quanmama

Hi all--we are planning to go to Japan this coming winter 12/21-1/3. We were getting quite excited until we saw the airfare...RT nonstop from SFO to NRT is going for over $1800 pp. If we are willing to make a stop in LAX, it is now going for around $1500 pp. Last Dec my son and I made a last minute trip to Osaka and it was about $1800 pp but I was not surprised since it was a last minute trip. I thought it would be lower if we purchase early but apparently it is not the case. Is this pretty much the price range for going to Japan in December? I am sure we will bite the bullet and pay since we really want to go, but ouch! What did you pay when you went in December in the past? I want to book directly with the airline to earn miles and prefer not to use those third party sites. Please share your insights and experience. Thank you!

Kathie

My experience is that when seats are first released - 11 months out - the prices are pretty good. The prices then gradually rise, but may dip again for sales, then maybe 3 months out, the prices fall again. No guarantees this will happen this year, but since the prices are so high, I'd wait for a while.

Mara

I track my flights on yapta.com - you can look every day to see the fare, and the website will email you if the fare goes below an amount that you indicate....

I went to Japan the end of March - I had tracked the fare for a while and saw it really wasn't changing so when it went down $100 I bought it.....

I purchased my March ticket JFK-NRT a little over two months in advance....

I really don't plan my trips that far in advance so two or three months before is usually when I book - except for ff flights - at least on American, you can change those as long as you have the same itinerary assuming they have ff seats on the flight you want (unless they have changed that policy recently).

rkkwan

You're talking about Christmas Holiday. It's not going to be significantly cheaper than $1,500. And you'll likely see it above $1,800 by October this year.

mjs

A lot of people from Asia who live in the US, especially students, often go home for the Christmas holidays so fares tend to be high. This is especially true for NRT and HKG as many flights to the rest of Asia connect through those airports. If you can go towards the middle of January the fares should be less than $1000 if oil prices remain stable. If school is an issue it is better to go during spring break as the weather is better and the air fares tend to be more reasonable.

quanmama

Thank you for all your responses.

Marilyn

I think it's all about Christmas holidays. If there is one time of year never to expect a good fare, that's it, no matter how far ahead you book. If you are really locked in to those dates, I wouldn't wait too long for fear of not getting seats on the flight I wanted.