🎯 Verdict · Simona, Sofia → Tokyo, with you Sep 18–24

Fly BA + JAL via London. $1,214 round trip.

Lands Haneda Fri 9/18 06:45, 8h before you. Leaves Haneda 00:15 the night of Thu 9/24, after your 18:10. 2 checked bags free. Google flags it $519 below usual.

$1,214all-in, 1 adult, economy

1 stopeach way, London Heathrow

2 × 23 kgchecked bags included (JAL)

06:45arrives HND Fri 9/18

00:15leaves HND night of 9/24

✈️ Book the $1,214 ticket (Google Flights) JAL direct (see price check below) 🔍 Re-check today's price

✈️ Her exact flights

Date	Flight	From → To	Times (local)	Note
Wed 9/16	BA 893	Sofia SOF → London LHR T5	21:25 → 22:45	A320, 3h20
overnight	—	Heathrow, 10h25	22:45 → 09:10	Aerotel T3 cabin or T3 rest room, see below
Thu 9/17	JL 42	London LHR T3 → Tokyo HND	09:10 → 06:45 Fri 9/18	787, 13h35, JAL economy 33" pitch
Fri 9/25	JL 41	Tokyo HND → London LHR	00:15 → 06:25	leaves the night of Thu 9/24
Fri 9/25	BA 892	London LHR → Sofia SOF	08:10 → 13:25	1h45 connection, same ticket

📅 Her week, day by day

Wed 9/16 · Sofia → LondonLeave SOF 21:25. Land LHR T5 22:45. Passport control with her UK ETA (from August, still valid), walk/train to T3, Aerotel cabin.

Thu 9/17 · London → TokyoJL 42 at 09:10 from T3. Sleep the second half of the flight.

Fri 9/18 · Lands 06:45 HNDKeikyu line to the hotel (≈30–40 min). Drop bags, coffee, Meiji Shrine / Omotesando walk. You land 15:05. Hotel night 1.

Sat 9/19 · Your FabCafe showDoors 15:30, sessions 16:00–22:00, Shibuya (10F loftwork COOOP). She comes with you. Hotel night 2.

Sun 9/20 · Move to Grand Prince Shin TakanawaBand block starts. Free day together.

Mon–Wed 9/21–23 · Blue Note Tokyo, 2 sets a nightDays free, she is at the club 18:00–23:00 with you.

Thu 9/24 · Both out of TokyoYou leave the hotel ≈15:00 for HND. She keeps the room until checkout, dinner in the city, Keikyu to HND by ≈21:30, JL 41 at 00:15. Home in Sofia Fri 13:25.

🛒 What to buy, in order

1 · The ticket, $1,214

✅ Book today. Sep 16 → Sep 25 dates in the search, that is the same trip.
✅ Passenger name exactly as passport. Bags: 2 × 23 kg included.
🔍 Direct-with-airline price check below.

2 · Heathrow overnight, ≈£60–110

✅ Aerotel Heathrow T3, landside, book a 9–12h block 23:00 → 07:30.
💡 Free fallback: T3 airside Rest & Relaxation room near gates 24–25 (she must clear security early; airside thins out after midnight).

3 · Tokyo hotel, nights of 9/18 + 9/19

✅ Stay in Shibuya: 9 min walk to your FabCafe show, one stop from Aoyama.
✅ Google Hotels, Shibuya, 9/18–20, 2 adults: Tokyu REI ≈$120–265 · Shibuya Stream ≈$190–410 · Cerulean Tower ≈$290–390 · Shibuya Excel ≈$385.
⚠️ 9/19–23 is Silver Week (holidays 9/21 + 9/23). Book this week, rates only climb.
⚠️ Grand Prince from 9/20: Japanese hotels price per person. Tell the band's booker a second adult is in the room.

4 · Phone + transit, ≈$15

✅ Ubigi 10 GB / 7 days, $14 (Docomo + KDDI, tethering OK). Install in Sofia, activates on landing.
✅ Welcome Suica Mobile app: set up on airport Wi-Fi after landing (pre-arrival top-up is blocked from Europe). Mastercard/Amex top up; Visa often fails.

5 · Shows

✅ FabCafe 9/19: put her on the guest list with Kelsie. Public price ¥9,000, 60 seats, Dogenzaka Pier 10F.
✅ Blue Note 9/21–23: guest seat via Yosuke Itoh. Public price ¥12,500 music charge + seat charge; on sale since 7/29, holiday nights sell out.

6 · Free but mandatory

✅ Visit Japan Web 2–3 days before flying, screenshot the QR. No visa, no JESTA (not live until 2028).
✅ UK ETA: already holds one from the London trip. Check the expiry in her email.
✅ Passport valid for the whole stay (Japan has no 6-month rule).

📊 Everything else I priced today (Google Flights, USD, 1 adult)

Option	Price	Arrives Tokyo	Leaves Tokyo	Verdict
BA + JAL via LHR	$1,214	Fri 9/18 06:45 HND	Thu 9/24 night (00:15)	✓ Buy. Cheapest AND cleanest.
Istanbul hack: TK SOF–IST $111 + Asiana IST–NRT via Seoul $882 RT + TK IST–SOF $94	$1,087 + Istanbul hotel + 2 lost days	Fri 9/18 18:25 NRT	Thu 9/24 19:45 NRT, home Sat 9/26	! Saves ≈$50 net, three separate tickets, no protection if a leg slips.
TAROM + Air France via Bucharest, Paris	$1,298	Thu 9/17 19:40 HND (a day early)	Thu 9/24 08:50 HND	! Two stops, extra hotel night, leaves before you.
LOT via Warsaw	$1,282	Sat 9/19 11:05 NRT	—	✕ Misses the 18th (20h Warsaw layover).
Lufthansa + ANA via Munich	$1,591	Fri 9/18 07:50 HND	Thu 9/24 09:25 HND	! Good timing, $377 more.
Turkish Airlines via Istanbul, one ticket	$2,037	Fri 9/18 19:20 HND	Thu 9/24 21:45 HND	✕ Shortest flying, $823 more.
Positioning to Vienna / Budapest / Rome / Milan then KLM-JAL or ANA	$1,080–1,290 + Wizz hop + hotel	Fri 9/18 afternoon	9/24	✕ Never beats $1,214 once the hop and a night are added.
Train / ferry (Trans-Siberian + Vladivostok, or China/Korea ferries)	—	—	—	✕ Not feasible in the window. Detail below.

🔍 Detail (collapsed)

Prices seen 2026-09-04 on Google Flights via headless Chromium. Fares move; the Book button re-prices live.