Flight ticket prices for Japan in autumn

Hi, I was thinking of going to Japan in October, but the prices are currently insane—direct flights from Paris to Tokyo are around 1600-1800 €! Is it always like this, or is it just because I’m planning too far ahead? Thanks

Hi there,

Right now, buying a flight ticket is a real headache. With the war in the Gulf, the price of a barrel of oil is skyrocketing, and of course, airlines are starting to pass on this increase.

For a direct flight in peacetime, prices hover around 900 €/1,000 € depending on the departure date from CDG in economy class and by airline—Air France, ANA, or JAL.

To significantly reduce the cost, you’ll need to make a stopover, whether in Europe or Asia, avoiding Gulf-based airlines.

The latest news is that Trump is demanding Iran’s total surrender, which suggests oil prices will keep rising.

Bottom line: buy now with a stopover.

Hi,

Another thing to consider is that planes no longer fly over Russia since the war in Ukraine (this may have changed since then). In June 2023, I had a Tokyo–Helsinki flight that usually takes a little over 9 hours. This time, it took over 13 hours—it had to detour via the North Pole. Otherwise, I checked on kayak.fr, and with a layover, there are flights for 700–800 €.

Fred

Since COVID, direct flight tickets are more often around 1200 € at minimum, even though there can be promotions that sometimes let you find tickets for 900/1000 € for direct flights, or even 700 € but during the winter season.

As for October, it’s a month that seems to be increasingly in demand because the weather at that time of year is ideal.

Hi,

I don’t think 1,600 € is an outrageous price for a direct flight. It’s easy to do layovers, but they can always lead to hassles—think of layovers with Gulf airlines, or even those in Taiwan. Layovers in China pose a different kind of issue, like payment system incompatibility, phone service problems, and surveillance.

Michel