Apparently so--it departed 11 minutes ago. I didn't hear it on LiveATC (which I've been monitoring), but I have been on the phone a couple times in the last 15 minutes so could have missed it.

http://flightaware.com/live/flight/A...430Z/PANC/RJAA

(Oddly, FlightAware shows it on the site, but the flight notifications I had set up for it on FlightAware have not triggered. FlightStats doesn't even have the flight anywhere on file; searching by flight number, it only shows the canceled ORD-NRT from earlier today, and searching by airport or route doesn't show it listed at all. Seems like FlightStats isn't very robust when it comes to diversions.)

UA's still on the ground here AFAIK. Haven't seen a flight plan filed for it at all.

Edited to add: word from a local travel guru is that it's scheduled to go out in the morning.

Edited again to add: received the following alert from FlightAware:

UAL881/B744 filed to depart PANC @ 10:16 YST for RJAA @ ETA 14:51 YST (ANC NODLE R220 NICHO R580 ORCCA R580 OFORD R341 NATES R220 NIKLL R220 NIPPI R220 NANAC Z22 Y811 ABBOT)

Thanks for the link! First I've heard from anyone on that flight. Hope the author enjoyed his springtime stroll around downtown Anchorage...

Slightly OT, but it seems the city of Sendai happens to be a friendship city of Dallas
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sister_cities_of_Dallas. :-:

rebook!
 

I am booked to go JFK-HND on Mar 15th and have connecting flight on award ticket with TG to BKK. AA does not say how the flights from Mar 12-18 will be all canceled... but then i tried to check on aa.com and flights are not bookable. It is possible they re-route many people and some people cancel their ticket so the flight may be canceled without (much) prior notice. I called them to have them rebooked me to HKG (AA code with CX) but was told to call again tomorrow during business hour.

AA offer to rebook to PVG or PEK.... but I don't have time to apply for a Visa to China!

TG says they can rebook me from anywhere else to BKK. If I can get AA to get me to HKG, then that may solve the problem. I will lose the double miles promotion!

Any suggestion? Thoughts?

Actually this is very interesting & will undoubtedly be an important relationship in the aftermath of the disaster!^

i guess i wont be earning triple miles on the JFK-HND route in a week.......

Since the effects of an earthquake can persist for several weeks (as opposed to snowstorms which last only a few days and at most a week until things are back to normal). I'm booked jfk-nrt-jfk next month and am giving thoughts of cancelling--aa should open the change/cancel window to more than just a few days.

Has anyone else had difficulty trying to donate? My CC was declined. I tried a different one. It was declined as well. There shouldn't be any problems with my cards, so I'm thinking it's the American Red Cross's website. If just one person could post regarding whether they've been able to actually donate, I'd appreciate it - it will help me troubleshoot.

Thanks
-z

I'm transiting through NRT on Mar 15. I called AA on Friday to see if I should rebook. They told me that so long as I wasn't flying within the next 48 hours, my LAX-NRT segment should be fine. The EXP desk suggest that I call before leaving for the airport to make sure the flight is still on.

I'm assuming that most people that are rebooking have Japan has their final destination. I'm more worried about my onward connections from/to NRT by JL and CX. Should I get them to route me through PVG/PEK? I believe a visa is not necessary if I'm just transiting through China.

I was able to complete the donation and fwd the email. ^

EDIT: Here is the follow up email from AA:

Thank you for your generous donation. American Airlines is proud to do
our part in supporting this effort by rewarding your contribution with
AAdvantage miles. Please allow up to 10 days for the mileage to post to
your account. You can check your balance online at AA.com when you login
with your AAdvantage number and password.

Please know that your donation will be put to good use and we likewise
hope you will make the most of your AAdvantage miles! Thanks again.

Sincerely,

AAdvantage Customer Service

I am thinking the same thing. I have an on-ward award ticket on TG and if I change the connecting point... it would be hard to coordinate especially at PVG/PEK that I am not sure that the agent will not me check in on the flight without a VISA...

Any advice?
 

My wife and I are scheduled to fly to Tokyo in 2 weeks as the first stop on a 6 month one-world RTW award ticket. Given the events going on in and around Tokyo, we would obviously prefer not to be a tourist in Japan for 5 days...even if the aftershocks and nuclear crisis are over, just feels like adding tourists to the picture isn't ideal. Think we would just be in the way.

Anyway, looking for advice on what we can do? I call EXP desk and was told I could re-route, but no award availability (so can't actually re-route). I'm pretty flexible on where we fly through and how we get to our next stop (Perth), but AA EXP hasn't been super helpful or creative on how to get there.

Any ideas on what to do and how to handle?

Feels crazy that AA isn't being more helpful given the circumstances, but maybe my perspective is off.

From that MSNBC article: "...so I called American Airlines a few times to see if we could rebook to Hong Kong or if there are any other options for us. There are not. Our business class tickets were booked with frequent flyer miles and..."

Well let's just say, I too wouldn't want any MSNBC journalists under Comcast majority ownership (rather than GE) on my Cathay Pacific flight when using frequent flier miles if they can't handle an 8.8 JMA while sitting pretty in ANC. :-: Thinking they could just jump over to those CX flights, huh?

Spock Seat

Earthquake Update from AA Japan
 

Earthquake Update


Updated at 8:30PM, Saturday, March 12

Narita International Airport reopened Saturday morning with a limited number of flight arrivals and departures. That number will steadily increase over the next several days as flight operations return back to normal.

American Airlines will operate the following departures on Sunday, March 13:

AA134: Tokyo Haneda - New York JFK
AA170: Tokyo Narita- Los Angeles
AA154: Tokyo Narita- Chicago O'Hare
AA60: Tokyo Narita- Dallas-Ft. Worth
AA168: Tokyo Narita - New York JFK

One flight below has been canceled and will not operate on Sunday, March 13:

AA176: Tokyo Narita - Dallas-Ft. Worth

http://www.americanairlines.jp/intl/...ws20110311.jsp

Quite the contrary; I myself am a Japanese-American who visits Japan annually so I know what the country is like and how they handle crises like these by being there first hand during the Great Hanshin Earthquake that struck Kobe back in the early 1990s.

Keep in mind that Tokyo was pretty much spared as the hardest hit is near the epicenter is in the Northern region of Japan, notably near Sendai. Unless your plans included visiting this region it should be okay.

And to put it straight-forwardly, it would actually help Japan by continuing to have tourists still coming in as any economical activity will contribute to generating revenue into the economy which in turn goes into helping the victims.

Japan is a self-sustaining country whose citizens are are very diligent and remain calm even after going through such a catastrophe; just like the Great Hanshin Earthquake that struck Kobe back in the early 1990s, you're not going to see looting or chaos. Rather, it may give you renewed view of Japan by visiting the country facing such a crisis to see that everyone works together helping each other out. So don't think of yourself as "just getting in the way," rather, think of ways in which you can contribute to the relief effort while you're there.

If I were in your shoes, I'd still go to Japan 2 wks from now. But at the same time I'd also bring some spare blankets, clothes and any other charitable items to donate to the local charity centers that are popping up all over Japan now. Your place of stay would gladly accept them on your behalf for donation. Visiting a Japan Red Cross center during your stay to donate some of your blood would also be of great help as well.

In transit at both airports, you are allowed 24 hours visa free as long as you can provide confirmed documentation of an onward flight (you are even allowed to leave the airport).

At PVG, U.S. citizens are allowed 48 hours.

This information is stored in TIMATIC, which most airlines use for checking documentation requirements, so you should be okay when boarding in Japan. (if they balk, tell them to check the database).