Japan Airlines gives away $900 boarding pass snowboards for free

While most plane tickets are quickly lost among travel documents, this one is harder to misplace - and only 27 Aussies will be able to get one.

Japan is in the throes of peak snow season.

From Rusutsu to Niseko, powder coats the idyllic landscapes across the northern island region of Hokkaido. Further south in the fashion district of Tokyo, Harajuku residents don their winter gear, strutting the streets in the latest styles.

When the snowflakes begin to fall, Japan comes to life, attracting tourists from around the globe.

For the last two years, Australian snowboarding enthusiasts have been enticed by Hokkaido’s snowy landscape, flying direct from Melbourne to Tokyo with Japan Airlines to shred it up on the slopes.

On any usual route, Japan Airlines passengers would be issued with a regular paper boarding pass, one that is quickly stowed in a travel wallet. But for 27 lucky travellers, access to the plane is more grandiose.

In honour of two successful years of the Melbourne-Tokyo flight route, Japan Airlines has launched a partnership with leading snowboard brand Burton, offering an exclusive chance for travellers from Victoria to immerse themselves in the slopes of Japan’s snow fields.

Before boarding the plane, passengers are issued with a special plane ticket: a limited-edition, fully personalised snowboard that looks like a boarding pass.

Each lucky passenger flying Business Class from Melbourne to Tokyo receives a Boarding Pass from Burton, customised to feature their plane ticket details.

Japan Airlines is gifting 27 lucky passengers a one-of-a-kind snowboard.

Business class passengers can shred it up on Hokkaido’s slopes.

Japan Airlines general manager for Australia and New Zealand Mark Lucas said the Boarding Passes hope to inspire travellers to visit Japan.

With the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games approaching, the Japan National Tourism Organisation is predicting an influx of more than 40 million inbound tourists this year alone.

In the last five years, Japan has surged in popularity for Australian tourists, with over half a million Aussies visiting in 2018.

“We’re heading into our third year of bringing the premium Japan Airlines experience to Australians travelling between Melbourne and Tokyo,” Mr Lucas said.

“To celebrate this, we wanted to continue showcasing exciting ways to enjoy the best of Japan, and in this case, the country’s stunning snow region on a limited-edition Boarding Pass.”

The Boarding Passes are from Burton’s 2020 range of Family Tree snowboards, each retailing at over $900.

The Boarding Pass snowboards are designed to handle the terrain of Japan’s mountains, suitable for novices learning to ride for the first time, to Olympic snowboarders who shred the slopes of Niseko.

Leading the Boarding Pass campaign is Olympic snowboarder Jess Rich.

Known for her prowess in Big Air events, Rich represented Australia at the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics. Now, as the Boarding Pass ambassador, she returned to Hokkaido with Japan Airlines, having fallen in love with the Mount Yotei slopes.

“Having spent the past decade or so travelling and competing in snowboarding, coming to Japan to ride and enjoy the incredible scenery is always a great way to break up the year,” Rich said.

With a Japan Airlines Boarding Pass firmly attached to her snowboarding boots, she gushed about Niseko, insisting Japan has some of the best snowboarding opportunities in the world.

“Knowing that I get to travel with Japan Airlines just adds to the whole experience.”

Japan Airlines regularly flies Australians from Melbourne to Tokyo.

HOW TO GET YOUR HANDS ON A JAPAN AIRLINES BOARDING PASS:

To get one of the exclusive Boarding Passes, travellers need to book a return trip from Melbourne to Tokyo with Japan Airlines, flying business class, between February 19 and March 22.

The flights can either be a business class return airfare to Japan, priced from $3499, or with business class in one direction and economy in the other, priced from $2089.

To secure your Boarding Pass, head to japanairlinesboardingpass.com.au and reserve a limited-edition snowboard. Upon receiving an email confirming your reservation, jump onto the Japan Airlines website and book your flights to Tokyo.

Passengers are able to collect their Boarding Passes from Auski in Melbourne, with tickets valid for up to 360 days after purchase.

There are a limited number of Boarding Passes available, and only the first 27 people will be gifted with a limited-edition snowboard.

This writer visited Japan as a guest of Japan Airlines