The cheapest travel range is Mon 16 Apr 2018 – Wed 20 Jun 2018.
Return to Osaka from:
Return to Tokyo (NRT) from:
Return to Tokyo (HND) from:
See also this post for additional savings buying through a reseller!
I got myself some flights in May :)
True, flights from Melbourne require transfer via sydney/singapore.
You can fly Melbourne-Tokyo (Narita) direct - Flight no. QF79/80 - It's supposed to be daily but doesn't to appear on some days for some reason.
Thanks :)
This is more attractive than the Jetstar sale. You get the works for just a little bit more.
I entirely agree, i could never handle the transfers and crappy service again noting Qantas fly direct with everything included.
Totally agreed ! Done Jetstar once, the food at Cairns airport is unbelievably expensive, and the savings wasn't really that much after you have taken into account food, entertainment and comfort, I prefer to spend a bit more and get this.
Yes, after adding baggage fees to jetstar the fare difference is only around $100 for Melb. But you get to fly with in flight meals and entertainment and superior service.
A little bit more?
At least for Brisbane/Gold Coast this is (at its lowest) $410 including baggage vs $699.
I know for Brisbane, jetstar do no have direct flghts to Japan. I would pay the little extra and fly with Qantas for their direct flights to Japan (or fly jetstar out of Gold Coast if the price is really good).
I flew to Japan last December with jetstar out of Brisbane and will never do it again. It was due to the stop overs in Cairns. That airport is the worst I've been to. Jetstar have timed it so the flight from Tokyo to Cairns arrives at 4am but the connecting flight is not till 10am. They will not let you check in until 2 hours (maybe 3hrs?) before the flight so you're stuck at the airport at 4am, haven't slept on the flight and have to wait for 3hrs-4hrs till they let you check in. That was not fun at all.
Possibly double status points for people
https://www.qantas.com/fflyer/dyn/memberSpecials/double-stat…
Perth will have a direct flight to JPN without stopover in 2019 according to Qantas.
Edit: it just the state government trying to court airlines for direct flights
Jetstar should lower their prices to stay competitive on the market.
Jetstar is owned by Qantas. They know exactly what each other are doing.
For a first time flyer (and solo, individual traveller), from the sounds of the comments it looks like this is the better deal for smooth, less potential hassle travel to Japan (in comparison to yesterday's Jetstar sale). Would that be correct?
the jetstar 787 flights are pretty comfy if you're travelling alone and aren't taking much luggage (and don't drink on planes!)
the qantas ones are a better option for:
- direct flights (depending where you live)
- luggage included (if you need it)
- food & drink (if you like beers on planes!)
i'm one of jetstar's biggest critics (i goddamn hate them most of the time) but flew with them on a group trip last year (MEL-NRT via Cairns) and it wasn't too bad.
the pricing of jetstar + food + luggage vs qantas is roughly similar, so your biggest thing will probably be connecting flights - qantas do direct from melbourne, but jetstar you'll fly via cairns or GC. needless to say if you live in cairns or near the gold coast then jetstar is a great option :)
Unless you really need to do it on the cheap, this would be a better all around deal.
You pay for any comforts on a Jetstar flight and the baggage costs are kind of insulting.
Jetstar imo is good if you can get by with only carry on and you can handle an 8 hour flight without onboard entertainment or food.
If you feel like you'd get those things then the Qantas deal is much much better ad Jetstar charges an arm and a leg for thw extras. Not to mention potentially having a direct flight over a layover.
I've flown with Jetstar and it was fine but this time im flying with Qantas direct to Osaka. I paid a little bit more but that's cause of peak Cherry blossom season (4 april - 18th april)
Tl;dr if you can afford it go with Qantas for ease of mind, direct flight, full service flight and 32kg (? Around that anyway) luggage included.
My GF and I did Jetstar Melbourne to Tokyo direct at the end of 2016, it was fine. Very cheap, comfortable on the new Dreamliners, we both only needed carry on so no extra cost there, they provided entertainment free both ways (not sure why), and we packed our own meals which was no drama. Each to their own at the end of the day.
It's the baggage that kill Jetstar's value. Out of any country I've visited Japan is the one place where I need baggage on the return…all them kitkats and snacks =D
Is the flight search function currently down?
I have 30,000 qff points from the qantas assure deal last year. Been looking for a reason to use them. Anyway I can use them for this? If so, is it worthwhile.
Yup, you can use points at a "spend points" rate, but there's no sale for classic rewards tickets.
So how much would one return economy flight cost if I used all
The points
You could just go through steps to checkout and see, without checking out?
Deal thumbnail was taken while the aeroplane is inside a cloud?
I paid $2700 recently for 2 adults and 3 kids return from Sydney to Narita with Qantas with a stop at Brisbane.
If you're planning to hit both Osaka and Tokyo, is it right to choose the cheaper flights to Osaka? Would it make a difference flying into Tokyo vs Osaka cost wise (eg maybe it's cheap to arrive at Osaka but will cost more to get out of the airport etc?)
That kind of depends if you're going to use the JR pass. If you do, doesn't really matter what airport you fly into as you just take a shinkansen wherever you want. God I miss Japan.
Thanks. Need to get more info on this JR pass. A quick google shows lots of scalping companies almost double/tripling in price! What's a good average price to pay for Adult and Child?
Prepare for a shock. It's not cheap at all and it can be more expensive than your flights. It was for us when we went for 2 weeks and bought the green ticket.
We used JTB when we purchased, I believe that's the official vendor but if someone knows different please let me know: https://jtbtravel.com.au/japan-rail-pass/national-rail-pass/
You can basically travel all over Japan with it.
Edit: What made it worth it for us was we went Tokyo -> Hiroshima -> Kyoto (And then its only a 30min Shinkansen between Osaka and Kyoto so we did that like 3-4 times return) -> Fujikawaguchiko -> Tokyo all via Shinkansen. The ease of just wandering into a station, showing your pass to the people in the booth and walking through is amazing. Sometimes avoiding large lines in busy stations like Shibuya where we stayed just to get through the gates. If you had kids I think it would be amazing.
@oodLes: You really don't need the Green ticket, the ordinary one is just fine, like a business class on a flight. Plenty of leg room.
Usually it's cheaper to get the Rail Pass from Europe and they Fedex it over here and it still works cheaper than buying it locally.
I hope you used the JR ferry at Hiroshima to visit Miajima. That's included in the fare, as are all the JR regular stations in Tokyo, although sometimes the non-JR subway get you there quicker. Great tip about Shibuya.
Yeah I know you don't need the green, but I liked being able to book seats and we could afford it.
We did use the ferry to Miyajima on a whim after some Polish guys advised us to over some okonomiyaki haha.
narita is probably the least convenient airport to get out of but as mentioned by oodles, if you have a JR pass that you are going to activate on day1 its no issue where you land.
Thank you. Will try to avoid Narita then, I haven't been before, but that has always been my default airport! is it inconvenient because of traffic etc?
It's location is pretty far from Tokyo central so you have to pay big bucks for the Narita Express (covered by JR however). If you were planning on heading to Osaka anyway it might be worth just to fly into Osaka and activate the JR later when you shinkansen to Tokyo.
Thanks again
@chickhen:
it is only 1020 yen($11.60aud) to get from Narita Terminal 2 to Ueno by Keisei Limited Express. Thought that 60km (approx.) journey will take about 70 minutes.
Normally I just go to 7-eleven at airport, take a can of beer and couple chicken skewers, eat and drink and then buy another 1-2 cans of 9% asahi cooler beverages and take them onboard that keisei thing.
Time flies buy then
@Michael1983: Oh yeah there is the cheaper Keisei Limited Express! Thanks for calling that out. I agree that Michael here has a great gameplan and would suit anybody hesitating to travel to Narita. Sorry if I made it out to be like a KLIA or something lol
I always get the Limousine Bus to and from Narita. Nice and cheap and relaxing at the end of or before a flight.
Wiser heads might know this for sure, but I'm pretty confident that on my last trip I got out of Kansai (Osaka) and into Kyoto (ie further than Osaka) for less than it would have cost to get from Narita (Tokyo) to Ueno.
Keep in mind that Shinks aren't cheap, and there are things like the Kansai Thru Pass (http://www.surutto.com/tickets/kansai_thru_english.html) which make it pretty cheap and easy to move around the Osaka/Kyoto area so you can save considerable amounts of money by sticking to the Kansai area and not going to Tokyo where accommodation is typically more expensive.
This is an awesome deal. Awkward time for me though, as I am currently unemployed and would (ideally) have another job sorted before any of those travel dates, which would make it essentially impossible. There's always a catch..
I was like this too a few months back(contract couldn't be extended).
My old employer gave me good advice, find a job and then use your annual leave accumulated to go on holiday!.
Do kids 2-11 have any discount? Can't see any.
Hey guys how quick do these flights sell out? I will need to discuss dates with my party but i hope it won't sell out by Sunday!
Book now. Discuss later.
Is there a deal before around December for Mel-Tokyo?
I've noticed every airline is upping its prices by about 30-40% in Mid December. Good luck but I wouldn't hold out hope.
i searched sydney to haneda, while prices are nowhere near this sale price, i think they are still pretty "cheap". singapore airlines under $1100 and ana (direct) around $1400. they will hover back to $1700-1800 the later you book.
if you don't mind a low cost carrier i'm sure it will be even cheaper.
You'll find not all flights are direct so title should be amended. All go via Sydney or Brisbane, with Perth going via Singapore. The only direct flights are Sydney-Osaka, Sydney-Tokyo, Brisbane Tokyo.