JAL launches unique experiences market, sullies it with NFT link

Airline-supported NFTs are back. And, once again, it is an absolutely useless bolt-on of unnecessary and inefficient technology to what is an otherwise cool experience.

[B]y tokenizing such experiences and crafts in six regions of Japan, [the companies] aim to increase relationship populations and undertake new regional development by appropriately spreading the value of the experiences to more people around the world.

-JAL marketing release

Japan Airlines is the culprit in this edition. The carrier partnered with Hakuhodo to sell KOKYO NFTs, a series of six unique experiences around the country. And, despite marketing claims, there is absolutely no value added from the tokenization of these experiences.

Among other things, the companies claim tokenization offers the “ability to raise their rarity as limited experiences.” But there is nothing preventing them from minting more tokens when there are more tickets to sell.

They also claim the NFTs will help turn visitors “into relationship populations that visit an area many times rather than just once.” No explanation is offered for how or why that would happen. And none of the offered tours seem to include multi-visit events.

Similarly, JAL says the NFTs from the prior feasibility study helped “to further deepen ties between experience recipients and local companies.” Again, no details are offered on what the NFT did that buying a normal ticket would not also deliver.

As for scheduling the events, buyers are on their own. The company managing the deals takes no responsibility once the ticket/NFT is sold. Instead, buyers are instructed to coordinate directly with the supplier, but without details on what the availability will be. And, of course, no refunds. At least the NFTs are transferable.

The program is a small one; just a couple hundred packages are on offer. And JAL says it is about demonstrating the value of the program and continuing to learn about how the technology works. Which is fine, I suppose.

Then again, given the well-documented history of NFTs and all available evidence that they provide no real value, trying to once again make “fetch” happen seems a silly place to expend marketing collateral.