Job Discussion Forums

[zander7990]

hi there. does anyone know of any travel companies where i can find cheap flights back home to canada during the summer, maybe in the end of july. everywhere i have checked are very expensive but unfortunately, this is the only time i can leave japan because of work.

thanx

[canuck]

You'll have to pay through the nose just like everyone else.

[JimDunlop2]

Yup. Your best bet (if you don't care whether you make it home or not) is to wait and try to get onto a last-minute seat sale. No guarantees though....

Aside from that, you're likely up-the-creek.... Like the rest of us...

Two things you learn when you get to Japan...

1. Japanese like to travel (both within country and abroad)
2. They ALL do it at the same time.

[Gordon]

Yes, Japan is darn expensive to travel in and the end of July/early Aug is the absolute worst time to go. Look up HIS Travel or STA. That is your best bet.

Just be glad you don't have to buy for 4 people.

[bearcat]

As someone else already mentioned, the end of July/beginning of August is one of the most expensive times to fly out of Japan.

But exactly what day begins this expensive period fluctuates every year.

So how can you know? One way is to check flight dates with various online reservation systems for whichever airline you want to take.

But of course don't book directly through the airlines as they are the most expensive route.


Start shopping NOW for your tickets. 3-4 months prior is generally the cheapest time. For xmas I booked in september.

SHOP AROUND. Though some agencies others will suggest can be cheaper, it is not always the case. It's always advantageous to check as many companies as you can.

In general, travel agencies that also have tour operator status have cheaper rates. This is because on their tour operator deal they book bulk seats and get preferential treatment with airlines and other travel industry companies. But again, this is in general and a small mom and pop travel company may have worked something out that was better for a one time deal.

As well many agencies don't have any special deals either. They just look up flights on the airline reservation systems like Sabre or apollo etc for booking and thus many see the same rates because many have the same status with those airlines.

Sound complicated? Its not really but they'll make it out to be so to justify what ever rate they have.

Bottom line, shop around. Don't wait to check a few agencies one day, then a few the a few days later either. Rates change. Check in a 1-2 day time frame as many as you can.

Now here is the pain in the ass part: many agencies in Japan do not like to give or quote the best rates over the phone. Some will even refuse to tell you except for what ever they have published in an add for that time frame. They want you to come in and discuss it. Why? Japan's infamous customer obligation guilt trip. So, you might have to make a whole day of it traveling from one agency to another.

Someone suggested trying to get a cheap standby seat ticket. Never seen em cheap in Japan if you wait til the last minute. Never. And during the peak travel season, there wont be availability anyhow.

So here's what you should do:

1. Make a list of many companies starting with the larger ones.

2. Call em if you can, go to em if you need. Try to do it all in 1-2days.

3. Do this now. Don't wait until May or June. Prices will be much higher.

4. If you can, be flexible on your days leaving and returning. Agents here are like robots. Don't ask "whats the cheapest time?" They'll not answer you. Give them a set of dates, they'll give you a price. Give them another set of dates, they'll give you a price, etc etc etc. Takes time, its frustrating but its what you have to do.(Thats why I said check the online reservation ssytem to benchmark the dates that the prices jump due to the peak season dates.)

5. Make your decision within a day or so after shopping around. The rate isn't guaranteed unless you book.

[azarashi sushi]

As everyone has said, the end of July will be expensive whichever travel agency you use. They may be a slight difference but not that much. I always use STA aswell... It's not the cheapest but all the staff speak English and are very helpful.

If you definitely want to go, then now is the time to book.

I booked my summer vacation last week and received the invoice yesterday. Added to the cost of the ticket were taxes (obviously) ... and a 7000 yen fuel surcharge!!! I was shocked!

So, pretty much the only cheap way out of Japan at that time is by rowboat!

[freddie's friend daniel]

Slightly off-topic- hope you don't mind...
Does anyone have any experience of booking an overseas package holiday from Japan? We are thinking of making a trip to maybe Australia this summer but were thinking of going on a packaged tour rather than travelling independently. A friend of mine always had difficulties in the past being accepted as a foreigner on to such a package. Can anyone recommend a travel agency? So far I've had a quick look at H.I.S...

[JimDunlop2]

Hey! Guess what, everyone?

I just booked flight tickets for Aug. 1 to Aug.15 from Narita, JPN to Vienna, Austria yesterday...


How much do you think it cost me? (each)

200,000 yen?

Nope.

180,000 yen?

Try again.

140,000 yen?

Not even close.

Get this. I got em for 126,000 tax included!

How>? Uhh... Well, that't the kicker. We are flying through Malaysia... With a 6-hour layover in Kuala Lumpur. Leaving there at 23:45, arriving in Vienna at 6:15 am. YUCK!

Instead of a 12-hour direct flight, this sucker's taking us 19 PLUS layover times at the airport. BUT.. It's the cheapest way for us to get to see my relatives this summer. You know, grandparents getting old & stuff.... It's important to me.

As a friend of mine suggested.... Tsunami-hit areas are starving for business... Considering the fact that a lot of their tourism business was European, flights to/from Europe are very inexpensive now.

So.... Looking for a holiday this Obon season? Try Thailand or Malaysia.

Just thought I'd share my bit of "good news" that made my week!

Cheers!

JD

[JimDunlop2]

P.S. What bearcar said.... #5... Yes! That is definitely they way you must do it. They don't volunteer information. We didn't get what we wanted until we actually ASKED specifically... How about flying to Malaysia or Thailand and getting a connecting a flight to Europe? Then, it was possible. Before that, the answer we got was: "190,000 to Europe is about as cheap as you are ever going to get."

Same goes with different dates. On our Canada trip we ended up asking... "Well, what if we leave on xx day instead of yy day? What if we return on zz day instead of ww day?" Until we got the cheapest price...


BTW, for those who don't know yet, I had a friend of mine consult the "Buddhist calendar" to get the dates for the Obon festival. This year it falls on August 13-16. For some reason, regular calendars do not reflect this... BUt you must know when it is if you are planning on doing any travelling this summer...

We figured that it would be better to leave before Obon and return on the 16th rather than leaving on the 13th (the beginning of Obon)...

Hope this helps.

JD

[azarashi sushi]

[JimDunlop2]

No no... That's not what I meant... I was talking about flexibility (like what bearcat said).

What I meant to say was, that the travel agents I've dealt with have rarely actually told me, "Well, if you didn't leave on Tuesday, but Wednesday instead, your ticket would cost $00000 less..." Funny as it seems, a day or two before or after when you want to travel can make a big difference in price...

[Gordon]

Another thing to consider if you fly to Canada is check the prices with ANA. They use Air Canada planes and crew, everything is the same, but if you book with them you save about 40,000 yen/ticket. I just bought tickets to Canada for 116,000 yen (plus taxes) for 2 months to Vancouver with ANA. I think Air Canada wanted 150,000 for the same flight. You also still get Air Canada points too.

[azarashi sushi]

Jim... I was thinking that travel agents are probably a bit like the posters on this website, and that the question "How much is a ticket to ______ in August?" is probably like all those clueless newbies endlessly posting questions about NOVA or how much money they can save in Tokyo. I've noticed your response to them has often been "Use the search function!" ... Did you ever consider that the travel agents are probably thinking the same thing? I always research it on the net and then tell the travel agent exactly what day and airline I want. Easy.

[JimDunlop2]

azarashi sushi: I know what you are saying... But the reason why I go to a travel agent is in hopes of speaking with someone who knows more about this stuff than I do. I realize that researching it all on the net ahead of time is cool and all, and of course I do it too to get a ballpark figure of what I can expect to pay, but I've found that it hassn't always yielded me the best/cheapest results.

As an aside, I have not told n00bs to "use the search function" if they have mentioned that they've already done so or says that they've researched something.

IMO, a well-informed travel agent that knows all the ins/outs of the business can get you deals that you may not always be able to find by yourself. A really good travel agent should be able to make suggestions that you may have overlooked or missed.

Don't assume that I just walk into an agency and say, "What's the price to Europe in August?" Indeed, I come in with dates and proposed itinerary already in mind. I just hope that the person cares enough about me, the customer, to improve on it if possible.