Breakfast service.
Breakfast service. Sorry, already ate the fruit! The pineapple was quite fresh.
I chose the omelette option today.
First glimpses of Japan!
ANA birds lined up at NRT.
A little damage at the Yebisu Garden Place.
I was in the tasting room at the Yebisu Beer Museum when the quake struck. The building is very well made, I grew up in California so I have a little experience with quakes but I wouldn’t have pegged it at more than a 5 or 6. Took me hours to get back as I had to walk quite a distance from Ebisu to my hotel. I spent a few hours hoping the trains would start again and grabbed some food as I waited. I love that even fast food in Japan is tasty.
Anyways...
I was originally planning on staying in Japan and continuing as planned to Kyoto, but I decided to bail and head home. I had about four days in Japan. An unfortunately short trip. I did, however, develop a rotten cold as soon as I got back, which started in Japan, so maybe it’s better that I recovered here rather than Kansai!
I called CO in the US using Skype around 630am day of departure to change my flight. I was able to switch but given that I had upgraded using SWUs, I couldn’t confirm in BF right then. I found out that the Narita Express wasn’t running, so I planned to take the Keisei trains to NRT, only to find out once at the station that those weren’t running either—their website was wrong.
In the end a friendly subway station manager directed me to the City Air Terminal and a limo bus to NRT. With his directions, I was firmly on my way and arrived after my four hour journey to the airport!
NRT check-in was crazy. CO’s desks weren’t open yet and I lost my status this year so I had to queue in the Y line. Fortunately I was near the front and had my iPhone (thanks for the free wifi NRT!). The machine threw a fit when I tried to checkin and it took the agent a good five minutes to figure it out. She said she didn’t think my SWU would clear, but sure enough as soon as I checked my iPhone after clearing security I was confirmed in BF! Success!
I was hot and sweaty so I grabbed a new boarding pass from the CO connection desk and headed to the ANA lounge. I meant to go to the Satellite 5 lounge but wasn’t paying attention and ended up at satellite 4. Same facilities in both and checkin took so long that I didn’t bother to head to the other one. Quick shower, some udon, beer, G&T and a few other snacks and then I headed to board.
Crazy NRT checkin for CO. The IAH and EWR flights leave close to the same time so there were two 772s worth of pax in one line. Fun stuff.
Mmm, snacks.
Great lounge, I hope to go back someday.
Sorry, no photos of the flight back. Too tired and jaded by what had happened to care that much! That said, the flight was actually horrible. Cabin was waaaay too warm, my clothes were rather dirty and uncomfortable and my seatmate was annoying. The food was good though. I couldn’t sleep *at all* so I watched a few movies on the IFE.
My seatmate deserves a mention. Very little english capability but not Asian. She spent most of the flight nodding and smiling to make up for her lack of language skill, but that doesn’t annoy me. What annoyed me was the PERFUME she applied every hour. She didn’t understand (or pretended not to) when I asked that she refrain. Finally, when we landed and I stood to retrieve my carry-on, she flopped all her belongings into *my* seat and stood there, packing. I was in the aisle with my rollaboard blocking everyone because I couldn’t get to my shoulder bag which I had stored under the seat. I had no where to go so we all just watched her pack an *incredible* amount of stuff. Truly inconsiderate.
I ended up the last BF pax to leave the plane because of her. Those behind me turned around and used the middle door to deplane, but I still couldn’t get to my belongings.
To top off a horrible return trip, I was selected for secondary customs screening.
Hope you enjoyed my TR!