Japan domestic flights
 

Plannimg on taking domestic flights in Japan? Japan has several low cost carriers. I prefer ANA and JAL for a few reasons. JAL and ANA have special fares for foreign visitors, but those fares can be beat.

Go to JAPAN AIRLINES Worldwide Sites (jal.com)
Choose: City=Tokyo, Language= English, and Go
Do a search for All fare classes

They offer excellent advance purchase fares, 28-day, 7-day, 3-day advance. The change/cancel conditions and fees are really good.

I recently flew three flights: HND-CTS-FUK-HND. I got great discount fares for two of the flights, but paid regular fare for the middle one, about $360. These were all in business class. About two weeks beforer that CTS-FUK flight I saw that the 3-day advance purchase fare was available, so I cancelled the ticket I had and booked that fare at a $120 savings. Only had to pay a 440 yen cancel fee - about three bucks. Cancel for a refund, I mean.

For some of those deep discounts I think you have to pay the 440 plus (only) 5% of the fare.

I could have gotten mileage credit on my AA account, but it was easier to just use my JMB account to access and manage the reservations.

Here is an example for Tokyo HND to Sapporo CTS on January 18th:
12,240 for economy
14,240 for business class

The JAL Yokoso Visit Japan fare is 28,600 for two sectors with some more restrictive cancel/change conditions.

That fare difference of 2000 yen is under $15 for a business class seat that is comparable to US domestic first class on a narrow-body. Or about the same as premium economy on a widebody (think United 787). Way worth it to me, given my experience with very tight Japan domestic economy seating,

There is a change to their fare scheme coming on April 12:
JAL | Service advisory regarding changes in domestic fare scheme

Thanks for this info -- I will file it away for next fall's trip. Is it best book closer in?

Definitely closer in.

The search results for on/after April 12 next year are different than before that date. It doesn't have an "All" fares option but does have "Economy Class + Class J". Class J being business class. You would have to choose First Class separately if you want to see those fares.

By "closer in", I am thinking that next time I will start to check fares 2 months in advance, looking for the 28-day (or shorter) advance purchase fare. And check again even after I buy. [this is different in timing for me vs buying a ticket to/from/in the USA where I would already be looking and ready to buy 6 months in advance, at least for an international flight]

Of course, you would want to check fares on LCCs.

And compare to the special fares on ANA and JAL:
Special Fares | Promotions | Plan | Plan and Book | ANA

Welcome to Japan Fare - JAL

this one is new to me:
JAL Japan Explorer Pass

Thanks for this information! My experience looking today/2 months out: I tried both your JAL process and the Explorer Pass. The JAL process came in a couple dollars cheaper than Explorer Pass for multi-city Osaka-Kansai to Naha, Okinawa, to Tokyo-Haneda. The explorer pass base fare was never 11,000 JPY for the multiple dummy dates and (mainland to Okinawa) routes I put in. Even accommodating for fuel surcharges/taxes as extra costs, the "base fare" was never 11,000, which is disappointing. So, I'm sorta resigned to the $224 RT fare, and giving up the Explorer fare which promised a fare closer to $166, or possibly $194 with $28.40 in taxes--if taxes were not included in the advertised fare.

I wouldn't have cared so much, but paying for 6 people, so was hoping to save a bit. May research Jetstar and Peach further. Thank you!

I found a drawback to booking a JAL domestic ticket on the Japan site. They changed the departure time and I had to call Japan to get it fixed.

Frequent flyer awards for domestic Japan travel are inexpensive. The availability is often very good. Another plus is that they can be cancelled for a full refund of miles.

For example, flying from Nagasaki to Tokyo Haneda would cost:
$2.50 plus 5,500 United miles in economy
$0 plus 7,500 American miles in economy or 15,000 miles in business class.

I recently booked two domestic flyer award flights on ANA - the only problem was it was too early to book for April which was the next season or whatever and the ANA website was unclear as to when reservations for that period would open. So I went on the app twice a day and kept trying until it opened up...
Yes, not many many miles from KIX to Naha and back to KIX from Ishigaki....:)

Nice score, Mara.,

Just for fun I checked Nagasaki to Haneda fares for April. The JAL fares are ¥26,220 for economy and ¥28,420 ($189) for J-class (more leg room and a bit wider seat). The American miles would get you JAL flights.

Domestic ticket prices can drop and refund conditions can improve closer to departure date. Don't count on it: more likely the opppsite will happen.

JAL has two common fare type:
- "Special Saver" fares have a 5% cancel/refund fee up to 55 days before departure and then a 50% fee after that until departure and then 100%
- "Saver" fares have a 5% cancel/refund fee until departure and then 100%

April 2, I booked KIX-HND one-way in October on a Special Saver J-Class ticket prive of $143.35 = JPY 21,710

June 16 I cancelled that and got a refund of $132.34 after the penalty and slight drop in the yen.

July 1 the Special Saver fare was JPY 17,420 = $108.02, the Saver fare was higher.

July 2 the Saver fare was now JPY 17,420 = $108.02
(that is, the cancel/reffund conditions got much better overnight, and 20% price drop from April).

I booked it and willl lose 871 yen if I change my mind again. That is five bucks today..The refunded amount could cover that and more if the yen rises.