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Travellers from the UK and Europe planning a trip to Japan this winter are set to benefit from a refreshed campaign by All Nippon Airways (ANA) and Lufthansa that bundles free domestic flights within Japan when booking eligible long-haul tickets into Tokyo.
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Fresh winter push to spread visitors beyond Tokyo
Japan’s flag carrier ANA and German airline Lufthansa are promoting a renewed winter offer that encourages European visitors to go beyond Tokyo by including domestic Japan sectors at no extra airfare in selected itineraries. According to publicly available campaign pages aimed at European markets, customers who book eligible long-haul flights from Europe into Tokyo with ANA or Lufthansa can add onward sectors on ANA’s domestic network without an additional base fare for those internal legs.
The campaign is targeted at travellers originating in the UK and wider Europe, reflecting a broader push to disperse inbound visitors to regional cities and lesser-known destinations during the cooler months. Recent coverage of the initiative highlights that the promotion is time-limited and framed around winter travel, with travel industry reports describing it as an opportunity for visitors to explore cities such as Sapporo, Fukuoka or Okinawa while keeping overall flight costs down.
While the specific marketing tagline used in some consumer outlets refers to “free” domestic flights, fare rules indicate that the offer functions as an add-on structure where the domestic base fare is waived when combined with qualifying international sectors. Taxes, airport fees and surcharges on the domestic legs still apply, but the bundled pricing can significantly reduce the cost of multi-city Japan itineraries compared with purchasing separate internal tickets.
Industry observers note that the timing aligns with Japan’s ongoing efforts to promote regional tourism and shoulder-season travel. Winter itineraries that combine Tokyo with snow destinations in Hokkaido or hot-spring areas in Kyushu are expected to be among the most popular combinations booked under the scheme.
How the ANA and Lufthansa partnership underpins the deal
The renewed winter promotion builds on a long-standing joint venture between ANA and Lufthansa Group on routes between Europe and Japan. ANA’s official joint venture information explains that the partnership coordinates schedules and fares across the two networks, offering passengers a range of options between major European hubs such as Frankfurt, Munich, Zurich and Vienna and Japanese gateways including Tokyo Haneda, Tokyo Narita and Osaka.([ana.co.jp](https://www.ana.co.jp/en/gb/guide/jointventure/lh/?utm_source=openai))
Lufthansa’s dedicated Japan campaign pages for European travellers emphasise that customers booking flights to Tokyo with ANA or Lufthansa by a specified deadline can access additional domestic sectors within ANA’s network at no extra airfare, subject to availability and booking conditions. The extensive domestic network, serving more than 40 destinations across Japan, allows itineraries that link Tokyo with regional cities on a single ticket.([ana.co.jp](https://www.ana.co.jp/en/eur/plan-book/promotions/japan-domestic-promotion/?utm_source=openai))
The joint venture framework simplifies the process of combining Europe–Japan long-haul flights with Japan domestic segments on one itinerary. According to ANA’s published fare rules for Europe-origin itineraries, certain international fares permit add-on domestic sectors within Japan, including flights operated under codeshare with Lufthansa Group carriers, when booked on a through ticket.([ana.co.jp](https://www.ana.co.jp/int_farerule/jpn/tc2/sale_en.html?utm_source=openai))
Travel analysts point out that this structure is particularly attractive for passengers using Lufthansa’s European network to reach long-haul departure points. Travellers can depart from secondary cities in the UK or continental Europe, connect via a Lufthansa or partner hub to Tokyo, and then continue on ANA to regional Japanese destinations, with the domestic legs integrated into one overall fare and itinerary.
Who is eligible and how the offer works in practice
Based on the most recent promotional materials aimed at European audiences, the winter campaign is geared primarily towards customers whose journey originates in the UK or other European countries and who purchase eligible round-trip or one-way tickets to Tokyo. Reports indicate that the offer generally requires booking within a defined sales window and travelling during a designated winter period, with inventory on domestic flights subject to capacity controls similar to other promotional fares.([ana.co.jp](https://www.ana.co.jp/en/eur/plan-book/promotions/japan-domestic-promotion/?utm_source=openai))
Travellers typically need to book the international and domestic sectors together on a single ticket to benefit from the waived base fare on the internal legs. Online booking flows promoted by ANA for Europe-based customers allow users to build multi-city or connecting itineraries that add destinations beyond Tokyo, with pricing reflecting the domestic add-on at zero or reduced base fare where the promotion applies. Industry commentary suggests that up to two domestic sectors are often permitted, enabling open-jaw routes such as flying into Tokyo, continuing to another city, and returning from a different Japanese airport.
Although the campaign is being widely described as offering free domestic flights, travellers remain responsible for paying airport taxes, fuel surcharges and any applicable service fees on those sectors. Fare conditions also stipulate that changes or cancellations to the itinerary may trigger reassessment of the promotional pricing, so travel advisers recommend checking detailed rules before making alterations to travel dates or routing.
Travel blogs and online forums that track ANA’s Europe-facing promotions report that similar domestic add-on offers have appeared in previous seasons, often under different campaign names, aiming to stimulate interest in multi-city Japan itineraries. The current winter iteration, backed by the combined marketing reach of ANA and Lufthansa in the UK and continental Europe, is expected to reach a wider audience of first-time visitors and repeat travellers alike.([reddit.com](https://www.reddit.com/r/indianawardtravel/comments/1meprgc/ana_hello_blue_sale_is_back_guide_to_free/?utm_source=openai))
Strategic context: boosting regional Japan and joint venture growth
The renewed domestic add-on campaign comes as ANA and Lufthansa deepen their Europe–Japan collaboration and prepare to expand the joint venture to include ITA Airways. Recent announcements from both airline groups state that ITA Airways is set to be integrated into the Europe–Japan joint venture, offering additional one-stop options between Italy and Japan and feeding more passengers into ANA’s domestic network.([newsroom.lufthansagroup.com](https://newsroom.lufthansagroup.com/en/lufthansa-group-and-ana-to-add-ita-airways-to-their-europe-japan-joint-venture/?utm_source=openai))
By encouraging visitors from the UK and Europe to combine major gateways with regional cities, the promotion supports Japan’s tourism strategy of spreading inbound traffic beyond Tokyo and Osaka. Government and industry bodies have repeatedly highlighted the importance of directing international visitors to local communities, where spending in accommodation, dining and experiences can have a more pronounced economic impact.
For the airlines involved, the campaign helps to fill seats during quieter winter periods on both long-haul and domestic routes. The ability to market “free” or heavily discounted domestic connections can make Europe–Japan itineraries more competitive against rival carriers that route passengers via other Asian hubs without bundled internal flights.
Frequent-flyer members of ANA Mileage Club and Lufthansa Group’s Miles & More program also stand to benefit from the joint venture’s integrated earning and redemption framework. Published program details show that members can accrue and redeem miles across ANA and Lufthansa Group carriers, including on many codeshare and domestic sectors, enhancing the appeal of booking multi-segment itineraries under the winter promotion.([ana.co.jp](https://www.ana.co.jp/en/us/plan-book/codeshare-flights/?msockid=189d6f63012568401a7879d700be69e3&utm_source=openai))
Booking advice for UK and European travellers
For travellers considering taking advantage of the ANA and Lufthansa offer this winter, publicly available guidance from the airlines and travel agents points to a few practical steps. Customers are generally advised to search for Europe–Tokyo itineraries using the airlines’ own websites first, then use multi-city or “add destination” tools to append domestic legs on ANA-operated flights. Selecting dates with good domestic availability can be key to unlocking the promotional pricing on internal routes.
Because the international and domestic flights must usually be on a single ticket to qualify, booking via a single carrier’s platform or a full-service travel agency that can issue joint-venture fares is recommended. Travellers connecting in Japan from an international Lufthansa or ANA flight to a domestic ANA service should also be aware of baggage procedures: Lufthansa’s transfer guidance notes that passengers arriving from Europe into Japan often need to collect checked bags at the first point of entry, clear formalities, and then recheck luggage for domestic connections.([lufthansa.com](https://www.lufthansa.com/us/en/book-and-manage/flights/ana/faq?utm_source=openai))
Fares and conditions can vary by origin city, travel date and cabin class, so comparing options across UK and continental European departure points may reveal additional value. Some itineraries combining secondary European airports with major Lufthansa hubs and onward ANA domestic flights can price competitively against more straightforward point to point journeys, especially once the cost of separate domestic tickets is factored in.
Travel industry coverage suggests that demand for Japan remains high among European travellers, particularly for winter experiences such as skiing, hot springs and seasonal food. With ANA and Lufthansa leveraging their partnership to bundle domestic connectivity into Europe–Japan tickets, the revived campaign offers an incentive for visitors to build more ambitious multi stop itineraries across the country while the promotion is in effect.
ANA Europe Japan domestic promotion
Lufthansa "Discover Japan" campaign page
ANA overview of joint venture with Lufthansa
Lufthansa Group news on Europe–Japan joint venture expansion