Japan Airlines Offer Rental Clothes To Reduce Luggage

Photo: Bruce Bennett (Getty Images)

If you have ever flown with a commercial airline, you have inevitably debated how you will bring your clothes with you. The debate usually boils down to either cramming all your clothes into your free carry-on or paying for a checked bag. Even if cost isn’t an issue, it can be a gamble if your checked luggage will even arrive at the baggage claim. Japan Airlines (JAL) is trailing a strange concept, renting clothes at your destination.

Delta’s Luggage Only Flight

Japan Airlines’ “Any Wear, Anywhere” service allows passengers traveling to Japan to rent clothes for their trip. 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 two weeks. And yes, there are charges for damaged and lost items. The trial will run through August 2024.

Rental cars are a massive component of the travel industry, and travel accommodations have opened up to the idea of short-term rental housing services like Airbnb. Though, Renting clothes might be a bridge too far. While service emphasized that the clothes aren’t brand new but are washed and ironed before being shipped, it’s a personal and sanitary boundary many won’t want to cross, even if it’s more convenient.

On its end, 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. The carrier estimates every 22 pounds of luggage it can remove from its New York-Tokyo route will reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 16.5 pounds. Time will tell if the shipping needed to deliver and return clothes might be just as emitting as hauling luggage. Ignoring the sustainability benefits, using less fuel makes its operations more profitable for Japan Airlines.