So the last couple of months has been a rather hectic time for me at work. So that hasn’t helped with getting the blog updated. My apologies for that.
I now have the benefit of 11 hours on a plane to Dallas, before heading onto Houston for meetings on the project that has been keeping me busy.
And following my last post, this blog is benefiting of some black label bourbon – three mini bottles poured into a nice heavy tumbler with lovely big chunks of ice. Yeah…. It helps to be in Business Class to sit around on a laptop with a couple of tables, one for my drink and one for my laptop. It’s the way to travel. Shame at over a million yen you’re really never going to travel it on your on dime.
This is my first Business Class and First Class experience for such a flight. Actually any flight come to think of it. I have had the benefit of doing premium economy on a flight from LAX to Brisbane. Its been a rather interesting experience I’ll be honest. Starting off in Narita at Sakura Lounge one is overcome by the density of people in the lounge. Truly, staying outside in the public area is less confining and densely packed. The wonderful floor to ceiling glass showing you views of the planes and runway is a real treat. Only the sun of blasting in at full power making the place amazing hot and difficulty to look around in.
Some tea, coffee, Pocari Sweet and alcohol were all available, but the café was pretty busy so there was a queue to sit and eat. All in all let’s just say that the experience of the lounge was a little disappointing. I was always under the impression that having lounge access would make waiting in airports so much more bearable. I’m not so sure that was the case – at least this one.
Oh, ahead of the order there – check-in is perhaps the biggest perk there is to be had. Zero queue, two staff members checking you in, priority security and customs really do make the check-in proves that much more simple.
The plane is a rather old American Airlines plan. Rather old doesn’t really narrow it down in the American Airlines fleet does it. Pretty comfortable though all in all I thought. The bed isn’t a full lie flat, but there is a crap load of room here. I can walk in and out easy as pie, and there is never a queue for the toilet In this part of the part.
The thing that really is nice though is the service. Endless supply of high end alcohol and water and other drinks. Endless supply of warm nuts, silverware, table cloth, nice glassware, great food for 30,000 feet. Dinner was smoked salmon and fresh salad with balsamic dressing. Then Beef Fillet with potato and roasted vegetable then the best of it all, a great big sundae with chocolate fudge and nuts and whipped cream topped. Entrée was over black label bourbon, French wine for dinner and desert wine for desert!
Then after a couple of hours of sleep (which was more nana nap sleep time in Tokyo time rather than a proper sleep) I was looking around snacks cart and they offered to make me a chicken sandwich to snack on. I said sure, thinking it would be a little sandwich wrapped in a plastic wrap. Instead, it came served up with full silverware, smoked chicken, aged mustard (does mustard get better with age?), fresh fruit and pasta salad! Was pretty nice all said and done.
Breakfast is yet to come, but I’m sure its going to be good. But really, can one justify over 1 million yen for food? You could spend 400 bucks on insanely good gourmet Bento Box of amazing food and it would be nice and solve that one benefit. Service is nice though, and the room. Premium Economy I think might be the way to go. Get the room, but none of the other stuff. I could then just bring my own food.
For Business though this is handy. I have two level arch folders full of docs spread out and my laptop and I can get all my work done in piece.
Which I should do…
An Aussie In Japan 