Travel to the U.S From Australia

If you're seeking a low budget vacation package to travel to the U.S. I have just the solution. Try Japan Airlines. When departing Australia the airfares with J.A.L. are significantly cheaper. Is there a downside? No. Not if you don't mind a wonderful overnight stay in either Osaka or Tokyo. Flights out of Australia, particularly on Mondays and Fridays can be difficult to secure. If you're traveling with another person you'll be hard pressed to locate 2 seats together; if you can find a flight at all.

Flying out of Melbourne mid week directly to Tokyo will get you a discount as much as $500 or $600. The flight is around 11 hours. You will likely find that there are many empty seats on the outbound flight too, so stretching out and taking a nap is no problem. Meals served in flight are of course Japanese style, although you are able to pre order a more western style meal is this is what you prefer.

Upon arrival in Tokyo, you will be transported by bus to your Hotel for an overnight stay. The staff are very gracious but I did have some problems with the language barrier. Buses ferry guests in and out of the Hotel all day from every conceivable place in the world you could imagine. Fortunately some are fluent in both Japanese and English, so lounging in the overstuffed armchairs in the foyer is a great way to meet people and find someone who can ask the staff a question for you in the native tongue.
A word of caution, if you need to call ahead to arrange pickup from the airport at your destination;do not call the U.S from a public telephone. The rates are astronomical. There is public internet upstairs at the Hotel with a small surcharge for 30 minutes use. Send an email instead.

Accommodation in the Hotel is spacious by Japanese standards. The double room I was shown had a nice armchair, spacious bathroom and a large window with a glorious view of the city. Coffee and assorted teas are provided, but no evening meal is included in the price. On my last visit to Tokyo, I dined upstairs in a restaurant with some people I had met before leaving Australia. We then enjoyed a beer in the bar which overlooks the spectacular city night lights. Be mindful what you order though, a tall cold beer costs $USD12.00. Needless to say I wasn't thirsty enough for a second.

Breakfast was a great adventure. There were the usual toast and cereal offerings as well as numerous unidentifiable foods I was eager to try. I know I ate my share of one of everything, although I'm not quite sure what it all was. Delicious was my first thought though. I need to go back to Japan for breakfast more often!

The flight to the U.S left around 4p.m. the next day. We were required to leave the Hotel by noon. Be sure you have a book or some magazines for the wait or take your laptop with you. Time passes quickly though. As soon as you are seated in the departure lounge there are many interesting people to chat with who are headed out on your flight.

Between Japan and the United States I was happy to know the evening was approaching as I was long overdue for a nap. What I didn't take into account was the fact that no sooner does the evening come, the new day begins to dawn. Don't forget your sunglasses for bedtime here! Having left at 4.pm. and arriving early morning U.S. time I did feel quite robbed and was glad to get home to bed a few hours later in an attempt to locate that missing night.

Overall the flights were all stress free, arrived on time without any hassles, and the transition through the airport in Japan was very easy. Even better than that was my $500 discount and the chance to see a small part of a beautiful new country. Japanese people are lovely, and I hope you choose Japan Airlines to save some money and get to enjoy their company as I have been fortunate to do.

My total out of pocket expense for this adventure? A mere USD$1.686, about AUD$1,800 (this was a return ticket to Australia) including my spending money for last night's dinner and drinks. A great deal in anyone's language.

Happy Landing!