I am about to board the NRT-LAX-ATL part of the run. I don't know why you like row 77 by the door. No window and I have watched people bump their heads. I like 78 any seat myself. The best seat of course is 73ab.
77 has one window vs. three for the other rows but the windows are closed the entire flight anyways. I like not having to ever be trapped by the guy next to me so row 77 window or 73 a or b wins for me
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Only customs I had to pass through was back in DTW - the beauty of this trip- no customs anywhere until back home.
The customs guys in DTW had a chuckle and I passed through with not a blink.
...
My last SIN run was a long time ago...maybe 6 years?...I have 2 of them upcoming in May. I still remember the security questions at SIN at the transfer desk...What a joke!
Do you still have to go through security in NRT? I know we had to upon arrival from the US, but I'm not sure if we did upon arrival from SIN.
If you did, do they still have an "elite" line.
I will have the luxury of doing the run in coach. I told myself I wouldn't do SIN runs anymore...maybe just this one last time!!
Anyone running into extra screening for the swine flu? I saw on FT (JAL forum) that Japanese authorities are boarding some flights into Narita. What is everyone experiencing?
Programs: NW Plat / United Premier / Priority Club Plat / HHonors Diamond / Starwood Gold / Hertz Pres Circle
Posts: 188
Quote:
Originally Posted by dhh1
I think the WBC seats are really uncomfortable - as no one can possibly sleep on a 20 degree down angle flat board - you just slide to the bottom and it is really uncomfortable flat.
How are the pillows that you're given? I understand this seems a little 14 year-old-ish, however if they're the same pillows you get on domestic F, I think I may bring my own.
Quote:
Originally Posted by dhh1
The transit hotel was perfect - clean modern and about 3 minutes from the gate. The transfer desk can print your boarding passes right next to the gate.
Good to know about the boarding pass. Did you use the shower facilities here, too? I would think on the SIN-NRT-DTW run you would be dog tired in NRT as that is the middle of the night here in the US.
Quote:
Originally Posted by dhh1
Shower also in the NRT gate 16 world club is great - a good refresher and the food was great too. Eat like a horse in the NRT and SIN clubs - safe good food.
How long was the layover at NRT? What sort of food?
Quote:
Originally Posted by dhh1
Also - when I got home last night the 3x EQM miles were already posted in my account for the outbound leg- I expect the return leg to hit tonight or tomorrow.
How are the pillows that you're given? I understand this seems a little 14 year-old-ish, however if they're the same pillows you get on domestic F, I think I may bring my own.
Good to know about the boarding pass. Did you use the shower facilities here, too? I would think on the SIN-NRT-DTW run you would be dog tired in NRT as that is the middle of the night here in the US.
How long was the layover at NRT? What sort of food?
Nice. Were your calculations accurate?
Any pictures?
The pillows in WBC were always more substantial than on domestic flights, but they recently upgraded them and I thought they were great. Ditto on the new duvets, which replaced the chincy blankets. I did take my own pillow but never used it. I got some decent sleep to and from the US, especially on the return.
I used the showers in DTW before my last domestic segment. Felt much better afterwards.
I had a 4 hour layover in NRT on my return to the US, so had a chance to explore the entire terminal 1 area, as well as both NW clubs and the KE club. The KE club isn't much of anything. The NW clubs had sandwiches, vegetables and fruits, sushi, noodles, chips and other American-type snacks, some uniquely Japanese type snacks (pickled plum), and a couple of different soups. A very nice spread, although not quite as extensive as JL's Sakura lounge which I unexpectedly got to visit on my outbound trip. The NW lounges also have a large number of iMacs for use.
The mileage posted accurately. I did have to fax in a request for original routing credit for NRT-SIN, as I was involuntarily rerouted onto JL due to a misconnect in NRT.
See http://gallery.flyertalk.com/gallery...US-DTW-NRT-SIN for some pictures from my run. Note that my DTW-NRT flight had to divert to Edmonton for a medical emergency, causing me to miss my connection to SIN. I spent the night at the NRT Radisson (on NW's dime) and flew to SIN the next day on JL in their premium economy.
__________________
2009 Upgrades: 8/9 on CO, 4/4 on DL, 31/32 on NW (missed DTW-AUS on award ticket) 2006-9 Flight Stats
Pillows: The old NW WBC pillows are gone, replaced by larger (much larger) DL pillows. The old smelly, scratchy blanket has been replaced by the DL psuedo duvet. The duvet coming from DTW smelled fresh, the others had already achieved that strange NW smell.
Seat Comfort: Yes, when I first started flying the A-330, I disliked the seats because of the incline. After a while one becomes used to them. A couple of tricks to improve comfort and provide friction are either 1. use the duvet as a mini mattress or 2. bring a camping mat (foam, rollable, compact) to sleep on (also useful for sleeping in airports). Borrow a domestic blanket from a FC flight to keep you warm. They fit easily into a pack or carryon if one surreptitiously stuffs them in upon deboarding. You can also be like my wife and bring your own from home.
I did develop a blister on my hip from the wallet in my front pocket rubbing. Mind you, it took until SIN on a very long routing for this to occur. Solution, take wallet out of front pocket, put in locked carry on.
Remember, it is all about your comfort.
Layover Time depends upon one's connection, routing and ATC delays at NRT. I had enough time between DTW-SIN to use the internet, pick up new papers and have some sushi. On the return, they actually were sending us through a separate expedited security screening because the connection to NW26 (the first flight to DTW) was tight. We actually ended up departing somewhat late so I would have had time for a brief lounge stop. During this delay, I pointed dhh1 in the direction of the Gate 16 lounge. To be fair the gate 21 lounge is vastly improved and now has lots of computers and the same food as 16.
NRT Lounge Food They typically have some sort of sushi (last week flying fish eggs in a roll), soup, mini-sandwiches, snack mix, small appetizers, free booze, all the usual suspects for non-alcoholic beverages and the beer machine with Kirin or Sapporo. Missing were the mini candy bars.
Caveat boarding at NRT Unless you enjoy being subjected to a boarding security check complete with bag pawing and pat down never be one of the first three to board. Hang back and let the eager beavers get checked.
Mileage accumulation PM if you want to know, not for public consumption.
Showers I have used the showers both at NRT and DTW. If one has sufficient time at NRT, a mid-point shower is really nice. Pack an additional shirt or two. On my return, due to misconnect at DTW, I ended up with 4 hours in DTW, they have 2 shower rooms. The shower really helped ease the frustration of dealing with ignorant customs agents. Note: No toilet in shower room at DTW, one must ask for the hair dryer at the front desk when booking shower room. It seems that people steal them otherwise. I, unfortunately, did not discover this until after the shower. SIN both at the transit hotel and separately has shower facilities. All three terminals have swimming pools. There are also "relaxation" areas with loungers for rent at Changi.
This time, my transit hotel room had a window with a Cathay Pacific aircraft parked outside.
Food preference from NRT-SIN I always have the champagne brunch (sans champagne) because one feels bloated after multiple hops. It is tasty, less filling than the normal "same-olds, same-olds".
Food preference NRT-US Stations If you like Japanese food, The Japanese meal is normally excellent when prepared in Japan. This weeks meal was more than good. The only downsides are that I got no appetizer (I believe that I was supposed to get it per the menu, so it probably was consumed by crew). One normally cannot get the salad but sometimes decent crew will provide. Japanese meal coming from the U.S. is not as good.
Do you still have to go through security in NRT? I know we had to upon arrival from the US, but I'm not sure if we did upon arrival from SIN.
Yes. All transiting passengers go through security regardless of where they're transiting from or to.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Cellisttoo
Anyone running into extra screening for the swine flu? I saw on FT (JAL forum) that Japanese authorities are boarding some flights into Narita. What is everyone experiencing?
Even before the swine flu scare everyone approaching immigration at NRT went through sort of a health check. There was a nurse looking at all the passengers and we walked through some gates that I think my have been temperature sensors. At that time there were no checks of transiting passengers.
__________________
2009 Upgrades: 8/9 on CO, 4/4 on DL, 31/32 on NW (missed DTW-AUS on award ticket) 2006-9 Flight Stats
Programs: NW Plat / United Premier / Priority Club Plat / HHonors Diamond / Starwood Gold / Hertz Pres Circle
Posts: 188
Quote:
Originally Posted by Stripe
Yes. All transiting passengers go through security regardless of where they're transiting from or to.
I thought there was no customs/inspection involved upon arrival + departure. I was under the impression I'd just stroll off the plane and on to the next one.
I thought there was no customs/inspection involved upon arrival + departure. I was under the impression I'd just stroll off the plane and on to the next one.
You are under the wrong impression. You stroll off, follow the signs to transfer, join the line for security inspection, take the excalator down, look at the reader board to the right for the flight and gate and either proceed to the gate or to the club.
Customs and immigration occur when you enter the country. You are not officially entering the country like you are forced to in the U.S. You are transiting.
yes - you go through security screening just a quick xray but not customs when you exit the plane in NRT
The pillows are almost standard pillows like on your bed
The food ranged from turkey sanwiches to sushi
Toilet in the shower room in NRT
NEVER be one of the first three or four to board the plane - each time those guys were pulled aside for extra screening
The NRT layover was about 4.5 hours - I could have just made the earlier flight but it was full - opus was on that flight - but I also thought I would rather wander around for a bit and shower instead of hopping on another long flight
The mileage calculations I had made were correct - I got about 59,000 EQM's in my account and have well exceeded the PLT requirements for the year.
I saw no swine flu screening at the time in any of the airports
Long flights but overall was pretty fun
Verizon works in NRT - AT&T or other GSM phones work in SIN
If there is anyone still out there that would like to do this and has extra NW - SWU I would be willing to travel with a partner and provide compensation =)
What more can I say to the guy who wants to compensate someone for a PMU and be a travel partner. You must be on the same itinerary.
For me, compensation probably would have to be the cost of the ticket on flights with upgradeable seats which probably means routing via PDX from the start city to SIN. Remember only M, B and Y are upgradeable with PMUs.
I returned on the 29th. All of my miles have posted.
-- Really like the upgraded pillows and duvets. Otherwise the service unchanged.
-- Spent my first night in SIN at the Crowne Plaza for 150 SGD. Really convinient. Cool hotel.
-- Next 3 nights at the Conrad at 125 SGD. Only complaint was the long trek to the MRT, but at that price cant complain.
-- Spent 2 nights in NRT
Japanese heath inspectors were in evidence in full surgical outfits, but they didnt talk to me.
Thanks to everyone on FT who helped planning the trrip.
Programs: NW Plat / United Premier / Priority Club Plat / HHonors Diamond / Starwood Gold / Hertz Pres Circle
Posts: 188
Well I'm sitting at the WC in Minneapolis next to the Mickey D's and G4 where NW19 is scheduled to depart from. When I walked over to check it out it looked like NW20 hadn't landed yet so there was no plane there. I'm hoping for a red-tail, however based on the pictures I've seen I'm not hopeful
Thanks to everyone for the tips, tricks, and suggestions. Not really sure what I've gotten myself into yet, but regardless if I like it or not -- I'll be finding out soon.
