NRT
Up three sets of escalators, I was at the international departures area, which was actually fairly calm. I went towards the business check in section, was greeted by a JAL woman, and upon showing her my emerald card, she walked me over to the first class check in lane, where three other Japanese women bowed. I had checked in before, but all I had was a small QR code in my email, and I wanted actual boarding passes. The JAL check in agent gave me my NRT-JFK and JFK-MIA passes. I had asked if seat 23A opened for NRT-JFK as I saw that was supposed to have some more legroom (and was blocked for airport control last I checked), but she told me it wasn’t. I went off towards security, was denied premium security screening since I wasn’t in Biz/First class, but then realized that normal security would still be 100 times more pleasant and efficient than anything in the US.
First Class Check In!
All the ladies bowed when I came in and left.
There were four lanes open, and it took me about 10 minutes total to go from queued up to walking to passport control. At passport control, the agent tried to scan my Japanese QR code I had, which didn’t seem to work. She typed something into the computer and I was on my way. Immediately past security there was signs for the JAL First and Sakura lounges.
Up I go!
I went up the stairs and presented my boarding pass. The woman at the desk almost seemed like she wanted me to go to another place as they didn’t have sushi (that’s fine I’m picky) or some other amenities like a shower. I said no problem, I would be fine here, and proceeded to find a spot to sit. The lounge was VERY empty – there was no more than four people there at a time. What I didn’t like was that there was a dedicated dining bar at the complete opposite of the lounge. In terms of food, it was all over the place. I grabbed a piece of the peppered pork, two hash brown cakes, and two sausage links to start, as well as some coke.
Quiet First Class Sakura Lounge (4F)
I don’t know if I was that thirsty or what, but the coke felt so refreshing. I tried the hash brown cakes and they were cold and stale. The sausage wasn’t quite stale, but still cold nonetheless. The pork was good, but it was such a small serving, and the rest of the bowl was onions. Wanting more, I decided on some White Rice which was very tasty, but it’s also very hard to screw that up. I tried the raspberry and chocolate dessert cakes which were very “meh.” I don’t want to come off as complaining, because I’m a very picky and basic eater, but I was disappointed overall with the quality of the offerings. I should have probably headed to the American lounge, but decided just to wait around.
Beverage Station
Second Beverage Station
Japanese Wine
JAL Starters (no thanks)
More starters (had the peppered pork, was pretty good)
Breakfast Hot Items 1
Breakfast Hot Items 2
JAL Pumpkin Soup
JAL Miso Soup and Beef Curry
My favorite JAL dish, the white rice.
JAL Finger Foods.
JAL Sweets
JAL Veggies
I skyped home for a couple minutes, had a drink, and then went to try out one of the massage chairs, which were very cool. There are pouches for your hands and legs that are air filled, and it suctions them out at various phases to mold to your arms/legs, and it felt pretty relaxing. I don’t know what any of the options meant, so just hit the first thing I could and it seemed to work very good.
JAL Massage Chair.
I noticed JAL 6's flight path from the day before - right over my home airport (MBS)
I started to head down to my gate about an hour and fifteen minutes before boarding. Downstairs at the gate area, I had saw there was the big entrance to the Sakura Lounge. I’m not quite sure what the difference was (at first), so I asked a JAL lady who was checking passes for access, and decided to check it out. I walked towards the entrance, and she said, “Sir, you need to use the first class entrance” “Ok then.”
The lounge down here was much more active. It had showers, a sushi bar, and the same food offerings as well as some views, which I didn’t have upstairs. I think the upstairs lounge was supposed to be a quiet place. I didn’t spend much time there, maybe five minutes, and proceeded to head to Gate 61, the first gate on the left down the pier.
My JAL 777-300 to New York!
I caught a view of my JAL 773 which would be taking me and many others to JFK. It had a tennis player on it as livery. I went down to the gate where I connected to the NRT wifi (before I was on the JAL lounge wifi) The speeds were excellent. Soon after the JAL agents were preparing the queues. I was surprised to see that oneworld emeralds get to board with First Class, ahead of business and oneworld ruby/sapphires, and only behind those needing extra time to board. I hopped into the number two spot in line. Another JAL woman asked to see my boarding pass and passport, and for some reason I was fully expecting her to kick me out (despite there being a very clear green oval next to the boarding sign), but she just smiled at me and said thank you.
Almost time to board!
Also, another shout-out to the NRT wi-fi.
Of all my flying I’ve ever done, this has to be the biggest tease. Boarding, with first class, and not even sitting in the front half of the plane. I would be seated behind first/biz/prem eco, in the middle of the first part of the economy cabin. I walked down the jetway when we began boarding, turned right to economy, and made my way back.
Hopefully sometime soon I will be making a left turn.
I’m very happy I didn’t pay the $300 to upgrade to premium economy. I’m not sure it was offered, but I believe that’s the going rate. Not that I don’t think it’s not worth it, I’m sure it has its perks, but the economy seat is just that good. It’s like an economy plus seat. Very wide, great legroom, and a large screen. No need to pay extra money when this is your seat. I was in 24A, one row behind 23A, which I mentioned had the extra leg room I had tried inquiring about. I’m glad I stuck with 23A as I had the inflight screen and power controls right in front of me, whereas row 23 has the portable monitors. There was a couple who sat down in that row saying “oh wow, we’re so lucky,” leading me to believe that the seats were assigned to them automatically (I never had them available to pick from).
I was one of the very first to board, and I took my bear out for a quick picture. One of the FA’s noticed and smiled, I told her since my girlfriend can’t travel with me, the bear gets to take her place, and asked if I could grab a picture in the cockpit of it AFTER we landed. She very apologetically told me no, and that that doors to the cockpit had to remain shut at all times. I feel bad for the pilots who are forced to live their lives beyond that door, never having them opened.
NRT-JFK
Pushback: Sked 12:15pm Actual 12:15pm (on time)
Takeoff: Sked: ??? Actual 12:32pm
Landing: Sked: ??? Actual 3:34pm
Gate Arrival: Sked 4:00pm Actual 3:43pm (17 minutes early)
Tokyo to New York, the “big” one. This flight would surpass my previous longest that I had just flown YVR-TPE and before that NRT-TPE. Similar to my previous JAL flight, I had pre-ordered the fruit platter for my meal selection. A gate agent came by with a small note, asking me to confirm my name and what I ordered, and the plane began coming to life with passengers. Despite being in the second row of economy class, I was placed slightly behind the wing, which offered a good view,
We boarded about 10 minutes late, but boarding was quick and efficient and we pushed back slightly ahead of schedule. My last trip through NRT, a mileage run to Bangkok, was through Terminal 1, where I remember there being much more activity. I believe there was an American Airlines flight getting ready for Dallas at the end of the terminal, but other than that there wasn’t much to see.
A/B/C seats of the mini-cabin
Side-view showing the bulkhead seats leg room
Ready to go! No post-flight cockpit picture for us though 
Our taxi was long and slow as we queued up with the Terminal 1 planes. I saw a Spring Airlines 737, parked in front of a Delta 747. The odd mix of Spring’s lemon/lime and delta’s red and white was an interesting sight. There was also a couple ANA 787 and 777’s, as well as a parked United 747.
t'way 737 to Seoul, also only one of 14 birds in existence
Finnair A333 to HEL that would leave right after us.
Contrasting liveries of Delta and Spring
ANA 788
Really shows the difference between a 747 and a 737.
It was finally our turn as the engines came to life and we began cruising down the runway.
About a half hour in, my fruit platter was brought out. I thought it was pretty good and provided a good amount of food, but as before, that also meant that I would have it sitting on my tray for almost a half hour.
Tasty
I started working on a crossword puzzle after the meal, but once my plate was taken, started to feel a bit groggy as I think the travelling was starting to get to me, and proceeded to sleep on and off for the next several hours. I eventually woke up south of Yakitusk where we ran into a bit of turbulence. I didn’t mind it, I actually find it oddly relaxing. It was the turbulence where you drop a bit and shake. No one seemed to mind, and sometime in the next hour or two I woke up to being served a single banana with a fruit platter sticker on it. I wasn’t really hungry so put it in my seat back pocket and went back to sleep, eventually waking up as were approaching Southwestern British Columbia. Feeling much more relaxed and having about 4 more hours to go, I became revitalized a bit and went back to (failing) at the USA today crossword puzzle I had from Monday. About three hours out I was served yet another fruit tray. I’m glad I ended up picking these, as the main courses that EVA/JAL/ANA offered were pretty heavily Asian based cuisine, and I don’t think I would have liked it.
As we began heading towards Milwaukee, I kept a close eye on our map. I had seen that the flight two days prior had flown pretty much directly over my family’s home near MBS, so told my family to keep an eye on flightaware or flightradar to see if they could spot me. We crossed over into Michigan over Holland, and then began the tour of I-69 Michigan airports: Grand Rapids (GRR), Lansing (LAN), and just a bit south of Flint (FNT), where my final destination would be for the night. I could make off MBS way in the distance due to knowing the geography, but I doubt my family could have been able to see me if they really tried. We crossed over the former home of the Detroit Lions, the Pontiac Silverdome, and then KPTK and into Ontario.
KGRR
KLAN
The rest of the flight seemed to go pretty fast, and we circled around from the Northwest counter-clockwise to land and touched down early around 10:15am. We taxied past the JetBlue terminal and eventually pulled up next to a Qatar 777.
New York JFK/JFK Flagship Lounge
As I landed, I received an email alert that four out of my five eligible flights (FNT-ORD single class) were upgraded, with the exception being my morning ORD-CLT. I went to the AA app to see the status of my JFK-MIA Miami flight, and not only was I not upgraded, I wasn’t even on the list. I also couldn’t get boarding passes for MIA-ORD-FNT, so I planned on stopping at T8.
I have global entry so thankfully there wasn’t too much of a hassle. THe kiosk took a minute, I went down and gave my pass to a guard who asked where I was coming from, I said Taipei, and he said what for, and I said “for the frequent flyer miles.” I was expecting some resistance but didn’t have an issue, and I was sent on my way for one final person at customs. I had to queue in a line at the very far end of the baggage claim area, and as I got called up the woman asked if I had any bags, I said no, and I was done. Total time was about 5 minutes, it probably could have been a little bit faster, but the signs at JFK aren’t the most visible.
I headed up to the AirTrain where it was only going in one direction – from Terminal 1 to 8 in ascending order, so I would get the full tour of JFK that morning. Of notable interest in the morning, an Aerolineas Argentinas' 332, and an Azerbaijani 787.
Azerbaijan 787 - larger image direct link
Arik Air A330 (Lagos, Nigeria)
It was a five minute walk to the American Gates at T8 where there was some construction going on. I went first to a kiosk to get my boarding passes and make sure I was actually checked in for all my legs, and upon doing this got an error message saying I couldn’t be added to the upgrade list. The AA app however updated and showed me #1 on the list. I went towards the security entrance from what I remembered my last time at JFK, but was told by a security guard I had to go back towards the T8 entrance and go around to the other gates to get to security.
Thankfully, PreCheck was actually operating like it was supposed to and I was through security in 2 minutes, into a very tranquil T8. My flight would be leaving from Gate 12, the first gate on the first left pier of T8, and right across/under the first of two AA lounges and the AA Flagship Lounge. I went up the elevator and into the club, where I presented my JAL economy class ticket and onward ticket to Miami. The lounge agent didn’t seem to like the very blank JAL passes, so he printed up my JFK-MIA flight on AA stock and I was on my way to my first ever visit in a Flagship Lounge.
Despite lots of construction, it was nice, and quiet. I grabbed a seat overlooking the tarmac and as I sat down, my 757 from Dublin was just pulling into the gate. My flight would be on an internationally-configured 757. The good part is that it offers a better first class seat; the bad part was that there was less first class seats then the domestic-configured 757s.
I wasn’t overly impressed with the food selection, as again I’m stubbornly picky, but I did grab the sliced turkey, which was delicious. I caught up with my family to let them know everything was going well, and then skyped my girlfriend for a bit.
Flagship Lounge Food 1
Flagship Lounge Food 2
Flagship Lounge Food 3
Soups were crab chowder and apple/butternut squash (no thanks)
Flagship liquor - didn't find anything too amazing.
Around this time I had started looking at flights for the following day. As it stood, I had a short layover in Chicago followed by a long layover in Charlotte. Having a United Club Access, I didn’t want to spend any extra time in Charlotte, despite it being, to me, one of the more pleasant airports in the country. I saw there were two earlier CLT-ATL flights that would get me in and let me spend some time in the United Club at Atlanta, which I had heard good things about. I went up to the customer desk at the Flagship Lounge, and asked about doing a same day confirmed change onto one of the earlier flights. The lady, well nice, didn’t put much effort into it and simply said they weren’t available.
My AA 757 arriving from Dublin
Also spotted a Saudi Airlines 747 Cargo Plane
No big deal, and as it was approaching one hour before my flight, I decided to head down to the gate where my flight was zeroed out. Lots of people were complaining about the seats they were assigned. The agents started getting snappier (people don’t like middle seats), and started saying “well then if you don’t like it you can take another later flight” (and then) “I don’t know when.”
An agent didn’t show up until about 20 minutes before boarding, and there was already a line. I got in line to ask if it was oversold, and told “maybe,” and that I was also on the upgrade list, and the agent wasn’t sure if that would be an issue or not. About 10 minutes later she came on saying they were oversold by SIX, and needed some volunteers. Awesome! I feel like a kid in a candy store when these situations come up. I pulled up Google Flights and Expert Flyer and looked at what options there were. I had to get to Chicago to connect to flint, so that’s what I looked at. Should I try and go JFK-IND-ORD? JFK-PIT-ORD? Or how about JFK-CLE-ORD, and a short visit to the Great Lakes Brewing Company restaurant there? Or there was also a nonstop 5:30pm JFK-ORD flight. While doing this, I saw my upgrade had cleared.
As with the case of the other 5 times I’ve volunteered with AA, they didn’t end up needing anyone. It’s such a tease. When I was told I could board, I skipped to the priority line and went to the front and boarded, where I was able to turn left after entering rather than right, to my last-aisle seat, 4E. I stowed my bags and began to relax, as I knew I was in for a good ride down to Miami. While I’m a window-seat guy, a first class seat is better than economy any day.
My view from 4E
JFK-MIA
Pushback: Sked: 1:45pm Actual: 1:42pm (3 minutes early)
Takeoff: Sked: 2:10pm Actual: 1:59pm (11 minutes early)
Landing: Sked: 4:50pm Actual 4:27pm (23 minutes early)
Gate Arrival: Sked: 5:00pm Actual 3:43pm (28 minutes early)
It felt good to be back on AA. I passed on a PDB and started to pass out for a bit while we finished boarding and began taxiing and taking off. Shortly after I was given some warm nuts and ordered the oriental chicken salad. I don’t really care for the salad, but I do like the (cold) chicken, which I’ve had on several AA flights, as well as the sourdough roll that comes with it. I asked if they had any of the Glenlivet on board, as I read AA recently brought it back, but was told no.
JFK-MIA Lunch
As I put my train down, it looked like my seatback had been crying coke. The cold chicken was very good, and the warmed cookies was so-so – a tad but overcooked, but still good. The flight down to Miami was very uneventful, as we circled around from the east coast of Florida to land from the west.
Seatback of my tray - looked kinda messy.
MIA
Miami is, in my opinion, one of the more boring airports I’ve transited through. The AA gates span a very large D wing, where a train operates four stops throughout. I decided to check out the lounge as I wasn’t familiar with it, but it was undergoing major construction. On my way there was a large group of people watching the Euro Championships game between Poland and Portugual.
70' mark of Poland/Portugal game
When I eventually got to the D15 AA lounge, there was a makeshift lounge being used. I was given a drink coupon however, and decided to use it or lose it. I decided on getting the Glenlivet, where I received a very small amount. There wasn’t much to see or do, so I went downstairs where I was right next to my gate, which had already began boarding.
Temporary seating for lounge renovation
One of the things I don’t like about AA is that if you show up late, you have no idea what group is boarding/what groups have already boarded until you hear the Gate Agents call the next flight. Seeing as the Priority lane was fairly empty, I just opted to head towards it and walked down. I went to the front of the line and waited while the gate agent scanned another 5 or so economy pax before letting me scan my pass and board. On to the 767!
MIA-ORD
Pushback: Sked 5:55pm Actual: 5:53pm (2 minutes early)
Takeoff: Sked: 6:12pm Actual: 6:10pm (2 minutes early)
Landing: Sked: 8:12pm Actual 7:53pm (19 minutes early)
Gate Arrival: Sked: 8:12pm (apparently the same) Actual 8:04pm (8 minutes early)
Since moving to AA, I’ve been on 5 AA 767 flights. Twice I’ve been in row 17, the pilot rest area seats, which fantastic seats. Twice I’ve been in business, and like those two times, the planes configuration was changed from their nicer 1-2-1 to 2-2-2 in business the day before. The third time I was in business class but got downgraded when the plane swapped to a 737 at Chicago.
My seat for the next 2.5 hours
I had grabbed seat 6J, the last window seat, which gives a great view of the wing and right engine. When the FA came around for PDBs, the man next to me ordered a scotch, and I specifically asked if there was any Glenlivet catered. I know I’ve brought this up three times in the last three paragraphs – I didn’t even really want it, it was just more so to see if they actually had it. The man next to me (not the Flight Attendant) said they don’t do that anymore, and the FA agreed, but I asked if he could check, and sure enough, he had three mini-bottles. He poured us each one and said he would save the third bottle for me and the gentlemen next to me to split if we wanted it later, which was a kind offer.
Great view out the window
Lining up on the runway!
And shortly after take off, an immediate bank to the right to head north.
Dinner today was grilled shrimp and (I think) grits. I’d had the shrimp before on a PHX-DTW flight, and similar to that flight, the shrimp was great! Very hot and moist, with lots of flavor. I didn’t touch the grits, and nibbled away at the lettuce and peppers from my salad with a roll, and of course a warm cookie that was better then the earlier JFK-MIA flight’s. I slept for most of the flight, and there wasn’t anything else to highlight.
We're getting there!
MIA-ORD Dinner
Chicago ORD/Flagship Lounge
In contrast to Miami, I love almost everything about ORD. I think what it is, is that it was always the start of trips for me when I was younger. I didn’t fly a whole lot, but all my flights would connect in Chicago, usually the 6am flights from either Flint, Grand Rapids, or Saginaw. I don’t quite care for the AA gates as much as the United gates, but it still almost feels like home for me.
I was able to check out the flagship lounge here as well, and wanted to since I probably won’t have the option again for a very long time (and definitely not in the for seeable future, I would try to go through LAX if anything). The lounge was pretty quiet, as most people there were getting ready for the late night AA flight to London. There was a wide range of food, and it seemed to slightly cater a more Spanish and Asian flavor; I wonder if that was because of the Iberia flight that had just departed, or I was making things up. I ended up grabbing a piece of the trout with black beans, and carefully scrapping away the beans. I’m pretty sure it was salmon though.
I suppose this is one of the reasons for the Spanish flavor at the Flagship lounge
View as you enter the ORD Flagship Lounge
ORD Flagship seating area
ORD Flagship Liquor
ORD Flagship Soup - Beef Barley
Asparagus and Green Beans
ORD Flagship snacks
More ORD Flagship lite snacks
As my flights were leaving from the AA express gates at the end of the G wing, I left a bit early to head over as I knew my flight was zero’ed out. I got up to Gate G18 towards the very end of the pier, asked if my flight was oversold, and she said no, but that the flight one gate over to Detroit was (I just can’t catch a break). Having about 20 minutes to kill before boarding,
I went into the AA lounge to ask about same day confirmed changes again. As I walked in I was given another drink chit, and went to an older lady working the service counter.
I figured instead of trying to get to ATL earlier, I would ask to leave Chicago later instead. I told the women my itinerary, asked her if there was any options, and she just kind of smiled and kept nodding her head. My thoughts were I was talking to a brick wall, as she hardly said anything and just kind of kept saying “ok” when I kept throwing out all this information. She said there was a 10:35am flight ORD to CLT, I said that would be great, can you get me on to it, and again she just kinda nodded without saying anything, and I figured she was just going to type some things in and say no.
Well amazingly enough, she got me on it. I was floored. It just seemed like she was kind of in her own world just nodding to appease me, but she was able to confirm me on it and print off my passes. She asked about my travels and said I should start a travel blog, and call it “The Flying Man.” I joked no one would want to read my flights since my all my travels are boring, and there are so many others who can do a better job documenting the luxurious experiences.
Very happy with this change, I went over to the bar. I noticed the glowing green bottle of Midori sitting on the shelf, and never had it before, told the bartender I wanted something with Midori in it. I felt like I had to defend myself, as a couple people chuckled at the bar chuckled, and said that I had been drinking too much scotch and wanted something fruity. I said I wanted to feel like a college-aged girl drinking, which seemed to get a couple laughs. The guy next to me was a former bartender and suggested Midori and Pineapple juice, but there wasn’t any pineapple so they gave me a drink of Midori with orange juice instead.
The guy next to me asked if I was a single guy. I thought he was referring to single malt scotches, as I had mentioned the Glenlivet, and thought I was about to get into the pros/cons of scotch’s. I was wrong though. He said I needed to keep a bottle of the Midori and fruit juices for when I would have lady friends over. I believe his words were “It will loosen them right up, and they will melt like butter.” I said I would have to keep that in mind for the future. I had my drink, and it was very fruity, you couldn’t tell there was even alcohol in it, so I could see what he meant. It was very tasty. I went down to the gate where I got ready to board, where the adjacent gate for Detroit was offering $500, a 9am flight the next morning, and food and hotel vouchers, or else they would have to IDB the last person who checked in.” Why can’t that happen to me? I was the only person with status to board, so I don’t know what happened with the DTW flight.
ORD-FNT
Pushback: Sked: 9:55pm Actual: 9:55pm (On Time)
Takeoff: Sked: 9:59pm Actual: 10:11pm (12 minutes late)
Landing: Sked: 11:36pm Actual 11:46pm (10 minutes late)
Gate Arrival: Sked: 11:55pm Actual 11:49pm (6 minutes early)
The flights home are the best flights, right? I love being on the E145’s back to Michigan. Whether its Kalamazoo, Grand Rapids, Flint, Lansing, having seat 12A is easily one of the best economy seats out there, and that’s coming from a bigger guy. I think what helps is having the air vents a foot above you – it really helps keep you cool. The legroom is also great, and I find it amusing I can reach into the overhead bins on the B/C seats while sitting down in my seat.
Does it look like this guy is going to get his bag in?
Despite being zero’ed out earlier in the hour, there were several open seats, including both 12 B and C next to me. There was an old man and his wife who weren’t sitting together, and one gentlemen offered to switch seats so they could sit together and he responded saying “Nope, I’m happy right where we are” which several people found funny. As soon as the FA announced boarding was complete, a woman ran up to 12C. Another women went to 13C, saying how the women in 12C had the right idea and she wanted those seats. I was slightly irritated, as they are supposed to be premium seats, and the FA didn’t make an announcement to change seats, but nothing worth crying over.
As we got onto the runway and started taking off, right in the middle of our climb – I mean, 30 seconds after wheels up, that old man came up and took seat 11A in front of me. I don’t think you could pick a more unsafe time to move In the cabin. No one seemed to care though. There was heavy cloud cover, and I couldn’t see much until right before landing, as we approached from the west along I-69 before touching down at the airport I had flown over 10 hours ago. No service of any kind was offered on the flight, which was a bit disappointing as I like to use my executive platinum perk to get a free snack box.
There was a united flight that had landed about 10 minutes prior, and the only other activity should have been a Southwest flight landing from Midway shortly after us. I was greeted by my mom at the airport who had mentioned the local news station was at Flint. Flint is starting FNT-EWR service on United, and even though the first flight from EWR-FNT wouldn’t be until the next night (and first FNT-EWR flight that Saturday morning), I guess there was a celebration going on (the inaugural EWR-FNT and FNT-EWR flights would be cancelled).
Back home!...at least for 6 hour overnight.
Bishop International Airport (KFNT) at night.
There were some blue and white balloons at the United desk that wouldn’t be there the next morning when I came back. We were out and onto the road shortly after.
My mom and I stopped at one of the few 24 hour restaurants nearby, the Mega Diner in Corunna where I divulged in some sweet, sweet, American Food.
So good.
Dinner was good, then a quick nap at the nearby Hampton Inn, where I was fortunate enough to be able to use a friends and family discount for only $55 for the reservation. I did think it was funny that the hotel explicitly mentioned they were not affected by the Flint water crisis. Three hours of quality napping, before catching a 4:30 am shuttle back to the airport, only five minutes away to begin one more long day of domestic flights.