Several months back, I booked a WBC standard award trip from Narita to Singapore, departing late December, returning in early January, for 30000 points.

My international flights are almost exclusively in coach (except when I take Continental Micronesia between Narita and Cairns via Guam - those first class upgrades really rock!), so I really wanted to experience the upper deck seats in WBC on the 747-200. I had heard many good comments about these seats, and really wanted to start and finish my (well-deserved) holiday to Asia and Australia this Christmas / New Year in style!

Yesterday, when reviewing my reservation, I depressingly noted that the aircraft from Narita to Singapore has (once again) been downgraded to a DC10.

To complicate matters, my connecting flight with Qantas from Singapore onwards had also undergone a radical schedule change, thereby causing me to re-evaluate my plans once again.

I called the elite line in Tokyo yesterday, and spoke with three different agents (with varying levels of competency and politeness)over the course of the afternoon to try and find alternative flights. Calls were to be made to partner airlines, and I was told that I would be called back at work that afternoon.

Well, I left work yesterday evening with no call and no update.

To my surprise, I got the phone call this morning (Saturday a.m.) from a really nice and friendly Tokyo Worldperks agent - they had found availability (which perfectly matched my schedule) on Malaysian Airlines from Narita to Kuala Lumpur, and onwards to Singapore on the exact date and times that I wanted to fly. As the flights between Kuala Lumpur and Singapore are only classified as either First Class or Economy, they were going to have to book me either in First Class or Economy from Narita as well.

So, I am now rebooked (for a 45000 mile standard return) from Narita to Singapore on Malaysian Air in First Class (!!) and back in WBC from Bangkok to Narita on NW.

Without a doubt, this is an excellent value award; in comparison, for 45000 points, my old carrier SQ would have flown me from Japan to Asia and back in economy.

I have never flown International First Class before and cannot wait for my MH flights.

I wonder if the 747-400 from Bangkok will have the new WBC seats as well??!!

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NW Worldperks Gold, 6/10 of the way to SPG Gold