Hopping on the back of your favorite Pokémon is undoubtedly the best way to traverse the skies and explore the magical parts of every area in the classic games. The second best way? Riding on a Pokémon plane.
Pokémon Air Adventures offers seven different types of Pokémon planes to take to your next travel destination. But does planning your trip around a Pokémon flight really bring back memories of riding a Latios through the skies of Hoenn? We took a plane to Busan to find out.
From Pikachus flying with balloons to old-school classic Eevee art, each variety of plane offers a slightly different aesthetic.
The plane I flew on was the Pikachu Jet TW, offered by Korean airline T’way.
Though my flight across South Korea from Seoul to Busan was only about an hour long, riding on a Pokémon plane changed the entire experience of air travel. Flying on a Pokémon plane took all of the stress and frustration out of airport travel, instead turning it into a fun experience that had me frequently smiling throughout the trip.
Normally, flying is a chore to get from one destination to another. From waking up hours before your flight to making sure your suitcase actually fits in the plane’s overhead, there are about a million different variables to stress about. No matter where you’re going or how long your flight is, there are aspects of air travel that are, plainly, inconvenient.
But waking up at 5am, this time, felt like I was a kid on Christmas morning. I took the airport subway line and arrived to check in for my flight, where I was immediately greeted by T’way agents with Pokémon lanyards around their necks.
I was excited to see some familiar Pokémon already, but aside from the lanyards, there was nothing fun about going through check-in or security.
My concern grew once I got to my gate, as there was no sign of a Pokémon plane anywhere. I looked out the window and just saw normal, plain white planes with the airline’s logo on the tail. I started to worry if I had maybe booked the wrong ticket.
Thankfully, I thought, the price of the Pokémon plane ticket was no different from a normal T’way ticket to Busan, so if I don’t end up riding the plane, there’s no loss. But I was still disappointed.
I scanned my ticket and began to go through the boarding gate, when I realized we weren’t going to step directly on the plane from inside of the airport. This might be the coolest part of taking one of the Pokémon Air Adventures trips: you get to board the plane from the runway and see it in all of its glory.
Each side of the plane highlighted different Pokémon. Featured on the particular plane I rode were Pikachu, Squirtle, Eevee, Bulbasaur, Growlithe, Charmander, and Jigglypuff, among others. While the tail of the plane still had the T’way logo, the body was covered in smiling Pokémon.
I was already amazed, but then once I stepped on the plane I smiled even wider. Instead of silence or quiet elevator-style music playing while we boarded the plane, the Pokémon opening theme song played over the speakers. I felt like I was booting up my 3DS, getting settled on the couch, and getting ready to set out on an adventure.
The flight attendants were adorned in Pokémon lanyards as well, and as I got closer to my seat I saw how the Pokémon Air Adventures flying Pikachu mascot decorated each headrest cover.
In addition, each window on the plane featured a different Pokémon sticker attached to the window. I sat in the very last row, and had a Charmander flying alongside me.
If you’re lucky enough to be taking an international flight on a Pokémon plane, there is a catalog of special duty-free items offered, exempt from any regional tax. This includes a model of the exact plane you’re riding, a special Pikachu travel blanket, a pen set, and luggage tag keychain. Unfortunately, these items weren’t available on my flight since it was domestic. If you’re a Pokémon Center connoisseur or enjoy having physical merch, I’d say it might be best for you to travel internationally on a Pokémon flight. Most of the international flights offered are between other countries in Asia.
After landing, the Pokémon theme resumed again on the speakers, and we de-planed to the Busan airport.
Even though there were only small differences between riding the Pokémon plane and a regular airplane model, just seeing a Pikachu out of the corner of my eye or hearing a tune I recognized from my childhood put me in a better mood through my travels. With the price of the ticket being the same as a normal plane ride, it seemed like a no-brainer for the experience, even if the changes are subtle.
I would definitely move my travel schedule around to take a Pokémon plane again, and I think fellow Pokémon fans would also enjoy the experience. Next time, I want to go on an international flight to experience the duty-free shopping catalog.
Overall, I noticed that at the end of the day I wasn’t nearly as fatigued, or in as bad of a mood as I usually am after I fly. Being able to take this plane changed my perspective on flying, and was the closest I’ll ever get to taking a Latios out of a Pokéball and exploring the skies.
