For those who love to travel, Japan has long been an exotic destination that draws travelers from all over the world. When in Japan you can experience high-tech cities and meditative temples rooted in the ancient philosophy of Buddhism. But airfare to Japan can be a huge part of the expense of a vacation there, so you may wonder: what is the cheapest way to travel to Japan?
The cheapest way to fly to Japan is to book your flight either months in advance or three weeks in advance, looking for the best deals offered at those times. Unlike routes to some places around the world, it is not likely that you will get a better price by breaking up the flight into two flights.
Getting to Japan is usually an expensive proposition. These days you can expect sparkling deals on trips to Europe and even better ones if you can break your flight up into a long and short leg as opposed to one long direct flight. In Japan, these tricks do not usually work, but there are things you can do to get as cheap a flight as possible. Read on to learn more about the cheapest way to travel to Japan from the USA.
How Much Does an Average Trip to Japan Cost?
Average roundtrip airfare to Japan from New York costs around $1,879. This is an average of five typical flights into five major cities in Japan. The breakdown looks like this:
- Tokyo is about $1,796
- Nagoya is about $1,809
- Osaka is about $1,788
- Fukuoka and Okinawa are both around $2,003
As you can see from the results, the five cities vary in price but are all over one thousand dollars and closer to two thousand. So, this may not be the best family summer vacation idea on a budget, but there are plenty of ways to save money on the trip. This article will further discuss the breakdown of prices in a little bit. But for now, the question is: How do you save money on your flight to Japan?
For many, even the cheapest flight to Japan is prohibitive. In addition to the advice that follows, the one thing that you can always do (no matter where you are traveling to) keeps your eye on the deals that come up at strange times. No matter what strategies you have (more on that later) a good approach is to be ready to jump on a fantastic airfare deal that comes out of nowhere.
What is the Cheapest Month to Fly to Japan?
One way to save money on your flight to Japan is to travel at a time when rates are generally lower than at other times. Many outside factors such as oil prices and natural disasters can raise and lower the cost of tickets. But one factor has a dependable effect on tickets: tourists.
Because of the reliable ebb and flow of tourists into popular places, some months end up being cheaper to fly because not as many people are flying. For Japan, those months are late November through March.
In general, the most expensive (and busiest) times to travel to Japan are in the fall and spring seasons for a couple of reasons. In the fall, people travel to Japan for:
- Autumn colors
- Obon, a Buddhist festival
Japan is rich in autumn colors and that makes the already gorgeous scenery even more breathtaking. The Obon festival is a Buddhist festival in Japan, which is a time for people to celebrate the spirits of their ancestors. For those interested in Japanese culture, this festival is a big draw.
In the spring, flights are expensive because of:
- Cherry blossoms throughout the country
- Golden Week
Golden Week straddles the end of April and the beginning of May. It is a combination of holidays rolled into one. Once again, enthusiasts of Japanese culture seem to make up the bulk of tourists who travel to the country because Golden Week is a big draw.
Which Airport in Japan is Cheapest to Fly Into?
Another way to save money on your flight to Japan is to select the cheapest airport to fly into. If you recall the information about flights listed above, you will remember that Osaka International Airport is the cheapest to fly into with Tokyo International Airport (also called Haneda) coming second by a close spread of eight dollars.
Furthermore, Nagoya International Airport is only $13 dollars more than Tokyo. One thing to notice about this is that all these airports are on the largest island called Honshu. But Fukuoka International is further southwest on Kyushu Island and Okinawa International on Okinawa Island is the farthest away of all, and also the smallest.
So if you want to visit the Kyushu or Okinawa Islands, it is not a good idea to fly direct to them. Instead, fly into one of the airports on Honshu and then choose a Japanese domestic flight to one of the other islands. Believe it or not, you can actually save money on your airfare if you do this because domestic flights in Japan are really reasonable.
For example, if you fly into Osaka for $1,788 you can pay as little as an additional:
- $100 to fly round trip to Fukuoka raising your total to $1,888
- $29 to fly round trip to Okinawa raising your total to $1,817
That means that if your ultimate destination is one of those two islands you can save a tidy sum of money on your airfare by stopping first in Tokyo. For example, you can save:
- $115 if your destination is Kyushu Island
- $186 if your destination is Okinawa Island
So knowing what airport is the cheapest to fly into can help you arrive cheaply at your final destination.
What Is the Best Airline to Fly to Japan?
In general, the debate over which airline to fly to Japan surrounds two airlines, All Nippon Air (ANA) and Japan Airlines (JAL). Veteran travelers also give mention to United Airlines and American Airlines, but the Japanese-based airline companies have an edge.
Both ANA and JAL have exemplary service in all classes of the airplane. But JAL seems to have the edge in terms of using new seats and products for their flights. JAL also has a pretty outstanding frequent flyer plan For example:
- JAL has a points program that gives a one to one payout of miles to points if you fly economy or premium economy
- JAL has frequent flyer clubs that you can be a part of to get extra benefits with your flight experience
- Depending on what level you are at you can expand your travel experience by having up to 3 stopovers
Furthermore, The Traveler’s Choice Award from Trip Advisor was awarded to JAL for being the best airline in Japan for four years in a row. In 2020 Trip Advisor named JAL the fourth-best in the world. Not bad considering all the airlines struggling for prominence in a competitive market.
How Long is a Flight to Japan from the East Coast?
No matter how you look at it, you are going to be in the air for a long time if you are coming to Japan from the east coast. At the very least, you could be in the air for about 13 hours, and at the most, you could be in the air for as much as 22 hours. Here is how the times break down.
If you are traveling from New York, it will take about:
- 13 hours to fly into Tokyo
- 18 ½ hours to fly into Nagoya
If you are traveling from Washington D.C., it will take about:
- 14 hours to fly into Tokyo
- 19 hours to fly into Nagoya
If you are traveling from Atlanta, it will take about:
- 17 hours to fly into Tokyo
- 21 ½ hours to fly into Nagoya
Finally, if you are traveling from Miami, it will take about:
- 17 ½ hours to fly into Tokyo
- 22 ½ hours to fly into Nagoya
The further south you get on the east coast, the longer it will take you to get over to Japan. With that many hours in the air, be prepared to fly as comfortably as you can afford.
How Far in Advance Should You Book a Flight to Japan?
There are generally two theories about booking your tickets and they apply especially to Japan. Some people say you should book your tickets between six months and a year from the time of your vacation. Others swear by the book-at-the-last-minute approach which says you should book no further than three weeks out from your vacation.
Both strategies claim that you will find the best deals at these extremes of the time period from your vacation. It is true that you will find good deals using both methods. You can get good deals far out and good deals close in. But both strategies have their drawbacks:
- If you book far out you are stuck with the price and possibly left to wonder, as the months tick by, if you could have gotten a better deal if you had waited
- If you wait until three weeks out, for some people that feel like waiting until the last minute can induce stress from a different angle
Whatever strategy you choose to work with, there will be drawbacks and stress from the anticipation. The approach that you take really depends on your personality and what seems the most stressful to you. Some people feel better locking in the tickets early. Others are born procrastinators.
But there are two things that you should be aware of before you choose. For some reason, many travelers and sites suggest booking at 9 months. It seems to be the magic number for deals for some travelers. Lastly, while you can get deals for 9 months, you can probably get the best deals by waiting.
Conclusion
Japan is a wonderful and exotic country and the high-tech culture that is rooted in ancient mysticism and mythology intrigues many people. In fact, for many, the culture seems the destination as much as any particular site or attraction. In this way, Japan has a very unique and alluring draw.
With so much to be a part of and learn from, you want to be able to have as much money as possible to devote to your time in Japan. Whenever you decide to book your flight, purchasing airfare is always best done with a lot of research under your belt.
To save money, stay away from the peak times of spring and fall (especially the days of the holidays Obon and Golden Week). Book a flight to one of the mainland airports and fly domestic to your other locations if you have them and settle in for a long flight.
(Planning can be exhausting, and a trip to Japan takes a lot of planning. Next year you might try a Cabo all inclusive resort that way the only thing you have to plan is how to get there and back!)