SkyTeam member Air France currently sells discounted premium economy class tickets on a series of interesting routes. One of them is Malpensa to Osaka, with tickets selling as low as €714. You can reach Tokyo for the same prince. Sadly, this is a light fare that does not include checked bags. You can add 2×23 kg hold luggage by purchasing the standard fare, which sells at €876.
Since availabilities are hard to find, here are some example dates:
Prices to Osaka:
Due to the evasive availability of this deal, we cannot preview flight dates as usual. While trips to Osaka usually start at Malpensa airport, you can find flights at the lowest fare to both Narita and Haneda airports when going to Tokyo. Departures from Milan’s Linate airport are possible, as well. Though, these itineraries usually require longer layovers.
Air France deploys Boeing 777 aircraft on the long flights between Paris and Japan. They feature a 2-4-2 seating pattern in their premium economy. The airlines’ premium economy seats are infamous for being very hard to sleep in, which might become an issue on the overnight outbound flight.
Search & Book
According to the fare rules, tickets are on sale until March 28, 2024 for trips that least at least six days. You can find tickets at the advertised fare in May and June 2024, while your inbound may leave Japan as late as July or August.
Finding these fares is a bit difficult, as Google Flights displays wildly inaccurate prices. To give you an indicator: Most dates that Google marks for €915 or less are actually €200 cheaper on Air France’s website. While you can find similar prices on Skyscanner, we recommend purchasing them directly from the airline.
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
Air France issues short haul flights in booking class Y, long haul segments are booking class A. SkyTeam frequent flyers can earn the following mileage for a trip to Osaka:
- 18,874 RDM + 3,138 MQD on Delta SkyMiles
- 14,158 Miles on GOL Aéreos Smiles
- 13,962 Miles on Aeromexico Club Premier
- 13,902 Miles on MEA Cedar Miles
- 13,462 Miles on CSA OK Plus
- 12,962 Miles on Aerolíneas Argentinas AerolíneasPlus
- 12,962 Miles on Saudia Alfursan
- 12,962 Miles on ITA Volare
- 12,706 Miles on Vietnam Airlines Lotusmiles
- 12,706 Miles on Korean Air Skypass
- 12,706 Miles on Garuda Indonesia GarudaMiles
- 12,706 Miles on Air Europa Suma
- 12,706 Award Miles on Etihad Guest
- 12,706 Award Miles on Japan Airlines Mileage Bank
- 12,562 Award Miles + 120 Tier Points on Virgin Atlantic Flying Club
- 6,726 Points on Malaysia Airlines Enrich
- 2,748 Award Miles + 58 XP on Flying Blue
Cover Picture: © kharazono - stock.adobe.com