trip? Where would you choose to go? Do Homework
How do you think virtual reality technology will develop in the next 10 years? 25 years? Do Homework