Flying the World's Cheapest LIE FLAT Business Class (How much 💰?) 

For such a big traveller it's quite fun to see Noel so out of his Elements. :) A one minute Google would tell you to take the Keisei Skyliner from Ueno or the Narita Express from Tokyo instead. The Keisei Skyline runs on the same line as that local train and takes about an hour. 😅

The machines tried their best to stop you from leaving Japan lol

Japanese ground crew always wait for the aircraft to begin taxing away from the ramp. They wait patiently, wave and bow, regardless of weather conditions. Hats off to them!

Interesting factoid - at 13:41 you can see the home of a farmer who refused to sell his land when Narita Airport expanded ... so they were forced to build the taxiways around this house. To the best of my knowledge, the family still resides today.

Whilst I do LOVE the videos, a bit of prior notice could help you, Noel. I used to live in Japan. It is easy to navigate. I'd never use the Metro to get to NRT. Either Narita Express from Tokyo, or Keisei Skyliner from Ueno (which is a little cheaper, and faster!) And all connected by the Yamanote Line. And just grab yourself a tourist Suica card (think Oyster).

I get a smile watching such a well travelled person struggling with foreign ticket machines and check-ins. Love your style Noel. Keep flying.

I love that you document your travels TO the airport as well. That’s often the scariest part of traveling and anyone can start the video all sorted out at the airport. Great work!

the girl at the checkin desk made me smile. she seemed to like her job a lot! excellent! I'd fly them!

For Narita Airport, taking the "Narita Express" (NEX) or one of the limousine bus services (e.g. from Tokyo Station) might have been the easier option... ;-)

I flew in their economy from San Jose to Tokyo and had a great experience. Food was pretty good and cheap. Flight attendants were friendly and it was on time. Zipair is amazing for its price

Imagine being in England and ticket office staff speaking to you in Japanese 😂 We live a charmed life with the way so much of the world knows a little English.

Watching this video brings back so many memories of my trip to Tokyo, as well as exploring Narita Airport. Before that trip I remember watching your previous video about getting through Taipei on Eva Airlines, and how it helped calm my anxiety about whether or not i would have enough time to make my connection to Tokyo. Keep up the great content as always Noel!

Thanks Noel! I always look forward to the Sunday travel adventures you take us on. You're so fun to watch!!😀👍

Actually Japan is very easy to navigate even if you don't know the local language. The signs are in English the machines have English menus. You just need to do a little research. like google how to get to Tokyo from Narita and find great cheap and easy options with the estimated time they take too. Local transport uses a suica card. buy one and you can use it like a credit card anywhere. and if you don't like googling you can visit a tourist centre or kiosk for 10 minutes and they will tell you all these things. Basic research when travelling to a new country is common sense.

As a Japanese fan boy I love seeing how someone who has NO knowledge of Japan make all of the rookie mistakes so others don't have too....🗾❤

Watching Noel on a sunday has become a bit of a tradition in our house now , We love it ❤

It would be great to see more low cost carriers adopt this. Most of us don't need television screens in our seats anymore - we all have our own (phone, tablet, laptop) for entertainment. As you said, it would be wonderful to make food and drink optional instead of feeling you have to stay awake to make the most use of your fare.

Thanks again for another great Japan video! But when you were travelling to NRT I was screaming ‘Keisei Skyliner’ and ‘Suica’ to my screen haha. You could have saved yourself a lot of hassle because travelling in/around Tokyo is not that hard once you get to know the whole system. And besides the transit, Japan is still a very cash-oriented country. I’m sure you will be better prepared for stuff like this the next time you go to Japan (and given how much you enjoyed it, I’m pretty sure you will return sooner rather than later :)

I really hope zipair expand into more destinations, they look great value.

Noel great video! Your Japanese trip has definitely made me want to return to Japan . Nice Zipair goodie bag too . Looking forward to your next journey.😃

When I went to Tokyo 6 years ago, I got a round trip ticket for the Keisei Skyliner which is an express train going from Narita to/from Ueno Station. Worked like a charm for my friend and I.

Although Japan is a cash based country at heart, they use IC Card payment systems rather than Debit/Credit cards in many situations. They're just kinda stuck with a domestic system that no one else uses. Also, you could have gotten the Narita Express (NEX) from Tokyo, it is MUCH faster, and its probably the coolest limited express train in Japan! 😅

I'm surprised you hadn't needed cash before! Japan is very much a cash society still (which seems backwards I know) but I remember going in 2018 and needed loads!

I flew ZIPAIR business class earlier this year from LAX to NRT and was beyond impressed. It was only $1350 roundtrip. The food was high quality and super cheap, and the flight attendants bring it to you instantly after you order. The internet for me was amazing, especially for a transpacific flight. I was able to stream video easily. I also bought the amenity kit and still use the slippers and blanket daily, they have still held up after 6 months. My recommendation is to get the Shiroi Koibito cookies, those are the absolute best thing they offer. For less than half the price of other business class flights to Japan this airline is an absolute must.

We've really been enjoying your latest journeys in Japan, a country on our lists but right now, not in the budget. Have to admit, the "special needs" status gave us quite a chuckle plus the fellow traveller who identified you as a RU-vidr. I think that made his day. The airline looks good for a budget line. We're already looking forward to the next video. Thanks as always.

I gotta say, Noel, I'm a little surprised that it seems that you didn't look up online how to get to Narita -- there are countless pages and blog posts out there explaining (some in very minute detail) what to do and what to expect. Cost-wise, you probably found the cheapest way to get to Narita from Ginza, but time-wise, there are options that would easily do it in under 2 hours total.

The Toei Asakusa line serves both airports, thanks to through train services :) You can see that there are other company trains in there apart from Toei's such as Keikyu, Keisei Railways, and Hokuso Railways. Haneda is served by the airport branch line that connects with Keikyu Kamata at the south part of the line. It even runs an Airport Limited Express train between both airports and it takes an hour. Tbh, Airport bus from Tokyo Station or Keisei Skyliner would had been better options for you.

Hi Noel !!! Great to see new content as always !

There's a trick if you are not sure which ticket to buy in Japan: Just buy the cheapest ticket out and then top up the difference at the end of the journey. Or the easier method is to hold a contactless travel card like Pasmo (or Sucia) which can be used almost anywhere in urban Japan.

The Zippair lie flat seats are a great model that, like you, I wish other airlines would use. I'm fairly tall myself (not quite 6'4" though🤣) & seat space/comfort is much more important than all the other fripperies you get - completely agree with you on that too. Great tip on how to fly cheaper as well - most folk wouldn't think to fly to another country to fly back home for less!

OH and I forgot to mention , YOU ARE THE FIRST AV GEEK to introduce zipair ! I booked my mom a flight on it last night after watching this video for her trip to Singapore next month (LA to Singapore ). Dude you are bloody awesome 😊

Check in staff were super lush. Loved the metro hassle :) Always excellent 👌

I will say it again, the Japanese people are the MOST polite and friendly people I have ever met!

Going to Japan - you need an IC card (Suica, Pasmo, Icoca) and most importantly, you always should have some cash with you (preferably 20,000 yen). Trains almost never accept credit cards other than buying a shinkansen ticket. And yes, while Japan is a technically advanced country, they're still very old school for certain things: like only cash for an IC card/train ticket. Keeps costs low by not paying those transaction fees.

GREAT GREAT GREAT REVIEW!!! I am so glad I got to see this review, I was dreading planning this future trip to Phuket in about 18 to 24 months because of all of that time in the air in coach over the Pacific. Thank you from the bottom of my heart Noel...

Great video again Noel, who knew this seat existed, what a good idea. Could tell you were knackered at the end, it must be tough being away from home for long periods and flying so frequently, take care of yourself mate

7:58 "British, yeah that's why he doesn't like me, nobody does" LMAO

I just priced out ZipAir from SFO to Tokyo lie flat was right at $1150 up to $1860. I am looking to travel to Phuket sometime in the next year or so, so being able to cross the Pacific (first time, been trans Atlantic 7 times) in a Lie-Flat for dang near the same price as coach with a night or two in Tokyo would be amazing.

I've heard that one night in Bangkok makes a hard man humble, also that the bars are temples but the pearls ain't free.

24.00 - if you’ve got your camera set to NTSC (American 60hz electric) you should get less flicker generally internationally. If you’re in PAL (UK 50hz electric) this will only match British frequencies for mains electric. Problem is that everywhere has mixtures of LED-driven lighting which can run at any old frequency.

Cool check-in person , they looked super nice

Noel I had a good laugh when you said: oh this machine doesn't like me because I'm British. LOL! I would feel the exact same way being American with those machines-worse even! You were really out of your element there and it made me laugh. By the way the hotels are so nice that you go to and the one in Bangkok is no exception..wow!

hey noel, love the videos keep it up!😁

Noel, the fact that the machine knew you had special needs is a surprise. The surprise is that the machine knew, what we have always known! 😂

Noel I have to say that you are quickly becoming my favorite av geek. The reason is that you actually talk about the different ways to EXPERIENCE these stunning gems by not having to pay and arm and a leg. Unlike other aviation enthusiasts who talk about opening various credit cards, you focus more on the various types of routes that one can fly in order to experience some of these flights . For instance , I am specifically flying to bangkok next month to experience the emirates A380 first class (just $900 round trip to HK!!) . That’s bloody fantastic mate . I also ran into your video regarding the Cairo Sydney QR first class fare and I CHANGED MY WHOLE ITINERARY for Australia in order to be on that amazing opportunity. Thanks Noel. You are a true gem and I love your videos ! Please keep talking about these routes!!

I checked their website , you can actually get the flat bed even cheaper, in September I found them from $400 Tokyo - Bangkok. Incredible really.

Nice! A The Office fan! Amazing as always. Thank you for showering the real side of airlines.

It's good to see that an experienced traveller occasionally gets baffled by procedure or technology too. And you (appear to) bear it with good humour.

Noel is so polite. He says thank you at least 20 times a video😅

Great vlog as always! Zipair has cracked the wifi code so to speak. IFE is a huge cost. Yes, let us give the pax free wifi. If is good to see that you can teache old dogs new tricks. Lol! I prefer Marriott myself. Hilton is very up, but mostly down when it comes to the over all product. Keep up the good work. Be safe! We will have the storm Harry for the next two days here in Scandinavia. THE worst storm EVER they say. Juhu…

Hope you had a good time in Tokyo, Noel. The train system can be cumbersome, for your next trip try to secure an IC card such as Suica or Pasmo. You can even add this to your e-wallet and charge via any credit card. IC cards allow you to travel with almost every type of public transportation as well as common form of payment in shops, restaurants, vending machines,..

Having the authentic travel experience! For some reason the best plans always go awry. Good job navigating it Noel!

Noel. I think you need me as a guide next time you are in Japan lol. You took the local train to Narita. No wonder it was slow

"What did you do?? You are special needs!" I'm dying 😂😂😂😂

Thanks for the vlog, because I commented on your last video about bullet train mentioning about Zipair and you said stay tuned.

Once again, this trip suffered from a severe lack of research. You took the "Subway" which does take 2 hours because it goes through Chiba Prefecture, leaving Tokyo, making all local stops. You could've taken the NEX from Tokyo Station and that takes about an hour. Or take the trip up to Ueno and take the Sky Liner which takes about 30 to 40 minutes. You would've also realized that Narita was NOT in Tokyo - not even close. It's in the heart of Chiba Prefecture, which is why it takes so long to get to Tokyo from there. This series was extremely painful to watch...

Great review and the service is Japan style LCC: no frills but still better than many US airlines 😂 BTW you did took the slowest possible train to narita. skyliner ran by the same company (keisei) will only takes 40 mins direct with nice seat from ueno to narita

What an amazing trip to Japan. I really enjoyed all the videos. Keep it up.

Apart from those flippin' machines, this very much felt like a fab experience. Chears Noel, Enjoyed it immensely.

noel randomly finding out that he had special needs is so funny

"Try out authentic Japanese cuisine ", proceeds to buy a burger from McDonald's 😂

Flew their route from San Jose to Tokyo back in December, absolutely fantastic value!

Asian people are so kind and lovely and very open and welcoming.

The only other LLC that i can remember having lie flats is FlyDubai, and they are SUPERB!

Japan is highly cash orientated society. Maybe you can hire someone to do some intel on your destinations before you go?

I love how you tuck in those fries. When you’ve been overseas for long time you know how that craving gets 😊

All service people seem so nice. That’s what I like about Japan. Everyone tries to be pleasant.

That you would even consider getting a taxi to the airport in a country with such extensive and efficient public transport is just crazy to me.

It's nice to watch all the business and 1st class vids but most of us fly economy.

I was really impressed with Zipair, hadnt heard of them till now. Nice amenity kit☺️

Glad you got to fly with Zippy. Thats a real bang for your buck. The seats look better that most tull service carriers

I find your lack of preparation astounding. If you are going for the 'idiot abroad' vibe, you are doing a great job!

The Narita Skyacess is a way better transportation system to the airport and the cost difference from the metro isnt that much an it saves you half the time to get there. And yeah Japan so far is still in the transition from cash to card as it is still ingrained in their culture to pay in cash. Airasia X has lie flat beds as well as far as I remember.

Another good one Noel! Thank you’

hi noel, great video. I love ZIPAIR. in fact i took this airline from singapore to japan in dec 22 and march 23 in economy class. great experience in the flights both times. man you make me miss taking this airline. i will probably book ZIPAIR again for march 24 hahaha. on a side note, i am very shocked at the huge price difference flying to US from japan vs from thailand. i cannot believe that the flights to us from bangkok is actually cheaper than from japan to US!!

For someone who travels so extensively and is a travel vlogger, I'm astounded that Noel doesn't appear to research his destinations and then criticizes the Japanese for requiring cash!

I’ve seen a bit of hate on this video. But I really enjoyed the content 😊. Thank you for video and for making me want to try out zip air some day.

Might actually do this from SFO-NRT in November. ~$2.5k there and back in a nice seat vs ~$1k in economy is pretty awesome. Like you, I’ve never been but always wanted to, so this is a good way to go. Will have to look at hotels now because they’re not cheap. Think it was $120 each way for the upgrade for food and bags and stuff (and it’s the same $120 for economy pax too). Shame about the carry on weight limit given they have plenty of space above the J seats, so no dumping all my clothes in there in case my checked bag goes awol. Nice find!

Nice airline! As you quite rightly say sometimes you just need a better seat without paying for all the frills. All seats looked superb.

It’s so strange to learn that a country at the forefront of technological and automotive is still so traditional when it come to things like cash. Cash is still king.

I know you had to narrate and blog and tell us what was happening (and I looooove the way you do it - you style is why I follow you), but in Japan, talking in transportation like trains is considered very rude.

Love your channel😊

Noel, the 737 you saw at Narita Airport fly to Guam & Saipan, not Hawaii. United does not operate any Honolulu to Tokyo flights. Zip Air fly the Narita to Honolulu route. Japan Airlines, ANA & Hawaiian fly to both Airports in Tokyo. Great Video as always.

3:15 "Most technologically advance country" Japan also only takes fax for everything, even people working in financial banking need to physically run around getting stamps everywhere and fax the forms somewhere else. Imagine the work efficacy if they just can sign everything digitally and send an email doing everything on a computer using modern technology.

Great content Noel, you’ve given some great suggestions to your viewers on how we can travel by taking a business class option at a affordable price not much more than economy many of us didn’t think was possible , keep up the great work , maybe you should do a cruise trip give you a chance to sleep in a bit more 😃

YAY ANOTHER NEW VIDEO!!

The machine saying you had special needs was hilarious 😂😂 Maybe the ticket barriers had tipped it off? 😂

Ryanair is all a lot of people can afford so it’s a little shortsighted (ironic given your myopia) to be so critical.

Your experience in Tokyo was self inflicted (no disrespect lol) there are tons of non cash options (IC cards or mobile pay) and express trains to narita via JR rail that would’ve saved you time and a headache🤕 . Better luck next time!

I eagerly await your videos to enjoy with my Sunday coffee. Those taxi prices are wild!

Hi Noel, I appreciate your last two videos so much. I did a year's worth of research and spent 3 weeks in Japan and really really struggled. All other RU-vidrs say it's easy to travel and it's become cashless but having gone to 50 countries, Japan was one of the hardest places to navigate 😩

why do you shake when speaking to people stay cool calm and composed

lovely styled safetycards too - cant wait to catch one 😃

Honestly you have the patience of a saint

I normally appreciate your videos, but this Japan series has been infuriating. You obviously did zero preparation and made that the problem of people around you. Just some examples from this video: 1. Could've gotten an IC Card in Sapporo, none of this faffing about with paper tickets. Alternatively, get an electronic version for your phone, even easier. Put that on auto reload and you're golden. 2. Navigating public transit in Japan is incredibly easy for foreigners, just use Google Maps. It even has fare info and would've told you there is an express train to Narita taking less than half the time it took you. 3. Obviously cabs are expensive, Japan is a country with high living expenses and high labour cost. You wouldn't expect a cab in the UK or western Europe be cheap, would you? That driver has to eat and pay rent. I don't expect travel reviewers to have intricate knowledge of every country they end up in, but this is just embarrassing to watch, especially as it would've never come up if you'd done like an hour of research before landing in Haneda.

Too much disinformation about Tokyo. Do your research, Noel.

Noel tell us about your most turbulent flights sometime, hey! I really want to know how you deal with chop being such a seasoned flyer. Also, I love hearing about how folks lived to tell the tales of hair-raising adventures as well. 😮

Noel… I usually love you. But you do realise that some people menstruate and that it’s a part of life and not some quaint punchline. The amount you seemed amused that god forbid an airline supports the roughly 40% of people in the world who have periods is absolutely creepy and shows that you need to watch your privilege as a cis man.

You must skip lo review in Japan. They are the cleanest people in the whole world. Japanees passengers they clean after they are done, they dont wait for a crew to pick up their plate.

Quick security: Oulu, Finland (OUL) is my local airport. I started timing it, just for a laugh. My record is 87 seconds - and that's from stepping off the bus to picking my phone out of the tray. Unfortunately they've moved the bus stop further away now, so I doubt I will ever beat that record.