Tokyo Airfares: L.A. Times Dropped The Ball

Above, a Korean Air Lines jet being prepared for a flight to Japan. Korean Air had the lowest round-trip fare I found. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

While reading the listings of airfares in the Los Angeles Times Travel section yesterday, I noticed that the lowest (and only) airfare listed from Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) to Tokyo was $1,064.00 from these airlines: ANA, American, Delta, JAL, Singapore and United.

I thought this price was odd as only a week before they listed the price for a round-trip ticket from LAX to Narita at around $800. Even this was a bit high as fares generally drop during the off-season. So I decided to do some checking on my own.

Through my source, the lowest airfare I found was $360.00 + tax and fuel surcharge from Korean Air Lines. Others (including Continental, ANA and United) averaged at $454.00 + tax + service fee.

The Times checks airfares on Thursdays, the day before the Sunday Travel section goes to press. It appears they didn't check very well since I found fares much lower than they did. And, it only took me a few minutes to do so.

This does not give me much confidence in the paper's travel section staff.

Boeing 787 Era Begins

Boeing's new 787 "Dreamliner" made its inaugural flight today.

According to the Atlanta Journal Constitution:

After a delay of more than three years, Boeing's much-hyped jet, the 787, made its first commercial flight, from Tokyo to Hong Kong — and landed on-time.

The All Nippon Airways flight was packed mostly with aviation reporters and enthusiasts, some of whom paid thousands of dollars for the privilege and treated the experience like a rock concert, clapping after lift-off and snapping photos for posterity.

The 787, which is nicknamed The Dreamliner, is neither the fastest nor largest jet. But it is built out of ultra-lightweight materials and promises to be 20 percent more fuel-efficient than comparable aircraft, a big deal at a time of high oil prices.

Thus far, I've flown on Boeing's 747 and 777 jetliners with different carriers including United, Singapore Air and Korean Air to Japan. It will be interesting to fly aboard the new Dreamliner and whether or not the ultra-lightweight materials translates to lower air fares.

To read the full AJC article, go here.