Beltway2A

This is my first trip report, so please bear with me while I figure out how to do one of these. The routing for this trip was as follows:

DCA-DFW AA Y
DFW-OGG AA F
OGG-SFO VX F
SFO-HND JL F
NRT-ORD NH F
ORD-DCA UA Y

After a particularly hectic summer which finished with my professional licensing exam, Ms. Beltway2A (MB) and I came into some free time. And what better way to celebrate than to take a trip? After a generous Westin Vacation Club donation, mileage redemptions, certificates and some decent cash rates, we were able to put together the above routing. Unfortunately, MB had prior commitments after the Hawaii portion of the trip, so I would be going solo to Japan. I have visited once before, and enjoyed the country, so I was looking forward to revisiting old spots and discovering new ones. This trip was going to be full of new experiences, including my first time in International First Class.

Although the anticipation had been slowly building over the course of July, it really began ramping up approximately 45 hours before our initial departure. I had set up a series of ExpertFlyer alerts for various portions of the trip, and that morning I received an alert from the one I was least expecting. Two seats in the C bucket had opened up on our flight from DFW to OGG, and I was not about to pass that up. I had two Business Extra domestic upgrade certificates burning a hole in my pocket, and as this eight-hour leg was technically a domestic flight, I jumped at the chance to use them. After a quick call to AA meeting services, we were all set and could not be more excited for the upcoming trip.

Beltway2A

Although a departure out of DCA usually begins with a quick prayer that the metro isn’t on fire that particular day (and it happens more often than you’d think), our early departure time combined with a need to tender the physical BXP1 certificates meant that a car was going to be required. A quick Lyft later and we had arrived at the airport. And good thing we did. Despite out 4:45AM arrival, we weren’t able to get checked in and have our bags tagged until about 5:30AM. After that, and a quick trip through security, we were left with some time to spare at the gate.

The flight to DFW was rather unremarkable. I was seated in my worst hard product of the trip, a regular middle seat in Y on an A321. Despite that, the leg room was not uncomfortable for the three hour trip, and the tea/coffee/soft drink service (with biscoff) was perfect for the length.






After leaving somewhat early, we arrived in Dallas with a full half-hour to spare. However, our gate had not gotten the memo and we were left waiting for our initial timeslot to open so we could disembark. We arrived in Terminal C, and were departing from Terminal A. In the meantime, a quick visit to the DFW Centurion Club was in order.




The Centurion Club is one of the highlights of the airport. Located in Terminal D and accessibly by the airside “Skylink” from any terminal, it’s a great way to kill a bit of time. Unfortunately, however, (alcoholic) drink service does not begin until 10:30AM on Sundays. With a 10:45AM boarding time in a different terminal, that required a skilled and accommodating bartender as well as throwing back a bloody mary and dashing to the gate. Good thing too, as our flight to Maui had started the boarding process early.



Despite having to drink it quickly, the drinks were delicious.

Guvner067

subscribed.

milesaddict

Looking forward to your report.

Beltway2A

By the time we arrived at the gate, boarding had already commenced. We were seated in the middle seats in row 7, the second to last row of the cabin. MB had 7D, the seat with tables on either side while I was in 7G, the seat exposed to the aisle. The ThompsonVantage XL seat is an impressive hard product, and we were both pleased with what AA has done with it. The control system works well.








But what pushed this flight from “good” to “phenomenal” was the crew. I know service on AA can be lacking, I’ve certainly felt that way myself on occasion, but I can’t compliment the crew on AA119 enough. From the moment we boarded, they were friendly, funny and provided phenomenal service. We began with champagne as a PDB. It was perfect for our celebration, and I didn’t feel a need to inquire about the full bar. As we were taking off, the crew gave the cabin a rundown of our seats, including little quirks AA’s version had (the overhead light button on the seat control didn’t work, you had to use the entertainment controller). Once we were airborne, we had an immediate drink service and were told not to hesitate to ask for more. One incredibly friendly FA, without me saying a word, even dropped off an extra miniature for me just in case she wasn’t able to make it back quickly enough.





Tablecloths were placed, and the Samsung Tablets and Bose headphones were handed out. Although the headphones and tablets were collected 1 hour prior to departure, I appreciated that the headphones used a single prong and I was able to use them with my personal entertainment as well. Shortly thereafter, the meal service started.





The meal came on one plate, and on was good.



The appetizer, the salmon dish, was wonderful. I had my salad with the vinaigrette with MB enjoyed the fuji apple dressing, and both were solid. Both MB and I had the surf and turf. The reality of being on a plane and the size of the cabin meant that the beef was going to be cooked well. With the sauce however, it was somewhat moist. It was good for what it was, so I’m not going to dock points for reality.



For dessert, it was a sundae with Baileys on the rocks. The Sunday was delightful, and ice brings out a sweetness to Baileys that can otherwise get lost. After a wonderful meal and the film “Born in China” it was time to sleep. Once again, the hard product was able to shine and I got a few hours of restful sleep. A comfortable pillow and blanket were provided, and were sufficient with the cabin temperature.



Upon waking up, I was able to get a cup of coffee and coke zero before landing. As we were both asleep, we missed the pre-arrival snack service.

The flight was exactly what we needed it to be, and an excellent start to our vacation. Upon landing, MB collected the bags while I ran off to Hertz to grab the rental car. Not long afterwards, we were on our way to our hotel, the Westin Kaanapali Ocean Resort Villas.

bj27

Great report so far! Looking forward to next segments

Interesting menu -- how did you feel about the "truffleyaki" sauce? My friend and I saw it on a local teriyaki joint's menu the other day and didn't try it...

And-- are the enoki mushrooms raw on the salad? I've certainly never had raw enokis.

Beltway2A

I didn't mind it. It wasn't particularly truffle or yaki, more of a generic brown sauce. But it worked with the dish.

A for the mushrooms, I believe they were raw. I didn't particularly like them, but MB did, and she's not a big mushroom person.

Beltway2A

Apologies for the delay. I just got back from Tokyo yesterday, and will be completing the rest shortly. On to the next installment.

The Westin Ka’anapali was nice. The property is split between the South Villas, which we stayed at, and the North Villas which is a separate property with it's own lobby, check-in and booking process via Westin Vacation Club. SPG owns a number of properties along the Ka'anapali Beach, including three Timeshare Villa properties (Ka'anapali South, North and the Westin Nanea) as well as a regular Westin Hotel and a Sheraton. Regular shuttle service is provided between them, and you can charge meals or drinks at one property back to your room at another (we did not use this feature). Check-in was pleasant, and as we had arrived a few minutes prior to the posted time, there was not much of a line.








The 1BR Villa is exactly what it sounds like, a small bedroom, a large living room, bathroom and kitchen. The bathroom and the balcony can be accessed from either the bedroom or the kitchen. The bathroom also contains a large tub which is separated from the bedroom by shutters. It can be a romantic arrangement.











The rooms themselves were clean and the furniture was sturdy. One thing the property did fabulously was provide plenty of outlets for charging devices. Not only were outlets ubiquitous, both the bedside lamps as well as a number of wall outlets had direct USB charging. Wonderful.





The kitchen was outfitted with a basic assortment of pots and pans, dishes and tableware. While we’ve cooked at Westin Vacation Club properties before, we didn’t at this one. Be aware that while the property does supply the hardware, you’ll need to purchase anything you plan on using (including oil, salt and pepper) yourself. One bag each of regular and decaf coffee is provided for use with the provided coffee maker.





I’ve seen a number of complaints about the limited number of ocean view units, but we were very pleased with our balcony (called a lanai). While we had neither a true “ocean view” nor a “parking lot view”, the lanai was spacious and had plenty of room for lounging. At the edge of our lanai you could turn 90 degrees one way for a parking lot view, or the other for a nice partial ocean view. We got our fill of ocean viewing at the beach itself, and the lanai itself was a great place to unwind at the start or end of a long day, or with a cold drink before dinner.

offerendum

Only once stayed at a Westin vacation club and it looked regarding room-layout in wide parts similar. I agree ocean view is not that important.

Beltway2A

After a few months, I've decided to pick this TR back up. The reason it stalled for so long is pretty straightforward, I had a completely awful experience onboard Virgin America that really turned me off from writing about this for a while. Customer Service made it up to me by refunding the full cost of the upgrade to F, as well as additional service recovery credit.

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A few cursory notes on the VX experience departing from OGG, before moving on.

Check-in opens at OGG 3 hours prior to takeoff. Take this literally. I arrived early enough that the check-in counters looked like this:



At the three hour mark, five agents appeared and began starting their computer systems. A few minutes later, my boarding pass was printed on card stock and my bag tagged and checked. These agents were wonderful: quick, efficient and incredibly pleasant. A few minutes after that I was past security.

There's no lounge available at OGG, so we grabbed a quick bite to eat the pizza joint, before saying our goodbyes. The VX and AA flights left from the same room that encompassed four gates, so I got to spend some more time with Ms. Beltway before we went our separate ways.

Once onboard, I was greeted by VX's consistent F seat. It was a nice way to spend 5 hours, with a variety of controls to adjust your seat. There was a USB port towards the side of the seat, but mine was not capable of charging my phone.







While the seat was fine, the crew was horrible. My flight was on time and my seat had plenty of legroom for the flight length. Once at SFO, I hopped in a cabin for the quick trip down to the Aloft.

Beltway2A

Aloft has quickly become one of my favorite hotel brands. Cheap and efficient, it makes for the perfect airport or city hotel for me. For this stay, I paid only ~$120 per night, which seemed great for the San Francisco area.

For my 6AM arrival, I had reserved the night before and had already been pre-checked in. My room 442 was fairly appointed, and decorated in the same style as other Aloft properties I’ve visited in the past.





It was perfect for my needs, although if traveling with a companion, it’s important to note that there’s not a true bathroom. The sink is part of the room, while a sliding door separates the rest of the room from the toilet and the shower.









After freshening up, I was picked up by a friend and visited Sixto’s Cantina for lunch. The food was delicious and (after Hawaii) quite reasonable.



Within walking distance from the hotel is also a plaza containing an In-And-Out Burger as well as Tortillas Mexican Grill (which is unfortunately closed on Sundays). As an east-coaster, I’ve tried In-And-Out on a few occasions, and it’s never really hit the spot with me. The Mexican grill however, was fantastic.





The next afternoon it was back to SFO for my first trip in international first class.

Beltway2A

After taking the hotel shuttle to SFO, the second half of the trip was off to a great start. Like with VX at OGG, JL check-in is supposed to begin 3 hours before takeoff. By the time I had arrived (3.5 hours before), the counters were steadily processing a queue of passengers. As the only first class passenger today, my check-in was handled quickly and efficiently. JAL blocks seats 1A and 1K from most passengers, but the friendly attendant was able to switch my seat to 1A. My bags were tagged, my boarding pass was issued, and I was good to go!



Unfortunately, JAL doesn’t participate in TSA Precheck, which meant I was stuck in the “priority” queue. Oh well. After about half an hour I was through and off to the lounge. My first stop was JAL’s own lounge, as indicated on my boarding pass. The sign was a telltale indicator of what would be an underwhelming experience.



The lounge was packed, although there was a small first-class seating area behind a sliding door. The FC area had about 10 chairs, but food and beverage was shared with the lounge as a whole. Alongside myself there were two other passengers in the area, who I assume held some sort of upper tier status with JAL. After a brief visit in JAL’s offering, I made my way down the hall to the superior Cathay Pacific Lounge.











The Cathay Lounge is a beautiful space which, in addition to the usual snacks, offers a noodle bar prior to the Cathay Pacific flight departure. While I missed the noodle bar experience, the lack of passengers in this lounge made for a relaxing experience prior to my flight. About 10 minutes before boarding, I made my way to the gate.





JAL pre-boards families, followed by F and various passengers of status. Once the kids were safely on board, I was on my way.

dat4life

Nice report so far! Looks like service on Hawaiian flight have improved a bit in recent months, though it definitely wouldn't kill the flight attendants to serve the meal in courses on such a long flight.

Beltway2A

Consider my mind officially blown. International First was nice. I’ve seen many photos on FT, from BingAir’s flashy gold and faux wood trim to AA’s drab grays. JAL’s cabin was elegant, clean, and for this particular leg, only occupied by me. After changing into the provided pajamas (consisting of a heavy quarter-zip shirt and pants), I became acquainted with my FA, Tobita from Hokkaido. The seat was spacious, and had plenty of storage options. When it came time for sleeping, the staff added a mattress pad. There was a choice of hard or soft, I opted for the soft.















The bathroom was similarly clean, with enough room to change, along with a small board so that one didn’t have to touch the floor while changing. In addition to the toiletries in the amenity kit, the bathroom had additional toothbrushes and some mouthwash. In a moment that really wow-ed me, the towels were actual linen. Very impressive.







Service began before takeoff with the ground champagne, as the Salon is saved for after takeoff. The ground champagne was rather flat, and I didn’t end up finishing my glass. After takeoff, the fun began. I tried both the Salon Champagne (which I really enjoyed) as well as the Suntory Hibiki 17 during my main course. After dessert, I tried the Royal Blue tea, which I did not find enjoyable. The food was also excellent. While I forgot to take a photo of the menus, I had both the caviar and lobster appetizers, and the steak as a main course. The steak, as I’ve also found in JL’s business class, was cooked perfectly. If only other airlines could adopt their steak method.


















After quite a bit of salon, and about an hour and a half from landing, I tried an in-flight snack, the sushi. I know, it’s plane sushi. But for plane sushi, it was actually pretty good. It tasted like leftover sushi that’s been in the fridge for a few hours, which is exactly what it is, but was the perfect snack before I began my Japanese food adventure. Overall, the product was amazing, and I think was absolutely worth the extra 20k AA miles over the business product.





Arrival in Tokyo was, as always, a breeze. The signage for the upcoming Tokyo Olympics is out in full force at arrivals, but the airport is well-organized and easy to navigate. After pulling my small duffle, I left my baggage with a local luggage delivery company (JAL ABC). The wonderful thing about traveling in Japan is the ease and affordability of meeting your luggage at your destination. I grabbed the Pocket Wi-Fi which I had reserved online, jumped on the Asakusa line and was off to my first night at the Conrad Tokyo.

Luca Lupo

Great report and photos. Thanks.