TL;DR
Virgin Australia has announced a new year-round, daily Tokyo (Haneda) Cairns service, starting from June 2023. This move adds over 2,000 seats per week and expands the direct flight offerings from Australia to Japan. The route will be served by Virgin's new Boeing 737 MAX aircraft, with a daily Cairns-Tokyo service due to commence on June 28, 2023. This development is part of Virgin Australia's strengthened partnership with Japan's ANA, including reciprocal loyalty benefits such as lounge access and other status perks.
Japan just became more accessible for skiers and snowboarders from Australia with the announcement of a new year-round, daily Tokyo (Haneda) Cairns service by Virgin Australia, in partnership with the Queensland Government and Cairns Airport. This new service, which will commence on Wednesday, June 28, 2023, will add over 2,000 seats per week.With the addition of Virgin Australia, the direct flight offerings from Australia to Japan have now expanded, joining the ranks of Jetstar, Qantas, ANA, and JAL. The daily Cairns-Tokyo service will be operated by Virgin's new Boeing 737 MAX, which will take approximately 7 hours and 30 minutes to cover the distance between Australia's tropical capital and Tokyo's Haneda airport.
Virgin Australia’s new 737 MAX aircraft is what they will use to fly to Tokyo Haneda. Credit: Virgin Australia In addition to the new route, Virgin Australia will also be strengthening its partnership with Japan's ANA, which will offer reciprocal loyalty benefits such as lounge access and other status perks. This is great news for snow lovers and travelers alike who can now look forward to more value and choice when traveling to Japan from Australia.The airline has already started a "Hello Tokyo" sale, which lists Cairns-Tokyo return fares from July 18 starting at $699 for an Economy Lite fare (with only carry-on bags), with Business just shy of $2,000. Pricing from Brisbane, Sydney, and Melbourne, with connecting flights to and from Cairns, begins at $749.As is often the case with newly-arrived routes, there are plenty of seats available to be booked using Velocity Points at low Reward rates of 27,800 points in Economy and 59,500 points in Business (with a $91 surcharge from Cairns and $68 from Tokyo).In addition to the usual complimentary meals and drinks in business class, pointy end passengers will also be issued with a pillow, blanket, and amenity kit. The Boeing 737 MAX will also offer free inflight WiFi to Velocity Platinum, Beyond Lounge members, and business class passengers; fees will begin at $9.95 for a 30-minute pass and $24.95 to stay online for the entire flight.
