Travel Experience from Tokyo to Paris – Using Air China

During the latter half of Golden Week, I traveled from Tokyo to Paris using Air China. This article shares that experience.

Flight Information

We used the following flights:

• Narita Airport (Tokyo) 15:15 → Air China (China) 18:25
• Air China (China) 02:10 → Charles de Gaulle Airport (Paris) 7:15

It cost about 150,000-160,000 yen for two people one way, which was quite a good deal.

I had some concerns about the LCC-level price,
but there were actually no problems at all, and I was very satisfied.

In-flight Service

The in-flight service was surprisingly comprehensive.

The in-flight meals included Japanese food,
providing delicious meals that suited Japanese tastes.
There were also Western-Japanese fusion dishes based on white rice.

Drinks were distributed each time the flight attendants made their rounds,
allowing us to enjoy a comfortable flight.

Blankets were standard, and
we could watch movies on the monitors attached to the seats.

It was as well-equipped as JAL or ANA.
The flight attendants’ service was excellent,
and I had no complaints, so I would definitely use them again.

Security Checks in China

In addition to regular security checks in China,
there were simple body checks and iris scans,
giving the impression that the inspections were more thorough than at other airports.

First-time international travelers from Japan might be a bit surprised,
but you’ll feel the high level of security.

Baggage Restrictions

• Checked Baggage: One regular checked bag is free (weight limit of 23 kilograms, 50 pounds per bag)
• Carry-on Baggage: In Economy Class, one item up to 5kg (dimensions not exceeding 55cm x 40cm x 20cm)

link: https://www.airchina.jp/JP/JP/info/checked-baggage/international.html

For a 1-2 week trip,
you can carry your luggage without any problems,
and no additional fees were incurred. Very reasonable.

I think it’s better than using a low-cost carrier.

How to Spend Time During Transit

Waiting for transit at night was very difficult.
Since most shops were closed,
all we could do was lie down on chairs in the airport.

The following items were useful:

Travel Pillow

Although slightly bulky, a cushioned pillow is recommended over the inflatable type.
I used the following:

Charger and Plug Adapter

I carried this one around, and it was extremely useful both at the airport and hotels.

Portable Battery

There are limitations on which power banks can be brought on board.
I used the following high-capacity power bank that was allowed on board:
I had no problems passing through airports in China, France, Italy, and Greece.

Other useful items:

• Simple snacks (brought from Japan)
• Books
• Movies downloaded in advance

Restaurants and Internet Connection at the Airport

There are two Chinese restaurants in the airport,
and one Starbucks.

Prices are almost the same as restaurants in Japan,
so you can feel at ease spending about 2,000-4,000 yen for two people.

The portions were larger than in Japan, which was filling.
Being authentic Chinese cuisine, it was delicious.

I couldn’t connect my phone to the internet,
so I had trouble figuring out the exchange rate between yen and yuan, making it difficult to know if restaurant prices were high.

To avoid this issue, it’s a good idea to check exchange rates in advance.

Services like LINE and Twitter are not available in China,
so you may have trouble with communication methods.

The free WiFi at the airport was extremely slow and unusable.

I recommend contracting for eSIM data while still in Japan.
I used Ubigi.

Summary

Air China flights were very comfortable,
with reasonable prices and comprehensive in-flight services.

While preparation for transit waiting times and communication methods in China is important, everything else was fine.

I would like to use Air China again next time.

I hope this article helps with your travel plans.
If you have any questions or comments, please let me know.

If you’re interested in the European trip itself,
please check out the following article:

https://gonkunblog.com/goto-europe-france-italy-greece/2177/