Zipair Ignites New Wave of U.S.-Japan Transpacific Competition and Low Fares

Transpacific travel between the United States and Japan is entering a new phase of competition and capacity growth, and this time it is not just the legacy giants doing the heavy lifting. Zipair, the low cost subsidiary of Japan Airlines (JAL), is rapidly adding U.S. flights alongside expansion by JAL, All Nippon Airways (ANA), Korean Air, Delta, United, and other major carriers. For American travelers, the result is more nonstop routes, sharper pricing on key city pairs, and new ways to reach Asia and beyond. Here is what you need to know now if you are planning a trip across the Pacific in late 2025 and into 2026.

Zipair’s Fast Growing U.S. Footprint

Zipair launched just before the pandemic as a leisure focused, no frills airline built around Boeing 787 8 aircraft, and it has wasted no time carving out a niche in the U.S. Japan market. What began with flights from Tokyo Narita to Honolulu has grown into a small but strategic network that now spans the West Coast, Texas, and Western Canada, with more on the way.

From Narita, Zipair currently connects to Honolulu, Los Angeles, San Jose, San Francisco, Vancouver and, as of March 2025, Houston. The San Francisco route, which initially launched in 2023 as a five times weekly service, has matured into a daily operation with a late evening departure from Narita and mid afternoon arrival at San Francisco International Airport. Schedules through the summer 2025 season show a consistent nightly departure pattern designed to maximize aircraft utilization and maintain simple, repeatable operations on a low cost model.

The Houston route represents a major strategic step. Beginning March 4, 2025, Zipair’s Tokyo Narita Houston service is scheduled four times weekly using a 787 8 configured with 18 full flat seats and 272 standard economy seats. The airline and Houston airport officials have already confirmed plans to expand that service for the winter 2025 26 season, with an increase to three weekly flights from late October and a temporary boost to four weekly roundtrips over the peak holiday period. For a young low cost carrier, this is an ambitious push into a long haul business and leisure market that is already served daily by United and ANA.

Looking slightly ahead, Zipair is also testing demand beyond its core Pacific Coast and Texas markets. In early 2026 it will operate a short series of charter flights between Tokyo Narita and Orlando, creating the first direct air link between Japan and Florida. While framed as a limited charter program tied to Orlando’s theme parks and school holiday demand, the move underscores Zipair’s willingness to explore unserved U.S. markets where a low fare, point to point option might eventually succeed.

How Zipair’s Model Differs From Full Service Airlines

Although it is wholly owned by Japan Airlines, Zipair is structured and operated as a true low cost carrier. For travelers, that means the onboard experience and fare structure look very different from what you would find on JAL, ANA, Delta or United, even when flying the same city pair.

Zipair’s 787 8s have a dense layout with nearly 300 seats. The front cabin features lie flat “Business” seats that look closer to premium economy on the legacy carriers in terms of service, while the rest of the aircraft is all economy in a tight configuration. Checked baggage, meals, seat selection and in some cases even carry on allowances are unbundled and sold as extras, which allows Zipair to advertise very low base fares that can come in significantly under those of full service competitors.

Inflight amenities are also minimalist by design. There is no complimentary meal tray service on long haul flights as standard, and inflight entertainment is typically offered via personal devices rather than built in seatback screens. For budget conscious travelers who are comfortable bringing their own food, entertainment and travel pillow, the tradeoff is more than acceptable, especially when roundtrip fares between the West Coast and Tokyo can price hundreds of dollars below traditional airlines during sales.

At the same time, Zipair benefits from its parent’s infrastructure and brand reputation. It operates from Tokyo Narita, where JAL maintains a large hub, and therefore can connect passengers onto JAL or other oneworld partners with separate tickets. While through checked baggage and coordinated minimum connection times are not guaranteed in the same way as a single ticket on JAL or American, savvy travelers sometimes stitch together self connections using Zipair for the long overwater segment and another carrier for domestic Japan or wider Asia travel, effectively building their own hybrid itinerary.

Japan Airlines and ANA Add Capacity for a Red Hot Japan Market

Zipair’s U.S. growth is part of a broader capacity build up by Japanese carriers responding to record inbound tourism and strong outbound demand. Japan Airlines has announced a sweeping expansion of its North America network for the summer 2025 schedule, focused on both new routes and additional frequencies on existing ones.

On May 31, 2025, JAL will relaunch nonstop service between Tokyo Narita and Chicago O’Hare. The route, last operated in 2023, will run alongside JAL’s existing daily Tokyo Haneda Chicago flight, effectively giving the airline two daily Chicago departures from the Tokyo area. The revived Narita link is also being integrated into JAL’s joint business with American Airlines through codesharing, improving connectivity for travelers heading onward into the U.S. interior.

Elsewhere on the network, JAL is upgrading several West Coast routes to daily service. Flights between Narita and San Diego and between Osaka Kansai and Los Angeles will step up to daily frequencies for the core summer period, as will services from Kansai and Nagoya to Honolulu. On select days in July, Narita Honolulu will climb to two daily flights, solidifying JAL’s already strong presence in the Japan Hawaii leisure corridor.

ANA, meanwhile, is executing a multi year fleet and network growth plan that leans heavily on transpacific connectivity. The carrier has committed to purchasing dozens of additional widebody aircraft, including Boeing 787 9s, specifically to grow Asia North America services over the rest of the decade. Its published schedules for the second half of fiscal 2025 point to an overall 106 percent increase in international flights from the previous year, and although much of that added capacity is aimed at routes within Asia and to Europe, ANA continues to expand its North America presence through additional frequencies, larger aircraft and new one stop itineraries via partner hubs.

U.S. Carriers Respond With Their Own Transpacific Push

On the U.S. side of the Pacific, Delta, United and other major airlines are not standing still. They are increasing their own Asia capacity, often using West Coast hubs as springboards to both traditional and emerging destinations. For U.S. based travelers, this battle for market share translates into more competition on fares and more scheduling options to fit tight vacation windows.

United has been particularly aggressive in repositioning San Francisco as the premier U.S. gateway to Asia. By late 2025 it will operate nonstop or one stop flights from San Francisco to more than 30 destinations across the Pacific, including new services to Bangkok and Ho Chi Minh City operated via Hong Kong using Boeing 787 9 aircraft. United is also doubling down on existing Asian markets such as Manila, where it plans a second daily San Francisco flight, and extending its long haul network to secondary cities like Adelaide in Australia.

Delta is focusing its transpacific growth through Seattle, where the airline has cemented its role as the largest global carrier. A series of recent announcements includes new nonstop routes from Seattle to Rome and Barcelona, as well as upgrades on existing Asia routes to larger Airbus A350 aircraft with more seats and expanded premium cabins. While not all of these flights touch Japan directly, they shape the overall competitive environment: as Delta adds more long haul options from Seattle, it strengthens its position against Asia based competitors that rely on connecting flows through West Coast hubs.

Korean Air and other Asian network carriers are also quietly increasing capacity to U.S. cities, often using their home hubs such as Seoul Incheon as efficient connection points to Japan and Southeast Asia. The combined effect is a dense web of one stop and nonstop options linking U.S. cities large and small to Tokyo, Osaka and beyond. In this environment, Zipair’s low cost offerings are one component of a much larger transpacific capacity surge.

What This Means for Fares and Availability

For travelers, the clearest immediate impact of this competitive buildup is in pricing and seat availability. When capacity grows faster than demand, particularly in shoulder seasons and midweek travel periods, fare sales and promotional offers tend to follow. The summer 2025 schedule sees multiple airlines operating daily or near daily flights on key routes like Tokyo San Francisco, Tokyo Los Angeles, Tokyo Seattle and Tokyo Chicago, with more seats than before the pandemic in some cases.

Zipair’s presence exerts particular downward pressure on economy fares. Its low base prices force full service competitors to sharpen their own pricing, especially on off peak departures and in markets where leisure travelers are highly price sensitive, such as Honolulu and the West Coast. While business travelers who need flexible tickets and elite benefits will still gravitate toward JAL, ANA, Delta and United, budget minded vacationers will find more opportunity than in recent years to score sub 800 or even sub 600 roundtrip fares from the West Coast to Tokyo when booking at the right time.

However, it is important to recognize that demand for Japan remains extremely strong. Record inbound visitor numbers and a favorable currency continue to attract U.S. tourists, and premium cabin seats on the most desirable dates often sell out quickly or command high prices. Award availability through frequent flyer programs is also under pressure, with some airlines preparing mileage chart increases for premium cabins. The abundance of flights does not automatically guarantee cheap last minute tickets during cherry blossom season or the late December New Year period.

Instead, travelers should think of the new capacity and route options as expanding the range of possible itineraries. If nonstop flights from your closest hub are expensive or sold out, you may find better value routing via a different gateway that now has an extra daily flight, such as connecting through San Francisco on United, through Seattle on Delta, or via Narita on Zipair combined with a separate ticket on a domestic U.S. carrier. The increase in operations across multiple carriers makes these workarounds more practical than in the tight capacity environment of 2022 and 2023.

How to Choose Between Zipair and Major Full Service Airlines

With so many airlines now flying between Japan and the U.S., the choice is no longer just about schedule. The right carrier for your trip will depend on your budget, your tolerance for add on fees, and your expectations for cabin comfort and service on a long flight that can exceed ten hours each way.

If your top priority is the lowest possible fare and you are comfortable traveling light, Zipair is likely to be one of the first options you should price out. It can be particularly compelling for solo travelers or couples departing from airports where Zipair has a nonstop, such as San Francisco, Los Angeles, San Jose, Vancouver or Houston. The savings can be considerable compared with full service carriers, especially once you strip away the value of mileage accrual and elite benefits that matter more to frequent business travelers than to occasional vacationers.

On the other hand, if you value a more traditional international experience with full meal service, included checked bags on many fares, priority boarding and lounge access, then Japan Airlines, ANA, Delta, United and Korean Air remain the better fit. These airlines also offer superior connection options once you arrive in Japan, especially if you are heading to secondary cities, ski resorts, or onward into Southeast Asia. Frequent flyer elites may also find that seat selection, upgrade opportunities and on the ground support in the event of delays justify paying a higher fare on a legacy carrier.

Travelers in premium cabins have an especially clear incentive to stick with full service airlines. Zipair’s front cabin is functional and offers lie flat comfort, but lacks the extensive soft product and privacy features of a true long haul business or first class product. Meanwhile, JAL is rolling out its flagship Airbus A350 1000 with an entirely new premium cabin design on select U.S. routes, and ANA continues to deploy advanced 787 and 777 cabins with enclosed suites on certain flagship services.

Planning Strategies for 2025 and 2026 Transpacific Trips

With capacity increasing across the Pacific and Zipair adding fresh low cost options, this is a favorable moment to start locking in Japan and Asia trips for late 2025 and into 2026, particularly if you have fixed vacation dates or are targeting popular seasons. A few strategic steps can help you take full advantage of the evolving landscape.

First, be flexible about your departure and arrival airports when possible. If you live within a reasonable distance of multiple major airports, price out itineraries from each. The presence of daily Zipair flights from San Francisco or Los Angeles, combined with United’s and Delta’s investments in those hubs, may result in significantly lower fares than smaller or inland airports. You can then add a separate domestic positioning flight if the savings justify the extra leg.

Second, if you have frequent flyer miles with U.S. or Japanese carriers, monitor award availability early and often. As airlines load additional flights and occasionally swap in larger aircraft like the A350, new award seats can appear months before departure. Conversely, upcoming mileage chart changes and sustained demand for premium cabins mean that the best long haul business class redemptions will be snapped up quickly. Having backup options on different alliance partners can make the difference between enjoying a lie flat seat and settling for economy at a steep cash price.

Finally, pay close attention to what is and is not included in the fare you are booking. On Zipair, expect to add charges for checked luggage, meals and sometimes seat assignments, and factor those costs in before comparing with an apparently higher all in fare on a full service carrier. Likewise, on U.S. airlines, basic economy fares may come with restrictions that are inconvenient on long international itineraries, such as no changes or limited mileage earning. A slightly higher standard economy fare can offer much more flexibility, which is invaluable if your travel plans shift or if irregular operations force rebooking.

As 2025 progresses, the story of Japan U.S. air travel is one of abundance rather than scarcity. Zipair’s entry and continued expansion have contributed to a broader wave of new routes and added frequencies across the Pacific, as JAL, ANA, Korean Air, Delta, United and others vie for a share of a booming transpacific market. For travelers, the key is to understand how each airline’s model fits your priorities, then leverage the surge in capacity to secure better prices, more convenient schedules and, ultimately, a smoother journey between the United States and Japan.