All Nippon Airways Mileage Club - Cheap flight from NRT to Kagoshima?

Hi,

Any FT'ers have any tips on finding a cheap fare from NRT to Kagoshima? Or as a 2nd choice, Haneda to Kagoshima (but would much prefer flying from NRT)....

Ideally this will be on ANA or another airline which I can still earn miles.

[This message has been edited by kawoh (edited 01-09-2003).]

As far as I can make out there are no direct flights from NRT to Kagoshima (KOJ). However there are quite a few flights from Haneda of which ANA has about 6 daily. If you want to look up the range of available fares and availability, try the ANA website:

http://svc.ana.co.jp/eng/index.html

There's an internet fare which is JPY 24'700.

Unfortunately, you have to take the 2nd choice.

You can go to Fukuoka from NRT, but not Kagoshima. NRT has very limited domestic connections.

That's one of the reason some people want to go to KIX in stead of NRT if they have to connect other cities in JAPAN.

Thanks for this, now i'm a little confused, how exactly do you:

1. book a webwari - i don't think you can book it on that site or the internet fare on the JAS site....

2. how do you get a ticket? is it a paper ticket or an e-ticket?

3. are there any limits or restrictions for people who are japanese citizens on these fares?

4. has anyone bought a visit japan fare from an overseas ANA office - ie SIN, although the person travelling is a japanese citizen but on a work visa overseas. i was told this was insufficient and ANA staff will not let u travel on such a fare (VJ).

Japanese airlines don't check your ID for check-in or for boarding. If you have a friend in Japan and if you look Japanese/Asian enough, then .... (Some people seems to be abusing this for those 10,000 yen day tickets that allows you to take as many flights a day, selling segments.)

From BKK, NH has 45-day valid Y tickets that allows connections to most cities in Japan, Kagoshima included. Domestic segments are booked under Y. So you get 100% credit for Star Alliance programs. NH's AMC nets double Platinum points as per regulation for Y domestic tickets.

I just checked NH's web site. Tokuwari discounts are cheaper than Web-wari, aren't they? Esp. the early morning 609.

I have bought tokuwari several times. For them, all you need to do is to book ahead (normally one day before the departure date) so long as a seat is available. You can keep the seat and lock in the fare without paying for it (and without giving a credit number) until up to something like 20 minutes before the departure. You can just go to a check-in counter at HND and pay with a credit card.

Sorry, i'm getting a bit panicky about this domestic flight -

At this stage, it has to be from

HND-KMJ (Haneda to Kumamoto).

Is someone here able to give him a good step by step process of how to buy a ticket. It seems difficult on all the Japanese airline sites (you can't buy online), JAS, JAL, ANA.

I don't want to pay full price for a ticket, it would be nice if I could pick it up in BKK, or even in NRT. Which would work out cheaper? I'd like to spend no more than JPY25,000 if possible...

Also, does anyone have any tips of getting from HND-NRT? I've been told there are 2 choices from my lonley planet -

1. there is a bus connecting the 2 airports (unsure on the cost, time it takes)
2. catch the train at HND to central Tokyo, and connect to the fast train to NRT (unsure of the cost, time it takes....)


kawoh.

If you are flying out of BKK and return to BKK within 45 days, you can add HND-KMJ-HND to your ticket and pay around 28,000THB for everything. Note that it is a 45-day valid ticket. (No more one-year tickets, which they used to offer.)

You can either go to a travel agent or go to the NH office on Silom Street.

If you ticket this with no stopover in Tokyo, NH will provide you with a coupon worth around 3,000 yen, enough to cover transportation by bus from Narita to Haneda airport. If you are going to stop over in Tokyo, NH will not provide this.

From Narita to Haneda, you can either take a direct bus,

http://www.limousinebus.co.jp/e/index.html

or take Keisei train line. But I think you need to change trains at Aoto station on the way, across the platform. I am not sure on this.

Buses are easier. The ticket counter is just outside after the customs clearance at either Terminal 2 (NH's terminal) or Terminal 1. Subject to traffic, it takes about 2 hours.

HND-KMT is 28,300 yen in full fare one-way. 27,100 yen per one way if you buy a round trip and return (I think) within a week. Tokuwari and Hayawari discounts are both 18,400 yen.

As noted earlier, you can lock in the Tokuwari fare if you book it when it's available and keep it until 20 mintes before the flight. You can just go to the check-in counter and pay by credit card.

If you like, I can book it for you. I need your name, gender and age. That is all. You can also enter your FFP number (other Star Alliance programs included) but this you can also do by calling NH.

Or alternately, I can give you instructions on how to book on the Japanese web site, like which box to check, etc. But this can be a bit risky if you pick a wrong city, for instance.

Also look at NH's Singapore web site... They seem to offer 50% discount on domestic fares if you fly them internationally.

http://www.ana-sin.com.sg/english.htm

I recommend you to consider Vist Japan Fare if you are eligible.

http://www.fly-ana.com/travel/special_offers/details.php?file=05.inc&from=%2Ftravel%2Fspecial_offers%2Fresults.php%3Fde parture_city%3D%26service_class%3D%26search.x%3D6% 26sea rch.y% (http://www.fly-ana.com/travel/special_offers/details.php?file=05.inc&from=%2Ftravel%2Fspecial_offers%2Fresults.php%3Fde parture_city%3D%26service_class%3D%26search.x%3D6% 26sear ch.y%)

One distination will cost 12,600 yen. It's very cheap if the flight is long, such as Haneda-Kagoshima, Haneda-Sapporo. I'm not sure it's still 12,600 yen if the travel is several connecting flights.


[This message has been edited by hacya (edited 01-25-2003).]

Thanks everyone for your help, I managed to book a VJ fare in NH's BKK office. JPY 12,000 plus taxes. Very good price I think. Chiangi, thanks especially for all your help.

Over and out from the Yahoo free net access terminals at NRT T2! ;-) Chiangi - r u going to be around Tokyo 6-12 Feb... i'm staying in Shinjuku...


kawoh.