Cheap Flights To Japan

Above, a Singapore Air Airbus A380 I flew to Japan on 2015. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Whenever I traveled to Japan, I had several sources for budget-priced flights. My favorite was GatewayLAX. Unfortunately, they are no longer in business.

However, according to an article in Thrifty Traveler, cheap flights to Japan can still be had. One just has to dig around.

They begin with:

The cheapest economy ticket, a comfier premium economy ride, a lie-flat business class seat, and a first class travel experience can all get you the same thing in 2024: A trip to Japan.

All of these experiences in the sky are possible if you have the right combination of cash, points, and miles, but finding cheap flights to Japan isn't so straightforward. Unlike other popular destinations like Mexico, Florida, and even parts of Europe, there aren’t any tried and true flights to Japan. You really have to look – and look often – to find what you want. 

To read more, go here. 

Who To Use For Japan Flight Tickets?

Above, a Singapore Airlines Airbus A380 being readied for a flight to Japan. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Someone asked the question, What is the cheapest airline for flying in and out of Tokyo? over at The Independent (U.K.). Since I am not a subscriber, I could not read the article.

But it did remind me that I got my best airline ticket deals at GatewayLAX, a flight booking company. I used them for several of my trips to Japan (and for some domestic flights). The last time I used them was for my October 2015 trip to Japan.

Some examples from years ago:

Now it seems that they are out of business. The link to them I have is no longer viable and there is no trace of them through Google. 

If I were to travel to Japan in the future (I just renewed my U.S. Passport), I would likely go through Expedia, Priceline or Kayak. I have used Expedia and Priceline, but haven't tried Kayak. 

Some say going directly through an airline's ticketing sites are the best ways to getting good deals. Maybe so. I haven't tried it before. 

We'll have to wait and see what the future unfolds.

Singapore Airlines Unveils Major Network Changes

Above, a Singapore Airlines Airbus A380 at Los Angeles International Airport. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Now that life is slowly creeping back to normal, Singapore Airlines has unveiled major network changes to meet the demand.

Japan Today reported:

Singapore - Singapore Airlines (SIA) has unveiled plans to boost frequencies to destinations across East and South East Asia, resume flights to Busan and increase Airbus A380 services to Australia during the northern summer operating season (March 26 to Oct 29, 2023).

As a result, SIA’s flight frequencies will reach or exceed pre-pandemic levels in multiple destinations across East and Southeast Asia by March 2024, including Bangkok, Thailand; Busan and Seoul, South Korea; Fukuoka, Nagoya and Osaka, Japan; Ho Chi Minh (Saigon), Vietnam; Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; Siem Reap, Cambodia; and Taipei, Taiwan.

In addition, Melbourne will get a new daily A380 service and Sydney will get a second daily A380 service.

JoAnn Tan, Senior Vice President Marketing Planning, Singapore Airlines, said, “Looking ahead to 2023, we see stronger demand for flights to destinations across South East Asia, parts of East Asia, and Australia. As we restore our network to these regions closer to pre pandemic levels, our customers have even more flight options as they make their holiday plans.”

Above, the Economy section of Singapore Airlines Airbus A380. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

As far as Los Angeles to Japan travel is concerned, the article reported:

Flights SQ36 and SQ35 between Singapore and Los Angeles will operate thrice weekly, instead of a daily service, from March 26, 2023. Customers will continue to have the option of two existing daily flights to Los Angeles via the non-stop service SQ38 and SQ37 between the two cities, or flights SQ12 and SQ11, which serve the Singapore-Tokyo (Narita)-Los Angeles route.

To read the full article, go here. 

Airlines Falling Back In Love With The Airbus A380

Above, the Singapore Airlines A380 I flew to Japan on in 2015. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Six years ago this month, I flew to Japan aboard a Singapore Airlines Airbus A380.

While the interior was big, I was not impressed with the seating in Economy. There was hardly any legroom and I was getting leg cramps and had to get up and walk around every half hour. This is dangerous for long overseas flights (it is 11 hours to fly from Los Angeles to Tokyo and 9 coming back) due to the risk of developing blood clots in extremities.

I've been since told that poor legroom is a common issue passengers have with all Airbus Industries jets. 

I decided then that I would never fly aboard an Airbus A380 again. When the pandemic hit, airlines grounded their fleets of A380 jets.

Now that it seems that airlines are "falling in love" again with the Airbus A380 as the pandemic "seems" to be easing.

According to Business Insider:

The world's largest passenger plane is making its comeback as airlines around the world are moving quickly to once again shuttle travelers around the world as pandemic-era travel restrictions continue to fall.

Airbus' behemoth A380 stood out like a sore thumb in a world deprived of air travelers early on in the pandemic. The indulgences in air travel and the ability to fly as many passengers in a single plane that the A380 once represented made it temporarily obsolete.

But long-haul flying is returning as countries open their borders. The A380 is once more facilitating vacations, long-distance reunions, business travel, and the countless other reasons travelers have for flying around the world.

Airlines that sent their Airbus A380s to storage are now dusting off the cobwebs and getting flight crews reacquainted with the aircraft. They'll soon fly hundreds of passengers across two full levels of seats.

Although the Airbus A380 is making a comeback, I still wouldn't fly in one due for the reason I already stated in this blog post.

To read more, go here.

Travel + Leisure: Top 10 International Airlines

Above, a Singapore Airlines A380. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Travel + Leisure re-posted their list of top international airlines for 2020 on Twitter. Since people are out traveling again, it is worth another look.

Singapore Airlines came in at number one. A few years ago, I would have agreed with that, but my 2015 trip to Japan with them soured me a little. Leg room was horrible (my flights were aboard Airbus A380s) and the service wasn't as good as the first time I flew with them in 2004.

My favorite airline to Japan, Korean Air, didn't even make the list. Oh, well.

The list of top 10 international airlines begins with:

This year’s World’s Best Awards survey closed on March 2, just before widespread stay-at-home orders were implemented as a result of COVID-19. The results reflect our readers’ experiences before the pandemic, but we hope that this year’s honorees will inspire your trips to come — whenever they may be.

The best international airlines in the world seem to pull off the nearly impossible: they not only connect travelers with some of the coolest destinations on the planet but also do it with the grace and panache that guests find at some of the world’s best hotels. While Travel + Leisure readers loved the premium cabins that these airlines offer on ultra-long-haul flights, they also had praise for the service, and even the economy-class seats, of these winners.

Every year for our World’s Best Awards survey, T+L asks readers to weigh in on travel experiences around the globe — to share their opinions on the top hotels, resorts, cities, islands, cruise ships, spas, airlines, and more. In the airlines category, readers rated carriers on cabin comfort, service, food, customer service, and value.

To read the list of "best" 10 international airlines, go here. 

TripAdvisor: Top Ten Airlines

Above, a Korean Air plane being readied for a flight to Japan. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Like anything else, there are good airlines and bad airlines.

The TripAdvisor Travelers' Choice Awards are now posted and they have listed their users' choices for the 10 top airlines in the world.

Not surprisingly, none of the top ten airlines are U.S. carriers. They are all foreign airlines and I have flown on two of them on the list: Singapore Airlines and Korean Air. Both were overseas flights to Japan.

My personal favorite is Korean Air. They've provided great service and, which made the flights fun, showed Astro Boy cartoons! Singapore Airlines is my second favorite. They, too, provided great service, but I was cramped in with poor leg room during my last flights (2015) with them aboard an Airbus A380. 

According to TripAdvisor:

Across oceans and continents, these are the best airlines in the world for 2020, according to travelers on Tripadvisor.

To see the top 10 airlines, go here.