Scammed!
Maybe. Well, I’m not writing about work visa visa but credit card VISA. As a foreigner, it’s actually a little difficult to get yourself a VISA or MasterCard from the bank especially if you just arrived at Japan and started working not too long ago.
I did manage to get myself a JCB card which is very convenient but mostly within Japan because overseas businesses that do not accept JCB are aplenty. Singapore Airlines is one of them. With the service and comfort, I didn’t intend to fly with any other airline anymore apart from SIA since I first took it last year. But the fact that they don’t accept JCB and that my Singapore VISA and MasterCard require a OneTime Password sent to my mobile phone which I cancelled means I can only look to other airlines.
It’s a pity since the price to return home on SIA is cheaper than one I can get on ANA this coming Chinese New Year and that it flies from Haneda instead of Narita makes it even more worthwhile. In the end, however, I got a ticket from ANA because I had no means of paying for the SIA ticket online. The only consolation is that ANA’s got a much better timing than SIA has to offer this trip.
Recently, I’ve finally gotten my VISA from OIOI (“Marui”, not “Oi!”) and there’s the answer to where you can get a VISA more easily. I don’t specifically mean OIOI but basically, retail malls. These malls usually offer discounts if you use what they call “member’s card” which comes in the form of credit cards and you can sign up for it on the spot and get the discount immediately. The staff will usually recommend it to you and while there still are checks in place to make sure you have some ability to repay your loans, the checks are much less stringent. Most of them don’t require annual fees and the amount gets debited from your linked bank account automatically so there’s no such thing as “forgetting to pay” or “missing the deadline” unless you don’t keep much money in your account.
With this card, I may be going back to taking SIA flights again if there comes another chance to fly. On a seperate note, if you’re someone who holds decision-making powers with the airline, please make the proposition for SIA to offer cheaper flights for Singaporeans to fly home. Give us more reason to return and on a home brand.
