Cheap Flights To Seoul From Tokyo

Above, ANA offers air service between Tokyo and Seoul, but is
more expensive than low cost carriers. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

During my trips to Japan over the years, I've often toyed with the idea of taking a little side trip to Seoul, South Korea but have never done so.

I had no idea about how cheap it is to fly from Tokyo to Seoul until I saw an article posted by Tokyo Cheapo. I may just take the plunge and go.

They begin with:

Whether you are staying in Tokyo for a while and want to take a side trip, or you plan to continue your travels onward to/from South Korea—Tokyo and Seoul are separated by about 2.5 hours on a plane, and flights are often dirt cheap. Here’s how to find the best air deals between the two cities. 

A number of (mainly Korean) low-cost carriers (LCCs) operate between Tokyo and Seoul, and prices are super reasonable in both directions. Osaka, Japan’s second-largest city, also has a large international airport, and LCC flights to Seoul leave daily—however, not quite as frequently as between Tokyo and Seoul.

To read more, go here.

Nut Rage Proves Costly For Korean Air Heiress

Above, Cho Hyun Ah. Associated Press photo.

The former executive of Korean Air who flew into a rage over how she was served macadamia nuts has received her sentence in a court in Seoul.

According to The Japan News:

SEOUL (AP) — A Seoul court on Thursday sentenced a former Korean Air executive to a year in prison for aviation law violations that stemmed from her inflight tantrum over how she was served macadamia nuts. 

Cho Hyun Ah, the daughter of Korean Air’s chairman, achieved worldwide notoriety after she ordered the chief flight attendant off a Dec. 5 flight, forcing it to return to the gate at John F. Kennedy Airport in New York. 

Head of cabin service at the time of the incident, Cho was angered she had been offered macadamia nuts in a bag instead of in a dish. A heated and physical confrontation with members of the crew in first class ensued.

I tend to feel the sentence was a little on the harsh side. I would think a sentence of 3 to 6 months in jail would've been sufficient. I have flown on Korean Air several times to Japan and found their service to be very good.

To read more, go here.

October Airfares From L.A. To Tokyo Up Slightly

Above, the walkway to Zuigan-ji in Matsushima. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

The Los Angeles Times Travel section of yesterday reported that airfares from Los Angeles to Tokyo have gone up a little bit since my last report of two weeks ago.

The airfares held steady for two weeks at the low end of $1,006.00 and the high end of $1,593.00 according to the Times. Yesterday, the Times reported their survey of airfares found the low end price to be $1,087.00 and the high end price to be $1,758.00. These prices, of course, are before any taxes or fees are added.

Still, I was able to find this low price through my favorite source for airline tickets, GatewayLAX (with a departure on October 17 and return on October 27):

GatewayLAX did come up with several lower-priced fares of $500 (before taxes and fees) with Asiana Air, but they are not direct flights from Los Angeles as there are stop-overs at Seoul Incheon in South Korea both ways. The above Singapore Airlines flight was the first one that came up that was non-stop.

We'll see if there are any changes to airfares this coming month. If there are none, the next report will be on the first Monday of November.