Japan Airlines encourages 'no bags' travel

The airline's plan to encourage foreign tourists to travel without bags is both convenient and fuel-efficient, a concept India could adopt as well

I often say, “Innovation Thy Name Is Japan.” And I have been proved right once again.

Japan Airlines (JAL) has just introduced a novel “Any Wear, Anywhere” service, which allows passengers travelling to Japan to rent clothes for their trip, and not carry any checked-in baggage. Customers are asked to book their rentals a month before their flight. The rental clothing is then shipped to their hotel or other accommodation. The service offers clothing sets in various styles with prices starting at $28, and customers can use them for up to two weeks. There are, of course, charges for damaged and lost items. The trial will run through till August 2024.

Japan Airlines is testing the “Any Wear, Anywhere” service to see if it can meaningfully lighten its aircraft and reduce the amount of fuel it uses on its commercial flights. The carrier estimates that every 22 pounds of luggage it can remove from its New York-Tokyo route will reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 16.5 pounds (7.4 kg). Only time will tell if the shipping needed to deliver and return clothes might be just as pollution-emitting as the hauling of the luggage. Even if we ignore the sustainability benefits, using less fuel will make its operations more profitable for JAL.

The “sustainable choice” enables flyers to leave bulky travel bags behind. Travellers can tailor their clothing style depending on whether they are on a business or leisure trip, choosing between smart, smart casual and mixed, and can pick up garments in small, medium and large sizes. A set of smart-casual women’s clothes includes a black pea-coat, three sweaters, two tops, two pairs of wide-leg pants and a skirt. A man looking for casual winter basics might order a package with a puffer coat, two sweaters, two pairs of pants and a sweatshirt. One set of clothing will cost ¥4,000 to ¥7,000 ($22-$38), and people will be able to rent up to eight different outfits for as long as two weeks.

JAL says it launched the scheme to offer its customers more convenience and to concurrently promote sustainable tourism. A special team will collect data on whether it actually helps to cut the weight of the bags and reduce levels of carbon emissions.

The “Any Wear, Anywhere” service is apparently the brainchild of Sumitomo Corp. In its pitch to the airlines, Sumitomo demonstrated that by leaving 10kg of luggage at home, customers could reduce their carbon dioxide emissions by 7.5 kg — roughly equivalent to not using a hairdryer for 78 days. Once JAL agreed to the experiment, Sumitomo was tasked with the job of creating the online reservation system for the clothes rental service, and is also said to be overseeing the procurement, laundry and delivery of the clothes. The rentable wardrobes will be, in all likelihood, sourced from overstocked clothing, helping to minimise waste. This will help boost the “circular economy”.

Sumitomo-JAL will work out the reduction in carbon emissions based on reduced aircraft weight, and let each of the customers know how much they have contributed to the well-being of Planet Earth.

JAL’s program seems like a natural evolution of the “sharing economy.” People have become accustomed to splitting rides, homes, workspaces, boats and even swimming pools. To the pragmatic passenger, not having to mull over whether to pack a bulky sweater or twiddle thumbs at baggage claim may sound utopian.

Still, it remains to be debated whether the photo-oriented travellers of the 21st century will trust a foreign company with their sartorial choices for an entire overseas trip. And if they do, it’s unclear how it will affect the carbon footprint of the aviation industry, which researchers say is responsible for 3.5 per cent of human-induced climate change.

Detractors see two possible problems ahead with the new initiative. First, what if travellers with no clothes to carry on the trip, use the baggage allowance for shopping in Japan? That would not lighten the aircraft load — but yes, the Japan economy wouldn’t have any reason to quarrel if tourists buy more local goods to take back home. Second, this “no bags” travel experiment could encourage many more youngsters to travel — adversely impacting the sustainability angle. But then honestly, JAL would only benefit with more flyers opting to come to Japan.

Can India, too, introduce a “no-bags” travel for foreign tourists? It is eminently possible. And could well add to the exotic element of India travel, making it more “themed” — wearing lehenga-cholis and salwar kameezs or equivalent local wear during India travels could well be a touristy hit.

Airlines in India, too, should in any case introduce a special fare for those with no checked-in baggage on domestic routes. It would reduce the queues at the check-in counters. But more importantly, the day-trippers who, in any case, mostly travel with just hand baggage would be benefitted significantly. It would be a win-win for all.

The writer is MD of Rediffusion