Gifting a Helicopter Flight to a Travelling Supporter
How to gift a Tokyo helicopter flight to someone travelling to the Asian Games in Nagoya: booking for another person, free date changes and weight honesty.
Sep 5, 2026·✍️ olablog·⏱ 7 min read
How to gift a Tokyo helicopter flight to someone travelling to the Asian Games in Nagoya: booking for another person, free date changes and weight honesty.
Someone you know is flying to Japan for the Asian Games Aichi-Nagoya 2026, and you want to give them something they will remember beyond the medals. A helicopter flight over Tokyo is a strong candidate: short, spectacular, and something most people never book for themselves. This article explains how to buy one for another person, what to tell them, and how to avoid the two mistakes that turn a gift into a problem.
One framing point first. The flights OlaChill arranges leave from Tokyo Heliport in Shin-Kiba, Funabashi Heliport on the Chiba side of Tokyo Bay (the departure point for the Skytree night and Twin Towers night flights; allow time to cross from central Tokyo), the Mt Fuji region, Yokohama and Misato Heliport in Saitama (for the Saitama Misato night cruise). There is no helicopter product in Nagoya, so the recipient needs to be in the Tokyo area at some point on the trip, which is about 1h40 from Nagoya by Shinkansen. Most spectators pass through Tokyo before or after the Games anyway.
How gifting works in practice
There is no separate gift voucher product. You book a real flight on a real date, pay online at booking, and the recipient turns up. Two features of the booking rules make this work as a present:
- The date can be changed free of charge up to 4 days before the flight. So if you guess the date wrong, the recipient can move it.
- Weather cancellations are refunded in full or moved to another date free. So a typhoon does not waste the gift.
The consequence: you can book the flight as a surprise for a plausible date, tell the recipient, and let them adjust it once they know their Tokyo schedule, as long as they do so more than 4 days ahead.
Step by step
- Find out when they will be in Tokyo, even roughly. Before the opening ceremony on 19 September or after the closing ceremony on 4 October are the usual windows.
- Ask about weight and headcount without giving the game away. The 120 kg per seat limit is checked at the heliport, and the cabin total is fixed by its seat count (220 kg for 3 seats). If the recipient is flying with companions, all of them count.
- Choose a flight using the guide below.
- Check the calendar on the product page for an available slot on the target date and pay online.
- Give the recipient the booking confirmation, the meeting point, and the note that the flight starts about 30 minutes after the meeting time.
- Tell them about the 4-day free change rule so they can move the date themselves if their plans shift.
Which flight to gift
| Flight | Length | Seats | Per person (shared) | Whole aircraft (private) | Gift logic |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tokyo first flight | 10 min | 3 | ¥83,800 | ¥226,300 | The entry-level gift; a first taste of flying |
| Skytree daytime | 15 min | 3 | ¥128,100 | ¥345,900 | Daylight landmarks, easy to photograph |
| Skytree night | 22 min | 3 | from ¥151,200 (¥165,200 on weekends and holidays) | ¥408,300–¥446,100 | Romantic, dramatic, for a couple plus one |
| Saitama Misato night cruise | 18 min | 3 | from ¥156,800 (¥169,400 on weekends and holidays) | ¥423,400–¥457,400 | A different night route; useful if central slots are full |
| Twin Towers night | 25 min | 3 | from ¥172,200 (¥184,800 on weekends and holidays) | ¥465,000–¥499,000 | A step up from the Skytree night flight |
| Tokyo panorama | 30 min | 3 | ¥256,200 | ¥691,800 | The generous daytime option |
| Yokohama night cruise | 40 min | 3 | from ¥254,800 (¥268,800 on weekends and holidays) | ¥688,000–¥725,800 | For someone staying in or visiting Yokohama |
For one person, remember that the prices above are per person: one seat on a shared three-seat flight. The 10-minute taster at ¥83,800 per person is the cheapest option; if a solo recipient wants to bring two friends along, book three seats, or take the whole aircraft as a private charter for ¥226,300. For a couple, the same logic applies: two seats, or the private charter if they want the cabin to themselves. For a family of five, the 30-minute sunset flight at ¥485,100 per person (¥2,183,000 for the whole five-seat aircraft as a private charter) is the only Tokyo product that carries five.
The two mistakes to avoid
Guessing weight. People are often optimistic about weight on other people's behalf, and the numbers are checked on the day. If the cabin total is exceeded, the flight cannot proceed as booked. Find a way to ask, or book a cabin with spare capacity.
Booking the last day. If the flight is on the morning the recipient flies home and weather cancels it, there is no fallback beyond a refund. Aim for the first or second day of their Tokyo stay so a cancellation can be moved to a later date.
Telling the recipient what to expect
Send them a short brief along with the confirmation:
- Arrive at the meeting point before the meeting time; the flight begins roughly 30 minutes later.
- Bring photo ID and the confirmation.
- Wear dark clothing and flat shoes; leave large bags at the hotel.
- Everyone flying counts towards seats and weight, including children.
- If the weather cancels the flight, the money is refunded in full or the date moves for free.
- They can change the date themselves at no cost up to 4 days before.
That last point removes most of the anxiety of receiving a dated gift.
Gifting to a group of supporters
Fan clubs and family groups sometimes pool money for one member, a coach or an organiser. The logic is the same, with one extra consideration: if the intended flyer wants to bring companions, agree who those are before booking so the seat count and weight are right. A 3-seat cabin for a party of four leaves someone on the ground.
Weather season
Late September and October is warm and humid in eastern Japan, and typhoon season has not finished. The refund and free-change rules exist precisely for this, so a gifted flight is protected. Still, a flight early in the recipient's Tokyo stay has a better chance of actually happening than one on their final morning.
How to book with OlaChill
Choose the product, check the calendar for the target date, and pay online; Tokyo flights are at https://olachill.com/en/japan-helicopter-tours/tokyo and night routes at https://olachill.com/en/japan-helicopter-tours/tokyo/night, while the Yokohama option is at https://olachill.com/en/japan-helicopter-tours/yokohama. If the recipient will need a hotel-to-heliport car as part of the gift, the hourly chauffeur tariff is at https://olachill.com/en/japan-chauffeur-hourly.
FAQ
Can I buy an open-dated voucher?
No. You book a specific date and pay online. The recipient can then move the date free of charge up to 4 days before the flight, which gives most of the flexibility of a voucher.
What if the recipient cannot make the date?
If they know more than 4 days ahead, they change the date at no cost. If the weather cancels the flight, it is refunded in full or moved free. Encourage them to check their plans early.
Do I need to know their weight?
Yes, at least approximately, and for everyone who will fly. The limit is 120 kg per seat and 220 kg for a 3-seat cabin, checked at the heliport. An honest number at booking avoids an unpleasant surprise on the day.
Which flight is the safest gift for a first-timer?
The 10-minute Tokyo first flight at ¥83,800 per person (¥226,300 for the whole aircraft as a private charter). It is short, daytime, and the least intimidating, and friends can join by booking the other two seats.
Can the gift include a flight from Nagoya?
No. There is no helicopter product in Nagoya. The flight has to happen on the Tokyo, Fuji or Yokohama side of the trip, about 1h40 from Nagoya by Shinkansen.
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