Flight prices direct to Japan?

[Kat11]

Originally Posted by AntonyJ

No I would NOT say you might have missed the boat :-)

With Russian air space being closed (most Euro ANA flights went through Russia) and Japan being closed to tourists - the appearance of reward seats to / from Europe have been a little strange as many flights have not flown at all, or flown reduced number of days a week etc.

It could well be that once Japan opens up the reward seats start to appear again. While the US ANA flights have the same entry issues, their flight paths have been effected much less by the Russian airspace issues, and they have seen decent numbers of reward seats released.

Hope springs eternal!

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Oh right so a case of keep checking. I did look on the virgin website and there were indirect flights but the points for 4pp were shocking at 976,000!

Is Japan not fully open then? I’m not upto date where that kind of thing is concerned.

Kat

[AntonyJ]

Originally Posted by Kat11

Oh right so a case of keep checking. I did look on the virgin website and there were indirect flights but the points for 4pp were shocking at 976,000!

Is Japan not fully open then? I’m not upto date where that kind of thing is concerned.

Kat

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No Japan is still closed to tourists, they have started to allow on small tour groups as a test, but that is all.

There is a general election next month and I think nothing will change much until the election is over.

BTW - how many virgin points you got approx, 120,000 would get you a First return flight on ANA in theory.

[Kat11]

Originally Posted by AntonyJ

No Japan is still closed to tourists, they have started to allow on small tour groups as a test, but that is all.

There is a general election next month and I think nothing will change much until the election is over.

BTW - how many virgin points you got approx, 120,000 would get you a First return flight on ANA in theory.

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That’s all good info that I probably should of known already! 😬 I’ve got about 650,000 points and DH got about 35,000 so plenty. Hopefully use some of them next year. It’s just the usual problem of dates as my Dds are at uni and college so still stuck to certain date for then next couple of years. Will be considering NY if Japan doesn’t come off to get some of them used up?!

Kat

[AntonyJ]

Originally Posted by Kat11

That’s all good info that I probably should of known already! 😬 I’ve got about 650,000 points and DH got about 35,000 so plenty. Hopefully use some of them next year. It’s just the usual problem of dates as my Dds are at uni and college so still stuck to certain date for then next couple of years. Will be considering NY if Japan doesn’t come off to get some of them used up?!

Kat

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To have max chance of getting a reward seat or two then max flexibility with dates is the key in these things.

However, saying that, I look to go in May after the Japanese back to back public holidays called Golden Week - it has a sweet spot for me for crowd levels and weather - am not a guy who appreciates the heat of summer and we found while Japan had air con they tended to use it to take the edge off the heat, then really chill places, unlike Florida!

Also my partner needs to take some of their leave at a set time each year, May, so it all fits that way.

We have a trip booked for late October (picked so when we arrive it is Halloween, but few days later the Xmas things should start to appear!) as that looks a nice time weather wise too.

[stanleycamel]

Something to bear in mind re flight prices the seasonality periods that the airlines use can be different to say the US. So often you might find a slight shift of date can result in a much higher/lower fare.

When not over there working (pre-Covid) I've had holiday time when I've had to shift from, for instance, Kyoto to Osaka because as the Kyoto Tourist Board office in the Central Station so kindly put it on a notice stuck to their entrance door "KYOTO FULL" - that was in early November one year.

[Pumpkin Pie]

Originally Posted by stanleycamel

Something to bear in mind re flight prices the seasonality periods that the airlines use can be different to say the US. So often you might find a slight shift of date can result in a much higher/lower fare.

When not over there working (pre-Covid) I've had holiday time when I've had to shift from, for instance, Kyoto to Osaka because as the Kyoto Tourist Board office in the Central Station so kindly put it on a notice stuck to their entrance door "KYOTO FULL" - that was in early November one year.

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What months would you suggest are the best to visit?

[stanleycamel]

Originally Posted by Pumpkin Pie

What months would you suggest are the best to visit?

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Summer can be very hot and humid especially in Tokyo and as AntonyJ said Golden Week along with Cherry Blossom season (timings of which varies a lot throughout the country) and fall foliage can be extremely busy. Having said that planned well in advance late October/early November can be absolutely stunning and not everywhere is full at that time.

I like the Shizuoka area for lovely views of Fuji and have visited Hiroshima, Kyoto, Nara around that time too. Okinawa is nice in Spring and Autumn and very popular with the Japanese. The north of the country can be bitterly cold -no wonder the snow monkeys can look frozen at times but there are some amazing winter festivals. The area around Takamaya is a little off the beaten track for a first visit but is a beautiful area for touring.

Have a good look at a map and think what you would like to do and visit then check the weather charts. Also look at ideas from tour companies who operate in the country such as Wendy Wu as they give good ideas about itineraries and when they work (you don't need to book through them).

I'm sure like Antony J and others we can't wait for the country to reopen.

[Pumpkin Pie]

Originally Posted by stanleycamel

Summer can be very hot and humid especially in Tokyo and as AntonyJ said Golden Week along with Cherry Blossom season (timings of which varies a lot throughout the country) and fall foliage can be extremely busy. Having said that planned well in advance late October/early November can be absolutely stunning and not everywhere is full at that time.

I like the Shizuoka area for lovely views of Fuji and have visited Hiroshima, Kyoto, Nara around that time too. Okinawa is nice in Spring and Autumn and very popular with the Japanese. The north of the country can be bitterly cold -no wonder the snow monkeys can look frozen at times but there are some amazing winter festivals. The area around Takamaya is a little off the beaten track for a first visit but is a beautiful area for touring.

Have a good look at a map and think what you would like to do and visit then check the weather charts. Also look at ideas from tour companies who operate in the country such as Wendy Wu as they give good ideas about itineraries and when they work (you don't need to book through them).

I'm sure like Antony J and others we can't wait for the country to reopen.

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Thanks for that. I have been to Japan and loved it and want to go back. We went in May 2019 but was thinking perhaps later in the year next year to give more time for Japan to open up. I will look into October time.