Japan Airlines to start selling wagyu beef to passengers flying to S'pore & US

Passengers bound for either the U.S. or Singapore on Japan Airlines (JAL) can now start buying A5 wagyu beef products from Hokkaido and Kagoshima on its website and collect them while checking in.

Service is limited to Tokyo's airports

According to Japanese media Kyodo News, the service was launched by JAL on Oct. 7 for passengers departing from Tokyo's Haneda and Narita airports and heading to the U.S. and Singapore.

Passengers must place their orders at least 48 hours before departure.

They will then be able to pick up their products while checking in at JAL's airport counters.

The meat must then be checked in, and passengers will be able to pick up their products at the baggage carousel upon arrival.

The service is not available to passengers who are transiting through Japan.

Passengers travelling to Singapore are limited to 5kg of sliced meat, while passengers travelling to the U.S. can purchase block cuts of up to 22.6kg.

According to JAL's website, products exclusive to Singapore flights start from ¥22,500 (S$198) for 1kg of sliced wagyu beef, inclusive of taxes.

The products are vacuum packed, and guaranteed to stay refrigerated in special styrofoam packaging for 24 hours from the date of packaging.

Wagyu sales also offered on Zipair Tokyo

JAL is not the only airline to offer such a service.

Its low-cost subsidiary, Zipair Tokyo, began offering a similar service for flights to the U.S. and Singapore in January.

The service is advertised as being "simple and easy to use" and claims to offer lower prices than what passengers would be able to find in their respective destinations.

Top photos via JAL website