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Since the deregulation of the airline industry in 1996, several new carriers have entered the market and the cost of domestic flights in Japan has tumbled. Skymark ( www.skymark.co.jp ) led the way with price slashing on its routes between Tokyo and Fukuoka, Kōbe, Naha and Sapporo and its Kōbe-Naha route. Air Do ( www.airdo21.com ) offers discount services on routes from Tokyo to destinations in Hokkaidō including Asahikawa, Hakodate, Memanbetsu and Sapporo. Other smaller airlines to check for discount tickets include Skynet Asia Airways ( www.skynetasia.co.jp/index.shtml ) for flights between Tokyo and Kyūshū; IBEX Airlines ( www.ibexair.co.jp/english/index.html ) for flights from Ōsaka's Itami airport and Sendai, Fukushima, Shonai (Yamagata) and Oita; and Starflyer ( www.starflyer.jp ) for Tokyo– Kita– Kyūshū flights.
The big two domestic airlines – All Nippon Airways (ANA; www.ana.co.jp ) and Japan Airlines (JAL; www.jal.co.jp ) – have responded to these newcomers with price initiatives of their own. Both carriers offer substantial discounts for advance bookings with an extra discount if the booking is made entirely online. Both JAL and ANA offer discount flight passes to overseas visitors, which are definitely worth considering if you plan to travel long distances in Japan or want to make several plane trips.
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