Free domestic flights in Japan: what JAL and ANA actually offer foreign visitors, who qualifies and how to book

Is Japan offering free domestic flights to foreigners?

Not in the sense the headlines suggest. The offers you read about come from airlines, not from the Japanese government, and every one of them is tied to buying an international ticket with that airline. If you fly to Japan on another carrier, or book your domestic flight separately, you pay the normal fare. That fare and how to book it are covered in our Japan domestic flights guide.

What the airlines do offer is real and can save a lot of money. Under the right conditions you can fly from your home city to Tokyo and on to Sapporo, Fukuoka or Okinawa without paying extra airfare for the domestic flight.

JAL's complimentary domestic flights

On 13 September 2024 Japan Airlines announced "complimentary domestic flights to any destination within Japan when booking an international flight with JAL". The idea is simple: you can stay at your first destination, such as Tokyo, and then travel to another place in Japan "without extra charges for most travelers".

The release sets out four conditions:

1. Book together. "Customers must book a JAL international flight and a corresponding domestic flight together at the same time. Separate bookings for domestic flights are not eligible."
2. JAL-operated flights only. The offer "is only available for Japan Airlines-operated flights and may not be available on all flights or days. Some codeshare flights are not eligible."
3. Taxes and fees. "Additional taxes and fees may apply when adding Japan domestic flights."
4. Stopovers. "A charge may apply for stopovers of 24 hours or more in Japan." Further terms and conditions apply.

JAL's example itinerary is Singapore to Tokyo and back, with a Tokyo to Sapporo return flight "added complimentarily".

Which countries JAL's offer covered at launch

The release listed the countries where the offer started and the date it became available in each. JAL added that "plans are in place to expand the eligible countries".

If your country is not on this list, it may have been added since: check JAL's website for the country you fly from. This site could not read JAL's current offer pages, so the details here are those JAL gave when it launched the offer.

JAL's stopover charge

The offer waives the airfare when you connect to a domestic flight. A stopover, meaning you stay in Japan for 24 hours or more before the domestic flight, can cost extra. The first version of JAL's release said "a stopover charge applies to U.S., Canada, Mexico, Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Dalian, and Tianjin travelers whose first destination stay in Japan exceeds 24 hours", and that no additional charges applied for travellers from other countries. Its table showed these charges under the offer:

Before the offer, the connecting domestic flight cost a fare that depended on the departure country; the stopover charges were the same as before. The revised release replaced the list of places with one line: "A charge may apply for stopovers of 24 hours or more in Japan." If you want a few days in Tokyo before flying on, check the stopover charge for your country when you book.

ANA TOKYO+ from Europe

ANA's websites for Italy and the UK advertise TOKYO+: "Fly to Tokyo with ANA from Europe and connect to another destination in Japan for no additional airfare!" The offer includes "a free Tokyo stopover before/after your journey", with "Japan domestic airfare included with your international ticket", all in one booking.

The small print matters:

• "While airfare is free, taxes and other fees may apply."
• "Fares may vary depending on seat availability."
• "Depending on the availability of domestic flights in Japan, the fare for the international flight may differ."
• "Transportation costs other than the flights are not included in the total fare."

TOKYO+ is flexible in two ways. Your Japan domestic flights "don't have to arrive/depart from the same airport", so the outbound and return domestic flights can use different airports. And when you book you choose whether you will spend over 24 hours or within 24 hours in Tokyo. ANA advertises "over 40 domestic destinations". The pages we read on 6 October 2026 showed no end date.

ANA from Singapore: the SAME FARE

ANA's Singapore website puts it plainly: "When you book a domestic flight along with your international ticket, you'll pay the SAME FARE whether you're heading to Tokyo or traveling to Hiroshima via Tokyo." You can add a stopover in Tokyo, which ANA defines as "a stay at a transfer point en route to a destination for more than 24 hours". Stopovers "will be subject to consumption tax and applicable fees", so a few days in Tokyo is not entirely free. ANA also says you can make the whole trip one booking "even if you are traveling to other cities on different days".

ANA's domestic fares for international passengers

Even without a promotion, ANA sells Japan domestic flights together with its international tickets. Its fare rules list the domestic fares for flights from 19 May 2026 as Flex, Standard, Simple, "Flex (For combination with INT Fare)/Full Flex" and Sale. The ANA Discover JAPAN fares (Value and Super Value) covered flights until 18 May 2026; ANA's Swiss website says the fare "was discontinued for new bookings, ticketing, and travel as of May 18, 2026".

ANA's fare rules add these points:

• Limited seats. "The number of seats available are limited for some fares", and fares may not be available on certain dates and flights.
• Pay when you book. ANA asks you to "purchase your fare at the same time as completing your reservation on the ANA website". You can hold a reservation and fare for a certain time before the ticket is issued (some terms and conditions apply).
• Cabin. If you connect between an ANA international flight and an ANA domestic flight, first class passengers sit in premium class on the domestic flight, and business, premium economy and economy passengers sit in economy.
• Connections. There are restrictions on which airlines can be used, and a connection may fall on the following day.
• Phone booking. "It may not be possible to book and purchase fares on the ANA website. In this instance, please contact ANA by phone."
• Changes. "Fares as well as terms and conditions are subject to change without notice."

Our Japan domestic flights guide explains ANA's new domestic fares and its baggage, liquids and arrival-time rules.

JAL Japan Explorer Pass

Before its complimentary offer, JAL's product for visitors was the Japan Explorer Pass, launched in December 2015. It was for residents outside Japan holding an international ticket to and from Japan, with "no restriction which airline you fly to and from Japan". At launch it was sold on JAL's overseas websites, covered up to five domestic flights operated by JAL and JTA (Japan Transocean Air), could be bought up to 72 hours before each flight, even during your trip, and could not be changed or refunded. Passenger facility charges could be added on top.

That makes it the one offer here that does not depend on flying JAL to Japan. Whether it is still sold, and at what price, is something this site could not confirm, because JAL's current pages could not be read. Check JAL's website before you plan around it.

How to book a free domestic flight

1. Open the airline's website for the country you fly from. The offers are run country by country and the conditions differ, so read the offer page for your departure country.
2. Search multiple cities. ANA Singapore's instructions are to click 'Search Multiple Cities', then "input your travel dates and destinations respectively, ending with your flight home". A typical trip has four flights: your city to Tokyo, Tokyo to Sapporo, Sapporo to Tokyo, and Tokyo to your city.
3. Book everything at once. JAL says separate bookings for domestic flights are not eligible. If you already hold an international ticket, ask the airline whether a domestic flight can still be added before you count on it.
4. Decide between a connection and a stopover. Staying 24 hours or more in Japan before the domestic flight can change the price, as the table below shows.
5. Check the total before you pay. Compare the price with and without the domestic flights. Taxes and fees may be added, and ANA warns that the international fare itself may differ depending on domestic seat availability.

Baggage on a domestic flight in an international ticket

ANA states that "baggage rules for international flights apply to Japan domestic flights included in international itineraries". Domestic flights booked on their own follow ANA's domestic baggage rules instead. In other words, the allowance printed on your international ticket is the one to check. JAL's release does not cover baggage, so check your JAL booking. If your bags are bulky, sending them ahead by courier is often easier: see our luggage guide.

The catches: when a free flight isn't free

• Only the airfare is waived. Both airlines say taxes and other fees may apply.
• The international fare can change. On TOKYO+, "depending on the availability of domestic flights in Japan, the fare for the international flight may differ".
• Seats are limited. JAL's offer "may not be available on all flights or days", and ANA limits seats on some fares.
• Codeshares. Some codeshare flights are not eligible for JAL's offer.
• Stopovers. A stay of 24 hours or more can cost extra on JAL and on ANA from Singapore.
• Ground transport. "Transportation costs other than the flights are not included in the total fare," as ANA's TOKYO+ page puts it. Airport transfers and trains are on you.
• Connections. ANA warns that a connection may fall on the following day.
• Changes. Conditions can change without notice, so trust the airline's page on the day you book over any article, this one included.

Time-limited campaigns

Besides these offers, airlines sometimes run campaigns for particular countries with fixed booking and travel dates. Campaigns like these close, so if you read about one in the news, check on the airline's page for your country that it is still open and that your dates qualify. Our Japan travel news page lists changes that affect visitors.

A free flight, a rail pass, or both?

A free domestic flight covers the flights you book and nothing else; a rail pass covers trains for a set number of days. The two can work together: fly the long leg to Hokkaido, Kyushu or Okinawa as part of your international ticket and use trains for the rest. Our JR Pass guide explains when a rail pass pays off, our itinerary guide shows how routes fit together, and our guide to what a trip to Japan costs helps you set a budget.

To cite or link to this page: Free domestic flights in Japan: what JAL and ANA actually offer foreign visitors, who qualifies and how to book — Japan Pocket Guide, https://japanpocketguide.com/plan/free-domestic-flights/ Copy