Sanosuke

I would gladly support the tourism industry with my currency in -en.

Heres to the next Mabo (unless the rolling blackouts are in effect during Japan's summer which isn't what I had in mind)

Sanosuke!

Q Shoe Guy

So you could transit via via ICN/BKK/HKG/TPE/SIN/SGN/ etc.....The thing is that really in context of this tragedy your presence/opinion matter little! IMHO

LTN Phobia

I think every little helps in terms of consumption of resources (which one's presence will lead to) - that is why so many people in the areas affected by electricity shortages are reducing their power consumption even though their reduction only occupies a tiny percentage of overall demands.

jpatokal

Well, actually, they do issue them quite lightly. (Remember this flap last year?) It's typical bureaucrat thinking: a useless warning is no sweat off their back, while not issuing a warning and having someone run into trouble will reflect badly on them. So best to CYA and issue warnings for everything and anything, in precisely the same way that TSA always follows the letter of the rules and errs on the side of saying "no" when faced with anything not black-and-white.

This obviously depends on the wording of your policy, but the trigger for most insurance policies is a warning against any travel, a step above the current warnings against non-essential travel.

Q Shoe Guy

Well if we are discussing electricity then you surely know that Japan is divided into 2 different zones. Thus the electricity in say Osaka is not the same as Fukushima. So your rationing idea although great does not have any use in this situation.

LTN Phobia

Of course I do, but I was not talking specifically about the electricity. I was talking about supplies in general. Electricity example was just to say that an individual's effort will help once there are enough people doing it, even if each person's input would be small.

LTN Phobia

I have looked at four policies from three different countries and all of them cover me for cancellation for warnings against non-essential travel but if I choose to go despite them, the cover is invalidated, unless I can prove that my travel is essential. Hardly do-able if I were on holiday.

SanDiego1K

Shangri La Tokyo shut down til further notice as of March 18. Executive team was moved to Fukuoka.

Many high end hotels have closed restaurants.

The Peninsula's restaurants and bar are open for lunch but it's only the Lobby and room service open for dinner.

The Mandarin Oriental has closed down "until further notice" its Signature, Sense, Tapas Molecular Bar, Ventaglio, Mandarin Bar and Gourmet Shop, leaving only K'Shiki, the Oriental Lounge functioning. Hyatt's three Tokyo properties, Park Hyatt, Grand Hyatt and Hyatt Regency, have also tweaked the operational hours for some hotel facilities, with Park Hyatt's popular New York Grill re-opening for lunch today, March 20.

http://asia.businesstraveller.com/as...ns-temporarily

Q Shoe Guy

Aren't they a few days late to step on the hysteria shinkansen? Then again, they are no doubt enjoying the hospitality of the locals !

RichardInSF

I would guess it's more likely a P&L-related decision than an earthquake-related decision. I heard several stories right after the Shangri-La opened that the GM was insisting on rack rate only while every other luxury hotel in town had special offers.

SanDiego1K

Corporate guests are staying away.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/42154546...usiness_travel

Corporate-related travel to Japan has plummeted 80 percent since the earthquake.

“I don’t see business travel returning to normal in the near future,” Odaka said. “People who have to go will go, but any postponable business will be postponed until everyone really knows what is going on with the nuclear plant situation.”

I should think there would be a lot of hotel facilities that are closed. I remember being in Hong Kong during SARS, and being the sole guest in a hotel executive lounge. It was closed the next day; the hotel used the opportunity to do some freshening of the facility.

SanDiego1K

I am in a Tokyo hotel now that has half its floors closed due to low occupancy. They are hoping that people begin to return next week. Apparently, various teams of people normally there have relocated to Seoul and other places in Japan. The hotel is definitely open for business and still offers its full services.

businesstraveller2

I was scheduled to give a lecture at a conference in Tokyo end of June. The host recently wrote saying that the meeting has been moved to Fukuoka because of the earthquake. My air ticket is nonrefundable and was set to go N/S LAX RT to NRT. There is no connecting flight to Fukuoka after I get in and also on the return so it would require two nights in Tokyo on either end of the trip. The state department still has a travel warning for NRT area so I am wondering what to do. I am one of two key speakers for the meeting and they are advertising this as part of the meeting so they would try to get someone else if I can not go. It sounds like things are working find in NRT area but as people point out the travel insurance and other things might be invalid if the state dept has a travel warning for NRT/Tokyo.

Q Shoe Guy

The quickest way to Fukuoka (and easiest) would be to route via ICN. There are at least 5-6 flights a day between ICN and FUK and the transfer is very smooth. Both Korean and Asiana fly multiple times per day from LAX and multiple times per day to Fukuoka ! (I have much experience with this route)!

jib71

As QShoe says, it may be more convenient for you to fly via ICN to FUK.

Despite the fact that you're holding a non-refundable ticket, there's a chance you might be able to persuade the airline to do something for you given these exceptional circumstances. You'll need to follow the advice of a master, though:
http://nomadlaw.com/2011/01/how-conv...rways-example/

Failing that, perhaps the conference organizers will compensate you for the ticket you use and the one you throw away?

Failing that, you could take a train to Fukuoka (rather a long trip) rather than a plane if you wanted...