Originally Posted by
JALPak
My friend used his credit card to purchase a CX LAX-HKG roundtrip and the charge was declined by his credit card company too.
Maybe the credit card companies found out that
on 22-Oct-2009, the B runway will extend to 2,500 m, compared to the current 2,180 m – facilitating widebody operations. The longer runway, which will be operational five months ahead of schedule, will provide for an increase in the annual
number of slots at Narita from 200,000 at present to 220,000 from the Northern Summer schedule, effective from the end of Mar-2010, which doesn't bode well for JAL, for sure...
More info here: (fair use)
Narita Airport to alter taxiway to relieve congestion
Meanwhile, the airport is preparing work to alter an L-shaped section of a taxiway that has led to taxiing delays and restricted the B runway’s capacity to 14 takeoffs and landings per hour, less than half of the main A runway’s 32.
Narita International Airport Corp has acquired approximately 85 sqm of land from local farmers that had opposed the sale for almost 40 years, following a Jan-2008 Supreme Court ruling.
http://www.centreforaviation.com/new...plummets/page1
http://www.airliners.net/photo/0874120/L/
Makes you wonder when they are going to acquire the rest of the land and finally complete the rest of the runway. Probably after JAL goes under. Maybe then the local bureaucracy, politics and judicial system will allow for some real progress and for some real competition in the Japanese airline market. Because right now, well... it's a disgrace really. Even with the age-old duopoly, JAL is still not viable.
Well, of course they aren't viable.
Just image how much fuel is spent having these planes taxiing around the trees, the chickens, and the rest of those gddodamn farms, whilst other planes are flying holding patterns because there is a plane on a nearby taxiway, probably holding on that taxiway because of other incoming planes, etc. etc.
I mean come on, 4 Fx sake, that farm in the middle of the runway has been there for more than 40 years!!! And then they expect us to keep smiling when they - once again - are increasing the fuel surcharge. And of course, every other year, they coming knocking on the GOJ's door, asking for more handouts, or bailouts.
There is just too much fat and waste on these companies, especially on JAL, and especially on NRT. I really believe the Japanese can do better, and they might soon be forced to, as a lot more slots will become available at NRT and HND. Especially if JAL were to go under.
Originally Posted by
JALPak
WOW how low can it go
Too bad nothing come even close here in the US. I definitely don't mind spending more time on the plane but what I do mind is spending time on CX
I still remember last time when I flew with CX, some passenger sitting behind put her bare feet right next to my friend's face
I'ld say WOW... TYO-HKG is like 4 hours. And then back again on your way to the US. Twice (= Return tkt). Count in the HKG connection, and you've lost
20-24hrs in extra travel time . That is, if there are no typhoon warnings in HKG. TPE is probably only half that, but that's still at least 12-15 hrs extra. I'ld say it's only worth it if you are on a mileage run, or if you have some (romantic??) off-shore business to care off in Hong Kong
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