2016-02-01 DFW-HKG-CGK-NRT-DFW

Day 4 Day in Tokyo

Day 4 Day in Tokyo

THU-04-FEB-2016

6:00AM landed in NRT from CGK in 777-300ER. Sat in exit row. Was a good seat. Middle seat next to me was vacant. Guy in window seat was quiet and slept most of the time. This 777-300ER exit door does not leak cold air. I wonder what they did to get it right. Unlike the HKG-CGK CX flight, there from CGK-NRT, hardly anyone used the bathroom and the bathroom was spotless. It reminded me of the first class bathroom at the front of the plane, it is very large. The door is different. That folds, this is single outward-swinging door. The FA's went in and cleaned it probably every 30 minutes. I don't see other airlines' FA clean bathrooms or pick stuff the floor in the aisles.

Went to transit area

JAL said AA desk not open

I asked if I could go to to the JAL first class lounge and wait since I was an Emerald. They called and said yes

Had another breakfast

Now it is about 11AM and I just had a whole bunch of sushi from the sushi bar

I had a shower and got rid of all that 100% humidity from CGK.

Then a free massage of the back and shoulders. That was great.

The JAL staff came over and said I can go get my AA boarding pass now from the Admiral's Club. It is over by gate 71.

I forgot there is an Admirals Club here (you have to go downstairs). I came here several years ago. It is very large but you are looking at the bar area and the food is meager. It is really pittyful. The place is empty, no wonder no one wants to be here. Everyone wants to be in the JAL lounge where I am. Why is AA spending so much money to mantain this lounge but won't put out a bit more for some decent food? Makes no sense.

Massage chair. This was quite good. I am surprised they can make something like that that is helpful.

Computers and office space. I sat at the computer to the left most of the day.

Quiet areas to sit in. That is my jacket on the long couch to the right. I commandered the only long couch as I wanted to take a nap but I have been too busy to take a nap. I will sleep on the plane.

Add-ons for miso soup and other stuff

Fried rice and dumplings

Bakery items

All the free alcohol one can drink

Cheese

Meatballs and pasta for lunch

Boarded AA60 flight NRT-DFW non-stop. It is an old 777-200 and has slanted seats - not lie-flat seats.

THU-04-FEB-2016

Landed in DFW same day as we took off from Narita

Day 3 HKG to CGK to NRT

Day 3 HKG to CGK to NRT

WED-03-FEB-2016

Woke at 5AM and checked out.
Left hotel at 5:50 and walked about 10 min to the A31 bus stop. It was an elevated walkway as the road below was very busy and no cross-walks.

Bus did not show up till 6:20 and Google says it will take 1 hr 24 min but we were at airport by 7AM. Bus was packed. Good thing I got on an earlier stop.

Airport lounge
Ate breakfast at the first class lounge, then took a bubble bath, then a shower, then rushed to the other first class lounge and had a few different smoothies, then boarded my flight

Boarded CX flight HKG-CGK

Two class 777-300ER. Sat in 3rd row of coach. Screaming 2 year old behind me kicking my seat for 30 minutes. Finally told flight attendant. They found me two alternatives. All the way in the back in an aisle seat with no one next to me with no leg room or exit row aisle next to bathroom. Everything has its pluses and minuses. I took the exit row. Bad choice. Seems everyone in coach came to use the bathroom at least twice in the flight. The bathroom floor was filthy and wet and all that attached to the footwear of people and went down the aisles. Someone need to invent airplane bathroom floor that works.

I get treated better on Cathay Pacific (CX) coach class as a OneWorld Emerald member than I do an Executive Platium member on American Airlines (AA) business class. On AA, no one says hello Mr <>, thank you for your business. No one. On CX, a flight attendant (FA) came by after everyone was seated and welcomed me by name and said thank you for flying with us and to let him know if I needed anything.

I then moved to the exit row. Another FA came by and welcomed me by name. After take off, the purser came by and asked if I was Mr <> and I said it yes. She said I was looking all over for you and I heard you changes seats. I explained the kid kicking my seat. She said she heard. She welcomed me by name and asked if there was anything she can get for me. I told her I am so I

impressed with CX for coming to me and welcoming me. Another FA who served me food, also addressed me by Mr <> every time he came by, which must have been at least five times.

How is it that they treat me so well and AA does not?

Landed in CGK a 2:00PM, flight was 30 min late arriving into HKG.

Flight depart today at 9:35PM. How to spend 7 hours at CGK airport?

I took the free shuttle bus from T2 to T1 but got off at T3 by mistake. There are military with machine guns at all the entrances. T2 I do desk said there is a short-stay hotel in T1.

Shuttle bus is very rudimentary. Trying to get off bus but it seems the people trying to get on the bus have no concern that they should wait until everyone gets off and then they can get on. They get on and jam the doorway and no one can get off. Bizarre behavior. It happened several times at different stops.

Got back on the bus, went to T1 and found hotel. Very expensive. Cheaper to take taxi for 50,000 and go 3 miles and get a $18 room at Pop hotel.

I come back here and land at 1am and leave at 6am, so I might consider the T1 hotel as they have a short-stay rate of 150,000. BUT it is not a room. It is a recliner in a hallway. Didn't see a bathroom but probably a communal. It might do for a two hour nap from 2-4AM. Alternative is a metal bench in front of the check in counter.

Spend 75,000 plus 20,000 on a tip for a 30-minute foot massage.

Walked the whole T2 and got some exercise.

Being Emerald status on OneWorld allows me to stand in the first class check in line for JL.

JL726 check in counter opens at 6:30PM

Interesting. Another airline does check in for JAL but they all line up like JAL staff and do a welcome and a deep bow.

Sitting in the Pura Indah Lounge. There are two sides to it. The business class side to the right and the first class to the left. She pointed me to the right. That is where I went last time. I asked what is to the left? She asked to see my boarding pass. She then said you can go to the left of you want. Of course I want. I see the food is much better here.

I found out this lounge opens at 3:00AM and closes at 11:30PM. So. When I come here in a few weeks from now, my flight lands at 1:00AM. So I think I will hang out on a metal bench seat for an hour or two and then come here. I think the ticket counter should open 3 hours before flight, so around 3 or 3:30. So I won't need a hotel or a room or a recliner at terminal 1.

Departed from CGK on JL flight

Day 2 HKG night and Day 3 HKG morning

Day 2 HKG night and Day 3 HKG morning

TUE-02-FEB-2016

Landed in Hong Kong

Airport train to MTR

MTR to hotel

Hotel

Slept

Day 1 DFW-HKG

2016-02-01 Dallas to Hong Kong to Jakarta to Tokyo to Dallas

LEAVE MON FEB 1

RETURN THU FEB 4

Flight heading west. I picked the right side of the plane with a window seat so I can look out and look for auroras.

Look at the green circle below, you can see we should be able to see them

Flight coming back

MON-01-FEB-2016

The trip begins. Start with a shower and relax at the Admiral's Club. What a nice surprise. Got an invitation to the FlagShip Lounge. Found out in D terminal, thy closed the smoking lounge (can't smell a thing) and there is tons of free food and drinks.

These smoothies are really good

Steel-cut oatmeal

There was a line for the showers. I had a 20 minute wait. They gave me a pager and took my boarding pass. By the time I got my turn, it was time to board. So the shower was quick. I didn't even have time to dry my hair.

Boarded AA 137 DFW-HKG, a 777-300ER. AA has 18 of these now.

Very nice seat in the first row

Here is my seat

Here is the cabin in front of the curtain.

The food self-service galley is right next to me so I can get as much as I want to eat. Plus the very large bathroom is right here too (on the other side of the exit door) so I can't hear it or won't have people standing around me but I will have easy access to it.