Hey I'm going to Japan and I'll need your help! NOT MONEYWISE THOUGH LULZ

[Rei-Rei]

ok i think i got a link. i duno if it would should show the most recent information that i got today but here goes.

http://www.cheapflights.com/flights-to-japan/oakland/

maybe umm its cause im leaving from oakland airport?

There are no direct flights from Oakland airport.  They're probably including a few transfers in there, likely through LA or Seattle, or sometimes worse, farther than you started.  If you haven't noticed, all of the cheap flights on this page say "EXCLUDING TAX."    The gas surchages and taxes will make them match the more expensive fares on the page.  This is why you absolutely have to look at the fare AFTER taxes.

Still, 600 before tax........ Is not possible to Japan.

[GirlfromIpanema]

Still, 600 before tax........ Is not possible to Japan.

Yes, they are.  Why is this so hard to understand?  "Taxes" here are NOT the same as sales tax.  It includes the gas surcharges.

The base airfare is actually not that much and does not itself change drastically each year (though it does change between seasons).   If you look at the page she linked, there definitely were flights to Japan that were under $700 pre-tax. (BASE FARE)  The fact is gas surcharges and other taxes (this is what we mean by taxes) are MORE than the base price of the ticket.  Once you clicked on her link and went all the way to where they calculate the rates, the rates are the same as the other sites which calculate the taxes in for you.  This does not mean that the ticket was not under $700 before taxes.  It was . .  the reality is that the price before taxes is MEANINGLESS. 

There are flights from Japan to LA that are under $200, before taxes.  Gas surcharges and other charges bring the flights up over $1000.  It doesn't mean that the ticket itself wasn't $200 to begin with.  This is why, as I said, check the prices POST-TAXES. 

ALL agencies here in Japan advertise the fares pre-taxes, so I'm not as unfamiliar as you with the concept of base ticket price.  Agencies in the US seem to do it only to be misleading . . . and it seems people here fall for it.   

[Steve.Young]

You go girl!

Haha.

Yes, you are correct many airlines and many travel agencies do advertise prices of their flights pre-tax (But advertise it in a way that implies everything included) and many Americans do not understand that the pre-tax rate is a lot lower without the surcharges they add on (especially since many airlines are cutting the free services and making you pay for what use to be free in addition).

[Rei-Rei]

Eh... Probably because I usually take off at different airports. I had my ticket... Which was over 1000 dollars. I think that was all the taxes included, EXCEPT the airport tax, which was a bitch... Almost 100 USD equivalent for airport tax... >.>;

[cortana]

Narita's airport tax got repealed back in the 90s. Even then, it was only 3000円. Annoying, because you had to change money to yen before you got there so you didn't get raped at the ONE pre-immigration currency window.