#124 Check In Online and other obvious flying tips

Today I bring you a very simple and rather obvious flying tip: Check in online.

I've flown both high cost (Etihad) and low cost (Cebu Pacific) this year and I noticed on both occasions there were big lines at the check in counters but barely anyone at baggage drop.

I don't know why so many people don't check in online. The line can be about half the size or less in comparison to regular check in counters. It's quick and easy to do - you can even do it on your phone at the airport! It can be a huge time saver - if you're not checking in online for your flights then you need to start.

Most online check ins begin 36-24 hours before the flight and close a few hours before the flight departs. You can usually only check in one way (unless your trip is less than 36 hours).

I think most/all airlines will say you need to print your boarding pass and bring it to the airport, but once you check in online it goes into their system and they already know when you hand them your booking details at the baggage drop desk. Therefore many are ok with mobile passes on your phone (take a screenshot in case you have no internet access), or they'll print you an official one to use anyway.

The key is to know your airline and their policies - for example lower cost airlines around Europe like Ryanair can fine you badly for not printing your boarding pass, but my experience with more high cost/long haul airlines is that they will print you an official pass anyway, regardless if you printed yours at home.

My next rather obvious tip is: know your baggage allowance.

There have been so many times (literally every time I fly) when the check in/bag drop line will come to a standstill for maybe 15 or more minutes because someone has tried to check in more than their allowance and is either being refused or charged very high penalties.

As a general rule, for flights within Europe the baggage allowances are usually non existant or very small (less than 20kg). Any short haul flight (5hours or less?) will usually have no/small baggage allowances, while long distance flights tend to have around 23-30kg. Flights around Asia tends to have higher weight allowances and lower fees.

This next part will sound racist and maybe it is - but the major allowance problems I have seen usually come from Asians and non-Western countries in general. And by major I mean they try bring 2 large 40kg suitcases when they had no baggage allowance at all, and then they appear confused when they are refused and then angry and indignant when they are asked to fork over hundreds in excess fees.

Meanwhile I'm waiting behind them with my 9kg backpack wondering how they could get it so, so, so wrong.

Maybe it's a language barrier, maybe because they were allowed 40kg in their home country and they assume this is the usual, maybe it's because they don't fly often, maybe it's because they knew about the charges and were somehow hoping they wouldn't have to pay.

All I know is they could save themselves and everyone on the flight a lot of time by getting their shit together and knowing their baggage limits.

Finally, prepare for going through security. Some countries and airports can be more strict than others, but it's always the same basic format worldwide.

Obviously some people have more stuff than others so taking off your boots, taking out your phone, camera, computer, phone, iPad, mp3 player, Kindle etc etc can take longer than an old lady with sandals and one phone. But if you have a lot of stuff work quickly and efficiently to remove it.

I do find it maddening when there is someone in front of me who has to go through the metal detector 3 times because of his loose change, watch, belt etc. Or when they argue when security go to confiscate a 2l bottle of perfume when it's very clear you can't take large amounts of any liquid.

If you have never flown look up information beforehand, or read the multiple signs and notices before entering the security clearance area. It's much faster, easier and more pleasant than a cavity search.

So there you have it - rather obvious airport tips that thousands of people are somehow still getting wrong every day.

#123 Tokyo Disney Resort

There are two parks at Tokyo Disney Resort – DisneyLand and DisneySea. I have been to DisneySea twice, and DisneyLand once.

Price

Prices are 7,400 for a one day pass, and you can only enter one park on one day. If you want to go over two days, there are no discounts and you can still only enter one park on each day.

There are many hotels at the resort, but actually it’s less than an hour and about 500yen from Tokyo city so staying elsewhere in the city would not be an issue.

So, my key advice: go on a weekday. It is literally the difference of waiting in line for 10mins and 100mins.

When To Visit

I went to both DisneyLand and DisneySea on weekends during the Christmas season – in late November and early December. Both times it was crazy busy – wait times for everything (including restaurants) and not a hope in hell of getting on all the rides. If a line was less than 2 hours you were doing pretty well. However, I would also argue that Disney at Christmas is even more special and magical than usual so it's a great time to visit - just not on a weekend.

The second time I went to DisneySea I went on a Friday in April – at the start of the school year. It looked busy – but we had time to go on almost every ride and never waited longer than 15mins, and the lines for food seemed short, so evidently it wasn’t busy at all.

As I’ve said in a previous post, DisneySea is sea-themed, but not like a water world or anything. For example, there is an area called ‘Mermaid Lagoon’ with rides based on The Little Mermaid, and the entrance with the shops and restaurants looks like Venice, complete with gondola rides. It is regarded as more of an adult destination with rollercoasters, pretty facades and fancy restaurants.

DisneyLand on the other hand is more for children, with the classic “It’s a Small World”-esque rides and the pink fairy Castle. If you have ever been to DisneyLand in Paris, it is almost the exact same at Tokyo.

Food and Drink

You are allowed bring drinks and snacks into the park, but you’re not allowed full meals (they check bags on the way in, but I’m pretty sure you could get away with a lot of snacks). In restaurants prices are high, portions are small and lines are long, plus the excitement and running around all day can make you pretty hungry. 

The first twice I went I brought snacks with me and then forked over for dinner, but recently I decided to book the buffet. It was expensive (3,000 for 90mins), but they had a good choice of foods (Japanese and Western) and needless to say I was absolutely stuffed. The prices and portions of the regular restaurants and snack stands would add up to close to that and I still wouldn’t be quite satisfied. It was also a relief to know we would just be able to walk in and not worry about lines. While I didn’t regret going, in the future I would probably just bring my own snacks again.

#122 Getting a Chinese Visa in Japan 2016

Japanese nationals don’t need a visa to visit China, so for foreigners in Japan it can be a mess to find out information. But, you will be relieved to know it is a quick and easy process.

In my experience, the lack of information combined with added cost and effort leads to many people visiting only Hong Kong – and while I’m sure it’s a great city, if you want to see the famous Panda Reserve or the Great Wall, then you will need to get a visa for mainland China.

So, here’s the necessary information;

You CAN apply by post, via a travel agency. It seems there was a time that the only way you could apply was going in person to the embassy in Tokyo – a very expensive and inconvenient option for most people, but this is definitely no longer the case.

All you need to apply is a passport, photo, copy of flight and hotel booking.

There are a few travel agencies who deal with visas, and you apply by printing out a form from their website and putting that, your passport, bookings, photo and money in an envelope via registered post. It generally takes less than one week for the passport to be returned to you.

Generally Japanese travel agencies (even big ones like JTB) will not help with a visa unless you buy your flights with them, but there seems to be enough agencies online that it shouldn’t be a problem (the problem is finding the right one for your area!).

If you Google it, the first website you will usually find is RTO, and you will also find a lot of people recommending them. The problem is they only work for those who live in the Southern part of Japan, as they apply through the Nagoya Consulate. Even though I live close to Nagoya, I still had to apply through Tokyo, so this agency isn’t an option for everyone.

I searched more forums and eventually found a company called Weston (wst.co.jp). They have processed visas for me and some of my friends so I can verify they are legitimate, and it should work for people living in the Tokai/Kanto (basically central Japan) area. Just remember to put in a self-addressed return envelope when you send it or you will have to pay another private courier on receipt of your visa.

The cost varies for different countries, for American’s you can get a 10 year visa multiple visit visa for 20,000yen, while I’m Irish and it cost 7,500 for just a one-time entry (Weston said on the website they don’t do multiple entries).

Overall, once you know what company to use it actually is a quick and simple process. While it is an extra cost and a little more effort than just going Hong Kong, the amazing photos of your trip to the Great Wall or backpacking around the many villages will make it more than worth it.


(Also note: I decided to change my hostel booking maybe 2 weeks before the trip. I totally forgot about the visa issue until on the plane when I had to state where I was staying on a form. I panicked and just wrote down the address I used on the visa form, the old hostel I wasn't staying in. I was a little worried there would be issues when I left or whatever, but there were no problems. 
I also met some Germans who intentionally did the same thing - they booked a hotel room for a refundable deposit, filled out the visa form and copy of the booking, then cancelled the hotel booking and stayed elsewhere. While I don't advise you to mess around with the Chinese Government, it's just to let you know it seems to be possible to change plans.....)

#121 Kyoto March 2016 Cherry Blossom

So I already visited Kyoto a few months back in September 2015. It was during Japanese public holidays so of course it was very crowded, but I figured I would probably go back again sometime before I left Japan.

In March 2016 I returned to Kyoto, in time for cherry blossom season (but too early for full bloom!). I honestly don't really get the whole sakura obsession Japan goes through, complete with sakura flavoured foods and drinks. I mean they look nice but.... I'm not going to eat a daffodil or a rose, so why would I want to eat a cherry blossom? Anyway, back to Kyoto!

Since it was cherry blossom season and a weekend, it was again pretty busy. In fact, I'm not really sure when you could visit Kyoto that it wouldn't be busy. The cherry blossoms weren’t even out yet; there was maybe like one or two trees starting to bloom wherever we went, so obviously these were very crowded. The advantage was there were tons of young women in kimono coming to take photos with their friends, so there were ample opportunities to take some sly photos of them (but if you want a photo of their faces you should always ask permission first!).

If you’re planning on coming to Japan to see cherry blossoms my recommendation is: don’t. It’s hard to plan for (unless you’re planning on coming for a month) and will ultimately lead to disappointment if there’s only one tree in bloom by the time you leave, or all the leaves are blowing off. If you insist on coming I would definitely recommend the JR Pass. The unlimited travel included in the price means you can travel further for free, for example if the only ones blooming are far North or South, as these could be otherwise very expensive to get to.

As for the season and timing, it was bad since the cherry blossoms weren’t really blooming and most of the other vegetation was also still kinda dead. Especially at Kiyomizu dera (the big temple on the hill) the surrounding trees and nature below looked brown and awful in comparison to when I visited in September. The weather was also very changeable, one minute hot and the next cold which meant we were constantly taking on and off our jackets. I think skipping the cherry blossom crowds and coming later in around April/May would be better, as the weather’s usually quite warm and there is more vegetation. (However if you’re coming in May beware of Golden Week, the biggest public holiday in Japan held start of May).

Again the public transport was annoying...especially on weekends and during rush hour on weekdays you’ll find yourself standing on a crowded bus stuck in stationary traffic. The bus route from Kinkakuji (the gold temple) is probably the worst as it’s often very busy and takes a long time in traffic to get to the station. Also, the area of Arashiyama (the bamboo forest) is awkward to access, it means getting a long subway and then walking for around 15mins (there is also some kind of bus option – but in my experience the buses always run late so avoid if possible, which in Kyoto is difficult). Despite the somewhat inconvenient public transport, taxis in Japan are very expensive and I wouldn’t recommend one either. My best advice is to allow plenty of time and just laugh at the experience of being wedged in public transport in Japan. Other than that there are some bicycle rentals which could be useful as long as it’s not too hot or too cold.

I also took another day trip to Nara and the deer park. I noticed this time that the train from Kyoto to Nara passes through Uji, which is famous around Japan for its green tea, so I’m sure there are some things to do around there too. The direct train is very convenient, but Nara Park is about 20min walk from the station when you arrive so it would probably not be a great rainy day activity. The deer park was just as magical this time as it was last time, and this time I brought a selfie stick too for that perfect deer photo!

Overall, I still think Kyoto is a worthwhile place to visit. There are many old, odd and interesting things scattered around Japan, but Kyoto has a lot of them all in one small area, which can’t be beat.

#120 Sample prices of Flights from Japan 2016

When I was going to Japan, I thought I could easily get a €40 return flight to Korea, considering the low cost airfares for around Europe these days. However, this is definitely not the case and it is almost impossible to escape Japan for less than 10,000 yen (€80).


I fly out of Nagoya (Chubu Centrair) because it's my closest airport. Flights are usually a little more expensive than Tokyo or Osaka, but since it's faster and cheaper for me to travel to Nagoya it usually evens out. It's also won Best Regional Airport in the World a few times and is a really nice, clean, modern facility so I enjoy using it.

Here is a sample of the prices of return flights I have paid, the airline and when I was travelling:

Tokyo Narita - Dublin €701 (for December 2015) Etihad Airways

Nagoya - Manila €78 (for February 2016)* Cebu Pacific

Nagoya - Beijing €266 (for May 2016) Etihad Airways

Nagoya - Seoul €157 (for July 2016) Asiana Airlines

Nagoya - Bangkok €257 (for August 2016) Vietnam Airlines

*From what I have seen, the only real bargain I got was for my flight to Manila, which was very cheap. Flights are usually closer to €200+. 

The good thing is that despite the higher air fares in comparison to Europe, you usually get a decent baggage allowance. Etihad give about 23kg, while Vietnam Airlines are giving me a massive 40kg!! Which is ridiculous, it's twice the amount British Airways allowed me for moving across continents...Anyway!

Similarly to other countries, flights go through the roof on weekends, long weekends and holiday periods, especially to close destinations like South Korea. 

You can also get cheaper flights from places like Fukuoka which is geographically closer to places like Taiwan, S Korea, Philippines etc.

If you constantly scour airline comparison sights you could get lucky and find a cheap flight - I once saw €50 flights to Thailand from Osaka...never booked them in time though :( 

#119 Skyscanner Hack - Change Country for Cheaper Flight!

[This is NOT an April fool!] Recently I was trying to organize booking a flight with my sister for our mother from Dublin to Tokyo. I’m more technology savvy so I decided to search for the flights, and then send her the details for her to book. Due to time difference this went on for a few days, with her saying each time the flights were more expensive than what I had said. Finally we went on Skype, using the same website (Skyscanner) at the same time, but somehow mine said it was 500euro, and hers said 600euro. Then I realized – my country was set to Japan, and hers was set to Ireland.

A rumor I had heard before was true – it actually is cheaper depending on the country you book from (or the country you say you book from....) 

I always use Skyscanner – sometimes I check other sites but it always ends up being cheaper or having more options with Skyscanner. If anyone has some other recommended sites, please comment and let me know!

I decided to do this again, with a flight from Japan to Thailand. I changed my country from Japan, Thailand and Ireland. Japans flights were 32,000yen, Thailand was 39,000yen, and Ireland was 40,000yen (about the difference of 60 euro off a 300 euro flight) There were also different flights available depending on the country.

While it may only be the difference of a few euro, from now on I will always toggle between the departing country and destination country at least, to see if I can make some savings. It only takes a minute and could save you substantial amounts!

Below are the screenshots I took, all within minutes of each other. The only difference is the country selected and flights - language and currency settings don't seem to make a difference.

Flights with Japan as country

Flights with Thailand as country

Flights with Ireland as country