double_black77

I have never taken a Japanese domestic flight. But at least in mainland China, hot meals is usually served in Y for flight as short as 50 min.

dvs7310

It's always been 100% for HKG. For Mileage Plus purposes at least, HKG, MFM, and Taiwan are separate from China. The 70% bit only applies to NH metal flights on non-UA codes to Mainland China, India, and Australia. In my experience it wouldn't have mattered for the OP anyway if going on a UA code. I've always had UA codes credit at 100% even on other carrier metal that would not post that way if flying their code. It's other code shares that are less clear, for example CA code on NH metal would credit according to the NH chart not CA.

andrewwm

This has changed recently. I used to get some mystery meat hockey puck pastry on short flights inside China. Lately it's been a crappy snack box with things I didn't even want to eat and was starving.

I don't know why they even bother except the fact that every domestic flight has about x2 the number of FAs that service requires (assume because they are state run so have to employ more people than necessary).

Internationally, within Asia, sure you can get a meal on intra-Asia flights that last about ~4 hours. However, these flights sell for about $500-$1000 return even for advance bookings. Imagine paying $500 to fly from SFO to ORD in advance and you too would demand at least a small meal.

Frankly, I'd much rather take the American approach of get nothing special on the flight but can afford to fly x2-x3 as often.

ORDnHKG

No it is not, it is because most of the airlines in Asia are subsidized by the government rather than individually owned, TG is a very good example.

I don't think you have flown much airlines in Asia at all, as CX had downgraded many intra-asia flight from meal to snack box for quite a while already, from HKG-TPE just a sandwhich to now fried rice in a paper box and boxed oolong tea, and now extending many late night intra asia flights to Japan and southeast asia only get a snack box with cold sandwhich, muffin, and fruit cup. CI had also downgraded many intra-asia flight for non-meal hours to a sandwhich.

All airlines that fly the domestic routes in Japan that include JL and NH also don't serve you any meals, they don't even serve a pack of nuts or rice crackers no matter what length of the flight. (even for domestic Japan flights, some of them are 3+ hours like CTS-OKA). In a matter of fact, they serve very limited free beverages, just green tea, apple juice, coffee, and consommé soup, all other beverages like any sodas or OJ it is BOB like the snacks !

ORDnHKG

Not recently updated or changed, rather it had been 100% since NH and UA has the JV signed, so that was quite a long while ago.

Hong Kong is not considered as China in NH's definition, so it is excluded

kmfdm91

Again, from my experience last week on the NRT-HKG portion on ANA (air japan) 767...

15H/K assigned to us from upstairs (Narita) check-in agent the day before the flight. We spent the night over in Japan following the EWR-NRT flight in R (C) and took the morning NRT-HKG flight.

We had a lap infant and all were great and very accommodating in every respect.

Our legroom was actually very nice and our seats did recline. I have taken the NH 767 further back on the plane and legroom wasn't great for me (6'1"), but it's not that long of a flight.

Miles posted at 100% for W class on the NH leg.

Two options for a meal for us in this direction (the card said June/July the menu is the same):
* Japanese style meal
* Korean Bibimbap

My wife got one and I got the other; I liked both, but my wife only liked the Korean dish, which was admittedly my favourite as well.

Dinner (aside from the servingware, etc) was just as good as C on UA and of course, the alcohol was free on NH, but they didn't have any Sake - just beer/wine/spirits;

Still, night and day with UA and 100 times out of a 100, if I couldn't confirm R on a direct HKG flight, i'd go via any confirmable R space route and fly any carrier not named UA - so a smart choice in my opinion by the OP.

Luckily, on our return next weekend from HKG, there was direct space in R, so we are flying direct back to the states, but my daughter (at ~20 months) might not be happy to be in UA C for 15.5 hours!

-jeremy

ORDnHKG

I believe you were on the 763 that have the fixed back Y seat, the seat slide forward when you recline, not the one with old non-fixed back Y seat, as 15 HK only exist on the newer version (AC-DFG-HK), older version would be 15 FG (AB-CDE-FG)! You should also be noticed these 763 have the blended winglets, older ones don't have them at all (the ones with non-fixed back Y seat)

You were on the bulkhead, so of course the legroom is nice.

Oh and btw, try some of NH's 77W in Y, they are in the process of reconfig them from 2-4-3 (9 abreast) into 3-4-3 (10 abreast), come back and tell me how you like it.

kb1992

Fixed for you.

MMProfessor

The only problem with UA+NH is the check-in process. Starting from the U.S., sometimes you cannot get the NRT-HKG boarding pass at check in (regardless of OLCI or at the counter, or even through the NH agent at the SFO International Club or at the NH gate at SFO). Fortunately, the transit security at NRT does recognize the "This is not a boarding pass" slip. You still need to see an NH agent after clearing security. That is when the flight may become full and you may get Op-Uped into C. On the return, you cannot OLCI even for the UA segments because your ticket is controlled by NH. NH, however, issues all the UA metal boarding passes in HK. The same experience applies to NRT-TPE-NRT on NH.

Folderholder

FWIW, I took two China Eastern domestic flights this week (duration 1:50) and they not only served lunch each time but did beverage service twice. I can't say enough nice things about this airline.

mduell

I think this is a limitation of the legacy CO technology platform... they can now issue BPs for LH (although LH will sometimes reprint them anyway), but I've had no luck with getting a usable TK/SN/NH/OZ/TG BP from CO pre-merger or UA post-3/3.

It was quite the surprise on my first CO+*A trip a couple years after CO joined *A, when CO couldn't issue a TK BP but TK had no problem issuing a CO BP on the return.

Flying Machine

Is it possible to go into the ANA system to OLCI at the 24 Hour Mark? This should ensure a BP. However with the chance of an OP UP it may be woth the gamble.. Any other insight. I have one of these in a few months that I just ticketed.. When the OP UP happens did you have a pre assigned seat? I called ANA and had one assigned, as their online system did recognize the ANA Locator UA had in my record. But when I called the agent found it quickly..

MMProfessor

1. No, I was not able to go into ANA web site with their PNR to OLCI.
2. Most of the time (including the OP UP instances), NH did automatically give me a seat assignment that showed up on the UA web site soon after ticketing. i guess they gave up my Y seat when I did not check in until arriving NRT.

JVPhoto

I am flying HKG-NRT on NH next week and then connecting to NRT-SFO UA. The NH is in Y and the UA is in BF (GPU'd from Y).

The NH locator doesn't pull up on their site but I was able to call in and just confirm they had the reservation and aisle seat, they mentioned I couldn't pull up the res because it is a code share.
Will I be able to do OLCI from the NH site with their locator?

Does it affect anything with my UA flight? Will I have to visit the transfer desk in NRT to get a BP?
Is there anyway it may affect my upgrade (not being checked in early enough)?

belynch

Data-point: UA in ROC issued me an NH C BP last week (had to check-in, in person due to visa requirement at destination). Took 15 seconds.

I was also very underwhelmed by NH 763 C (Air Japan) earlier this week.

Flight was delayed (but they did apologize, a ton), seat was uncomfortable for an 8 hour flight, and because I slept through the first part of the service the FAs did a straight-up avoidance strategy for me for the remainder of the flight. I did get the first meal, but no menu, no drink service, no amenity kit (not sure if anyone got one) and no second meal offered when the rest of the cabin got served. IFE was very limited.

All flights have an element of hit or miss and this one was a definite miss.