We're just back from Tokyo and excited to share this trip report. We're up to Episode 187 on our Patreon feed but wanted to publish this here on the No Annual Fee feed since it's been a while since we've done a free show. Enjoy!



0:30 Discuss: Lots of Interest and Pent Up Demand for Japan



1:50 Premise of the Trip




2 adults



2 kids: 18 and 15



18 is actually considered a child age in Japan for some things




3:45 Panic Moment: Did I forget to buy a couple of return tickets?




I’ve booked and canceled this trip so many times I’ve lost count



Managing multiple PNRs booked across several different channels



Didn’t realize a couple tickets were purchased as roundtrip. Whew.



Discuss: How do you manage this?




8:20 Airport Upgrades for JAL International Flights (Direct Link)




We departed Boston - Tokyo today, nonstop with 3 of us in Business Class on AsiaMiles awards and 1 of us in Premium Economy booked with JAL Miles transferred from Marriott long ago.



I've been monitoring award space for 1 more Business Class seat, but nothing materialized. No partner award opened up close in, and even when booking with JAL miles nothing was available at any award level.



A week ago they sent an option to bid on the upgrade with cash starting at $625. I passsed.



I called JAL a few days ago inquring about upgrades. The agent said I'd need to cancel and rebook and nothing was available in Business Class.



My last hope was a same day airport upgrade and...it worked!



When we got to the check-in counter I asked about airport upgrades with JAL miles, for my son's Premium Economy JAL Award to Business Class.



The agent first said Business Class was sold out, but then went to check with her supervisor.



She came back and said that since we booked with Cathay Pacific AsiaMiles that we couldn't upgrade.



But when I explained to her that I booked his ticket with JAL miles that an upgrade was possible.



It took 4 or 5 reps there, me recalling my JAL frequent flyer number on the spot ("write it down on this piece of paper, I'll wait"), and 30,000 JAL miles but they upgraded him.



I originally booked his seat for 32,500 JAL miles + $396.



I'd like to avoid those taxes + fees in the future, but booking JAL miles did indeed improve upgrade options as I hoped.



If the upgrade didn't work out, we selected seats for the rest of us at the back of Business Class with him at the front of the Premium Economy cabin.



That likely would have worked out quite well - it really is close with just a curtain separating.



But this worked out great. A good backup if you need just 1 or 2 more seats to round out an itinerary where partner/low level space isn't behaving.




15:20 BA Lounge at Boston Logan






Quite nice



Not crowded for mid-day departure since not many flights




16:00 Outbound Flight: JAL Business Class Nonstop to Boston






Wasn’t spectacular but the direct flight was just what we needed to get the whole group behind this return trip to Japan



No matter how you cut it: 14 hours is…a long flight.




17:45 Narita Arrivals






Probably the most grueling international arrival I’ve experienced



Seemed like a ton of flights coming in at the same time and lines were very long for…everything



Probably good to do Visit Japan Web pre-arrival/QR code stuff ahead of time (helpful TravelSort post) but it didn’t much expedite things.



1 hour to clear immigration



1 hour to clear customs (for no good reason other than long lines and clunky automated machines that do nothing but scan your QR code and match it up with your passport)



1 hour to figure out Narita Express train tickets (machines wouldn’t take any of our credit cards even though they have Visa/MC/Amex logos on them)



1 hour to take the train



4+ hours total from gate to hotel right next to Tokyo Station



Discuss: I had trepidation about this part of the trip going in, but it was unclear whether more research would actually help or j