I recently flew ZIPAIR for a family trip to Manila with my 1 and 3-year-olds.
The flight times and prices were the deciding factors, but it was much more comfortable than expected. It’s so kid-friendly that I definitely want to use it again.
About Booking
Round-trip Costs
In early December, the total for our family of four was 113,907 JPY.
Prices change depending on the day, but the kids’ fares were especially affordable.
| Category | Outbound | Inbound |
|---|---|---|
| Adult (15+) × 2 | 27,000 JPY ($180.00) | 37,932 JPY ($252.88) |
| Child (2-6) × 1 | 5,000 JPY ($33.33) | 7,342 JPY ($48.95) |
| Infant (0-1) × 1 | 5,000 JPY ($33.33) | 7,342 JPY ($48.95) |
| Seat Selection (Optional) | 1,300 JPY ($8.67) | 1,835 JPY ($12.23) |
| Total | 38,300 JPY ($255.33) | 54,451 JPY ($363.01) |
Tax and fees are added to these amounts, resulting in the total listed above. Please note that prices fluctuate significantly depending on the date.
While booking directly through the official website was generally the cheapest option, you might find better value elsewhere. Depending on ongoing sales, point-back offers on travel booking sites, or “flight + hotel” bundles, those alternatives can sometimes result in a lower total cost.
Once you have your travel dates set, I highly recommend checking a few different platforms to compare—you might just find a deal that perfectly fits your budget!
Flight Schedule for this trip
| Outbound | Inbound | |
|---|---|---|
| Departure | 8:55 AM | 1:00 PM （2:00 PM JST） |
| Arrival | 2:30 PM (1:30 PM JST) | 7:50 PM |
Baggage: Carry-on Only Strategy
Since baggage fees can add up, and we wanted to stay mobile once we arrived, we decided to challenge ourselves with carry-on luggage only.
Each person is allowed one personal item (like a shoulder bag) and one carry-on suitcase for free.
It turned out to be the right decision! Since we didn’t check any of the children’s bags, we didn’t have that moment of panic after boarding, thinking, “Oh no, I needed that one thing!”
By the way, since each child has their own seat, they are counted as individual passengers. This meant we could bring a total of four carry-on items with us.
Shockingly Low Fares! The “U6” Service
The biggest reason we chose ZIPAIR was the incredibly low fares.
Especially amazing is the “U6” fare for children under 6 years old.
Even for international flights to Manila, the flat rate was surprisingly affordable.
“I wish every airline would do this!” — that’s how grateful I was for their child-friendly policies.
What’s even better is their seat selection policy.
Normally, there’s an extra fee to reserve seats, but because of the safety rule that “an adult must sit next to a child,” we were able to sit together without any additional charge! This was such a huge help!
This time, we chose three consecutive window-side seats plus one seat across the aisle. While the seat selection fees were waived for the two children and one adult (to ensure they were seated together), an additional fee was required to reserve the fourth seat across the aisle.
If we had chosen to sit in two rows of two (2+2), one in front of the other, we could have avoided the seat selection fees entirely!
Off We Go! Tips for the Airport
Take Advantage of Priority Lanes
If you’re traveling with kids: Always use the Priority Lane!
Whether it’s for security checks or immigration, make sure to head straight for the Priority Lane.
Since we didn’t have a stroller with us, we were planning to wait in the regular line. However, the staff spotted us and kindly guided us to the Priority Lane. Passing through checkpoints one by one is always a challenge with little ones, so I highly recommend using the Priority Lane without hesitation.
After Immigration at Narita Airport: Kids Park
In Terminal 1, we found a Kids Park located very close to our gate.
Getting our meals and drinks for fligt.
About Airport Restaurants
There are popular spots like Ippudo (Ramen) and McDonald’s, but they were all extremely crowded, making it difficult to get a table. On the other hand, shops selling Bento boxes varied by location, but we were able to buy those without waiting in line.
About ZIPAIR In-flight Meals
Since ZIPAIR is an LCC, in-flight meals are not included. full in-flight meals are optional and require a reservation several days in advance.
However, you can still order light snacks on board the day of your flight. Items like ice cream and cup noodles are available for purchase during the flight, which is great if you or the kids get a little hungry!
Convenience Stores
There is a 7-Eleven, but the line for the register was incredibly long. Unless you have plenty of time to spare, it might be tough to shop there.
Our Solution: FamilyMart Vending Machines
We managed to grab some Onigiri (rice balls) from a FamilyMart vending machine. Combined with the Subway sandwiches we bought inside the airport before passing through immigration, we were all set with meals and drinks for the flight!
Settling in for our flight!
We decided to have my husband sit by himself in the seat across the aisle from us. Since the aisle on the plane was relatively narrow, he was still within arm’s reach. It turned out to be surprisingly convenient—we didn’t feel separated at all and could easily pass things back and forth!
The seat pitch (the space between rows) was a bit tight. Since we had my younger son in a car seat, his feet could easily reach the back of the seat in front of him. It was a bit of a challenge trying to stop him from kicking the front seat throughout the flight!
At ZIPAIR, we were informed that it was perfectly fine to hold our child during takeoff and landing.
These rules vary significantly depending on the airline. Some carriers strictly require children to be strapped in with a lap belt over the adult’s belt at all times, so I really appreciated ZIPAIR’s flexible and hospitable approach.
The kids ended up sleeping for about three hours on the way there and two hours on the way back, which made the journey much easier than I had imagined!
I tried lending my MOGU neck cushion—the one I usually use—to my 3-year-old son. It seemed to provide great support even for a child, and he fell fast asleep for over an hour!
To pass the time on the plane, the kids enjoyed snacks, did some drawing, and watched videos or played games on an iPad.
Based on our past experiences, I decided to get a pair of bone-conduction headphones specifically for this trip. I highly recommend them because they allow you to have conversations as usual while listening to something, and they don’t make your ears hurt at all.
Check details in
About Wi-Fi and Shopping
Free In-flight Wi-Fi
Believe it or not, it’s completely free! I was able to use LINE and do some light browsing, but as expected, streaming video was a bit too heavy. Downloading your content beforehand is a must!
Shopping
Cup noodles and ice cream are priced around 500 yen. Please note that bringing your own alcohol on board is not allowed (you are not permitted to open any outside alcoholic beverages). If you’d like a drink, be sure to order from the in-flight menu!
Amazing crew’s hospitality
During the last hour of our flight back, my younger son started getting a bit cranky.
Just then, a flight attendant passing by kindly asked, “May I give him some stickers?” She showed him some sparkly Christmas stickers and gently asked, “Which one would you like?”
It never felt like we were being overly watched, yet they were right there to help the moment we seemed to be struggling. That perfect sense of distance and timing was something I was truly grateful for.
Strategic Sleep Scheduling: A Nurse’s Approach
The secret to a smooth flight is all about getting the kids to sleep! I started adjusting their schedules a few days in advance to make sure they’d be ready to nap once we were in the air.
My kids are the type who “sleep when tired and wake up fully recharged.” Knowing this, I intentionally allowed them to stay up until around 11:00 PM at the hotel the night before. Since we had to catch a 6:00 AM bus on the day of the flight, I woke them up at 5:00 AM and kept them moving all around the airport until departure.
While maintaining a daily rhythm is usually important, adjusting it flexibly to suit the situation is the real secret to a peaceful flight during travels.
Summary
We originally chose ZIPAIR for its flight schedule and competitive pricing, but the journey turned out to be even more wonderful than we had expected.
Although we didn’t use the service this time since we were traveling with children, it seems you can even upgrade your seat after boarding. I truly felt that ZIPAIR is an airline that is kind to every generation of traveler. I hope our experience serves as a helpful reference for your next trip!
