1

Can't help with your particular question, but some thoughts anyway...

If you have checked in luggage, that would usually be shipped through to Tokyo and in my experience the airlines are not willing to ship anything to intermediate stops unless perhaps you have something in there (medication!?) which you absolutely must get to already in Osaka.

If you travel with carry on luggage only, you could very likely get off in Osaka and I would not expect any problems with custom when entering Japan. As far as I remember you have to fill in your flight number in the arrival form, but I was never asked to show my ticket when entering Japan. But of course there is the risk that they'd cancel your return flight which would be a pity. So personally I would not risk it.

FWIW, I once managed to have my checked-in luggage shipped to an intermediate stop, when travelling on a Tokyo-Munich-Krakow ticket, getting off in Munich. However that was with Swiss, just before Christmas and was the return portion of my flight ticket.

Just curious, what is your plan for Japan? If you are travelling, perhaps you could rearrange your itinerary such that a flight to Tokyo could make sense.

2

Thanks for the reply.

Due to FAA regulations I know domestic US flights won't allow baggage to travel on a plane on which the owner has not also boarded. Bomb worries etc. I imagine that's the same internationally these days. And yes, I would have checked luggage. So if I tried this plan I'd have to get off the first flight and inform someone that I won't be boarding the second flight so they could pull my bag. If I said nothing, they would just pull my bag anyway once they realized I never boarded, but that would probably cause a delay to the other passengers which I would never do of, course.

Regarding my plans, I just know I'll be traveling late March through Early April, and that the tail end of the trip must end in Tokyo because I'm meeting someone there. Otherwise, I want to see Kyoto, Hiroshima, maybe Nara and Nikko or Hakone too.

So I have two options:

1) Fly roundtrip to Tokyo and take the Japanican deal to shinkansen down to Kyoto for 4 days. JR Pass wouldn't be cost effective with this option, so daytrips to Hiroshima & Nikko I'd have to pay for full price.
2) Fly to Osaka first, use a JR Pass to explore Kansai and then shinkansen up to Tokyo and explore the surrounding area up there.

I would much prefer the second option for the flexibility of the JRP, but cost is an issue. I've priced it out, and for my travel dates, it's about $150 cheaper to take option 1.

If I had some assurance that they wouldn't cancel my return flight if I deplane in Osaka and just stay there, it would save me over $200 US and I'm on a rather tight budget.

So as you can see, I'm basically just debating between two rather similar things that cost similar amounts but I'm trying to squeeze everything I can from every penny I spend. Can't decide though.

3

Can you show your workings? What is your exact itinerary including dates? I know you've posted before but perhaps things have changed.

4

Sure. Thanks for asking. And yeah, my plans have changed a lot since I began this process.

Option 1:
3/28 Fly to Tokyo
3/29 Arrive - Stay over night in Tokyo
3/30 Start Japanican.com tour (rail & hotel included) to Kyoto
3/31 Kyoto (daytrip to Hiroshima?)
4/1 Kyoto
4/2 Kyoto - Check out of hotel and shinkansen back to Tokyo
4/3 Toyko (daytrip to Hakone?)
4/4 Tokyo
4/5 Tokyo
4/6 Tokyo
4/7 Fly home from Tokyo

Option 2:
3/28 Fly to Osaka
3/29 Arrive - Kyoto
3/30 Activate JR Pass and Daytrip to Hiroshima
3/31 Daytrip to Nara?
4/1 Kyoto
4/2 Kyoto + Shinkansen to Toyko
4/3 Tokyo (daytrip to Hakone)
4/4 Tokyo (daytrip to Nikko)
4/5 Tokyo - JR Pass expires
4/6 Tokyo
4/7 Fly home from Tokyo

To my surprise, though option 1 includes rail to and from Tokyo as well as the hotel in Kyoto, it comes out to almost the same price as the JR Pass as well as paying for my own hotels assuming I pay full price for the daytrip to Hiroshima.

I don't have the exact prices since they change almost daily factoring air travel + hotel availability etc., but basically option 1 comes out cheaper by around $100-$150 per person (I'm traveling with my girlfriend). But option 1 is logistically worse since I basically waste that first night in Tokyo, and the time on the train getting to Kyoto the next day, only to repeat that trip later in the week when I return to Tokyo. Option 2 is much more appealing to me logistically, and also because I'll have the flexibility to take twice as many daytrips.

5

So if I tried this plan I'd have to get off the first flight and inform someone that I won't be boarding the second flight so they could pull my bag.

I honestly think no airline would cater to such a request. Sorting through tons of luggage just to find the 1-2 bags you want would be a nightmare for them, especially since you would already have them tagged for Tokyo.

1) Let the stuff go to Tokyo and then pick it up at the claims window after you get their by train. If you can carry enough stuff with carry-on until then, that is.

2) Mail your luggage to Osaka. Where, I don't know, but it's another option.

I think you're simply going to have to make other plans and get off where your luggage goes.

6

Are you sure?

Japanican 4 day Shinkansen Hikari package 3 nights at Hotel Club Hokke = 84,600 yen (for two people)
Kyoto to Hiroshima and back by Shinkansen = 40,000 yen (for two people).
Total = 124,600 yen

Hotel Hokke Club for those dates booked via booking sites = 48,600 yen for 3 nights
7-day JR Pass for two people = 28,300 x 2 = 56,600 yen.
Total = 105,200 yen.

Plus quite a few day trips from Kyoto are covered with the JR Pass. Hikone Castle, Nara, Osaka etc. You also save 1100 yen going to Hakone assuming you buy the Hakone Free Pass at Odawara. Nikko is also covered. You also can choose when to travel and aren't stuck with heading back to Tokyo around lunch time.

Obviously there is the time issue but to be honest I would strongly recommend you spend the first few days in Tokyo so that you can see Kyoto later for improved cherry blossoms anyway. You also will avoid the weekend in Kyoto if you do that which may make booking hotels cheaper and easier.

7

Your trip is only 10 days. You could solve your luggage issue (and IMO, make travel better in general) by doing your trip with only carry-on. (I haven't checked a bag in over a decade. This summer I did a 1-month trip with only carry-on. You're allowed 2 fairly decent sized carry-on. My 1-month trip was done with a small knapsack and one of those mid-size suitcases w/wheels, like the flight attendants all use.)

However, you still might have the issue of them cancelling your return flight if you don't board the KIX-TYO portion. I'm not sure how that would go.

8

I think you're misunderstanding. I'm pretty sure they HAVE to remove my bags if I'm not on the plane. The reason it's like that in US is because they don't want some lunatic checking in for a flight at the terminal, checking a bag, and then just leaving the airport, with dangerous contents in the checked bag. Their logic is that fewer people will be interested in harming others if it includes blowing themselves up. I'm not defending the practice, and I'm sure there are places in the world where rules are more lax but like I said, I find it hard to believe that anyone would let checked bags fly into a city with arguably the most tall buildings in the world, without making sure the person is on the plane too.

Japanican 4 day Shinkansen Hikari package 3 nights at Hotel Club Hokke = 84,600 yen (for two people)
Kyoto to Hiroshima and back by Shinkansen = 40,000 yen (for two people).
Total = 124,600 yen

Interesting. I'll have to check again. Last time I looked, the Hotel Club Hokke was only available through Japanican and not available on my dates. And the next hotel up that I considered was much more money. This left the deficit of about $150. Going back to my original point, I haven't decided if it's worth it to save that money and take Option 1. Or spend the extra money, and take Option 2.


Can't. I have to be in Tokyo at the end of April for a business discussion. Problem is I'm self-employed and can't just expense all of this, so I'm trying to turn a 1 day business meeting into a 10 day vacation since I have to go anyway. Oh yeah, and I'm only free from Mar 28 - Apr 7.


Interesting point. It doesn't solve the problem of them possibly cancelling my return flight, but it could open up other options like booking a roundtrip flight from a bigger hub in the US, and then booking separate travel to that hub. The only issue is that I need to bring a couple suits, and I don't have a carry-on garment bag. But maybe it's worth spending the money to get some more flexibility.

Thanks all for the feedback.

edited for quote fixes

Edited by: Husky82

9

Actually they might not check your bags through to Tokyo - in many countries you have to collect your bags at the first landfall, ie. Osaka in your case, and go through customs. You could check this with the airline without arousing too much suspicion.

However, I think they would cancel your return flight if you didn't take the second leg of the outbound flight.

10

You might miss it if it is the end of April!! What date is this one day meeting?

11

Whether you can through-check your luggage to Tokyo or not depends on the status of your connecting flight. If it's considered an international flight, leaving from the international terminal, your luggage can be tagged to Tokyo, where you go through customs. But if your Tokyo flight is considered domestic, leaving from the domestic terminal, then your luggage will be only tagged to Osaka (KIX), where you have to go through customs and then check it in for the next flight..

If you want to forfeit your connecting flight to Tokyo and board your return flight in Osaka, you will be breaking the ticket condition and the airline can cancel all further reservations. If you speak to them before the connecting flight departs that you have decided not to take the flight and would want to join your return flight in Osaka, and give a good reason for the sudden change of plan, they may allow you but don't count on it. The reason must be unexpected and urgent, such as sudden illness. If they decide you are only doing it to save money, don't expect much sympathy.

12

I think you're misunderstanding. I'm pretty sure they HAVE to remove my bags if I'm not on the plane
Yeah, it's safe to assume everybody here understands that, and the reasons why things work that way. Believe it or not, but the US is not the only country in the world smart enough to reason that "they don't want some lunatic checking in for a flight at the terminal, checking a bag, and then just leaving the airport, with dangerous contents in the checked bag".
So yes, if you don't show up at the departure gate of your flight to Tokyo, the airline will pull off your baggage, which may delay the flight and all passengers on it.

If they decide you are only doing it to save money, don't expect much sympathy
Exactly. It's quite naive to assume the airline will comply with your request to help you save money. What would be the point of an airline offering more expensive direct fares from the US to Osaka if passengers can simply buy a cheaper ticket to Tokyo with a transfer in Osaka and then decide to forfeit their connecting flight in Osaka?

Having said that, as #9 already suggested: unless there's been a major change in immigration and customs regulations in the past years, Japan requires international travellers to clear passport control, pick up their bags and clear customs at their point of entry, i.e. Osaka in your case. There are a few flights exempted from this regulations, however.
And of course that still wouldn't solve the problem of your return flights being automatically cancelled when you miss one of your flights (the airline can re-book these flights, but only if you have a good reason, which you have not).

13

If you skip out on the Osaka-Tokyo segment of the proposed ticket, the rest of your reservation will be cancelled, count on it. The exception, as someone mentioned above, is if you were to suddenly "take ill" upon arrival in Osaka and tell a staff member you just can't fly on but need to stick around in Osaka to see doctor, will find your own way to Tokyo later, and to please override the computer system not to cancel the rest of the return reservation, bla bla bla.

However, take another look at the fare's detailed rules. If the fare allows a stopover and does not limit it to a stopover outside Japan, then it should be possible to do this as USA-KIX (stopover)-TYO (destination) and return. The stopover could be the number of days you need in Osaka, Hiroshima, Nara, Kyoto before returning to KIX and flying on. Sometimes stopovers are allowed for a flat fee added to the fare--this might still be cost-effective vs what you're proposing. And it would make dealing with luggage subterfuge unnecessary.

Please, for consideration of other passengers, do not get into a situation where you do a runner and then require the airline to delay the flight while they pull your bags. That is just uncool. If you cannot properly afford this trip to Japan without pulling these sorts of stunts, you have no business traveling there in the first place.

This is from an experienced international traveler.

14

Courtesy to other passengers and cancelled ticket aside, if you try to do a runner, it might be tricky to persuade them to hand over your bags to you.