Star Flyer offering free tickets for First Sunrise Flight.

Star Flyer [7G/SFJ] will invite 35 pairs (or a group of up to three) to their First Sunrise Flight on January 1st, 2015, dubbed Sunrise Flight 2015. In October, the Kitakyushu [KKJ/RJFR]-based carrier won first place in the domestic long-distance travel category for the Japan Customer Satisfaction Index (JCSI), which is published annually by the Council for Service Productivity & Innovation for Growth (SPRING), and the airline says the flight is an expression of gratitude. It has won the award for six consecutive years.

Airbus A320-214(SL) JA21MC City of Kitakyushu is pushed back at Yamaguchi-Ube on the inaugural day (Star Flyer launches Yamaguchi-Ube.) of the service. (Photo: Aviation Wire)

Sunrise Flight 2015, to be operated by one of their Airbus A320s, will depart Kitakyushu around 0600 JST and fly over Kyushu including Kagoshima's iconic Sakurajima volcano before returning to the airport around 0745. Application began on November 10th and will continue to December 1st through Star Flyer's website or by post, and winners will be contacted by the airline before December 8th. All winners will need to arrange their own transportation to arrive at the airport between 0445 and 0530. Seating will be assigned by the airline.

Reference: Star Flyer, November 9th. (in Japanese)

JAL loads 2015 First Sunrise Flights.

Japan Airlines [JL/JAL] will operate its traditional First Sunrise Flights again on January 1st, 2015. These special early-morning flights place passengers in the vicinity of Mt. Fuji just as the sun is starting to come up on the first day of the new year. A flight each will depart from and return to Tokyo/Narita [NRT/RJAA] and Tokyo/Haneda [HND/RJTT]. JALPAK will sell the tickets, with the Narita flight to go on sale on November 11th and the Haneda flight on November 12th, both at 1030 JST.

Boeing 767-346/ER JA610J comes into Narita still wearing the Arc of the Sun livery, which was designed by Landor Associates when JAL and Japan Air System [JD/JAS] merged. (Photo: Ryosuke Yano)

The Narita flight, appropriately numbered JL2015, will depart at 0545, flying off the coast of Choshi, Chiba Prefecture to see the sunrise, then moving on to Mt. Fuji and Miyakejima, before returning to Narita around 0745. It will be operated by an international-configured Boeing 767-300ER, accommodating 30 business and 207 economy class seats. Window seats for a couple will be set at 80,000 JPY for business and 65,000 JPY for economy, and 60,000 JPY for an over-wing window seat-pair in economy. Middle section seats will also be sold, with a business seat priced at 25,000 JPY and an economy seat at 20,000 JPY, and 19,000 JPY for an over-wing middle section seat.

Meanwhile, the Haneda flight, JL1511, will depart at 0545 and fly near Mt. Fuji to view the sunrise, then cruise over Izu-oshima, before arriving back into Haneda around 0745. A JAL Sky Next (JAL's first Sky Next 777 enters service.) 767-300 configured with 42 Class J and 219 economy seats will operate the flight. Window seats for a couple will be set at 81,000 JPY for Class J and 72,000 JPY for economy, and 67,000 JPY for an over-wing window seat-pair in economy. Middle section seats will be sold as well, with a Class J seat priced at 27,000 JPY and an economy seat at 22,000 JPY, and 21,000 JPY for an over-wing middle section seat.

JAL will issue a flight certificate and serve traditional Osechi bento (new year cuisine lunch box) along with a red and white bun with fillings. Japan's flag carrier has been operating First Sunrise Flights from Narita since 2009 and from Haneda since 2010.

Reference: Japan Airlines, November 10th. (in Japanese)