MSPeconomist

As most already realize, the HND route has shifted from the 777 to the A330 aircraft, with a late evening arrival and even later night departure from Japan.

Before booking this, there are two other things you should know:

DL does not serve their regular TPAC MEALS on these flights. In BE, you get the regular wine list but a very limited supper offering with an Asian choice, a hot Western choice which in fact was Asian and different from any BE meal choice I have ever seen, and a Western cold plate. None of the regular BE main course choices are available, including no Michelle Bernstein, which some would consider a good thing. The is no appetizer, no ice cream, and no dessert. The salad is small and boring with a single choice of packaged dressing. The cheese plate also looked inferior to what is usually offered in BE TATL or TPAC. The breakfast is also different, but less obviously inferior.

When you arrive at LAX, as of the last month, the plane will park at Delta's Terminal 5 but you will be BUSSED to TBIT for immigration and customs. Not pleasant at all and a big waste of time. This step also guarantees that those in the front of the plane will not necessarily be first in line for CBP processing.

You should also know that the DL check in opens only about three hours before the flight so that if you cannot do OLCI or otherwise get your boarding pass in advance, or if you must drop a bag, you will not be able to get early access to shops or the lounge at HND. The Friendly limo bus seems to arrive around 10pm, with only a single night run from most areas of Tokyo, which is very early given Japanese airport efficiency. The LAX-HND flight is scheduled to arrive at about 11pm, so any delay in the outbound segment is likely to result in a delay for HND-LAX as DL has scheduled minimal turnaround time for a long haul international flight, but Japanese efficiency helps here too. I had a positive impression of the Japanese ground staff, who seem to be contract workers, not DL employees like at NRT.

The TIAT lounge is nice, but not nearly as nice or large as the DL SCs at NRT. I think I saw a beer machine. There seem to be three showers for women and three for men. Obviously lavatories are located within the lounge. DL supposedly gives you an invitation to the better side, but the other pay side, IIRC 1000 yen with some prices listed for drinks and showers, is supposedly free with an (any???) AmEx or Diners Club card.

sirikit

Wow - what went from a rather wonderful experience on the fabulous 777 with flight times I adored, flat-bed seats and convenience-galore now seems like an absolute pain...the bus ride alone to TBIT with the loss in quick departure sounds frustrating as hell for passengers in BE...no more united terminal arrivals eh...bummer!

Vuelos

Why TBIT? that doesn't make sense.

mnredfox

While I think A330 is about the same in Y, will miss the lie flats on the 777.

GYEWorldTraveler

I've flown this flight twice and never have been bussed to TBIT. DL has their own customs and immigration.

The food bites I'd agree since there are no ice cream sundaes coming back just 2 options (both terrible). Haven't flown it since it shifted to a 330 but man were the flights empty in J on the 777.

The lounge is pretty nice, good views of planes and has nice showers. Alcohol selection is good and there are some snacks. It's been quiet the two times I've been there.

HND is definitely more convenient than NRT for travelers staying in Tokyo but the service is not up to par with the NRT flights. It's almost as bad as the NRT-SIN flights where you get few options and everything is pre-plated on one plate, not served like most BE flights are (nuts, appetizer, salad, main, dessert). An FA told me this is due to the flight departure time out of HND (after midnight) so people want a fast meal and then to sleep.

MSPeconomist

Yes, DL does indeed have their own immigration and customs facilities in Terminal 5 at LAX, but my point is that they no longer use them for the HND flight, instead cramming everyone on a bus to TBIT with the resulting hassle and waste of time. It would perhaps not be as bad if DL were to park at a jetway at TBIT and then tow the plane over to the DL terminal for its next departure. Maybe this would be slightly more costly for DL....

The good news, I guess, is that so far DL serves the genuine BE wines on the HND flights, unlike on the SIN flights where IMO the wines DL serves resemble their domestic FC offerings, plus IIRC something sparkling.

exwannabe

W/o looking at time schedules, I would assume that DL does not want to pay to keep the T5 CBP open at that time.

I love TBIT by the way. Other than lack of gates, tow in nonsense, being bussed, long lines and construction.

It is probably one of the top 5 international gateways in California.

N830MH

Why they cannot afford it to pay CBP during evening or morning rush hours traffic. They have to stay open for every 24 hours.

exwannabe

Why do they have to stay open 24 hours? T5 is a minor customs/immegration station and they always have the option of sending pax to Bradley. Bradley actually has a desinged in bus setup that allows the bus-in gates to drop you off right at customs.

Given that they ARE bussing pax to Bradly, I would assume it is clear that T5 customs is only open for the DL TPAC peek arrival hours.

MSPeconomist

Does DL pay additional to have CBP in their terminal or is CBP covered by passenger fees and ticket taxes? From what purser and FAs said, I assumed that it was a matter of CBP agents deciding that they wanted to go home early or not wanting to come over to another terminal for part of a shift. Nothing much was happening at TBIT when the HND flight arrived. I wonder how much it would cost DL to park this flight at a TBIT jetway upon arrival, which is sufficiently late that it doesn't allow many non redeye connections.

List if genuine international airports in CA, south to north order:
SAN
LAX
SFO
Am I forgetting something: Sacramento? Long Beach? Burbank? Santa Barbara? Oakland? San Jose? Merced? Monterrey? Palm Springs?

MSPeconomist

The bus-in gate used by the HND flight is a very long walk from immigration and customs.

If DL only offers CBP processing in their own terminal during certain peak hours, this fact should be clearly disclosed to passengers before tickets are purchased, not during final approach or after the aircraft door has been opened upon arrival. If I must be BUSSED to TBIT for an international arrival, I will avoid LAX or DL or both. This is a LCC or third world country experience, not what I expect for a BE ticket.

exwannabe

As to parking the flight at a TBIT gate, I often have had to park at the remote (bus in) facility when arriving in the 7PM time frame. That is when the waves of flights from S Asia are arriving. Even if the TBIT gates are free an hour earlier, I would assume it is cheaper to park the plane and bus the pax, vs use the plane as a bus.

As to 5th best, obviously I was somewhat joking. But SEA is a possibility.

EDIT: OK, I am an Atlantan and forgot that CA is not the entire West Coast :-)

mersk862

Fresno has Aeromexico service to GDL and MEX as well as Volaris to GDL. Bakersfield had Mexicana until they went bust. San Jose has service to Mexico on Alaska and Volaris. Oakland also has Volaris. Sacramento has Alaska service to Mexico and Aeromexico to GDL. Aeromexico also has ONT-GDL. Southwest/AirTran announced a slew of SNA-Mexico routes a couple of weeks ago (they have a small two gate FIS now as part of expansion). All of these have to clear FIS in the United States.

MSPeconomist

In that case, let us not forget PDX. What about YVR? Is Alaska part of California too in your mind?

exwannabe

Alaska is not, but Vancuver might be!

Trust me, you do not want to know how screwed up my mind can be.

The best I can say is that I will not surf child porn while in 1st class.