Don’t Give Up Your Dreams for Financial Reasons: JAL Offers Approximately 890,000 Kilometers Worth of Flight Tickets to the Next Generation

Japan Airlines (JAL) has launched the “DREAM MILES PASS” project on September 27 to support young people who hold dreams. The project aims to present flight tickets equivalent to the 892,440 kilometers traveled by MLB star Shohei Ohtani, who JAL sponsors, from his high school baseball days to becoming a top MLB player, to young dreamers needing to travel for their aspirations. JAL is also collecting mile donations from its JAL Mileage Bank (JMB) members.

Eligible dreamers must be at least 15 years old and have completed mandatory education. To apply, they must input their dream’s details, origin, and destination on the special website form and share the displayed “Dream Pass” on X (formerly Twitter) or Instagram. Winners will receive round-trip tickets for domestic flights in standard class or international flights in economy class. The first phase of boarding is scheduled from January 14, 2025, to June 30, 2025, with the application period closing on October 31.

According to JAL, financial burdens of travel have forced some students to give up their extracurricular activities or abandon plans for studying abroad due to not being able to afford travel or tuition fees. A survey conducted by the company revealed that one in four high school students had given up on their dreams due to the financial burden of travel.

At a press conference held at a Haneda Airport hangar on the 28th, JAL President Mitsuko Tottori explained that mobility and experience gaps are becoming barriers to young people’s dreams. Through this project, she emphasized her desire to wholeheartedly support young people in achieving their dreams by fostering connections and relationships at their destinations.

Athlete employees of JAL, who won gold medals at the Paris Olympics—fencer Kikuchi Kano in men’s épée individual and Haruka Kitaguchi in women’s javelin throw—also appeared at the press conference. They shared their experiences and discussed the necessity of increasing opportunities for travel and experiences.

▲ JAL athlete employee Kikuchi Kano

Kano commented, “Competitive sports allow growth by competing against strong players. It’s important to engage in practice and matches nationally and internationally from an early age.” Kitaguchi added, “In an era where you can see anything on social networks, experiencing what you are deeply involved in firsthand is crucial. We hope this project increases such opportunities.”

▲ JAL athlete employee Haruka Kitaguchi

Additionally, as a symbol of the project, a special livery aircraft featuring Shohei Ohtani, “DREAM SHO JET” (Airbus A350-900, Registration: JA08XJ), will operate on domestic routes from September 29, 2024, until approximately March 2026. For more information.