schoflyer

I'll get final confirmation on this tin the morning, but from what I gather now there have been some significant changes to the NRT-BKK service.

The 744 (NH915, NH916) will be pulled from the service in mid November.

A second daily flight will be added to the city-pair.

The new schedule if my notes from the phone call are correct is as follows.

NH953 Dep NRT 10:35 Arr BKK 15:45
NH915 Dep NRT 17:25 Arr BKK 22:45
NH954 Dep BKK 22:25 Arr NRT 06:10
NH916 Dep BKK 23:45 Arr NRT 07:17

The flights are said to be serviced by 2-class aircraft. I'm under the impression that the service will be Club ANA Asia. What does that make it a 767?

I'll update after I figure out my wife's F award which is no longer in New Style seat 2A

Bummer, huh.

Chiangi

It's official. This was rumored a few days ago on a Japanese BBS.

http://www.ana.co.jp/pr/04-0709/04-100.html (in Japanese)

B767-300ER equiped with Club ANA Asia (NH's new regional business class) with 214 seats in two classes.

Effective Nov. 15

If JL continues to fly 747 with its shell flat business class seats, I will switch to JL on this route for the red eye.

NH is apparently getting a new 777-300ER this fall and it had been rumored to fly this route but it doesn't look like it.

SEA_Tigger

Those 744s have to go somewhere - perhaps LAX or SFO?

Carfield

I am very disappointed with this new schedule... I flew BKK-NRT two weeks ago and the premium load was pretty good. There is certainly a demand for first class. I guess those Boeing 747-400s may be needed somewhere, but I doubt that it will be LAX or SFO, but maybe one of those Boeing 747s with the new seats are scheduled for maintenance check. I guess I have to think twice about those special A fares... but I guess I did the flight at least once. No regret...

Second, about the new schedule, I guess the new daytime departure from NRT makes sense, but the return is disappointed... I think ANA should have a daytime departure from BKK, so connections to West coast will be more convenient. Two redeye flights are too much. But I guess the flight is more catered for Japanese tourists, then to connecting passengers.

Thanks,
Carfield

500 miles at a time

How is the new Club Asia ANA vs what would have been on the 747 for business class?

If I am flying in to NRT then on to BKK do I need to clear customs in NRT before I can head on to BKK? I've been told that the minimum coinnection time is 1:50 and I have a two hour connection window right now.

Chiangi

Club Asia ANA is not bad for regional daytime flights, IMHO. I find it better than their old business class seats for long hauls. The seat configuration is 2-1-2, if I remember correctly. Seat reclines amply but they are not a lie-flat type you find on New Style long-haul business. They feature AVOD.

You do not need to clear customs at NRT. They have airside connection counters at Terminal 2, NH's terminal.

I agree with Carfield. NH should have one morning depature from BKK.

500 miles at a time

I'm assuming/hoping you can still access any *Alliance lounge at that point?

Chiangi

NH has something like five lounges at T2 including F lounges. You will have access to one of them at least if you are Star G or flying business or F. They'll most likely give you an invitee.

T1 has UA and SQ lounges but it is technically impossible to get to T1 if you are flying out of T2.

Penguinmoon

Huge Bummer! Was sched to fly in March My partner was really looking forward to his second time on an upper deck!! (His first time was a Y Upper deck on KE, didn't really count )

500 miles at a time

Was supposed to be my first

The 763 sounds fairly nice though...I hope.

schoflyer

I've flown Club ANA Asia to Taipei. It's nice. Nicer than Superstyle.

schoflyer

Update for award ticket trouble associated with this change.

My wife originally had an UA F award ticket and was confirmed SFO-NRT-BKK-NRT-SFO in First on NH.

WHen the schedule change came about and the F service was dropped on the NRT-BKK-NRT flights, my wife's reservation was "kicked out" of the system for these flights.

My gut tells me that it was a UA issue and when the F inventory disappeared, could not protect me because there wa no C award inventory available on the flights. But I could be wrong. Note to self, keep track of your own stuff, because clearly, you have the most to lose.

I learned of the change through my travel agent and called to check my wife's ticket status. It was at this point that UA told me she no longer had flights booked for the BKK segments.

They went on to say that only Y award seats were available on the flight. We were hoping to fly together as I am on the flight with a revenue C ticket.
First off I was able to book a TG flight as protection, and then I had UA MP contact ANA in Los Angeles. The UA Supervisor was rather terse with me as I tried to give her the info that I felt would bolster my case with ANA. We were requesting them to release a business seat for my wife's award travel.
She did supply me with the ANA Supervisor's name that was dealing with this.

As an NH Plat, I called her directly to make sure that she knew the details. I explained that I was Platnium, my wife was Platinum, I was going to be Diamond this year, that we were flying together and that I was on a revenue ticket, and we wanted a C seat for my wife as protection.

Inventory was controlled in Tokyo so it would be up to them to release the seat but Shinobu ( ^ excellent customer service) said she would try her best.

It took 36 hours but we received confirmation today. I'm not sure if this was standard operating procedure or something they did to take care of their elites but I'm not complaining.

For other's taking the TG First class as protection may have been more desireable, but for me, the flying together and not having my wife in BKK by 1.5 hours before me made my decision easy.

Once again, I take my hat off to ANA for doing the right thing in this situation, providing me with excellent personalized service, and respecting their elites.

If I were redeeming ANA miles on UA, I'm not confident that the outcome would have been so pleasant.

JackR

I agree it makes sense to have a morning departure NRT-BKK. The 'new' C class on NH 767 is not bad for a day time flight. Five per row (2-1-2) AVOD, decent recline (but not flat as the 'new' club in 747's).
To have 2 red-eye flights on the return (BKK-NRT) trip is not good with that equipment. With a flight of just over 5 hours you are real tired and cannot expect to start work upon arrival as I used to be able to do with the F or even C seats on the 747.
I believe the decision is more related to revenue/cost as the 767's are owned and manned by Air Japan (I believe). This is understandable as a great number of customers are either transit from US to BKK or are buying their tickets in BKK.
A typical full fare return NRT-BKK-NRT ticket in F cost 530.000 yen (4.800 US$) as opposed to a fare for the same trip but ticketed BKK-NRT-BKK also in F of 82.000 bahts (a mere 2.000 US$).
NH is using its own crews, planes and service for its prime revenue routes.
JAL keeps only one of its own planes on this route and uses its subsidiary planes and crew (mainly thai girls) for the others.
I am a great fan of NH and will fly them as much as possible but I might have to re-consider the BKK-NRT night run in a 767 C seat. Either JAL's night flight or TG's early morning flight seems more attractive.

schoflyer

Hey JackR...

Welcome to Flyertalk!!!

In my NH mileage run for Diamond thread, someone suggested that I may be become the first Diamond on the board. You however have beaten me to it. I'm going to bump a Diamonds thread from May, maybe you can contribute your experiences.

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showt...537post3132537

RTW4

I am so sorry to see the 747 with FIRST CLASS disappearing from this route. I took this route a couple of months ago. The food and entertainment was excellent. I have never enjoyed a flight so much. The seats were incredible and the caviar was excellent