Ibaraki Airport, Designed for Budget Travel, Opens
#46
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: TYO / WAS / NYC
Programs: American Express got a hit man lookin' for me
Posts: 4,638
I did a blog post on the Skymark pullout.
What's interesting is that they are claiming that they want to dramatically increase their service between Ibaraki and Kobe, but that the SDF are getting in the way. Apparently the airport really is a lot cheaper for airlines and many travelers, despite being in the middle of nowhere.
What's interesting is that they are claiming that they want to dramatically increase their service between Ibaraki and Kobe, but that the SDF are getting in the way. Apparently the airport really is a lot cheaper for airlines and many travelers, despite being in the middle of nowhere.
#47
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: Terra Australis Cognita
Posts: 5,350
IBR may be in the middle of nowhere, but at least it's cheap to go there: apparently buses from Tokyo-eki cost just 500 yen if you hold a flight ticket. ^
http://www.ibaraki-airport.net/en/ac...bto_tokyo.html
The Ibaraki-Kobe route is back in action, and Skymark says they'll start flying to Sapporo and Chubu in Feb 2011.
http://www.ibaraki-airport.net/en/ac...bto_tokyo.html
The Ibaraki-Kobe route is back in action, and Skymark says they'll start flying to Sapporo and Chubu in Feb 2011.
#48
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: New York City
Programs: BA Gold Guest List; HH Diamond; Hyatt Diamond; SPG Gold
Posts: 2,833
Leave central Kobe at 7.30am, get in to Tokyo at 12.40pm. You can do it practically 2 hours quicker on the Shinkansen!
#49
Join Date: May 2000
Location: Houston, TX, USA
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Posts: 7,988
Just look at the "high-speed bus" service from Tokyo to Osaka: how long does that take vs the Shinkansen or a flight? Yet, it exists, and people take it simply because it's cheaper.
#50
Moderator, All Nippon Airways and Japan
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: TYO
Programs: NH SFC (*G), JL JGP (OWE), AS MVP, WOH E, IHG SE
Posts: 3,908
Doesn't seem practical for most business travelers, but maybe budget travelers would opt for that, assuming that the flight was much cheaper than the Tokyo-Kobe Shinkansen (which I suspect that it is).
Just look at the "high-speed bus" service from Tokyo to Osaka: how long does that take vs the Shinkansen or a flight? Yet, it exists, and people take it simply because it's cheaper.
Just look at the "high-speed bus" service from Tokyo to Osaka: how long does that take vs the Shinkansen or a flight? Yet, it exists, and people take it simply because it's cheaper.
#51
Moderator, All Nippon Airways and Japan
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: TYO
Programs: NH SFC (*G), JL JGP (OWE), AS MVP, WOH E, IHG SE
Posts: 3,908
Another interesting bit of news is about the first end-of-year school trip that IBR hosted:
http://www.ibaraki-airport.net/news/news-29.html
Since IBR is cheap to fly from, and students on a school trip are going to be moving to/from the airport by bus anyway, I can easily see more schools looking to use IBR for trips to Hokkaido, Kansai, or Kyushu.
http://www.ibaraki-airport.net/news/news-29.html
Since IBR is cheap to fly from, and students on a school trip are going to be moving to/from the airport by bus anyway, I can easily see more schools looking to use IBR for trips to Hokkaido, Kansai, or Kyushu.
#52
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: Yokohama (near HND, TYO)
Programs: meltdowngraded from "F" and "C" , Accor Plt, BW Dia, ihg G, UA 0.9999MM
Posts: 1,569
Another interesting bit of news is about the first end-of-year school trip that IBR hosted:
http://www.ibaraki-airport.net/news/news-29.html
Since IBR is cheap to fly from, and students on a school trip are going to be moving to/from the airport by bus anyway, I can easily see more schools looking to use IBR for trips to Hokkaido, Kansai, or Kyushu.
http://www.ibaraki-airport.net/news/news-29.html
Since IBR is cheap to fly from, and students on a school trip are going to be moving to/from the airport by bus anyway, I can easily see more schools looking to use IBR for trips to Hokkaido, Kansai, or Kyushu.
For the trip mentioned, it used B767 with 250 seats, 190 of which were occupied by the students and teachers.
#53
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: Terra Australis Cognita
Posts: 5,350
http://www.ibaraki-airport.net/acces.../tb_tokyo.html
#54
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: New York City
Programs: BA Gold Guest List; HH Diamond; Hyatt Diamond; SPG Gold
Posts: 2,833
Nah, it's there, you're just not looking in the right place...
http://www.ibaraki-airport.net/acces...bto_tokyo.html
I'm a bit at a loss to explain the huge discrepancy in the timings though.
http://www.ibaraki-airport.net/acces...bto_tokyo.html
I'm a bit at a loss to explain the huge discrepancy in the timings though.