Singapore-Tokyo economy airfares cross S$2,000 mark as Japan lifts restrictions on tourists

AS JAPAN resumes the reopening of its borders, flight tickets from Singapore to Japan are creeping upwards. A return economy ticket on Singapore Airlines (SIA) to Tokyo’s Haneda Airport from mid to end-December now costs more than S$2,000, according to Google Flights data. In May, this route would have cost S$1,200.

Return flights from Singapore to other popular tourist spots in Japan, such as Sapporo, are also selling for above S$2,100, according to SIA’s website.

The average price of flight tickets on the national carrier, according to Google Flights data, ranges from S$1,700 to nearly S$1,900 over the month of December, depending on the specific location and date of travel.

A search for flights to Tokyo from mid to end-December on other third-party websites, including Mytrip.com, Skyscanner, Expedia and Cheapflights also revealed significantly elevated prices, with the cheapest direct tickets starting from S$1,650 offered by All Nippon Airways.

Airfares have risen generally, on the back of strong demand from so-called “revenge travel” – tourists seeking to make up for some 2 years of being confined to domestic destinations.

The roaring demand for flights to Japan comes after the country announced on Thursday (Sep 22) that it would be reopening its borders for visa-free, independent tourism from Oct 11. It will also abolish a daily arrival cap.

Following the announcement, travel booking platform Expedia said that search demand for travel to Japan on its flight booking site doubled, while search demand for hotels in Japan rose 85 per cent on Thursday, as compared with the site’s last 14-day average.

The upcoming year-end holiday season has also seen rising demand for international travel, with intra-Asia destinations trending strongly on Expedia’s site. Seven out of the top 10 searched cities on the booking platform were within Asia, with Tokyo, Japan ranking number 9 on the list.

“The reopening of Japan, and easing of quarantine measures in Taiwan position Asia as a strong aviation hub, with Tokyo and Taipei now reopening as international corridors for long haul flights from the US and across Asia,” said Lavinia Rajaram, Asia head of public relations, Expedia Group.

“Japan’s reopening will also see many Singaporean travellers fulfil their travel wanderlust for a much anticipated winter experience this year-end holidays,” she added.