From mid-July to the end of August in 2015, I stayed in Japan with my two children for five weeks. We stayed at my parents’ house, which is the home where I used to live. I take my children to Japan every 1 to 2 years, and this was our sixth visit.
The summer in Japan is really hot. It is obvious that the whole country is experiencing high temperatures, and of course, the Kanto region where my family home is located is no exception. The summer memories from my childhood are quite different. In the past, I used to play outside during the day and could stay cool at night with just a fan and a screen door, but recently, it has become unbearable without air conditioning, whether in the morning or at night.
Having lived in the UK for many years and getting used to the cool (and beautiful!) summers there, my body (and mind) may be in shock. Still, since I can only fully enjoy Japan during the long summer vacation, I choose to visit during this time every year. Since it’s my choice, there’s no way around it; every time we come to Japan, we have to deal with not only jet lag but also this extreme heat.
Why are flights to Japan so expensive?
Flights from the UK to Japan are never cheap, so I tend to compare prices carefully when purchasing tickets. It is said that the high operating costs in the Japanese airline industry affect flight prices. While Japan has been experiencing deflation for many years, it still has high labour costs and maintenance expenses, which contribute to this issue.
When I was a student, I could purchase tickets at a low price using student discounts, but now it seems that those discounts are no longer available, which is a bit disappointing. Of course, I mean that I could have used those discounts for my children, not for myself!
What is the cheapest flight to Japan?
The cheapest times to fly to Japan could be mainly in January, February, September, October, and November. In particular, January and February see relatively lower flight prices because the holiday season has ended and travel demand decreases. September, right after the summer break, also experiences a drop in travel demand, while October and November are off-peak months, leading to more stable flight prices.
If you’re looking for the cheapest flight to Japan, the following methods can be quite helpful:
1. Use flight comparison websites
Utilizing websites like Google Flights, Skyscanner, and Kayak allows you to compare prices from various airlines. These platforms often let you set alerts to notify you when prices drop.
I usually purchase my tickets through Expedia. You may have used it as well. The great thing about this site is that it instantly displays prices and connections based on my preferences. Sometimes, I can find cheaper tickets by purchasing directly from an airline’s website, but Expedia allows for more flexible flight planning. For example, I can book a flight arriving at Kansai International Airport from Manchester and return from Narita to Manchester. I have also booked hotels through Expedia, which is straightforward, just like booking flights.
2. Book in advance
If possible, purchasing tickets a few months in advance can lead to significant savings.
3. Be flexible with arrival airports
For instance, searching for flights that arrive at Narita instead of Haneda, or Kansai International Airport instead of Narita, can sometimes reveal cheaper options.
3. Consider stopover flights
Flights with one or more layovers are often cheaper than direct flights. If you don’t mind spending extra time traveling, this is an excellent way to save money. While direct flights are the most convenient, exploring layover airports can also be enjoyable. However, if I have a layover, I prefer to limit it to just one; more than two layovers can be exhausting, so I avoid such flights.
Surviving Long-Haul Flights
When traveling from the UK to nearby countries, flight times are usually just 2 to 4 hours, so the choice of airline isn’t a major concern. However, the situation changes drastically when heading to Japan. Even with direct flights, the journey takes about 11 hours, so it’s natural for someone like me, who always travels in economy class, to want to select the most comfortable airline possible.
Personally, if my budget allows, I would prefer to fly with ANA because I believe their service is excellent and their seats are more comfortable compared to other airlines. Therefore, when searching for flights on Expedia and ANA appears, I tend to choose them even if the price is slightly higher. Unfortunately, there are no ANA flights departing from Manchester Airport, and as mentioned earlier, there are also no direct flights from Manchester to Japan. However, if I transfer at hub airports in France, the Netherlands, or Germany, I may be able to take an ANA flight.
My next favourite is Lufthansa. They operate codeshare flights with ANA, so some flights may include ANA connections. I also appreciate Lufthansa because I have never encountered significant delays or cancellations, making it a reliable choice. Once, due to what seemed to be an overbooking situation, my children and I were upgraded to business class on a Lufthansa flight, which was, of course, very comfortable. Although using Lufthansa means stopping at a German airport, I find German airports to be clean, user-friendly, and well-managed.
Based on my past experiences (which are entirely personal opinions), I tend to avoid Air France and British Airways whenever they appear on Expedia. I won’t go into details about those experiences. Additionally, when I see airlines I haven’t used before, I always check Trustpilot for reviews. I also have good memories of flying with JAL, KLM and Emirates.
How much is the flight to Japan?
For this trip, we chose Lufthansa, flying from Manchester to Narita via Frankfurt. The total cost for three tickets was about £2,000. Our group consisted of one adult, one child over 12, and one child under 12. The fare for the child over 12 was the adult rate, while the fare for the child under 12 was approximately 80% of the adult rate.
By the way, infants under 2 years old fly for free, but they do not have their own seat and must sit on an adult’s lap. In this case, a special small seatbelt for infants is provided, which is connected to the adult’s seatbelt to secure the infant.
When traveling with a baby, you can reserve a seat in front of a wall where a bassinet can be installed. When my younger child was a baby, there was a time when they couldn’t sleep in the bassinet set up in the unfamiliar environment, and I ended up having to hold them the entire time. It was certainly tiring to hold them for hours, but they seemed to feel secure because of it. For a baby, the inside of an airplane can be a loud and unfamiliar world, so it’s only natural for them to feel anxious. My children have been flying since they were little, but they have never cried once during a flight and have always been in a good mood.
Additional Costs for Traveling to Japan
Since our flight departed at 6 a.m., we needed to stay at a hotel the night before. The first reason is that it’s my routine to arrive at the airport at least two hours before departure to check in early and complete the immigration process without rush. Secondly, I wasn’t sure if the trains would be running that early (I didn’t even check), and if we had planned on taking the train, any delays or cancellations would have caused issues. Since I was traveling with children, I thought it was wise to take a safe approach, even if it meant a bit of extra cost.
If we hadn’t been able to stay overnight (though there are many hotels near the airport, so this isn’t usually an issue), I would have had to ask someone to drive us. However, this would mean asking them to get up early, which I’d rather avoid. Taking a taxi is also an option, but on a few occasions in the past, taxis simply didn’t show up, so I honestly don’t have much faith in them.
I also made seat reservations in advance through the airline’s website. Sometimes seat reservations are included in the ticket price, but in other cases, additional fees may apply, so it’s important to be aware of this. In this instance, Lufthansa included seat reservations with the ticket.
When flying with KLM, not only is there a charge for seat reservations, but there is also a fee of around £90 for the first checked bag, so it’s necessary to check these details when booking a flight.
Online, you can also choose meal preferences, and all three of us opted for the standard meal. I remember choosing a vegetarian meal once when flying with Emirates, and it was nice. When the children were younger, they were picky eaters, and one of them would often barely touch the in-flight meal. This child loved fruit, so when I discovered the option to order a fruit meal, I placed that order once upon their request.
Other additional expenses included travel insurance and the fee for obtaining an international driving permit (through the AA) to drive in Japan.
How Long is the Flight from UK to Japan
Here’s the schedule for our flights:
Outbound (Mid-July)
06:15 – Depart Manchester (MAN) – 1 hour 45-minute flight
09:00 – Arrive Frankfurt (FRA) – 4 hours 40 minutes layover
13:40 – Depart Frankfurt – 11 hour 5-minute flight
07:45 (next day) – Arrive Narita (NRT)
Return (Late-August)
09:55 – Depart Narita -11 hour 45-minute flight
14:40 – Arrive Frankfurt – 1 hour 35 minutes layover
16:15 – Depart Frankfurt – 1 hour 45-minute flight
17:00 – Arrive Manchester
