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Taiwan Offering Flights To Nowhere For Travel Junkies
13-08-2020
2020
wacky and real life
The tickets to nowhere for travel lovers in Taiwan unable to get their regular fix after airlines were grounded by the coronavirus will have their last chance this weekend to take flights that take off and land in the same place. The bizarre offering for the first batch of tickets for the "holiday" packages were so popular they were being offered by two local airlines, Taiwan's China Airlines and Eva Air, leaving from airports near the capital Taipei. They are aimed at people who miss the hustle and bustle of aircraft travel. A ticket will cost around 6,000 NTS (155 GBP) with the option to get cheap tickets for kids or business class upgrades. It follows on from a previous offer at the start of July for visitors to Songshan Airport in Taipei which was also a sell-out success offering passengers the chance to go through the full check-in procedure, but this time on a plane that does not even take off. People who took part were able to head to the airport for the fake trip which included a three-and-a-half-hour check-in, the opportunity to shop in the duty-free, snacks at the airport's scenic restaurant and then being allowed to board either a China Airlines or EVA Airways Airbus A330. A select few were also allowed to use the VIP e-Gate enrolment Passengers then had to go through the safety procedures, and after 15 minutes were then asked to disembark. Planning manager for the flights to nowhere Hsu Ting said: "You can do everything here in the airport, except actually travel". It proved so popular it was then copied by Taiwan's Taoyuan International Airport, also serving Taipei, with trips to nowhere also available throughout this month at a cost of 1,000 NTS (25 GBP). Unlike the flights that do not take off, the new packages offered by two different airlines do take off but return to the same place without landing anywhere else. One offered by Taiwan’s China Airlines will travel around the island for a two-hour period and child passengers will also be allowed to visit the pilot's cabin. Passengers will also get a meal and a drink and a gift, although it was not specified what this would be. The other is operated by Taiwanese based Eva Air and will involve an A330 taking off from Taoyuan International Airport and heading to Japan before flying back on what will be a two-hour-and-45 minute trip, and includes Wi-Fi access. EVA Air spokesman Mr Eric Lin told Asia Wire: "The initiative is the result of joint discussions between us, the airport and the government as well as other airlines. It is available for Taiwanese passport holders and those with resident permits. "Our regular international flight routes - for example, Los Angeles, Paris and Tokyo – are still available, but they have been greatly reduced in frequency due to the pandemic. We're still unsure when we'll return to full capacity. "For our international flights, we've been following all the required health and safety protocol. That includes routine temperature checks for staff and, of course, mask-wearing. "However, for this special travel experience, I'm not sure the requirements will be as strict." A travel agency spokeswoman (unnamed), who has been commissioned by the airline to sell tickets, tells TTV News (https://bit.ly/3hZhglp): "All the tickets sold out within 30 minutes of their becoming available. The majority of the interest has come from clients aged between 35 and 45. By our estimates, this group of people usually likes to travel." (T4 / ends)
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file nameAsiaWire-TaiwanPlane-01.jpg
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creditEVA Air / Asia Wire
captionTaiwanese commercial airlines EVA Air offered passengers a unique flight to nowhere in its popular Hello Kitty Jet on 8 August, with a second trip scheduled for 15 August. (EVA Air / Asia Wire)
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file nameAsiaWire-TaiwanPlane-02.jpg
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captionTaiwanese commercial airlines EVA Air offered passengers a unique flight to nowhere in its popular Hello Kitty Jet on 8 August, with a second trip scheduled for 15 August. (EVA Air / Asia Wire)
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file nameAsiaWire-TaiwanPlane-03.jpg
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creditEVA Air / Asia Wire
captionTaiwanese commercial airlines EVA Air offered passengers a unique flight to nowhere in its popular Hello Kitty Jet on 8 August, with a second trip scheduled for 15 August. (EVA Air / Asia Wire)
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file nameAsiaWire-TaiwanPlane-04.jpg
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creditEVA Air / Asia Wire
captionTaiwanese commercial airlines EVA Air offered passengers a unique flight to nowhere in its popular Hello Kitty Jet on 8 August, with a second trip scheduled for 15 August. (EVA Air / Asia Wire)
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file nameAsiaWire-TaiwanPlane-05.jpg
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creditEVA Air / Asia Wire
captionTaiwanese commercial airlines EVA Air offered passengers a unique flight to nowhere in its popular Hello Kitty Jet on 8 August, with a second trip scheduled for 15 August. (EVA Air / Asia Wire)
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file nameAsiaWire-TaiwanPlane-06.jpg
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creditEVA Air / Asia Wire
captionTaiwanese commercial airlines EVA Air offered passengers a unique flight to nowhere in its popular Hello Kitty Jet on 8 August, with a second trip scheduled for 15 August. (EVA Air / Asia Wire)
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file nameAsiaWire-TaiwanPlane-07.jpg
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creditEVA Air / Asia Wire
captionTaiwanese commercial airlines EVA Air offered passengers a unique flight to nowhere in its popular Hello Kitty Jet on 8 August, with a second trip scheduled for 15 August. (EVA Air / Asia Wire)
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file nameAsiaWire-TaiwanPlane-08.jpg
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creditEVA Air / Asia Wire
captionTaiwanese commercial airlines EVA Air offered passengers a unique flight to nowhere in its popular Hello Kitty Jet on 8 August, with a second trip scheduled for 15 August. (EVA Air / Asia Wire)
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file nameAsiaWire-TaiwanPlane-09.jpg
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creditEVA Air / Asia Wire
captionTaiwanese commercial airlines EVA Air offered passengers a unique flight to nowhere in its popular Hello Kitty Jet on 8 August, with a second trip scheduled for 15 August. (EVA Air / Asia Wire)
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file nameAsiaWire-TaiwanPlane-10.jpg
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creditEVA Air / Asia Wire
captionTaiwanese commercial airlines EVA Air offered passengers a unique flight to nowhere in its popular Hello Kitty Jet on 8 August, with a second trip scheduled for 15 August. (EVA Air / Asia Wire)
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file nameAsiaWire-TaiwanPlane-11.jpg
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creditEVA Air / Asia Wire
captionEVA Air's popular Hello Kitty Jet took passengers on a three-hour Taipei-to-Tapei flight from Taoyuan airport on 8 August. (EVA Air / Asia Wire)
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file nameAsiaWire-TaiwanPlane-12.jpg
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captionEVA Air's popular Hello Kitty Jet took passengers on a three-hour Taipei-to-Tapei flight from Taoyuan airport on 8 August. (TVBS / Asia Wire)
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file nameAsiaWire-TaiwanPlane-13.jpg
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captionEVA Air's popular Hello Kitty Jet took passengers on a three-hour Taipei-to-Tapei flight from Taoyuan airport on 8 August. (TVBS / Asia Wire)
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file nameAsiaWire-TaiwanPlane-14.jpg
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captionEVA Air's popular Hello Kitty Jet took passengers on a three-hour Taipei-to-Tapei flight from Taoyuan airport on 8 August. (TVBS / Asia Wire)
