Is this the END of suitcases? Airline RENTS clothes to passengers so they don’t need to pack luggage
Is this the END of suitcases? Airline RENTS clothes to passengers so they don’t have to pack luggage – reducing greenhouse gas emissions
- Clothing bundles cost between £22 and £38 and can be smart or casual or mixed
Lugging a heavy suitcase on vacation could be a thing of the past if an airline’s clothing rental experiment proves to be a good fit for customers.
Dubbed “Any Wear, Anywhere,” the service allows passengers to rent a bundle of clothing prior to their flight, which is then delivered directly to their hotel or AirBnb upon arrival.
Japan Airlines launched the scheme yesterday hoping it will mean customers can leave bulky bags behind and make a ‘sustainable choice’.
Travelers can tailor their clothing style to whether they are on a business or leisure trip, choosing between smart, smart casual and mixed, and buying clothing in small, medium and large sizes.
A set of clothes costs ¥4,000 to ¥7,000 (£22-£38), and people can rent up to eight different outfits for two weeks.
The service, dubbed ‘Any Wear, Anywhere’, allows people to rent a bundle of clothing prior to their flight, which is then delivered directly to their hotel
Japan Airlines launched the program yesterday hoping it will mean customers can leave bulky bags behind and make a “sustainable choice.”
The airline has launched the scheme to provide convenience to its customers, but also to promote sustainable tourism, and will collect data on whether it helps reduce bag weight and CO2 emissions.
JAL’s partner, Sumitomo, claims that by dropping 10kg of luggage, customers could cut their carbon dioxide emissions by 7.5kg – roughly equivalent to not using a hair dryer for 78 days.
The rentable wardrobes will come from the overstock of clothing products, says JAL, helping to minimize waste.
JAL will calculate the reduction in CO2 emissions based on the aircraft weight saved and inform their customers accordingly.
Trading house Sumitomo created the online reservation system for the clothing rental service and oversees the purchasing, laundry and delivery of clothing.
Trading house Sumitomo created the online reservation system for the clothing rental company
The service is a one-year experiment and will be available to customers between July 5 this year and August 2024.
The tourist benefit comes after severe restrictions in the country were lifted during the pandemic.
Japan has seen a huge surge in post-Covid visitors in recent months, with the number coming to the country rising to 1.9 million.
That is an increase of 1,191 percent compared to the same month last year, the FT reports.
May visitors were still about 30 percent lower than before the pandemic, according to Japan’s National Tourism Organization.