Japan March 2007
 

Hi,
I want to go to Japan for a week in March 2007. I live in NYC. Are prices to Japan usually more expensive around this time? Do all of the carriers have some kind of spring sale?

Thanks

In spring 2006 there were great sales on United in particular in the spring (like $450 RT), because they were just opening the new airport in Nagoya in Feb and it was a promo deal to that airport.

There are some sales in spring, but not on all airlines and sometimes they only last a short period; you have to jump on them because of that and also because they fill up. If you do not have particular dates when you need to go, then you can wait and watch United's fares and the other airlines that fly from JFK.

I flew ANA from D.C. to Narita this spring. I waited to see if I could get sale fares, and there was only one sale fare that lasted only a few days on ANA in early Feb., and I missed it. It was not a phenomenal deal, but it was better than full price- it was still over $900 instead of being $1200 (coach). But the point is you have to check the fares on a daily basis as the time gets closer, a few months out from your trip.

There are posters on here from NYC (mara for one) who can hopefully chime in w/their experience w/fare hunting for flying from JFK in spring.

Good luck!

BTW, where are you going in Japan? There will be a sumo tournament in Osaka in March, and preseason baseball too- both great fun. It would be great if you had a little more time than a week...

My first trip to Japan in March '04 was the result of an email I received probably in January from American Airlines with a lot of sale fares including rt JFK to NRT for about $450 including taxes.

This year I had enough ff miles for the trip.

I would get on the email lists of all the airlines that fly to Japan and hope for the best!

Sometimes the weekly sales from AA (or other airlines)have good prices but then you have to go the next week so that can be tough to coordinate at the last minute. It would be for me as I have issues at home but depending on your situation it may work.

I hate to say this but after the missile tests last week I was hoping that people would be afraid to go to Japan so there might be cheaper fares.....

my trip will just be a little over a week - 11 days, so I guess that is a little better. I mainly want to visit Tokyo to sightsee and see some of the World Figure Skating Championships , but I also want to take just a couple of days to visit Kyoto - certainly not enough time to see that city, but since this is my first trip to Japan, I want to see more than just one city.

With 11 days, you could see Tokyo, Kyoto and also fit in a sumo match at the Grand Sumo Tournament in Osaka one afternoon/early evening; the best matches each day are from 3 pm til about 6 to 6:30 pm when the match ends, and Osaka is only 30 min. by train from Kyoto). The sumo match was one of one of the highlights of my 1st trip to japan.

With 11 days you could do 5 in Tokyo, 6 in Kyoto or vice cersa (and that gives you time for several day trips from each city if you so desire, and still time for a few hrs for a sumo tournament in Osaka. Just a thought. Post your itinerary later for feedback if you want it.

If you can swing it, the Hana Touro festival in Kyoto was the absolute top highlight of our first trip (and it ranks still as the most incredible visual and musical night of my life).
It happens from the beginning to about the third week of March, esp. on weekends. I went the last weekend which was best apparently- stages set up for free traditional music (I fell totally in love w/the koto there) and dance performances, and a wonderful lighted juried sculpture exhibit in the park in Gion (I can't even begin to convey to you how unusual this was, lighted sculptures in the water and on the hills of the park, all different and colorful sculpture media), along w/all the Higashiyama temples being lit up and having huge ikebana exhibits outside of them. And geishas (or maybe they were maiko) in richshaws parading through Higashiyama as dusk. It was magical.

You can do a lot in eleven days - even if you are traveling on part of them. I think there is an Japanese travel agent that is supposed to have good fares. They advertise on one of the Japanese shows I watch during the week, I think. I will try to get the name for you. Since you are going for a specific event, you can't take a chance and wait for a sale to come up at the last minute....

http://www.nyjpn.com/travel/travel.htm

I just found it - the above listed link has a big list - but someone (my Japanese teacher who goes a couple of times a year) told me H.I.S. has good deals - I do not know this from personal experience however.

Hi

My wife and I went to Japan in May last year. We did check out places like Tokyo and Kyoto and I have posted a trip report with pictures and links on my homepage http://gardkarlsen.com/japan_tokyo.htm . Maybe you can find some useful info there :d Get in touch if you have any questions.

Regards
Gard
http://gardkarlsen.com - trip reports and pictures