The first two flights depart and arrive at the same times, and the American Airlines flight has a note saying that it is operated by JAL, so that looks like a codeshare flight (one airline partners with the other to let them market and sell tickets on the flight and use their own flight numbers). In other words, I think buying either of those tickets will have you on the same plane.
The biggest difference I see between the JAL flight and the Delta one is the arrival airport. The JAL flight arrives in Narita, which is further from downtown Tokyo (but still relatively easy to get to via train). The Delta flight arrives in Haneda, which is closer to the city. So, if you know where youāll be staying, itās probably worth mapping out the route from both airports to see if one is significantly more convenient.
As far as service, Iād definitely prefer JAL, but my only experience on JAL was in business class (which was great), so I canāt speak directly to the economy experience.
You donāt really save much money (if any) using Expedia or a site like that nowadays. All you do is make more red tape for yourself to cut through if things go wrong for some reason.
Oh ha, yea I just noticed the first two were the same flight. I wasnāt sure if flying JAL would be noticeably better than Delta in economy. Iāve got no idea where Iām staying yet, presumably close to downtown though. Iāll be a Japan first timer.
You can find some really nice deals every once in a while, for example I paid $800 instead of $1200 getting home from Islamabad, but yea if itās even close booking with the airline is definitely the way to go.
Coach experience probably isnāt too different between the airlines. Maybe JAL has better food. Generally if you just google the aircraft/airline, a couple reviews and maybe a YouTube video will pop up if you want to get a feel for the experience.
IMO the biggest mistake Japan travelers make is to spread themselves to thin and attempt to do too much in too little time, but 2.5 weeks is a good chunk of time so your itinerary sounds reasonable.
One week in Tokyo just scratches the surface there. From Tokyo, Iād recommend a day or 1/2 day (evening is best) trip to Yokohamaās Minato Mirai waterfront area. Kamakura is also great but maybe unnecessary if youāre going to Kyoto. You can also do a day trip to Nikko from Tokyo, which I highly recommend.
Mt. Takao is a nice little mountain you can access from Tokyo if you want to escape the city for a day while there.
How long you stay in Kyoto depends on how much of an appetite you have for temple viewing. They all start to look the same after awhile. But outside the temples the city of Kyoto itself has plenty to offer.
From Kyoto, I would also recommend a day in Nara.
Havenāt spent much time in Osaka so donāt have any tips to offer, but you probably donāt need to spend more than a day or two there.
Road-tripping to Zion the week of Thanksgiving. Will have three full days to spend. Looking at towns between Zion and Bryce so we can visit both, is that a good idea? Kanab, UT is coming up as an option between them. Interested in any and all recommendations.
Iāve never stayed in Kanab. But plan on 2 days in Zion and one in Bryce. Iād probably just spend two nights in Springdale and one night at Rubyās near Bryce. Cedar Breaks is also really neat if youāre nearby.
When you do Bryce, drive all the way to the end then work your way back up. All the scenic stuff is on the right and it gets more dramatic as you go back towards the park entrance. Queens Garden/Navajo Loop is a really cool hike.
Zion has so much to offer you canāt go wrong. Angelās Landing is a hard hike but worth it. I think the last sketchy part is closed. But hiking to the top of the switchbacks is still nice.
I see this a lot with tourists who choose a tour group. Chinese tourists normally choose tour groups that specialize in working with them and they basically just plow through a place, get a few photos and move on super fast. Itās kinda sad to see.
Anyway, gonna be a long time before a proper vacation comes. Iām gonna go with Albania though. I heard a shitload of hate in Serbia against Albanians and it makes me want to go to Albania to get their side of the story
Going to be in Seoul for a few days on my way to China (hopefully). Never been to Korea before. Have to get PCR tests done the two mornings but will have the rest of the two days free.
Sweet thanks, Iāll keep those spots in mind! I just booked my flight today. JAL ended up being $80 cheaper, so thatās what I went with. My itinerary is super loose, it can be more than 2.5 weeks if I want, so Iāll figure it out when I get there. Iām not much for advanced planning. Do you know if thereās any must-do type stuff where you have to book things ahead of time?!
Iād just try to book hotels as far in advance as possible with the rush of travelers pouring for the autumn season.
Also, depending on how much rail travel you plan on doing, it might be worth looking into the JR Rail Pass, which you need to purchase before you come to Japan.