zarkov505

OK, I just did one of my semi-annual Bangkok runs: HSV-DFW-NRT-BKK and back.

It started with a wheelchair ride from high up Terminal B to the Terminal D Admirals Club, where I was told that I had Flagship Lounge access, so the wheelchair guy schlepped me a few gates farther down. Momentary confusion on the entrance, something about paperwork and AAdvantage number and whatnot, but it only took a few minutes to get me in.

I was on the JL flight to Tokyo (codeshare), so they handed me off to the JL agent inside the lounge. I inquired, and she put me in for the Premium Economy upgrade. A few minutes later, she came back and told me that she'd put me down for wheelchair assistance all through the flight.

The Flagship Lounge is nice, considerably nicer than the Terminal D Admirals Club that I remember.

I had a surprise at NRT. If you are arriving from the US and connecting internationally at NRT, you are not required to do security re-screen. Going the other way, you must re-screen.

JL did their usual outstanding job on the various legs I flew with them. I won't talk about AA on the transPac return trip, beyond saying that I think I may well have flown my LAST transPac hop on AA metal. Given a choice between JL PE or Y, and AA PE, MCE, or Y, and a (nowadays very low probability) posssible J upgrade, I'll take the JL metal and soft product.

I was in PE on a JL 789 (DFW-NRT) and Y on a JL 788 (NRT-BKK). Surprisingly comfortable seats, especially considering that JL supposedly designs for smaller people.

I was in PE on the AA 772 (NRT-DFW). I am a person of size, and that seat was HORRIBLY CRAMPED, as bad as Discount Dougie's 16"-17" Y/MCE seats on the 773. The tray table was NOT designed for me, and the A/V control was on the side, right where it was IMPOSSIBLE to avoid brushing against it and turning on the reading light. We wound up moving me aft one row for the meal, to two adjacent unoccupied MCE seats: I sat in one and used the tray table from the other.)

On return to DFW, I again went to the Terminal D Admirals Club, where I found out that, because I was arriving from an international hop and connecting to a domestic flight, I again had Flagship Lounge access. Nice touch again. This time, no difficulty at all on admission.