Hi.  I was wondering if anyone knows if family and I would be able to make a stopover to Guam (hubby's hometown) before reporting to Sasebo.  We would love to visit family for maybe a week.  Would the Navy allow that?  We are coming from San Diego.  Also, if anyone knows, would we be able to upgrade our tickets to first class and just pay the difference from out of pocket?  We will be traveling with 3 kids, youngest being almost 2 years old when we fly out.  We want to make the long flight the most comfy possible.  Thanks for any info. 

I don't know if you can do the extended layover-I would suggest asking whoever is getting your tickets ready, But I know we tried to fly out of san francisco (hubby was stationed in north island) instead of San Diego that way we didn't have to drive back to san diego when hubby's leave was over because we were staying an hour away from san francisco compared to an 8 hour drive with two small whiney children that hate being in cars, and they said no we had to fly out of his duty station to next duty station, (and we had a 2 hour lay over in san francisco!!!!)

I did try to upgrade our tickets as I didn't want to be cramped in coach with my 1 year old and 9 year old but we were told by the airline that we were not able to purchase upgrades on military purchased flights, and once we got here I was looking at the price it would have been, lmao- $4,000.00 TO $10,000 DOLLARS FOR FIRST CLASS. So yup we aren't flying first class on any international flights anytime soon. Good luck and hope you do better with the flight then we did!

@ deamarie...I guess I'll keep my fingers crossed Yikes.....$4-10 grand?!  I guess we'll have to deal with coach seats    Any suggestions on where are the best seats for toddlers....bulkhead, back of the plane, etc?  Also, which airline did you guys fly on and at what time did you all arrive at Fukuoka airport?  (I hope you don't mind me asking too many questions?)  I was reading the scheduled times for the blue shuttle bus that would take us to the naval base from the airport and if we arrived at night, the bus would be leaving at 2230....I'm terrified we might miss the bus!  Any tips would be so appreciated, thanks so much!

I think we were on delta?? I'm not sure with all the running all over the airport I'm not sure lol. Make sure and let your sponsor know when you will be arriving, if you guys get there after the shuttle the correct thing would be for the sponsor to provide you guys with transportation. We, me and the two kids, were smack in the middle of the plane, what a nightmare!! I would suggest if there is any way you could get the window seat as at least then its just you guys on that row. And I know how overwhelming it all is- but at least soon it will just be a memory :0)

We were able to fly out of my husband's home of record but I think only because we left our vehicles there...Last duty station was Biloxi, MS and his home of record is Houston, TX and that's where we left the vehicles...we were able to do that with no additional charge...of course, we had to drive those vehicles to houston on our own dime.
You are granted 30 days of leave prior to reporting to any overseas duty. Don't think the navy will pay that trip but I would just ask. Yes, coach is cramped...my husband is 6ft 5 and we had a 5 yr old, 3 yr old and a 6 month old at the time we flew to sasebo....it wasn't pleasant but doable....
good luck and Welcome to japan

Re: travel via Guam... make the travel people look up "circuitous travel" for you in the Joint Travel Regs (JTR). I did this years ago; I paid the difference in price as compared to a direct route, and it came out very cheap for me. The knee jerk reaction is they will tell you "No." Don't accept that at face value; push the matter, keep asking (different people, different times of day). Sooner or later you will someone who is not too lazy to figure it out & tell you how to do it.

Re: Which seats are best: Check out http://www.seatguru.com/ (there are other similar sites, but this one works pretty good.) If you know which airline & the EXACT aircraft type you'll be on then it will tell you seat by seat the pro's and cons of each particular seat (more legroom; next to the bathroom; poor view of the movie; etc.)

PLEASE don't fly with a 2-year-old in 1st class. You will be truly hated. People pay a lot of money for comfort & serenity up there. I could not imagine paying $6K+, only to have a 2-year-old with plugged ears from the altitude screaming all the way across the Pacific. In coach, you kind of expect it. On the subject of etiquette -- and I'm certain you're a good and conscientious parent -- you can walk your kids around the cabin to stretch their legs & relieve their boredom, but please accompany them; make sure they understand it's not a playroom. It's amazing how many parents don't understand this.

@Jenn...I won't bank on the Navy paying for it but still keeping optimistic =)  Where on the plane did you all sit and how did the kids do?  Oh, how are the baby changing stations on the plane if any?  Thanks for the info!  We are super excited to be headed to Sasebo!

@ThaiGuy...wow, I will definitely look into that instruction but I just hope we don't push anyone's buttons if we keep "nagging" Sato.  The website sounds great, I'm definitely going to utilize it and strategize=)  As far as first class, I guess your right about that.  Just wanted to know if anyone tried it with toddlers in tow.  Wishful thinking I guess  Thanks for your help!

The first time we PCS'd from Japan to VA, we were able to utilize non-circuitous (sp?) travel which allowed for a stop over on the way -- like Hawaii. It's been quite some time, so I don't know if that's still an option.

Posted By mitte on 12-30-2010 7:13 PM
The first time we PCS'd from Japan to VA, we were able to utilize non-circuitous (sp?) travel which allowed for a stop over on the way -- like Hawaii. It's been quite some time, so I don't know if that's still an option.

Actually, that's circuitous travel, an impossible-to-pronounce word meaning to go in a meandering or round-about fashion.  This used to be used a lot by people PCSing home from Japan.

Hey, what kind of Kit Kat is your avatar? I love all those special Japanese flavors.

This is nice to read....Concerning the children subject...We are heading to Japan in 8 weeks and flying with 4 kids, an 8 year old, 6 year old, 2 year old, and 9 month old. I traveled with 2 of my kids from Hawaii to JFK...and that was horrible, so I'm expecting the same outcome..or perhaps I mainly just have no high expectations on a pleasant flight.

My husband is a K-9 Dog Handler and he would probably prefer to use a choke chain and scream OUT on/at our children the same way he trains his dogs, I would be happier flying without my husband...anywhere. I'll just keep my daydreams of pepper spraying him in private...in check.

I would never let my kids run all over the plane, I care too much about what people see me as-as a mother. But I will walk around the plane and such with them to allow them to stretch and such. I am looking forward all the looks that I will get from my little boys screams...Oh, how fun.

How long is that Japan flight..in average? With stop or no stop? 10 to 14 hours?

Is there any special Medication that I can take?

lol

You can do a stopover on your way, you will just have to pay a difference. I have had friends that stopped over in HI this year (well 2010) They just had to pay the difference, which wasn't much.

Telling you can't fly out of San Francisco is crap. You are allowed to fly from wherever you are taking your leave. Though the person who did our flights was a complete idiot. They had the kids and I flying out of a city that is eight hours away from the city my husband to fly out of. Why? Who knows... We were taking his leave in VA. He was flying out of the correct airport in VA and we were flying out of SC (duty station). The person did not want to change that. We ended flying out of the same airport, but different flights. Yeah, the husband got lucky there... I had both kids. Since we did get flights out of where we were taking hubby's leave it is obvious that you can get a flight from San Francisco. Just do what ThaiGuy said and push for it. You will get different information every time you call. Our problem in SC is that it was a smaller base and we got the same woman every time we called. San Diego is bigger so you should have more luck.

I can't complain about my kids though. They were 3 and 5. They only got up to go to the restroom a few times. They just color, watch movies, play their DS', and sleep. We have flown a few times and I always get people complimenting me on how well behaved they are. I always pack them each a backpack of things to play with on the plane. I also got them children's headphones which are great. It helps that my kids are a little older. I never flew when they were babies.. their first flight was to Japan.

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