Getting to Tokyo - Southwest, Sheraton LAX, and JAL First Class LAX to Narita
Shinjuku and Beyond - Park Hyatt Tokyo, Shinkansen, and Kitty Chan?!
I'm On a Boat! - Sun Princess Yokohama to Hong Kong
Hong Kong - Grand Hyatt, 10 McDonalds, and More Hello Kitty!
Getting Home - Cathay Pacific First Class Hong Kong to San Francisco
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Finally time to start our trip! Waiting until the day of the trip to start packing was probably not the best of ideas, but our 10pm flight and taking an extra day off from work paid off. By 6pm we were off to SFO for the first leg of the trip.
Because we were using British Airways miles (75,000 per person), and Oneworld does not have any carriers that fly First Class from SFO to Tokyo, we had to fly out of LAX. Not wanting to risk any possible delays or missed connections, we planned to fly out the night before and spend the night near LAX.
Although there were numerous airlines that fly between SFO and LAX, we ended up choosing Southwest, not because the fare was any cheaper, but because we would each be checking 2 bags and even with co-branded credit cards, we would have only had 1 bag free per person on Delta or United. I had not been on a Southwest flight for some time and thought I would invest the $25 in early bird check-in to ensure I had a good boarding position. Leading up to the day of the flight it seemed like a really good idea and the checking in at 1pm the day of the flight and still having a Group A boarding pass was nice indeed. However, our flight was due to leave at 9:55pm. By 9:15, we were literally the only people sitting by the gate waiting. It did turn out that the plane was delayed and other passengers were spread out in surrounding gates, but in the end, there were a total of 17 passengers boarding the flight (meaning there were more rows than passengers).
I was unfortunately too tired to take any pictures, but then again there was not much to show. I was at least pleased with the amount of leg room, being 6ft tall and definitely not slim, I did not feel entirely squished like I do on most other carriers. We were on our way and within about 45 minutes of takeoff, it was already time to prepare for landing.
By the time we collected our bags, it was nearly midnight and it had been a busy day. We set out to find our hotel shuttle over to the Sheraton LAX Gateway. After arriving at the pickup station, we quickly realized how much of a mess this was going to be. Dozens of shuttles were fighting to get in and out of the tiny space allocated for them. It was a good 20 minutes before we finally found ours. After 10 minutes of navigating an absolute maze of traffic, we finally left the airport, and 2 minutes later we were at the hotel entrance.
We were very ready to get to our room and get to bed. Unfortunately, we quickly realized that was not going to happen. Moments after entering we witnessed several things. An angry flight crew that had arrived only to find their reservation had not been processed correctly and there were not enough rooms left for all of them, a woman slumped on a couch in the middle of the lobby surrounded by a number of hotel staff, and an ambulance rolling up to the entrance right behind us. Twenty minutes later, we finally had our room keys (which didn't work and had I had to go back down) and were into the room. After showering and making a mess of the room with our luggage, I again forgot to take pictures! The room was basic but clean and the bed was definitely comfortable. For the 3,000 SPG points we paid (normally 7,000), we were quite pleased and it served its purpose. We were emailed at least twice leading up to the stay asking if we wanted to upgrade to a club room or suite for $30-$70. Considering we were in after midnight and out at 10am, it did not seem worth while.
The next morning, after a little bit of repacking, we were off to the airport. This went much more smoothly than the night before. Just as we stepped outside, the shuttled pulled up and within 5 minutes we were at the international terminal.
The dedicated first class check-in was completely empty and the agent was exceptionally friendly and did not ask if we were in fact flying first class (I have a feeling she would have helped us even if we were not anyhow). Our baggage got the typical priority tags, but I was surprised and amused by the extra tags they placed on our carry on luggage for us.
The JAL website mentions that First Class passengers have access to the Oneworld Lounge and the LAX International Lounge, but the desk agents provide you with a little map that leads the way to the Oneworld Lounge. We had not had breakfast yet and it seemed easiest to follow the map. The desk agents at the lounge quickly pointed us towards the First Class side. The lounge is relatively small, but it was relatively empty when we arrived around 11am.
Buffet/Tables
Hot Food
Cold Food
Wine/Champagne
Spirits
Latte and Cookies!
After an hour or so we thought we would walk around the terminal and head towards the gate. We were a bit surprised how little there is to see beyond security in the international terminal. We headed over to the gate and I tried to grab a picture of the plane, but the window and the gate were oddly placed I could only get a portion of it.
JAL 777
Because we were traveling together, we chose seats 1D and 1G in the center so we could sit by each other. With the divider wall lowered, it was definitely very easy to see and talk with each other throughout the flight. It was exceptionally difficult to get a shot of the seats without standing in someone elses seat, I have borrowed a shot from the JAL to give you an idea of the layout.
Though I am no fan of the Camera, I seem to be in all the pictures!
Taken from the opposite seat.
Before takeoff, the cabin attendants came around and provided everyone with their JAL Pajamas. They don't ask for your size, but they only have Small, Medium, and Large. I did not bother trying on the pants, but I humored my wife in trying the jacket. Clearly, that was not going to work. I did however enjoy the slippers and stowed my shoes under the ottoman.
Pajama Sack
Pajamas
First Class Menu
We quickly settled in and started reading through the menu. For dinner there was a choice of a Japanese set menu or a western menu. Having seen pictures of how nicely the Japanese dishes were served, we both decided we would be going for the Japanese menu.
Shortly after takeoff the cabin attendants came around and offered champagne and rice cracker snacks. Having heard good things about the Salon champagne served on JAL, I thought I would definitely have to give it a try. Not having the most discerning of palates or being a particular fan of champagne, all I can say was that it was "good". I did however ask to try the Isojiman Junmai Daiginjo Sake, and that was seriously awesome. I liked it enough I tried to find out where to buy it, but found it was more than $100 for a 750ml bottle and quickly gave up on that! We were also offered another somewhat odd plate of snacks consisting of a skewer of zucchini and meat, a stuffed mushroom, and some melon.
Salon Champagne
Rice Crackers / Snacks
More Snacks!
Dinner started with some interesting appetizers that did not appear to be on the menu anywhere. Followed by an interesting dish of vegetables in Jelly. The appetizers consisting of six individual dishes is served in a multi-tiered box with a different dish to hold each item. Everything was very well presented and nicely prepared, but we were not completely prepared for some of the very unique flavors we would encounter. I enjoyed all of the dishes, but had to help my wife finish a few that were just a little too different for her taste (including the Jellyfish with Orange Vinegar Sauce, front and center.) After eating two servings of a few of the items, I had nearly forgotten that there was a main dish still to come. This included "Braised Black Pork with Welsh Onion, Soybean Milk Miso Sauce, Seasoned Rice with Sea-bream & Lotus Root, and Japanese Clear Soup with Steamed "Yuba" Mousse. At this point I thought I would try the other sake on hand, Hiroki. This was much stronger and a bit harsher than the Isojiman. Finally the meal came to an end with the "Japanese Sweet" which was a rice paste ball with "Sweet Beans" inside.
Japanese Appetizers
Summer Vegetables in Japanese Jelly
Appetizer Box
Kobachi
Tsubo / Shiizakana / Mukouzuke
Main Dish
Japanese Sweet
After dinner, we were provided with his and hers amenity kits. They both contain Shiseido brand products, but the men's comes in a slightly larger canvas bag, while the women's kit comes in a smoother black cosmetics pouch. Unfortunately I seem to be missing that picture! As people were now beginning to settle in for the night (even though it was only about 5pm), I caught a glimpse of one of the other First Class passengers doing something I seem to always, and oddly enough only, see in premium cabins. Take off your shoes and put your feet (usually bare) onto the seat or tray table! At least in First Class we can expect that these are wiped down each flight, right...?
Men's Amenity Kit
Bare foot on the table!
Now it was time to settle in ourselves and check out the IFE system. By this point the cabin attendant also noticed that I was more interested in trying the Japanese alcohol than the western options. Having tried both of the sake offerings, she suggested that I try the "Shochu". I am not a big fan of the drink, somewhat similar to Vodka, but I figured that if they offered it on board it must be good. I learned my lesson there! Luckily there was another option on the menu that I was interested in trying, the "Royal Blue Tea." The tea is very floral smelling, but the flavor was not. It was very refreshing and the novelty of having tea served from a wine bottle and poured in a wine glass was also adding to the enjoyment.
The IFE options were relatively limited and not the easiest to navigate. After having a hard time finding something to watch in English, I switched over to a Japanese movie "Detective in the Bar." About half way through my wife was asking me a question to I took of my headphones and was looking her direction when she stops mid sentence and asks "What are you watching!!" I look back at my screen and to my surprise the movie is now in the middle of a relatively graphic "adult" scene, that went on for quite a while. I should have expected no less from a Japanese Crime-Drama-Comedy about a private detective investigating the murder of a drag queen with the help of his nerdy companion that also knows Kung Fu.
IFE
Royal Blue Tea
By now my seat had been converted into a bed with the help of a Tempurpedic mattress pad, Tempur pillow, and a nice down comforter. The seat certainly turns into a very nice sized bed, and was pretty comfortable. Unfortunately, I have a hard time sleeping on planes in general, and I definitely prefer a cold sleeping environment. As I hard heard in other reviews, JAL likes to keep its cabin temperature quite high. I was quickly much too hot to be able to use the blanket and only managed about 30 minutes of sleep throughout the flight. Luckily, this turned out to be the fastest flight I have ever been on to from the West Coast, and had a total flying time of less than 10 hours.
About two hours out from Narita, the cabin started to wake up and light started to pour in. The cabin attendants were already coming around taking orders for breakfast. Being that it was almost 4pm local time, that seemed a bit odd. During dinner, all of the other passengers in the cabin, all of whom were Japanese, had opted for the western meal. For breakfast though, most of them went with the Japanese option of steamed fish. One passenger however was not satisfied and also had a plate of curry with his breakfast. Lots of odors wafting about the cabin, it was a bit surreal. Feeling less adventurous by now, we both went for the western option of French cinnamon souffle with fresh fruit and bacon, assorted breads, and a yogurt panna cotta with orange zest.
Breakfast
Shortly after breakfast, we prepared for the final descent and were taxing to the gate before we knew it. By now I was definitely tired. Luckily we made it through customs in just a few minutes, had our bags, and were off to find our train.
