Japan is currently an extremely popular tourist destination. Not only because of the usual attractions, such as the cherry blossoms, the shrines, temples, castles, fantastic food, and beautiful nature. The flights are still quite expensive. This is not the case, however, if you fly with Star Alliance member Air China from Milan, as prices for tickets that even include 2x 23kg of luggage start at merely €452.
Our search form below can redirect you to Skyscanner or Air China’s booking site (roughly €20 more expensive). These prices are available until June 2024.
Air China will first fly you from Milan to either Beijing or Shanghai. Both flights use an Airbus A350-900 with a 3-3-3 economy class configuration. The flight to Beijing takes a bit over 9 hours, while the flight to Shanghai takes around 11 hours. The subsequent flights from China to Japan are relatively short, taking about 1-3 hours, depending on the route.
The layover in China is normal on the outbound flight, lasting around 6 hours. Sadly, it’s quite a bit longer on the inbound, lasting between 8 and 14 hours.
Search & Book
This deal will expire on May 31, 2024. Furthermore, your trip needs to be at least 6 days long and no longer than 6 months. According to our research, these prices can be found almost in June 2024.
does not preview Air China tickets. The most convenient way to find suiting flight dates is the ITA Matrix. For an easy set-up, you can follow one of these links to find cheap tickets:
During the next step, you will have to edit search parameters to the calendar option and enter your desired trip length:
You can speed up your search results by entering C: CA as a Routing Code. Click the Search button on the bottom right to get a preview of available flight dates. You will be greeted by a calendar previewing the cheapest flight dates:
Enter the flight dates in Skyscanner to see which vendors sell tickets for these dates. Please note that the ITA Matrix’ price calendar is not 100% accurate, but gives you a decent enough idea on which dates the best fares are available. Skyscanner’s calendar preview also yields reasonably accurate results.
After finding suitable flight dates, you can purchase your tickets from Skyscanner’s OTAs or directly on Air China’s website.
Why is booking with an airline better than with an online travel agency?
More often than not, online travel agencies offer lower fares than airlines do. We still recommend booking with the airlines directly. There are two main reasons for that:
Better Customer Service
In case any problems like delays, cancellations or missed connections arise, you can communicate directly with the airline. The airline has to take care of you because you have a contract with them.
If a travel agency issues your ticket, you may have to reach out to them first. You also depend on your OTA to forward information like flight changes instead of receiving them directly from the airline. In many cases, you may get a prime exhibition of responsibility shifting rather than problem-solving.
This especially applies to premium tickets. You don’t want to spend more than €1,000 to wind up with some budget OTA’s telephone hotline in case anything goes wrong.
Baggage and Other Fees
Economy fares not including hold luggage are industry standard by now. In most cases, travel agencies charge much higher baggage fees than the airlines themselves. If bags are not included in your fare, airlines are often the cheaper alternative.
This also applies to other things like food services, insurances or priority treatment. In almost all cases, you pay less for additional amenities when booking on the airlines’ website.
Mileage
The tickets are issued in booking class P. To give you an example, flying to Fukuoka via Shanghai (and back) would get you:
- 25,128 Miles on Aegean Miles+Bonus
- 3,842 Miles on Ethiopian ShebaMiles
- 3,842 Miles on Thai Royal Orchid Plus
- 3,730 Miles on ANA Mileage Club
- 3,464 Miles on Copa ConnectMiles
- 3,442 Miles on EVA Infinity MileageLands
- 3,342 Miles on Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles
- 3,342 Award Miles + 160 Points on Miles&More
- 3,142 Points on SAS EuroBonus
- 3,108 Award Miles + 622 PQP on United MileagePlus
- 3,108 AsiaMiles on Asia Miles
- 3,108 Miles on Asiana Club
- 3,108 Miles on Avianca LifeMiles
- 3,108 Miles on TAP Miles&Go
- 3,108 Miles on Air Canada Aeroplan
- 3,108 Miles on Egyptair Plus
Booking class P used to be a first class booking class. Most programs have updated their earning tables to reflect the change to economy class, but Aegean Miles+Bonus has not done that yet. Nevertheless, do not count on earning over 25,000 miles there with these flights. You’ll probably either get around 3,000 miles or maybe even none if you’re unlucky.
Destination
Information & Tips for Japan
Japan, the ‘land of the rising sun’, is located in the east of Asia and is one of the most popular travel destinations on the continent. Big cities like Tokyo, Osaka, and Kyoto convince urban fans while ski fans get their money’s worth in Hokkaido and Tohoku.
Flights to Japan are usually a little more expensive than comparable offers to other destinations in Asia, but there are exceptions, and you can sometimes find bargains.
Best travel time
Since the country consists of many climatic zones it is hard to name a perfect time for travelling to Japan. However, summer should usually be avoided, as June is dominated by the rainy season and July and August offer sweltering temperatures with high humidity.
Visa
Most European citizens do not need a visa to enter Japan for a stay of up to 180 days if they do not want to work, study or train. Travelers that arrive under these conditions without a visa will be granted a residence permit as a “Temporary Visitor” for an initial period of 90 days upon entering the country at the airport.
Finding the Best eSIM Plan
We’ve compared various eSIM providers, such as YohoMobile and Nomad. To see which plan is best for your travel needs, and which network offers the best coverage, feel free to read our detailed guide:
The Best eSIM Plans for Japan 🇯🇵 Compared
→ All Dealz for Japan
Cover Picture: Ditmar Lange