UALboy

The better half and I recently took a quick trip to Asia and here is the photo report for it, along with mini commentaries. Of course, it started with our kitty refusing to let us leave.



We started with a very typical transpac flight with UA (LAX-NRT-SIN). The LAX NRT flight was staffed by some formerly TPE based (now NRT based) FAs and LAX based FAs. The service was adequate with frequent water runs midflight. Here is the washoku zen meal that we preordered.

Appetizers of barbecued eel in layered eggs, grilled scallop,
lime-flavored beef tenderloin, shrimp with vegetable sushi rice,
poached tuna with karashi miso, steamed leeks,
buckwheat soba noodles with marinated Japanese vegetables



A main course of salmon teriyaki, braised tofu,
simmered shiitake mushroom and daikon, green beans, fresh julienne giner
served with steamed rice and Japanese pickled vegetables


Eli’s Caramel Tiramisu

UALboy

The NRT SIN flight has been leaving consistently out of gate 47, which is perfect as it is just right outside of the NH lounge. With a short layover, I still managed to take the fastest shower ever, played with the beer machine and ordered some yummy udon (I really just wanted the ANA logo fish cake… haha)


The continuation flight (NRT SIN) was great, staffed by the soon-to-be-fired SIN based FAs. It is just amazing that they can still maintain a high level of service, even though they will be let go in less than a month. Anyways, I got so tired by then that I stopped taking photos. But, the food is absolutely delightful.

Arriving into T3 of SIN is great. We have a room in CP Changi for the night and it is extremely convenient. After custom, it is really just a few minute walk inside the terminal to get you into the CP. As a plat member, I don't know whether I received an upgrade or not. But, the room was certainly very nice.


The couch looks really nice but feels like sitting on a piece of wood.


Nice flat screen TV, where we found our new favorite show, Fort Boyard on TV5Monde. It certainly reminded me of Crystal Maze on BBC many years ago.

Yummy treats (fried dough with sweet bean paste) and free water


Bathtub with a fun view (I have been noticing that it is this region of the world that likes to have a see-thru bathroom, absolutely hilarious and loving it!)


View from the room at dawn (SIN tower)


More to come... SIN BKK in SQ J, IC BKK

patgarrett

Looking forward to the rest of your trip report!

UALboy

Soon enough it was time to go home already (boo!). We decided to swing by T3 SKL even though our flight departs from T2. The lounge attendant had no problem with the fact that we were in the wrong terminal. But, he reminded us that we should leave 15 minutes earlier than if we were in the T2 SKL. The T3 SKL feels much more spacious than the T2 SKL. Definitely an improvement!

Entrance to T3 SKL


Inside of T3 SKL (Sorry for the blurriness... trying too hard to be discreet)




After take-off drinks (Singapore Sling and Silver Kris Sling. Both very yummy)


The Menu for the flight

Starter
Caesar salad with smoked chicken
Romaine lettuce, smoked chicken, parmesan cheese and
garlic

Main
Braised beef with rice noodles and Chinese greens

Nasi kunyit dengan udang
Tumeric rice with prawns in spicy chilli sauce

Chicken stuffed with ricotta and spinach, roasted
herbs vegetables and garlic mashed potatoes

Finale
Fresh fruit selection

Whole tray with BTC (Green curry fish balls stuffed with prawns, served with pork in a sweet and spicy sauce). It was very spicy (but I have a low tolerance).


Slipper lobster Thermidor, buttered asparagus, and slow-roasted vine-ripened tomato, and saffron rice (Give me a lobster any day and it is a very good day!)


The flight was crazy fast. After the meal service, we are almost in BKK already!

More to come... The super awesome IC BKK limo service, IC BKK, and why I heart NH

UALboy

Previously, we have booked the IC limo to come pick us up from BKK to take us to the hotel for 2600 THB. It is probably way too expensive compared to taking a cab. However, the service was fantastic. They have somebody greeting us at the gate, grabbed our carry-on, and rushed us through immigration in the fast line while calling our driver to pull up to the curb. While in the car, there is cold towel and bottled water waiting already.

Once we arrived into the hotel, the club agent was waiting for us already and took us up to the room to check in. (We did book a regular room, so my Amb status got me club access). The whole process was super fast and convenient. From out of the plane to the room, the whole thing took 45 minutes.

Am I going to pay extra for the whole experience again? Probably. But then again, I am a huge public transportation guy (which is ironic since I live in LA). So, I am looking forward to the (soon-to-be-operational?) train service to BKK.

The hotel room is extremely spacious and comfortable. I enjoyed it immensely.

The room after turndown service


The view from the room in the middle of the night.

UALboy

Why do I heart NH? Maybe I am just used to the average service on UA, or I am just easily pleased. But, I do have to say the whole experience was fantastic. It started with boarding. You have to be amazed at the Japanese efficiency. They can board the whole 777 in 25 minutes with extra time to spare. There is time for cabin attendants to come around to offer newspaper with languages tailored to each of the passenger. Imagine that on a US carrier, we even have trouble boarding a 737 in 25 minutes.

A cabin view of NH’s intra-Asia 777


After the plane took off, the cabin attendants came around to offer us a drink welcoming us onboard ANA (champagne or iced green tea)


Soon after, the cabin attendants came with a cart offering us the best snacks ever along with a drink (champagne on the left, iced plum wine on the right)


Drink List:
Champagne
Georges Gadet Cuvee Saint Flavy NV

White Wine
Wente Vineyards Livermore Valley Chardonnay 2004
Matua Valley Markborough Sauvignon Blanc 2006

Red Wine
Redroncelli Winery Cabernet Sauvignon 2003
Bourgogne Pinot Noir Chateau de Mercey 2005

Japanese Sake
Junmaidaiginjo SENKIN (Tochigi)
Tokubetsu Honjozo NISHINOSEKI (Oita)

Shochu
Imo-jochu (Shochu made from sweet potatoes) KAWAGOE (miyazaki)
Mugi Shochu (Shochu made from barley) TEMPAI Hakata Dontaku (Fukuoka)

Aperitifs & Cocktails
Dry sherry
Campari
Umeshu (plum wine)
Kir
Kir Royal
Martini
Gin & Tonic
Bloody Mary
Screwdriver
Royal Rouge (ANA Original Cocktails)

Beer

Spirits
Chivas Regal Scotch Whiskey
Jack Daniel’s Black Tennessee Whisky
Suntory Yamazaki Japanese Whisky
Gin
Vodka

Digestifs
Martell VSOP
Baileys Original Irish Cream
Cointreau
Port Wine

Soft Drinks
Orange juice
Apple juice
Tomato juice
Grapefruit juice
Coca-Cola
Diet Coca-Cola
Sprite
Ginger ale
Sparkling mineral water
Iced Japanese green tea


Did I say I LOVE the snacks? There are 3 different types of nuts/crackers in it. It was so good that I requested seconds when they came around for refills.


Then, meal service
Zensai
Shrimp and squid with daikon radish vinaigrette
Grilled scallops with yuzu citron soy marinade
Broiled golden brown sea bream

Kobachi
Savory egg pudding with rich shrimp sauce
Seasonal noodles



Shusai
Sweet miso-grilled whitefish
Assortment of simmered vegetables
Mixed rice with short-necked clams


Miso soup and pickles

Dessert selections (shown in pic: Chocolate mousse and fruit, panna cotta was also on offer)


Petits fours


I do remember reading from FT that NH has one of the best food qualities in air. I do have to agree. The meal was filling, but not too full to be uncomfortable. There was a huge variety on each plate and it was a little food adventure on the airplane. I was very pleased with it.

Before landing, Haagen-Dazs ice cream was offered. Although the whole flight was more than 6 hours, the whole flight felt much shorter than that.

Up next: a mad dash thru NRT, & NH 6 NRT LAX

UALboy

Forgot to include the menu for the International selection

Appetizer
Kippered salmon with black pepper
Parma ham with grilled bell pepper duo
Salad Waldorf

Main course
Pan-fried veal medallions with creamy mushroom sauce (322 kcal)
Or
Seafood bouillabaisse

Fresh garden salad
Bread roll
Cheese plate
Dessert selection
Petits fours


I remember looking over to my neighbour who ordered the bouillabaisse. It contained some sort of pasta in it, which is quite odd for that dish. He looked puzzled upon receiving the dish but the CA did confirm that it was indeed the bouillabaisse.

I finished the text for the final chapter of this report. However, I need to go into photobucket to shrink my pictures first. Will post some time in the morning.

TrayflowInUK

I'd love to try NH someday... great TR so far.

aSiAnRiCk

Nice pics. Looking forward to the rest of them ^

UALboy

When I book the ticket, I was a little nervous about the short connection that I would have in NRT. For passengers coming in from the BKK NRT day flight in NH and connecting onto the NRT LAX/SFO flights, their connections are usually less than one hour. In fact, it has been recently discussed in this thread over in the NH forum:
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=867193

But, upon months and months of comparing the arrival time of NH 954 and departure time of NH 6, I discovered a pattern that they always hold the outbound flights unless NH 954 comes in crazy late. So, I was convinced that everything would be okay even if my inbound came in a bit late.

As we were approaching NRT, they announced that we would be 35 minutes late to gate, giving us only 15 minutes to get to our flight. So, with a run-like-there-is-no-tomorrow mentality, we got ready for a mad dash across NRT. Once the door opened, there were already ground staff greeting us at the front door with a sign “LOS ANGELES NH 6”. They checked our names against her list and gave us a gigantic yellow paper ribbon to identify ourselves as passengers with tight connections. (okay. 1 minute down, 14 minutes before scheduled departure)

Reached the top of the escalators and there were, once again, ground staff directing us to the security checkpoint (3 minutes down, 12 to go). Dashed to the checkpoint with yet another ground staff reassuring that the plane is waiting for us. Cleared security (5 minutes down, 10 to go). A fourth ground staff checked our names against her list and radioed to the gate that we were on our way. Ran down flights and flights of escalators and finally trying to make our way to the gate. (6 minutes down, 9 to go) A 5th ground staff was waiting for us and directed us to gate 55 (the BKK flight parked at the same satellite where LAX/SFO flights departs, probably anticipating this type of situation). We were greeted with a large amount of gate agents waiting for our arrival. As we made our way down the jetbridge, everyone just graciously bid us farewell with a bow. After we settled into our seat, the door was closed behind us and we were on our way to Los Angeles (total transit time: 8 minutes!!!!!!!). You have just got to love the efficiency!

Even though I made it sound like our transit was very eventful. The whole process was not that strenuous at all. The amount of terminal that we have to cover was quite minimal. The presence of all the ground staff also made it very reassuring that they were trying to get us on our flight too. Try doing THAT in LHR!

UALboy

Soon after take-off, a warm towel was offered (love the little tray that comes along with it) with a choice of champagne or iced green tea.


Bar service (Champagne and Grand Blue, an ANA Original Cocktail containing Curacao, tonic water and Campari)


Different wines were on offered for this flight
White Wine
EOS Estate Paso Robles Chardonnay 2006
Markus Molitor Haus Klosterberg Kabinett Riesling 2002

Red Wine
39 degrees Lake County Cabernet Sauvignon 2005
Wyndham Estate Bin 555 Shiraz 2005

ANA Signature Amuse


Here is the dinner menu:
Zensai
Salt-boiled prawn
Sesame-marinated young sardines
Jellied monofish
Simmered baby abalone
Miso-cured yam jelly cake


Kobachi
Simmered Nikko tofu crepes in light soy sauce
Sweet potato and wild mountain vegetable braised in light soy sauce


Shusai
Grilled belly of tuna with aromatic wasabi soy marinade
Grilled cheek of tuna with piquant yuzu citron soy marinade


Sunomono
Sake-steamed monkfish liver and
Fukaya leek salad with mustard miso sauce


Steamed rice with salt-boiled baby sardines


Miso soup and assorted pickles

Dessert
ANA’s original chestnut parfait

Fresh seasonal fruit
Cheese

Since it was not so long ago when we ate on the BKK flight, we were super full by the time they came around with dessert. Also, the service was just soooo slow on this flight. At that point, it was probably almost 3 hours after take-off. All of us just wanted to go to bed. However, when you see the parfait coming by, it looked so pretty that you just cannot say no to it.

UALboy

After the meal, it is time to check out the bed. (Link to ANA's website). The bed was a sloped flat bed, which took me a few minutes to get used. But, the comfy blanket and the slightly scratchy cardigan did a good job in providing a warm cocoon for me to sleep for a few hours.

I probably napped for 3 hours or so before waking up. The CAs were coming around offering us orange or tomato juice. Breakfast was also offered

Japanese breakfast

Steamed rice and five grains with pan-fried Nozawana saltgreens

Assortment of delicacies

Fruit compotes


The meal looked kinda tiny but the portion was just right. The combination of warm rice with the cold treats was very refreshing. The fruit compote was a great way to just finish the meal.

After the meal, we landed into LAX and I had to say goodbye to NH for now. I do have to say that NH is my favorite airline for now. The cabin attendants were professional and friendly. They were always trying to make sure you got everything you wanted. The food was good and I had no complaints with the seat. Ground service was efficient. I was just hoping the tail wind is weaker so that I can hang out on the plane more to check out more of the amenities they had on offer.

UALboy

Dinner menu
Light-smoked scallops with yuzu citron miso sauce and fresh garden salad

Pan-fried beef tenderloin with Bordeaux red wine vinegar reduction (338 kcal)
Pan-roasted red sea bream with sweet miso-flavored sheelfish jus lie (338 kcal)
Crepe-wrapped fricassee of lily bulb and autumn vegetables with basil sauce (370 kcal)

Two kinds of bread with a choice of premium Echire butter or extra-virgin olive oil

ANA’s original chestnut parfait
Fresh seasonal fruit
Cheese


Snack Menu
A selection of snacks is also available at any time

Bowl of hot Japanese udon noodles
ANA’s original ramen (cup of instant Chinese Lamian noodles)
Rice burger with Japanese barbecued beef
Cup of hot consumme soup

International breakfast
Chicken and cabbage soup rustic
Morning roll
Fruit compotes

ylwae

Informative report. Thank you for posting.

Kevincm

NH's product looks pretty good... and an 8 minute gate to gate international connection - I'm impressed

NH is on my list of products to try... when the fuel surcharges drop I have this nasty feeling that a F/C class redemption is in the planning!

Good report ^