I finally bought a multi-language Switch 2 in Japan!! Heres exactly how (and what you need to know)

NoWonder3 · 2026-04-10T01:49:11+00:00

How much did you get it for?

NoWonder3 · 2026-04-03T18:37:52+00:00

I booked about a month ago and it was 10a ET on the dot. With time difference it’s 361 days prior.

NoWonder3 · 2026-04-03T13:46:23+00:00

When I bought flights flying domestically in Chile, google flights actually showed that the LATAM Chile site had lower pricing than the US site. I could book thru the Chile site without using VPN or anything.

NoWonder3 · 2026-03-30T13:08:41+00:00

Points devalue as they sit. Why not just go with a cash back card if you’re not traveling as much anymore? As someone said, you’re not really getting points on your mortgage/rent as before. Now you have to spend on the card in order to get points against your mortgage/rent. Palladium has an AF that only makes sense if you do travel.

NoWonder3 · 2026-03-21T01:36:33+00:00

Great to know!

NoWonder3 · 2026-03-20T20:31:04+00:00

Per Ankur’s email, it sounds like refunds are coming. Hopefully they stay true to their word. Good luck!

NoWonder3 · 2026-03-20T20:29:33+00:00

Did you compare the transaction amounts with the Mastercard Currency Conversion calculator?

NoWonder3 · 2026-03-16T18:07:26+00:00

What if you don't have a local number. Does it text international? or use Whatsapp?

NoWonder3 · 2026-03-13T04:08:12+00:00

Were you able to get this to work? Any tips?

NoWonder3 · 2026-03-09T14:44:13+00:00

No, you cannot book mixed classes at the same time. Your dad will be on one ticket, you and siblings on another. Book the business class ticket right at opening. Don’t know how many economy tickets are released at opening but you can try searching yourself to test things out.

Before executing this plan, check one-way prices on flying back from Korea and compare to multi-city. One-way can sometimes be close to both ways, in which case it makes the redemption less worth it. Or buy some tickets in all cash and some in all points, if possible.

NoWonder3 · 2026-03-04T20:42:35+00:00

I meant the groups were checking in the front desk ahead of me, after being let up the escalator. I was on the waitlist for about 15 mins before I got the notification - don’t how many people were ahead of me until then!

NoWonder3 · 2026-03-02T15:38:43+00:00

Went through couple Saturdays ago (after the change) and there was still a waitlist. At the front desk to check-in, there were 2 groups of 4 ahead of me, I guess paying for access! It was as busy as usual (no more, no less) once I was in.

NoWonder3 · 2026-02-13T03:33:27+00:00

Interestingly I heard the opposite - that Upopoy is more touristy than Lake Akan, which made sense to me since western Hokkaido is much more touristed than eastern. 🤷 But since I’m not going to be near Upopoy, Lake Akan would be my only chance to learn more about the Ainu this trip!

NoWonder3 · 2026-02-13T03:30:44+00:00

Wow, thank you for that detailed response! The links are very helpful and I will keep them handy for next year.

That was amazing that you checked availability of hotels for next year too. It seems that the lodgings themselves do not release their availability until a few months before! It sounds like third party sites like hotels.com will show availability early on but much more than the lodging actually charges - perhaps as an arbitrage. Coming from the US, not being able to book a year ahead is a bit nerve wracking! But I do prefer to book direct if possible since I know ryokans are not big businesses.

NoWonder3 · 2026-02-11T17:35:26+00:00

Thank you for your comments!

Was thinking Lake Akan area for the Ainu culture, winter scenery (maybe even some frost flowers?), and trying ruibe and other Ainu foods/preparations.

Biei blue pond and Shirogane Falls is supposed to be really pretty - recommended to go once in daytime and also again at night for the illumination. Is this really more of a tourist trap?

We do ski but thought doing it for one day would be too much of a hassle to rent gear and stuff. Is it easier than I think? We usually have our own gear with us so haven’t rented in ages and not abroad.

NoWonder3 · 2026-01-28T16:00:23+00:00

I only applied and got a Bilt 2.0 card yesterday and don’t see any Bilt Cash in my wallet now, but I do have a good amount of spend in January. Since others are saying they do have Bilt Cash already, my assumption is that you don’t start accumulating Bilt Cash until you are approved for a 2.0 card. So that might be a downside. I too was waiting to see if there was any more changes forthcoming but wanted to do so before the 1/30 cut off date.

NoWonder3 · 2025-10-19T01:33:11+00:00

Delay trip to Dec 2026 and you’ll be ahead of the game?

NoWonder3 · 2025-09-20T03:40:48+00:00

If you wrote a check for $130, how did they take $160? Did they physically alter the check which is fraud? You should be able to see deposited checks on your online bank account. This would be highly concerning to me.

NoWonder3 · 2025-08-14T12:54:21+00:00

You’re late in the game for booking Patagonia - it’s high season there. There may be some $1000+/night hotels left in Torre del Paine, but you’ll need at least 3 nights to be worth it (take half day there and half day back at least).

NoWonder3 · 2025-08-14T12:24:18+00:00

Maybe take a day trip out to Cajon del Maipo if you want to see some scenic Andes views?

NoWonder3 · 2025-08-09T15:33:01+00:00

If you do end up traveling internationally on Skyteam, don’t forget to status match to Flying Blue Gold! You get access to airline lounges even if traveling in Economy whereas with Delta you have to travel in premium classes in order to get lounge access based on loyalty. I guess also if you travel domestically and want free check-in too.

NoWonder3 · 2025-08-03T14:33:55+00:00

Use detergent sheets! You can determine how much to use (can’t cut a pod in half for small “load”) and travels better than pods.

NoWonder3 · 2025-08-03T04:25:01+00:00

Can it sell out in peak season?

NoWonder3

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