Aussie’s surprise flight ‘bargain’ to Japan

An Aussie traveller had no idea he could do this with his flight revealing it helped him live it up in Japan – together with the very low exchange rate.

Everyone seems to be visiting Japan — especially Aussies. One look through social media will prove that.

In the first five months of this year, the number of Australians heading over to the hotspot increased by 38.2 per cent compared to the same period in 2019, according to data from the Japan National Tourism Organisation (JNTO).

The latest monthly figures show there were 66,500 Aussie visitors to Japan in May this year, compared to 46,223 in May 2019 (up 43.9 per cent).

Japan is popular than ever before among Aussie.

Alex Raven from Brisbane spent a week in the popular Asian destination and took advantage of the historically low yen.

And it’s not just the main city of Tokyo that Aussies are flocking to – it’s also Kyoto and Osaka as travellers look to take advantage of the historically low yen.

Alex Raven from Brisbane is one of those Aussies having recently spent a week in the popular Asian destination, staying three nights in Tokyo, three nights in Kyoto and a day in Osaka.

“The exchange rate is amazing. It dropped a little bit half way through our trip but we had already booked and paid for our accommodation so we bagged a bargain for sure,” Alex told news.com.au.

“The conversion to yen is also so easy to calculate for Aussies at the moment which was an added bonus.”

It meant he was able to splurge that much more. He was also surprised to learn he could use Afterpay to pay for his $900 flight – helping to aliviate financial pressure on his trip.

He said the location is great for Aussies given the short flight duration and one-hour time difference.

“I hadn’t been to Japan before but it’s been all over my social media since reopening to tourists, and one of my mates from school lives over there so I’ve been meaning to check it out for a while.”

However, apart from the convenient exchange rate, Alex was surprised to learn he could pay his $800 return Jetstar flight at his leisure — something he had no idea he could do.

Alex raved about Kyoto which has been ranked as one of the world’s most beautiful cities for 2024 by Architectural Digest.

He said it helped to alleviate financial pressure, allowing him to enjoy his holiday that much more.

“I’ve used Afterpay a few times but never for a flight. I didn’t realise you could Afterpay flights until now, but it was great,” he said.

“It meant that we were able to secure an awesome deal now and pay it off in four more manageable payments over time, rather than the full cost just before you head on holiday

“It relieves a lot of the financial pressure that comes with booking a holiday. It meant I could distribute the cost across a few paychecks to give me the flexibility to manage my finances. “I’ve even adjusted the payment dates to suit me, to ensure the payments are deducted on the same day I’m paid so it’s easier to track.”

In the first five months of this year, the number of Aussies heading to Japan increased by 38.2 per cent compared to the same period in 2019.

Given the extra money he was able to pocket between the low exchange rate and Afterpay approach, Alex didn’t hold back when it came to shopping, eating and exploring.

“I loved Kyoto,” he said. “There’s so much to see and do there, from the beautiful shrines and temples, to the matcha on offer and the friendly people. I loved the bullet train – that’s something you dream of catching since you were a kid so it was really cool to experience.

“I love Japanese food so I was trying new things every day, from different types of Wagyu beef to all the good snacks at 7/11, it was great.”

Kyoto, a three-hour train ride from Tokyo, was ranked as one of the world’s most beautiful cities for 2024 by Architectural Digest.

It was ranked 12th on the list, with Adelaide nabbing first spot, followed by Tallinn, Estonia and Portsmouth, Dominica in spot three.

In the ranking, Kyoto was praised for its rich cultural heritage, cherry blossoms, iconic bamboo forest and sacred shrines. It also highlighted the fact that Kyoto is home to an impressive 17 UNESCO World Heritage Sites including the city’s brilliant gold Kinkaku-ji Temple, the Zen rock garden at Ryoan-ji Temple and the moss-laden Saiho-ji Temple. While Kyoto is undoubtedly rising in the ranks, new data released by the Japan Tourism Agency has revealed that the Shizuoka Prefecture has seen growth rates 64.4 per cent above the national average.

It welcomed 26,760 Australian overnight guests in 2023 alone.

“With this new-found popularity, Shizuoka is becoming a top, regional Japanese destination for Australian travellers, with February 2024 seeing a staggering 347.1 per cent increase in overnight stays compared to the same period in 2019,” Japan Tourism Agency said in a statement.