Airfare somehow takes a huge chunk in our budget every time we travel.
I have experience flying in both a regular carrier and low-cost carrier. If I will be only away for few days and with no checked baggage, I will book a low-cost carrier. However, there are factors that I consider when I book a carrier, like which one has the lowest fare offering, if I have checked baggage, etc.
For our Japan trip, since I only have a week to prepare for our trip, most carriers already have higher fares. I had a hard time choosing a flight because I am also particular with the flight schedule for both departure and arrival schedules. In addition to that, since I have a checked baggage, I want to book a flight with a regular carrier. I am just so happy with my Japan trip that I also wanted a wonderful flying experience as well.
Based on what I read, it is better to book a flight on Tuesdays US time. I am not sure why plane fares are lower on that day but I tried to find a flight on a Tuesday.
I looked for a flight on a Tuesday and honestly, I am already getting frustrated because the fares were already high. I also found out that Cathay Pacific will have aifare promo but it will be launched on a Friday. Friends have already been telling me that there is nothing to worry about not getting an airplane ticket since I already have a visa. I want to avail of the Cathay Pacific promo, however I am also a bit worried that I won't be able to avail the promo price because of limited seats and short booking period. (Note: Good thing I didn't wait for the Cathay Pacific promo because the queue for that is soooo long! I still got a number at around 12noon but was only called at 8pm! I was informed via SMS but I was already home. I cannot wait that long)
Anyway, I thought of checking Japan Airlines. I went to the website and I'm surprised to discover that they have super economy seats ($160 each one way) available on our flight dates! Without any hesitation, I booked it. I also heard a lot of good reviews on Japan Airlines so my son and I were excited to experience flying with a different carrier.
During check-in, the ground crew were very accommodating. They really assisted all passengers, talking to them one by one before their turn to the counter. They made sure that each passenger has an immigration card and asked how many luggage will be checked in. I still have to pay the travel tax over the counter though, so after checking in, I went to the TIEZA counter and paid for it. After paying the travel tax, I went back to JAL counter but since the personnel on the counter was entertaining another passenger, another personnel assisted me immediately so I can get my tickets. I was so impressed on their ground service!
Another inspection was made by JAL personnel as we arrive at the terminal where we will get in at the airplane. The personnel was very courteous. During the boarding, there were more than enough ground personnel to assist all passengers. In a short period of time, all passengers were seated on their respective seats.
Kib and I were so happy to see that our seats were very comfortable! It has wide seats and we were all provided with a pillow and a blanket. Each seat has a console to entertain us all throughout the flight. You can listen to music, play games, watch movies, and even read e-books on the console. The safety features of the airplane is no longer demonstrated by the flight crew; it was shown on the console! Cool isn't it?!
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| Look how comfortable the seats are! |
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| Console. There is a remote control which is located on the armrest. You can watch movies, listen to music, read e-books there. The safety reminders are only shown on the console, no more live demonstration by the flight crew |
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| Look how full our tray is! We can even ask for refills of juices, hot drinks, and miso soup |
During the flight, the flight attendant were very caring; they always go around to check each and every passenger if they needed something. There were more than enough food on our tray too! There was also a wide choices of drinks, from juices to coffee to alcoholic drinks. We can even ask for a refill too!
As we approach Japan, the temperature inside the plane also got warmer. I thought that there was something wrong with the airconditioning inside the plane but I didn't bother to ask. Well, lowering the temperature inside the airplane was JAL's way of preparing us for Japan's cold weather, haha.
On our way back to the Philippines, we also experienced the same kind of assistance from both JAL ground and flight crew. In addition to that, Kib was given a toy as a souvenir, hihi.
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| Kib chose an airplane model as a toy souvenir |
If given another chance to fly via JAL, I would do so. It's worth every penny because of its excellent customer service.
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