Hello and welcome back to another trip report. Today I'm in Fukuoka and we're going to be
heading back to Tokyo. Today we're going to check out Starflyer. Starflyer is the airline
here in Japan that claims to be a hybrid airline. Their goal is to be more than a low-cost carrier
and but offer prices more competitive than the mainline carriers so I'm excited to try
a new airline and see what they have to offer. So come along as we go from A to B!
(Instrumental Background music)
Fukuoka is a very easily accessible airport located only two subway stops
away from Hakata station in Fukuoka. I made my way to the first floor
where Starflyer check-in can be found on the south side of the terminal.
Check-in took place at the ANA counter. They take care of Starflyer and other
smaller airlines check-in at this airport. The check-in process was straightforward
and took no more than a few moments.
ANA is the largest shareholder of Starflyer and codeshares with them.
Starflyer does have its own loyalty program, Starlink, but star alliance mileages can be
occurred only if looking through ANA. Just look for the 'SFJ' while booking .
But i found that prices on the ANA website were more expensive than on Starflyer.
Starflyer is an airline that services a handful of routes from western Japan to Tokyo
and nibbles on the lucrative Tokyo to Osaka route as well.
It's headquartered in Kitakyushu, not terribly far from here.
EE: Have you been to Fukuoka? Let us know in the comments!
The gate for today's flight is 5 and 5 is the gate for today's flight.
The gate wasn't terribly crowded. There's not much to do here besides
grabbing a last minute snack or coffee or filming this in my previous episode (check it out!)-
that and getting a good glimpse of the aircraft which boasts a fabulous black and white livery.
EE It was quite difficult to get images of the plane with the sun's glare :'(
EE: All Starflyer's aircraft are leased. They don't own any! They focus on flights to Fukoka & KitaKyushu.
EE: Check out the polished aircraft! Sparkle Sparkle!
EE: You'd be impressed at boarding times in Japan. Quickest I've every experienced.
And once again we're joined by Sasquatch thanks for dropping by!
SW: Thanks Andrew! Hello YouTube hope you're doing well :) Let's get to the scouting report: Starflyer's fleet
consists of only the a320s they currently have 13 and this particular aircraft is relatively new.
A: The aircraft has 150 seats in a single class over 25 rows. SW: And keep in mind if you're
looking to relax on this plane the emergency roads are 11 and 12 so the seats in 10 to 12
are unable to recline. A: And there are three lavatories located on board as well.
Now with that let's sit back and enjoy the takeoff!
SW: Hey thanks for joining us. Hey stewardess can I get some peanuts before the flight starts!?
EE: This is 5X speed. Speed is reduced to 1X at rotation.
Our 85 minute flight today is going to take us over Shikoku just south of Osaka and then
continuing along the island of Honshu. The weather was outstanding for this early evening flight .
Starflyer's A320s are configured in a single class 3-3 seating configuration with a black white
silver color scheme throughout. Seat back you'll find the coat hook, a fair sized non-adjustable
display with a headphone jack and USB port. The table is the standard size and movable. I enjoyed
that it clicked into place providing slightly more rigidity. Lower you'll find the seat back pocket
which has the service guide, breakfast bag and snazzy safety card and below there's a universal
socket and another usb port. Each seat has plenty of space with 34 inches of pitch and a foot rest.
EE: Very generous space for an economy cabin!
EE: The colour scheme is a pitch black, which is difficult for cameras to pick up. It really is black black!
The black seat was cushy and very comfortable. A headrest is provided and guests are able to
customize it to their likin. The seat also has a fair recline and to add to the comfort
the seat edges forward by about an inch as it's being reclined
and above is where you can find the reading light and air control.
EE: Phew! Time to sit back and enjoy the scenery!
Starflyer does not offer internet connectivity aboard its aircraft
but that's not a huge inconvenience for someone like myself of course. I'm able to post content
once i'm on the ground so if you're in the twitter world follow me for more aviation related content :)
EE: Below is shikoku. This is one of the 4 main islands of Japan. It means "4 countries". Tus, the island is home to 4 prefectures.
Happily there was a quick drink service on this flight. Starflyer does have a small buy on board
menu, however, it wasn't offered due to the pandemic. If you're a fan of this channel you know i went
for the coffee which was served with an absolutely delicious dark chocolate. The chocolate should
really be a staple on all airlines. EE: I actually went to the Starflyer shop in Tokyo and bought a box of chocolate :o
The lavatory in the rear of the plane was interesting to see.
The bin was behind the toilet, the mirror was on the opposite side of the sink
and there was a second seat in the lavatory that barely had enough space to unfold.
Is this normal for the A320? Let me know below!
EE: The drink and toilet footage was shot earlier in the flight, soon after take off.
The in-flight entertainment system was quick responsive and
intuitive. It had a nice little selection everything from news, sports, movies,and
documentaries.
EE: A great selection of short, indie films, actually! One of the best IFE with independent content, imo.
EE: In this video you can see the vastness of Tokyo Bay. It's size is quite remarkable. You'll see NE and then N as we turn to land at HND.
EE: Somewhere across the Bay would be Tokyo Disnleyland!
An ANA flight is about to take off! Almost surely and INTL bound flight!
EE: AV geek? Reading this? Tours of the ANA hanger are possible!
All right so i just got off the flight and that was such a fantastic flight I had such a
great time going on Starflyer. I really enjoy that black and white color scheme throughout the plane.
The seat was fantastic, the recline the seat moves forward an inch or two when you recline it.
You have that foot rest for that added comfort. The drink service, the coffee with
the chocolate delicious -loved it! and I think they're absolutely right- it is an airline that
delivers more than a low-cost carrier by far but also offering that competitive
price i paid (USD 110) 11,000 yen for this ticket and I think it's a fantastic deal. If you find yourself
in Japan and you want to check out Starflyer you can earn star alliance miles with it by
purchasing it through the ANA website. You can also purchase tickets of course through the
Starflyer website as well. Anyways i think I'm going to end it there i hope you enjoyed looking
inside starflyer as much as i did thanks for watching and i'll see you around next time