We woke up and had one last breakfast at the buffet downstairs. Our friend was taking the friendly airport limousine to Haneda at 10AM, whereas our Narita Express train didn't depart until 1:40PM from Shinjuku.
Our request for late checkout was denied due to the next guests arriving at 2PM. With that in mind, we figured we would just head towards Shinjuku around noon. I had wanted to squeeze in one last bowl of ramen at Menya Musashi or Menyo Sho, but with the clock against us and the wife in no mood to walk in the heat, it was not worth the hassle. After checking out, I lugged our overweight bag through the underground passageways toward the Maranouchi line, where it would be just one stop before alighting. Once we got to the platform, impatience kicked in and I walked out to change our Narita Express tickets to the 12:40PM train instead.
Arriving at the terminal
I did mention I wanted another bowl of ramen, right? Well, check-in wasn't open yet, but the food court was. I didn't expect much, but Kagetsu Arashi had a pretty decent bowl
Unfortunately, the AC didn't quite keep up with the heat and humidity. I made a quick dash outside to the observation deck only to find Delta planes as far as I could see
The Queen
When we returned to the check-in area, the agents were just starting to open up
Etihad used to use the ANA J lounge, but I guess they opted not to renew the contract. We were given passes to the Narita TraveLounge instead
Heading through security
On the other side, we walked through duty free and saw nothing interesting (read: whisky) so we continued on towards our gate. We purchased some Royce chocolate before coming across this lovely shop had some Kit-Kat flavors we'd not seen anywhere else,
Entrance to the TraveLounge
You only had to pay if you purchased a pass for entrance. The voucher we received ensured everything was complementary
Food counter
Up close
Drinks
I was torn between curry and beef bowl, but the latter won out. A highball to accompany
The lounge filled up as we inched towards departure time
At T-10, we head to the gate where our 787-9 was awaiting
There was no separate call for first class, and all the business passengers had already started a queue. This seemed to be the case throughout the trip. Once down the jetbridge, we made the left turn and settled into our suites. I did get asked multiple times if I was a blogger since I was holding my camera, to which I responded "sort of?" in the event that FT trip reports count.
I always end up on the right side of the Mrs.
Storage space under the leg rest, similar to the area under the bench on the Apartments
PDB
Amenity Kit
Controls...very similar to the Apartment
The menu for the next 10 hours
Unchilled drinks just an arm's length away
Time of course passes by instantly at the front, so we were taxiing and up and away before we knew it. There was an open window seat in 1A I inquired about prior to departure since I wanted to take some pictures/video during taxi and takeoff. I was told that I would notified if the seat was empty once boarding completed, but they didn't remember until we were airborne. The FA I asked realized once he saw me again with camera in hand, walking towards 1A after the seatbelt sign was turned off.
A quick snack before meal time
Dining in the wife's suite
For dinner, I chose the king prawn as the appetizer, while splitting the Arabic mezze. The gargantuan portions on Emirates scares me away from having one myself nowadays. Just seeing the word mezze gives me flashbacks of the FA taking away what seems like an untouched serving.
Cleanser
For the main, I opted for the chef's special which was chicken breast with soy sauce, spring vegetables, and potatoes. Pretty good, but nothing spectacular
She always gets the fish, so halibut it is. I'm amazed how her fish choices always end up paying off in the sky...
Green tea "textures" for dessert and orange cake
Once dinner service completed, I asked to have my bed made. I accepted the offer of a wakeup call for breakfast or a snack prior to landing, which would be roughly 2 hours before touchdown. I ended up waking up about 40 minutes prior to landing, with no chance to wolf down an Etihad steak sandwich. The Mrs., however, was cleaning the crumbs off her plate while groggy me tried to assess what time it was. Some obvious lapses in service, but at least I did end up well rested.
On approach to Abu Dhabi
We disembarked close to midnight. The original plan was to exit security and get a hotel room to spend the night. The wife was starting to have mobility issues, so she preferred to pay a bit more to stay at the airside hotel, but it was all booked until the wee hours of the morning. Given that we had gone through the hassle of security screening already, we continued on towards the F lounge instead.
Once checked in, we made a beeline to the nap room and dropped off our backpacks. I scheduled a massage for myself and a facial for Eve to start right away. The masseur really hit the spot working on my neck and shoulders. For the first time, the allotted 15 minutes felt LONGER than it seemed. With that done, I figured it'd be best to eat, and try to get some R&R until the morning.
The rest of the lounge
Cigar lounge
Looking towards the enclosed rest area
Downsized menu compared to last year
Scallops...delicious
Ravioli
Beef loin...and bit dry and bland. Are they sure this was cooked sous vide?
Vanilla ice cream
Anddd fruit plate
With the more limited selection now, there is a small self-serve area with small bites as well
The lounge service was starting to wind down as the early morning departures were trickling out. We decided to head back towards the nap room to get whatever rest we could manage. The seats were very comfortable and able to fully recline. I'm not sure why they have a dark room with a bright screen showing vibrant images, but I struggled to sleep and woke up fairly often. The room itself seems much colder than the rest of the lounge, and even with a blanket, it was a bit chilly. By sprinkling in some photo editing and internet browsing, I was able to pass the time until sunrise.
Next up: Breakfast in the lounge, buses to the gates, and arriving in Male