JR Kyushu announced Bikkuri Tsubame Ni-Mai Kippu (ビックリつばめ2枚きっぷ) will be onloingly available until the end of March in 2013.

This ticket is a set of two Tsubame's tickets and shopping coupons for Amu Plaza Hakata. The existing ticket is also including shopping coupons but they really are trading ticket and must be swapped for vouchers before use. After April, the shopping coupons included new tickes are usable at stores without exchanging vouchers.

This ticket for the section of Hakata -Shin-Tamana is available until March 31, 2012.

Overview of Bikkuri Tsubame Ni-mai Kippu

• Name of the ticket: Bikkuri Tsubame Ni-Mai Kippu (ビックリつばめ2枚切符 meaning Surprising Tsubame Two-Ticket Set)
• Travel dates: Sun, April 1, 2012 - Sun, March 31, 2013
• Period of selling: Thu, March 1, 2012 - Sun, March 30, 2013
• # Sold until a day before the departure.
• Maximum period of travel: one day
• Effects of the ticket: This ticket allows a roundtrip by Tsubame train's assigned seats. JPY 1,500 shopping coupons for Amu Plaza Hakata are included.
• Available sectors: Hakata - Kumamoto
• Price: 5,500 JPY
• Purchasable at: JR Kyushu's stations, etc.
• Remarks:
  • The trains and seats of both-way must be assigned at the time of purchase.
  • This ticket is not good for Mizuho and Sakura trains.

JR Kyushu announced Kyushu Shinkansen Higaeri Ni-Mai Kippu (九州新幹線日帰り2枚きっぷ) will be ongoingly available until the end of March in 2013.

This ticket, aimed at increasing short-houl rides, is a set of two Shinkansen's tickets for a short-distance day-trip from/to Hakata. Though another discount ticket Kyushu Shinkansen Ni-Mai Kippu (九州新幹線2枚きっぷ) valid for a month is also available, this Kyushu Shinkansen Higaeri Ni-Mai Kippu is cheaper than that because it is good for one day only.

The ticket of new section of Hakata - Shin-Tamana will be released and ticket between from/to Shin-Tosu, Kurume, Chikugo-Funagoya and Shin-Omuta will be extended their zones to Yoshiduka.

Overviews of Kyushu Shinkansen Higaeri Ni-Mai Kippu

• Name of the ticket: Kyushu Shinkansen Higaeri Ni-Mai Kippu (九州新幹線日帰り2枚きっぷ meaning Kyushu Shinkansen's Two-Ticket Set for Day-Trippers)
• Travel dates: Sun, April 1, 2012 - Sun, March 31, 2013
• Period of selling: Thu, March 1, 2012 - Sun, March 31, 2013
• Maximum period of travel: one day
• Effects of the ticket: This is a set for two legs of Kyushu Shinkansen travel. One can make a day round trip, and two passengers can make one-way trip on the same day. Only for non-reservation seats.
• Available sectors and prices:
  • Hakata and Yoshiduka - Shin-Tosu 2,200 JPY / two legs, saving about 20%
  • Hakata and Yoshiduka - Kurume 2,400 JPY / two legs, saving about 23％
  • Hakata and Yoshiduka - Shin-Omuta 4,000 JPY / two legs, saving about 32%
  • Hakata and Yoshiduka - Chikugo-Funagoya 3,200 JPY / two legs, saving about 30%
  • Hakata - Shin-Tamana 4,900 JPY / two legs, saving about 29%
• Purchasable at: JR Kyushu's major stations , etc.

JR Central and JR West announced that Series 300 and 100 cars will finish their service on March 16, 2012. Ticket reservations will start on February 16, a month before the travel date.

The last trains of Series 300 are Nozomi 329 on Tokaido Shinkansen and Nozomi 609 on Sanyo Shinkansen on March 16. All seats of these trains are for booking only and favors will be arranged for the passengers.

And the last one of Series 100 is Hikari 445 on Sanyo Shinkansen. This train is also for booking passengers. Because Nozomi 609 stops at Okayama just before the Hikari 445's departure, both of Series 300 and 100 trains will be seen side by side there.