Airline offers rent and unlimited flights for remote workers

A Japanese domestic airline is seeking to fill empty seats by offering subscriptions to Tokyo-based workers that will let them move to a city nearly 900 kilometers away, and commute back-and-forth to the capital by air as many times as they want. Star Flyer plans to roll out a monthly subscription service in spring that includes rented accommodation in and around the southern city of Fukuoka on the island of Kyushu, on top of unlimited flights between Kitakyushu — a city near Fukuoka where the carrier is based — and Tokyo’s Haneda Airport, spokesperson Yuki Furuse said. The cost would be around 200,000 yen ($1,340) to 400,000 yen a month, which the carrier estimates will be competitive with rents for large apartments in the capital to attract workers with families. The regional carrier is betting that it can tap into rising demand for remote work to turn around its fortunes as airlines, hotels and retailers seek to recover from the economic impact of the pandemic. "Compared with tourism, demand for business travel is still weak, which is one of the reasons we consider relocation as a way to cultivate new demand," Furuse said. Japan’s extensive rail network, which has long limited the appeal of short-distance domestic flights, has already seen job cuts as commuters stay home. The pandemic has also driven office vacancy rates in the capital to an eight-year high of 6.5%, according to data from office broker Miki Shoji Co.<br/>