olgsr

Hello All,

This is a summary of a RTW we did last year. While I'm adding quite a few pictures and text here, I'll add the direct links to my page as well incase you'd like a more detailed report(and more pictures) of each segment and hotels.

Planning,Delta and Air France long-haul economy
St. Regis Osaka
Ritz-Carlton Kyoto
Hyatt Regency Tokyo
JAL First Class lounge Tokyo Haneda
JAL First Class Tokyo to San Francisco
Amex Centurion lounge SFO
American Airlines 32B First Class SFO to JFK -Aka the day TSA called the Bomb Squad on me

Planning,Delta and Air France long-haul economy

Last year I was able to benefit of the Skyteam "sale" and bought two ticket from JFK-BUD/BUD-KIX on DL/AF for ~$170 each. Being from Budapest and all around a Japan-maniac , I quickly planned a trip home and my 4th visit to the Land of the Rising Sun.

I didn’t care much for the amount of redeemable miles we make since I knew that Skyteam is far from being the most generous on cheap economy fares. I booked the whole itinerary on Priceline.The first part via MXP on Delta (on the TATL leg) and from Budapest to Osaka on Air France via CDG.
On the outbound I was able to snag a couple of Comfort+ seats thanks to my Delta silver status. After settling in our seats I kept an eye on the seat map on the Delta app and jumped to the back after the first wave of people boarded the plane. I always have my pajamas in my carry-on even if flying economy for this exact reason!



The flight itself was actually pretty good.Service was friendly and the food completely edible.
And they weren’t cheap with the booze either:


Our other long-haul economy segment was on Air France.As usual with tight connection at CDG it was a complete sh!tshow .
Connecting busses were late and the fact that our plane to Osaka left from the furthest point possible didn’t help either.
By the time we made it to the gate there weren’t many others left at the area.Our passport were scanned quickly and we were welcomed to board.Thanks to my Skyteam Elite status again, I was able to get bulkhead seats,which gave us plenty of space to spread out.



As usual to bulk-head seats the crappy part is that the center armrest isn’t movable since that’s were the IFE screens are located. Oooh and talking IFE: both the image quality and the operating system seemed right out the 90s,more like a Commodore 64 experience.

I do have to mention that Air France’s economy food was surprisingly good and the FA on our isle was out of this world.I’d take him on any flight regardless of the cabin.

The St. Regis Osaka

There was a conference of some sort in the city during the days we were there for so prices were out of control.The cheapest room was over $1200 but to my luck there was some cash+points award space so I was able to secure one for 6000 Starwood points and $110. Usually you can a room there for ~200.
The St. Regis is well located in the downtown area and only a 5-7 minute walk from the nearest airport train station.The hotel is on the higher floors of a skyscraper so fantastic views were guaranteed.

With only one night in Osaka we didn’t spent much time at the hotel but we still had a great experience . Service was top notch as usual to basically any property in Japan.Besides being a beautiful hotel,the location is simply unbeatable.Minutes away from everything including the main shopping streets and the river. The Osaka Castle is only a 20 minute walk away so we literally didn’t use any transportation during our stay.

Ritz-Carlton Kyoto

Out of all the miles and points redemptions on this trip this was the one I was most looking forward to. There weren’t many reviews of the property being fairly new at the time but it looked amazing on pictures.I’m not a die hard Ritz-Carlton fan since I prefer more modern properties(not talking about the RC hong Kong here) but this one seemed to find a perfect balance between modern elegance and the old Japanese style.I received 140,000 points for singing up for the Chase Ritz card,so for 60k a night this was an absolute steal even without factoring that nightly rates were over $1,500.

We headed over from Osaka right after getting up.The whole commute wasn’t longer than 45 minutes door to door.Before leaving the St.Regis I checked-in online at the Ritz hoping that our room will be ready by the time we get there and don’t have to play the early check-in roulette.

The hotel was 5 minutes away from the train station.It was a gorgeous spring day,cherry blossoms were still blooming,walking on the banks of the Kamo river could have not been more perfect.We were really happy to be back in one of our favorite cities.Kyoto is just amazing.

The Ritz Carlton Kyoto is truly a fantastic property and an incredible use of points.I loved everything about it,I think it perfect fit for Kyoto with it’s elegance and laid back vibe.
If it fits the budget I highly recommend it and if you have some Marriott/Ritz points laying around it is a great property to use it at. I do have to say I wouldn’t recommend transferring points from Ultimate Rewards (Marriott is a 1:1 transfer partner) but that’s more a chart issue since a value my Chase points more than that.

Hyatt Regency Tokyo

We arrived at noon to Shinjuku,where the Hyatt Regency is located(fyi the Park Hyatt is basically next door).I always try to stay in a different neighborhood when visiting Tokyo so we can experience a different vibe of the city.
I divide Shinjuku in two “sub-areas”:the one where the hotel is mostly filled with government buildings and skyscrapers while the side closer to the subway is full with bars,robocafes and somewhat sketchy places.Don’t take me wrong it’s awesome unless you’re a 19 year old frat who’s first time legally drinking in a club.Yeah than you’re f’d…
Plus this area is also home to the infamous “Piss alley” or Memory lane which I always go to not because the food is that good but the vibe is just unbeatable.Working class suits having yakitoris and countless beers/sakes is so much fun to watch,wish I could say to interact as well but I met very few people with decent english on my 4 visits to Japan.
From the outside the building looks pretty ugly,generic and soulless.
While the room was long due to a renovation, it was clean, did the job for one night.

If I have to be honest I’m not sure I’d recommend it if paying cash since you can get way better bang for your buck with boutique hotels like the Hotel Ryumeikan Tokyo where I stayed a while back.
If using points do yourself a favor and chip in a couple more and have a better stay at either the Grand Hyatt or the Andaz.Or why not go all in and stay at the Park Hyatt?

olgsr

JAL First Class lounge Tokyo Haneda

We arrived at HND around 8:30PM for our midnight flight to San Francisco.While I love Haneda airport’s proximity to the city,I hate all the late night departures.

The lounge is definitely a huge step-up from the previous one and I hope the Narita one will have have the same face lift at one point.As usual to JAL lounges food wasn’t too memorable,but it didn’t lack in sake and whisky options.I’m not a big drinker but I find that to be a cool feature.Loved the free massage and there is shoe shining too in case you need it.

JAL First Class Tokyo to San Francisco

We boarded through door 2A and was directed left towards the first class section. The cabin had a 1-2-1 layout, and similarly to our last flight I reserved the center seats. I prefer the window seats but probably I’d be a divorced man if I’d ditch the Mrs for 10+ hours just because I want to see the landscape for 10 minutes at take-off and landing. I get away with that on reverse herringbone seats like the one you find on Cathay’s and American’s business classes.
I find the finishes of the cabin gorgeous. Actually let me correct myself, I like everything besides the white plastic cubicles. It’s just a little sterile next to an inviting brown leather seat.

The hard product is great, not as private as some other airlines but that wasn’t an issue since we were seated in the center. The seats are really comfortable both for lounging and sleeping.
Food was good again but of course nowhere near the flight we had with them from New York to Tokyo. It would be foolish to compare it to a 13 hour flight that departs at noon with one that is more like a sleeper service. For a midnight departure I think the options were satisfying. After flying them a couple of times I have to say they might have one of my favorite catering.
Service was attentive but a little robotic. Or maybe it’s just cultural and they wanted to keep a distance? On the other hand you’re guaranteed a dead silent galley, I literally didn’t hear a voice throughout the flight. The exact opposite to US carriers where I need earplugs,Bose headphones and classical music to “balance” the chit-chat of the flight attendants even if I’m 3 rows from the galley.
I think JAL offers a fantastic experience onboard, the only thing that lacks is the ground one. The lounges are ok but nothing to write home about. Yes, the ones at Haneda are nice but the Narita lounges are crowded, dated so are the few they have at some international locations.

olgsr

AMERICAN EXPRESS CENTURION LOUNGE SFO

With over 5 hours to kill between our JAL and American Airlines flights in San Francisco, we headed to the Centurion lounge located in terminal 3. The TSA agent saw that we were departing from a different terminal and simply asked us if we were heading to the Amex lounge.


The lounge is located near gate 74, right next where we cleared security. As usual to the Amex lounges there was a “live wall” by the entrance, love those.
Right after the entrance there’s a small, “living room” style area with a TV and a couple of couches. I was there on a Sunday so later in the afternoon it became the official NFL zone. Ironically behind it there are single sofa beds for relaxing, which wasn’t the quietest place after touchdowns.
To the left from the “ living room” (I totally came up with this name btw so it’s far from the official one, which honestly I have no idea what it is) is the dining and bar area. Besides the bar seating there are regular tables and a communal as well.

I think the Centurion lounge at San Francisco is awesome and worth the visit if you have some extra time. Both the beverage and food selections are far superior to the standard domestic lounges. The decor is modern yet feels cozy and welcoming. Wish they would offer free massages like they do at the ones in Dallas DFW and Miami, but I’m not complaining just a daydreaming.

That being said on domestic itineraries I rarely go early enough to the airport to jump around terminals just for fun and I believe I’m not the only one who thinks that way, so unless you’re flying out from terminal 3 you’ll probably skip the visit. #notAAfriendly

THE TIME TSA CALLED THE BOMB SQUAD ON ME,AA 32B FLAGSHIP FIRST CLASS SAN FRANCISCO TO NEW YORK

About 1.5-2 hours prior to our departure we headed over to terminal 2, from where our American Airlines flight departed. I didn’t have TSA Pre which I wasn’t too concerned about because there was only one person in front of us in line. Thought I’ll breeze through but things turned when I saw a red light on the screen after the agent scanned my boarding pass. I noticed that he had a paper with 3 names on it, one was mine. I have nothing to hide, I’ve never got in any trouble I still got somewhat nervous and here is why:

I took my Nikon S9500 to this trip. I like(d) this camera, its image quality was good, loved it for videos and the 22x zoom made me fall in love with it on my safari. It was terrible in low-light so I was screwed every time I wanted to use it on a flight. I’m not going to lie, I didn’t pamper it but that’s what cameras are for, take it on mountain bike trip, use it 2 inches above water on a boat in Myanmar, take pictures in pouring rain in Sri Lanka. The memories taken worth way more than not doing it just because you’re afraid it’ll get damaged.
So on my trip to Japan the Nikon threw in the towel. I changed batteries, tried to fix it but no luck, it was officially 86’d. Then came the problem. I didn’t have a checked bag so I just put it in my carry on. Remember that rule that if you’re called for secondary screening you have to turn on every electronic device? If one doesn’t work, bad luck, you won’t fly.
Once I was pulled over I knew sh!t will hit the fan and it did indeed, really badly. Everything was ok with the bag, now it was time to power up everything. Comes the camera I played stupid pressing the power button but obviously nothing happens, 2 agents are with me, one of them leaves to find a supervisor cause they have no clue what to do. Meanwhile I’m next to a power outlet with the plugged in Nikon hoping a miracle happens. Nothing besides the little flashing green light showing that it’s charging. The crappiest part was having a babysitter agent next to me (they were alternating because they always got bored watching me pressing a black screen) since I felt like a criminal and they’re just waiting for the moment I try to run.
Supervisor comes, we chat for a while and she clears me with the grounds that the charging light is fine. I told them sometimes it powers up for a second but it didn’t want to do it this time. After 45 minutes with TSA I head to the Admirals club for a quick drink = milk and cookie. Sweet makes me happier than any booze.
30 minutes before our departure we leave to board our plane. Except that when I get to the gate I see 2 TSA agents running around and the supervisor. F@#%, what now? Obviously they were there for me. The supervisor sort of apologizes and asks me to head back to the screening because they have to look at that camera again. Great… On our way back she says: “Next time please check it so this doesn’t happen to you again”. I’m a frequent flyer, I don’t check bags unless I’m moving, next time I’ll probably throw it away. So we get back and the party begins, except that this time the freaking bomb squad is there. At this point I’m surrounded by 2 TSA Agents, the manager, 3 bomb squad vested officers and of course a K9 dog. They are asking me, I tell them the story and they are looking at my camera under the X-ray. Later I asked if I can plug it in since I think the problem is the battery. They give it back, I get the cord and you won’t believe, THE F@#% CAMERA TURNS ON FOR A SECOND, shows a picture and turns off. To my luck one of the officers saw it so I was cleared for the second time!

I think it’s fantastic what AA did to this plane. Putting 3 classes in an A321 is incredible, even more that it’s executed perfectly. Different products, not too cramped, all in all a phenomenal hard product regardless of the cabin.
The problem is the soft product. Difference between business and first meal? Nothing, the exact same thing.Okay, you can say it’s a redeye but in that case make people feel special if they are flying first class. I’m not talking “make a wish” style I’m your slave style, but please bend the rules if you have the option.I asked for a cheese plate after dinner which they denied even that besides me there was only one other eating, everyone else in the cabin was sleeping right after take-off.If you have 15 extra cheese plates why not make the one jet lagged struggling with insomnia guy who stayed awake happy? I’m coming from the service industry too, if I had the chance satisfy someone’s realistic inquiry I always tried my best to do so and you can be sure no one payed $1000 to sit there like most of the people do flying this bad boy.
As they say business is all about the seat but first is about everything, unfortunately AA is a hit or miss, if the price difference is significant save your money/miles, book business and treat yourself for something at the destination.










That's all for this time, another awesome trip. Thank you for reading!

HangukStyle

Thanks for posting! Makes me wanna go back to Japan.

TPJ

Amazing how many TR's we now have about Japan. So finally gaijins realized Japan is fairly cheap these days.

BTW - great report.

Bretteee

I am planning a trip to Japan and noticed the Ritz Carlton in Kyoto. Looks nice but $1,500 a night for 2 even if split for me was too steep.

arlflyer

Hahaha....shhhhhhhh! Secret.

olgsr

I've been going every year for the las 6...

Use Marriott points if you have some to "spare", it's a gorgeous property.