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Dec 6, 2025

Which airline do you prefer?

If money wasn't an issue, which airline and / or air route do you prefer when traveling to Japan?

BigfamJapan

BigfamJapan

Former nickname was "Saitama". Changed it to save confusion on place review posts! Irish, 20+ years in Japan! I also write on my personal website: insaitama.com

7 Answers



  • genkidesu

    on Dec 7

    Back to Australia I'd pick either JAL, ANA, or Qantas which all fly that route. I'd probably lean towards the Japanese carriers since the customer service is always impeccable. Qantas is great, too, but the Japanese omotenashi is hard to beat. I've flown Jetstar before too but wouldn't again, I don't think. They can be a bit unreliable with cancellations or delays since they're a budget airline.

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  • TonetoEdo

    on Dec 7

    In the last 10 years, I've traveled to the west coast of North America, the UK, and Southeast Asia. One Cathay Pacific route I like is Narita, a stopover in Hong Kong, and arrival in London. The service is excellent. I prefer to travel JAL or British Airways. The service is smooth, and the and the hospitality on board is quite good.

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  • genkidesu

    on Dec 7

    @TonetoEdo Heard quite good things about Cathay Pacific too, they do a stopover in HKG if you're traveling to Australia, and then they have direct flights to both Sydney and Melbourne. Haven't flown them myself, yet!

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  • helloalissa

    on Dec 9

    Once I used Singapore Airlines on the way to the states. I had heard they are one of the best and I could use Delta frequent flyer miles. It was probably the best in flight I've used so far. We also had a great experience using Canada Air a couple years back. Mostly that the immigration was like domestic inbound flights, it was so easy! Honestly as long as it isn't a discount airline or one based in the US, there's no concern about cancelations or being late etc.

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  • TonetoEdo

    on Dec 11

    @genkidesu I was impressed by the service, in-flight WIFI, and classic Chinese and Hong Kong meals. Service is polite, and flight attendants speak a lot of languages, including English, Japanese, Cantonese, and a handful of other languages. It's a treat to hear them interact with other passengers in whatever languages.

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  • genkidesu

    on Dec 15

    @TonetoEdo I often think about the food as a big deciding factor when looking at airlines, so it's encouraging to hear that Cathay's offerings were good. If I flew an Australian carrier back home, the food would be very Western. Fine for me who still gravitates towards Western food a lot, but my kids would 100% prefer Japanese (or other Asian) style meals, as would my husband.

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  • TonetoEdo

    on Dec 15

    @genkidesu The menus on Cathay Pacific incorporate a lot of Hong Kong and mainland Chinese dishes. It's a preview, maybe even a tease, of what you'll get in transit at airport dining. It tempts me to stop over longer in Hong Kong...

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Awaiting More Answers

1 Answer

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In my region - Chiba-Saitama - there are many Thai, Indian, and Vietnamese restaurants serving authentic flavours. Which international cuisines do you see underrepresented in your area? Have you found any rare gems in the Kanto region? I miss Greek/eastern Mediterranean food the most...

TonetoEdo

9 hours ago

4 Answers

Recommendations for next Christmas?

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BigfamJapan

on Jan 11

2 Answers

Under the radar winter festivals

There are some winter festivals that get a lot of hype, like the Sapporo Snow Festival, for instance. However, as someone who doesn't like crowds, I enjoy lower-key festivals a whole lot more. Do you have any favorite winter festivals that aren't really tourist-trappy? What makes them fun or unique?

genkidesu

on Jan 2

3 Answers

Growing Mushrooms

Here's for a weird hobby. I just saw a video by an American Youtuber that I plan to watch about growing shiitake mushrooms. From what I've seen, it probably needs a bit of space. There was a local market in Fukuoka Prefecture that had a "mushroom room" where they grew and sold mushrooms like maitake and eringi. I also saw a video of a couple in Paris that built a mushroom growing shower room! The local hardware store sells "seeded" logs and shiitake mushroom growing kits. I have seen the logs around people's homes on occasion. It seems like a very odd, but sustainable hobby. Has anyone tried it, or is anyone interested to try this? I wonder how involved or beginner friendly it is.

helloalissa

on Dec 29