- Japan Airlines is trialing a new service to rent clothing to passengers.
- Travelers will be able to order up to nine items of pre-owned clothing for up to $48.
Japan Airlines has launched a new service to help customers cut down on baggage.
The airline announced Wednesday that it is trialing a clothing rental service – "Any Wear, Anywhere" – that enables passengers to rent a bundle of clothing in advance, which can then be delivered to their hotel or Airbnb on arrival in Japan.
The idea is that by traveling light customers can help to reduce fuel and CO2 emissions and be more sustainable in their travel.
To offer this new service, the airline is partnering with Sumitomo Corporation, which will handle the reservation system and fulfillment of the clothing. It is currently available for a trial period between July 5 this year and August 2024.
It's possible to order up to nine items of clothing for rent and keep these for up to two weeks. This includes a mix of tops, bottoms, and outerwear. Each selection of outfits is filtered by season, occasion, and size – prices start at $28 for five items.
Some travelers are becoming wary of their carbon footprint from air travel and are looking for ways to offset this, especially given that aviation is estimated to account for 2.5% of global carbon dioxide emissions.
To track the impact of Any Wear, Anywhere, the airline said it will measure checked-in baggage to see how much a passenger has reduced carbon dioxide emissions by opting for this service.
"The purpose of this trial is to verify whether users accept and truly generate environmental value from this concept," A spokesperson for Japan Airlines told Insider in a written statement. "If there could be an all-inclusive service that encompasses not only "food" and "accommodation" but also "clothing," we think that it could create a new form of travel.
"JAL's aim is reduction of baggage weight to reduce CO2 emissions and contribute to solving environmental problems."