Traveling to Okinawa with JAL Card Sky Mate for Under 25

Japan Airlines (JAL) has introduced a new fare called the “JAL Card Sky Mate” for domestic flights, available for reservation and flight from February 1. I decided to experience this “super-cheap” fare by traveling to Okinawa.

Firstly, let’s explain the fare rules. The “JAL Card Sky Mate” is a discounted fare for JAL Card members aged 25 and under. Reservations can be made from midnight on the day of departure, but changes cannot be made after ticket issuance. Unlike the traditional “Sky Mate,” it’s only available for booking and purchase online, not at airport counters.

During the “Sky Mate Sale” from February 1 to March 29, “JAL Card Sky Mate” is set at a uniform one-way fee of 4,950 yen (including tax, excluding passenger facility charges) across all routes.

The reservation method is simple. On the day of boarding, open the domestic flight reservation screen on the JAL website or app and select “Sky Mate/JAL Card Sky Mate” under the section “Discounts for Eligible Customers.” Then, you can book and purchase in the same manner as others.

Generally, discounted fares often have limited seat availability, but like shareholder discounts and same-day senior discounts, it didn’t seem significantly restricted.

At midnight on the day of boarding, I checked the available seats via the website. Even though it was a weekday during the low season, many flights were fully booked in the morning. I selected flight JL919 departing at 3:05 PM. The one-way fare, including passenger facility charges, was 5,560 yen.

Flight JL919 that day employed an international version of the Boeing 777-300ER aircraft (registration: JA733J). With the introduction of the new flagship Airbus A350-1000 on JAL’s international flights, the Boeing 777-300ER, previously the flagship, is commonly seen on main domestic routes too. During domestic operations, the Class J seats become full-flat SKY SUITES, and premium economy seats are open as regular seats, but you can’t use the seat monitors. In-flight Wi-Fi is available like on other aircraft.

Priority boarding started just after 2:50 PM, and the actual departure was around 3:15 PM, delayed due to final seat adjustments. The flight was nearly full and took about two and a half hours. We arrived at Naha Airport around 6:10 PM.

I stayed one night at a hotel in Naha city this day. Recently, accommodation prices in Okinawa have risen, with standard single rooms exceeding 10,000 yen per night not being uncommon. I found a hotel through Agoda for about 6,500 yen.

After midnight, I checked the JAL website again to make a “Sky Mate” reservation, just as I did the previous day. Unfortunately, all the regular seats on the afternoon flights were fully booked, so I decided to temporarily hold off on the reservation and purchase.

Later, in the early afternoon, upon rechecking, a seat became available on flight JL916, so I decided to return on this flight. The reservation status can be fluid due to other passengers upgrading or changing flights on the day, enabling me to catch an open seat as I did this time.

Flight JL916 was scheduled to depart at 6:00 PM, but due to a late arrival of the aircraft, boarding at gate 25 actually began around 5:55 PM, with takeoff at approximately 6:20 PM. The aircraft was a Boeing 767-300ER (registration: JA603J). The flight time was about 1 hour and 50 minutes. After landing at Haneda Airport, we had to wait on the taxiway as our intended spot was occupied by the previous flight. We arrived at the parking spot around 6:30 PM, approximately 20 minutes late. Heavy snow in Northern Japan that day caused many delays and cancellations on other flights as well.

Actually traveling to Okinawa with the “JAL Card Sky Mate” for a one-night two-day trip, here are three key points to utilize this “super-cheap” fare:

1) The passenger should be 25 years old or younger.
2) Must be a JAL Card holder and make the payment using a JAL Card.
3) Sales begin at midnight on the day of boarding.

While the reservation and purchase of “JAL Card Sky Mate” itself is easy, the biggest challenge seems to be the limited availability of seats. On the other hand, it offers the advantage of being able to go on a spontaneous trip on the same day. While the eligible users are limited, young people should definitely take advantage of these benefits.

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