Bigtime ANA Report
 

ANA Trip Report
OK, so here are the basics.
SFO-NRT (F)
HND-OKA (Y)
Roynet Hotel
OKA-HND (Y)
HND-OKA (Y)
OKA-HND (Y)
HND-TOY (Y)
TBD Hotel
TOY-HND (Y)
Westin Tokyo
NRT-BKK (C)
Sheraton Grande Sukhumvit
BKK-NRT (C/ WL for F)
NRT-SFO (C/ WL for F)

Well, I stayed up late last night packing and watching STUPID TV shows. I’m ashamed to admit it was Real World, Punk’d and Boiling Point on MTV. Now as I write from the UA F lounge, I’m soooo happy that there is not a cloud in the sky. Last time I was here, I was part of a 4-5 hour weather delay. This time, I know my TMO Hotspot bill will not be off the charts.

As I sit here sipping my 2nd Sapporo (no problem with drink tix at this SFO UA Lounge) with 51,000 platinum points a.k.a. EQM I’m thinking about what I’ll be able to serve up in this thread.

Aside from the basic 30,000 EQM chronicle I hope to...
1) Give a some more details on ANA SuperStyle F. (aka Oldstyle). Not that I want more UA FF taking up my seats.
2) Details on connecting from NRT-HND sameday via the Friendly Limo Bus.
3) Create and link to a guide to getting online via wireless connection at an ANA longe near you.
4) Discuss my Okinawa Mileage run and how I chalk up 8000 EQM in 8 hours aloft.
5) Reccomend or not the business class hotel in Okinawa where I will crash tonight, err.. tomorrow night.
6) Touch on the Westin Tokyo and how they treat Golds.
7) NewStyle C farewell on NRT-BKK
8) AAC Limousine from BKK to the SGS (I like this place), but will not renew the Grand Club membership.
9) Golfthink Golf school in Thailand
10) Hopefully New Style F from BKK to NRT

In additon, I hope to be able to provide ZERO information about SuperStyle C on my NRT-SFO leg.

Well my work is cut out for me. 25 minutes to boarding. There is no decent food here right now. So I wolfed 2 cups of room temperature nuts and gobbled 2 cookies, cracked a 3rd Sapporo and will post this intro.

Next post is from Okinawa.

And BTW, I’m dreading connection to Domestic Y from Intl F!

Regards,

Scho

Bon voyage. Keep on writing seems very interesting. :)

1) Give some more details on ANA SuperStyle F. (aka Oldstyle). Not that I want more UA FF taking up my seats.
So here’s my take on the ANA Superstyle F product. It was not my first tim sitting up front on the 777 so I hope that I don’t take some of the features for granted. First of all, if you’re looking for and F suite experience your going to be disappointed. The SS F configuration is 2 rows of 2x2x2. There is plenty of space as one might expect. I asked for and was assigned 1A. I guess there were no dignitaries on the flight. 10 of the 12 seats were occupied, but service was spectacular as usual. I had a “neighbor” but, I didn’t feel as if I was being encroached upon at all. The seats have PTV’s with AVOD with about 10-15 movies plus additional shorts to choose from. I find the seat very comfortable. It does recline to the “flat” position, but in SS this means 180 degrees and parallel to the floor of the aircraft. It is not flat like a bench and I would assume that those who sleep on their stomach’s would find that difficult to say the least.
There was a nice selection of “adult” beverages including champagne, wine, sake and beer. ANA pours Krug in F. The meal service includes a Japanese “kaiseki” offering that looked excellent. The western menu comes in the form of a la carte options. I started with some parma ham, potato and cheese meatballs with a tomato sauce. Followed it up with a green salad with Japanese dressing, and enjoyed a medium rare filet for my main. I skipped the cheese course and elected to take my pear tart with vanilla ice cream later in the flight. I could have spent a lot of time typing up the menus, but that’s not what F is about for me. At 6’6” 225, F is about a really comfortable and relaxed 10 hour flight with good service and tasty offerings along the way. I got all that and more, but lets be realistic here. If you are choosing to fly in F because you want a 3* meal, forget it. Go to a restaurant somewhere below 34,000 feet. I walked the plane and every seat in C and Y were taken. Those poor folks in back must feel like they’ve been through the proverbial wringer by the time they get to Narita. For me, I guess I have selective amnesia. I do 3-4 transpacific RT’s a year in C or on the occasion of an upgrade in F. I certainly never want to and don’t know if I ever will be able to summon the courage to do it in Y again. I’m just to “big” a human being.

2) Details on connecting from NRT-HND same-day via the Friendly Limo Bus.
I arrived in at Terminal 2, proceeded through immigration and customs and ran outside to catch the Friendly Limousine bus to Haneda. I was told that I need to purchase the ticket inside at the counter and used my CC to do so. Reservations are not needed (I don’t even know if they are possible), but I needed to take the 3rd bus because the ones in front of it were sold out. This amounted to about a 25 minute wait for me. I got on at the first stop. It seems as if there are 3 stops sucking up the inventory so don’t get irate when the “sold-out” bus pulls away with empty seats and you’ve been told to way. Busses run every 10-20 minutes. The cost is 3000 yen. I snagged row one bulkhead on the bus and was very pleased. If you’re arriving at Terminal 1 on UA, NW, AA, etc. it is the last stop and the seat selection will be picked over. There is a potty in the back of the bus for those who have been trying to keep hydrated. The system outlined above is identical for the Hotel bus service. You buy your ticket and your told which “numbered stop” to wait at outside.
I arrived at Haneda 85 minutes after boarding the bus, we spent at least 15 minutes just getting out of Narita Airport.

Gotta shower and get back to the airport after a night in Okinawa. Will continue from the ANA Signet lounge at Haneda in a few hours.

Note: I’m trying to hit my above list of points in order, but time waits for no one. Thus time references may appear jumbled.
3) Create and link to a guide to getting online via wireless connection at an ANA lounge near you.
Login on to the wireless LAN at the Haneda Signet lounge was painless this morning. When you arrive, get a scratch card form the front desk and scratch it off to reveal a user id, password, SSID and Wep key. Detect and connect to the network (SSID should be detected and enter the WEP key as usual). Then once you have the connection, make sure the properties are set to receive the IP & DNS automatically from the network. Your browser should launch to the Yahoo BB page. There is an English page option at this point. Click the link next to the YahooBB account logo, not the one that is for cell phone users. Enter your ID and on the next screen your password. Go straight to FT! There were no English instructions at the Haneda lounge. I’ll try again at Narita.

4) Discuss my Okinawa Mileage run and how I chalk up 8000 EQM in 10 hours aloft.
Ok, so as I have a few minutes before my first flight today, let me take a minute to reflect on my madness. I entered this business trip ticketed for travel that will take me to 94,000 EQM by year end. The incremental benefits for top tier ANA status are debatable, but being the FT addict that I am, I just couldn’t let the chance slip by. What I get for attaining Diamond (100K) is a reset of the mileage expiration clock (until Dec 31 2007), 1 additional Intl sector upgrade and an additional 25% bonus mileage compared to mid-tier Platinum. I also get priority over Platinum members when I redeem awards and upgrades and a cert for a night or two at ANA hotels.
Unfortunately, with 70% mileage earning on *Alliance fares less than Y, I decided to make my run using ANA domestic flights booked with a visit Japan pass. I’m ticket in M but particular program allows 100% accrual at the 200% domestic EQM accrual rate. Each of my flights will snag me 1968 EQM. My cost was about $520 all-in (air+hotel). In order to get them mileage I needed, I’d have to fly 4 US domestic transcon segments on UA. As it would be difficult to: a) match the price and b) justify the time away from home, I tacked on a MR day to my business trip. I’ll be aloft at total of 10 hours on my little run and accomplish my goal with minimal “heat” on the home front. It’s just a lot easier trying to explain that you jumped down to Okinawa to grab some EQM than trying to justify 2 RTs SFO-JFK or a trip to London in Y for no reason. And in case you haven’t guessed, the less time spent in Y the better.
After a connection from Narita, I left my Golf Clubs and wheelie in baggage storage at Haneda (located on the B1F at the Jal end of the termina) and got outta dodge on a 744 in seat 16H. Nice seat but check your seatmaps! I had nothing in front of me and 16IJ had a closet providing bulkhead seating. I could stretch my long legs. Slept all the way. When I checked in Sunday morning at Okinawa, the staff were kind enough to check me into all three Okinawa segments for the day (OKA-HND-OKA-HND) and provided exit row aisles on each flight. It pays to arrive at the airport 8 hours before your flight. What’s more, I wasn’t going to push my luck and decided to check-in along the way, but the ANA staff offered and I wasn’t about to turn down the exit rows.
This morning I was in 12 C on a 777 and as I now add some details to my report I’ve just arrived back in OKA on a 747 seat 34C. My return to Haneda is on the same plane in the same seat.

***NEWS FLASH***
Some dude’s cell phone just rang in the Signet lounge and the ring tone was UA’s theme... “Rhapsody in Blue”
Anyway back to the topic, with all the exit rows lined up, I decided not to pay up for Superseats (6,000 yen/each) on any of my flights.
The best way to describe ANA’s domestic service is Southwest on steroids. You get the jumbo jet hoards, cramped in a economy minus product. Coffee, juice or water is included in the price of admission.

5) Recommend or not the business class hotel in Okinawa where I will crash tonight, err.. tomorrow night.
I would COMPLETELY recommend the RoyNet hotel in Okinawa and would certainly book future stays at other properties in the chain throughout Japan if I needed to. The Okinawa hotel is 1000 yen cab from the airport and I paid 7600 yen for the night. This particular property was brand new, and totally wired. Free internet in room via a LAN cable connection and after you get your key form the desk all payment and checkout is handled via an ATM-like machine that accepts credit cards as well as cash. The online reservation system was only available in Japanese however so it may be an obstacle to some.

Misc. before I get to the Westin in a few days time...
a) There is a beer machine in the Signet lounge in Okinawa, but it serves up Orion Beer (a local product).
b) I resume my business travel for on a flight from Haneda to Toyama tonight. It will be my 4th segment today, but it is only an hour flight.
c) at this time Internet access in the OKA Signet lounge is limited to dial-up.

HI welcome back to Japan during this 'Matsuri' season.
Did you mean 2.000 yen for your friendly limousine bus ticket ?
Also I though that if you had a same day connection between ANA flights NRT-HND ANA would pay for the limousine bus ticket
Greart report
Have safe flights

Great report so far schoflyer ^^

Anyone else noticing the trend towards reality trip reports?

Yes. It's nice to be back in the land of the washlet :D
Above I meant 3000 yen and have corrected it. Thanks for pointing it out.
According to the AMC desk in Los Angeles the program for comp transfer for business and first class passengers has been discontinued.

Currently at the New Otani in Takaoka City. I ended up in some variation of a suite. Large room with sitting area and a king bed. Very nice hotel for inaka with free internet. I'm sure it's not too cost effective, but if this is what the boss ordered up for me I'll take it.

I made it through the MR yesterday pretty painlessly. Now sitting on 66396 platinum points (EQM). My remaining ticketed travel this year (TOY-HND/NRT-BKK-NRT-SFO-NRT-BKK-HKT-BKK-NRT-SFO) will easily put me over the top for Diamond as all Intl segments are booked in C or F:D

I didn't nap at all yesterday and despite 21 of the last 48 hours in the air, I managed to stay out at the karaoke/hostess clubs until 1 am. Got a solid 6 hours of sleep last night and an hour of work in this morning. I'm ready for my noon tee time. :D

Glad the weather is cooperating for you :D ! Try not to keel over on the green....... :p ! Do enjoy those hostess bars........if you ever come down here I will introduce you to the infamous "Busu Snack" ;) !

Regards ,
QSG

We’ll my boss decided that he wanted to take the train and not fly back to Tokyo from Toyama. I sat in the green car for the first time on this transfer. The trip totaled 3:35 including 80 minutes on board the Shinkansen. We sat on the upper deck and the air conditioning was either broken or in Winter mode. It was too hot. It wasn’t a big time saver or waster and forced me to pass up 352 miles, but it had been 10 years since I rode the shink so it was fine.

6) Touch on the Westin Tokyo and how they treat Golds.
I took the Yamanote line from Tokyo around the bottom to Ebisu and dragged my baggage to the Westin. It’s about 11 minutes (as they like to say in Japan) from the JR station to the Westin. The first portion is via a series of moving sidewalks it would take far too long if you just stood still. Then you hit the bricks for about 200 yards through Ebisu Garden Place, and you’re there. If you were going to be in and out of the hotel all day via the train it might be a bit tedious, but if is only a few times and you threw in taxis (to or from your ultimate destination) once in a while, I don’t think it the distance from the station is too great. I also think you’ll get more out of the location on weekends and holidays than during the week.

I’d gotten a 23,000 yen rate on my room with a Starwood Privilege 50% certificate. My rez had not been mysteriously cancelled or anything like that and I asked subtlety at check-in if an upgraded room was available. He knew I was SPG Gold and he said that he was putting me in an upgraded room. Problem is that I have no frame of reference. The bellboy said it was a regular king room. I’m definitely on an SPG Floor, but is that an upgrade if you are an SPG member? Maybe it is and maybe it isn’t, but the room is really nice so I’m not complaining. There is a couch, chair and coffee table, Heavenly Bed and Bath furnishings, and desk with what is termed Westin’s Guest Office doodads including an HP printer and print driver software, fax machine, Post-Its, highlighter, paper clips, powerstrip and stapler. My laundry which I sent off at 10:00 just returned now at 3:00, but it was pretty spendy wash-n-fold if you ask me.
I’m sure it is not limited to this top-notch Tokyo hotel, but I think the people watching factor is excellent. As I was waiting to be picked up in front of the hotel, an endless parade of “Beautiful People” getting out of their Mercedes, Jags, BMWs, Porches, and Japanese luxury sedans served as excellent eye candy.
One last note before I close the book on the Westin. The ADSL internet access has a 1800 yen per day charge. I called down to have a modem sent up and powered on. Low and behold I detected a few wireless networks from the apartment building next door. And low and behold 1 of the seems to be a non-WEP encrypted Netgear straight out of the box. The signal strength is low and I’m connected at only 2Mbps, but for basic e-mail, websurfing and trip-reporting, I can deal with the few times that I’ve lost the connection today.

Now at the Narita ANA Signet lounge. Earlier today I enjoyed lunch with JackR. Thanks.

Grabbed the Narita Express from Tokyo station to the airport. Efficient and painless for the 2940 yen.

The free Wifi from YahooBB in the lounge is great. Same connection as mentioned above. The SSID and WEP key are the same as Haneda. Launched the browser directly to the YahooBB page. ID and Password from the new scratch card I received from teh reception desk and bingo, online.

Will be attending golf school in the AM with Savage25 and then out to dinner with Savage 25 and Seanthepilot.

Cheers,

Scho

Excellent report so far! Love the whole real-time thing of so many of the reports now.

I’m in the home stretch here (we’ll actually I am home now) so I’m going to let it rip.

7) NewStyle C farewell on NRT-BKK
Boarded NH 915 and had a smooth flight to BKK. Sat in 82K (exit row window upper deck. Best non-F seat on the plane. Had a few beers, enjoyed dinner but it was far from F fare. I’ll be sorry to see the NewStyle C disappear from my “regular” route, but yoa know what? Ultimately, sleeping “flat” on a incline is not all that great. I woke up with my back killing me and my seatbelt around my neck. We’ll not exactly, but you get the picture. This is a great product, don’t get me wrong, but in the future, should this seat config ever make it back on one of my routes, I’ll try sleeping in reclined seated position rather than “flat.”

8) AAC Limousine from BKK to the SGS (I like this place), but will not renew the Grand Club membership.
Well I popped off the plane pretty quickly and was striding to immigration when I got a quick wave from one of those guys with the golf carts. Was I going to say no? We hit speeds of probably 17 mph on the way to immigration. It would have been a 10 min walk.
After I cleared customs, I grabbed my golf clubs which emerged quickly with the *A priority tag and headed out customs. Nobody was standing there at all. Must have been time for a break. I suppose I needed to pass one uniformed official be I emerged in the arrivals hall.

So now you have a few choices. A) Get Shanghaied (or in this case, BKK’d) by the taxi touts. B) Get in the taxi queue, and a ride to the city for about $8-9. C) Go for the limo service. Well last time in town was my first with AAC limo and that is my method of choice hence forth. http://www.airporttaxithai.com/
Just find their desk, Discounted RT to Bangkok is now 1190 Baht. Your in an older Benz with AC that works instead of a bucket of bolts. Sure there’s going to be people at both ends of the spectrum. Those who order the new Benz from their hotel and those who will will stay in a guest house without AC. But, I highly recommend these guys for everyone in between. Upon arrival, go to their counter, staff wears bright yellow jackets, buy your ticket and schedule a pickup time and location, your car arrives within 5 minutes and you’re gone. And yes, pay the 70 baht for the tollway. Picked me up right on time for my return.

Additional Notes on the SGS:
Great hotel. Friendly courteous staff. Nice spacious rooms but basically upgrades are not available to Gold and lower. Good buffet each day which as a Grande Club member you get for half price. I think the Shang has a better buffet though. Would love to come back often, but the Grande club benefits just didn’t make the cut for this next year. I have decided become a free agent at this point.

9) Golfthink Golf school in Thailand
www.golfthink.com
I cannot praise this organization highly enough. The founder is Kim Inglis. Kim is a Thai, but was raised in New Zealand. English is native language. Savage25 and I hooked up with Kim for a 2-day school and we were both pleased with Kim’s professionalism and knowledge of the game. While we were a bit optimistic (our goal each day was 2 hours of range followed by 18 holes) about the amount of time we could put in each day, we both came away with a sense of value and accomplishment. Kim picked us up from SGS in the morning, took us to the courses, arranged tee times and overall customized a 2 day program for us. Needless to say, in the future when I’m doing a turn in BKK, I’m going to be out on the course all day with Kim.

10) Hopefully New Style F from BKK to NRT
Well after some nail biting, my BKK-NRT upgrade finally cleared and I scored F all the way from BKK-SFO for 55k miles. I’d love to offer a detailed report on the New Style F product which will no longer serve this route beginning Nov 15. However, I was asleep moments after we went wheels up. I hadn’t even go the seat into the full flat position. I woke up as when hit some bumps from typhoon No. 21, flattened out the sleep and slept until final approach. Excellent!
SuperStyle F NRT-SFO was solid as usual. Good but not excellent service this morning (errr... afternoon?, errrr...yesterday?).
Made sure to have a couple glasses of the Krug for JackR! After dinner I went lights out for about 5 hours and awoke in time for a snack and arrival.

Straight to the office and at nearly 4:00pm still firing on all cylinders. Heading home now and plan to be back on West Coast time in the morning. Ahhhh.... The magic of F.

Final Stats:
Platinum Points(EQM) Earned: 28,220
Current PP (EQM): 79,979 (with 1 SFO-BKK RT left this year)
Mileage earned: 44,218
Mileage Spent: 55,000
Net Mileage: -10,782
SFO-NRT (F)
HND-OKA (Y-Bulkhead)
OKA-HND (Y-Exit)
HND-OKA (Y-Exit)
OKA-HND (Y-Exit)
HND-TOY (Y- Bulkhead)
TOY-HND (Cancelled)
NRT-BKK (C)
BKK-NRT (F)
NRT-SFO (F)
and total number of holes played on the links... 72.
Not bad for the last 10 days huh?