ORD to HKG the VERY LONG WAY (9 segments, 6 F-segments, 5 *A partners)(Outbound)

[ORDnHKG]

Both floors offering all the drinks selection, but snack is only limited to rice crackers.











Even inside the smoking lounge, they also have the same sets of beverage machines.



I have a vegetable juice, some rice crackers and a few smokes.



I got bored after a while, as not much reading materials, only ANA shop magazines, I went back out to more plane spotting.

ANA Gundam





I am not sure ANK is gone, as previously on this 737-500 with the dolphin in the CFM engine doesn't say ANA WINGS

[ORDnHKG]

[ORDnHKG]

Date: 11/30/2011
Flight: NH 2178
Route: ITM-NRT
Aircraft: A320
Reg. # JA8654
Gate: 12
Class of Service: Economy class
Seat: 1F
Schedule departs: 2:50pm
Schedule arrives: 4:10pm





Notice the boarding is 2:35pm, only 15 min ahead of departure, and the real boarding time is not until 10 min before departure. Anyone have flown NH know that they often board plane in an extreme small amount of time, but they can still depart ontime.



Boarding was started with people with special needs, then AMC Diamond and *G. On the screen where it said the flight information by the gate, everyone need to scan the bar code on the boarding pass once again, and when I scan mine, another slip print out, this time is actually a real boarding pass. I wasn't aware the original paper I got at checkin was actually a checkin notice, not a real boarding pass. It seems like a total waste of paper with 3 separate slips print out, esepcially we are talking about a country that would separate household waste protecting the enviroment.

This slip printed out at the gate actually said boarding pass on the paper, it also printed out CO*G on the top right corner as well.



There was a basket of candies for everyone, nice touch. Then to my bulkhead window seat 1F, it certainly does have quite a lot of legroom. I was quite surprised it still have the old seat, rather than the slimline seat on their domestic 777.



Not only the seat was old, it still had the old ear tube headset, this was like antique !



The whole boarding time was playing the usual ANA signature boarding music "Another Sky by Taro Hakase" I can always expect this song when I board and deplane on any NH flights. Load seems to be about 80%, but I got a middle open seat next to me. FA do a walk in the aisle to see if anyone need blankets, but seems like a very short flight, most people pass on the offer. Door closed right ontime, and no drop down LCD screen for safety video, instead it was done manually, I wonder how old was this A320 ?

Most people went to sleep right away



NH domestic service means apple juice or green tea no matter what length it is, anything else you have to "buy on board" thru ANA My Choice menus. I had applt juice in the 787 paper cup.



The idea of flying NH for me is actually to buy their 787 stamps, to celebrate NH being the launch carrier, they had specially made "ANA original framed Boeing 787 service commemorative stamp", only available for inflight purchase in the ANA skyshop catalog for both domestic and international flight. It was a little pricey at 3000 Yen, but I did buy one and it come in a plastic folder.

Just as after I paid it with my credit card, FA also asked if I have AMC card (ANA Mileage Club), I was actually carrying a bunch of airline cards with me, the reason I joined AMC was for the award search in ANA tool, not really for mileage collecting purchase, as everyone knows AMC has a poor redemption value, most economy fares only yield 70% of actual miles, and miles will expire within a few year no matter you have activity in your account or not, not unless you have AMC Diamond status. But anyway, I got 30 miles for AMC for my 3000 Yen onboard purchase.





Since I bought the ANA 787 stamps, FA also gave me NH's 787 postcards as well as the little plastic 1:1000 787 model plane.

[ORDnHKG]

Flight time was really short, it doesn't take long before it landed at NRT, here is a shot with JL's 763 in its old crane logo





Unforunately, the plane park at a remote stand and it needs to bus in, I thought NRT had stopped this bus in thing after T1 rebuilt, or maybe because this is a domestic flight, but remote stand means more photo opportunities.





It seems majority of pax went to to connect to int'l flight, this is my first time arrive in NRT in a domestic flight, the domestic baggage claim is totally in a different area than international arrivals. It took a while for my bags to come out, I was guessing because the plane was parked far away.

[ORDnHKG]

Hilton Narita and Plane Spotting at NRT

Initially I was tossing if I should stay in Hilton Narita, as from hilton.com, this property had changed to all non-smoking. If you read my post earlier, you know I am a cigarette smoker. I especially hate the idea to get dressed and go downstairs just for a smoke especially in the morning. There was ANA Crowne Plaza NRT that I had previously stayed had smoking rooms available, and it was much cheaper as well, but the downside is as I had no status with priority club, I wouldn't get no free internet and free breakfast like Hilton.

I just couldn't make up my mind should I forget internet and breakfast and have smoking instead or vice versa. Finally as I thought about the next day if I don't have breafast, I wouldn't be able to eat until much later in the day, as I would be spending most of the time in the Museum of Aeronautical Science. I just booked Hilton, get my usual gold benefits and smoke my electronic cigarette instead.

It only took 10 min for the next shuttle to arrive, when I arrived checkin, the lady actually asked if I want a smoking room, she probably saw my smoking preference in my hilton profile. So I asked her isn't the hotel all non-smoking now ? She said that they still have some smoking rooms available, but just not as many as before. And of course I said yes to smoking room, she also told me I got upgraded to a deluxe room on the 12th floor. Previous stays in this property didn't leave me good impression at all, as even back then I was still a gold member, I didn't remember I ever got any upgrade, the bed was hard, and there were only two pillows for a king size bed, the TV sit oddly in a small table stand, just not up to the standards of US Hiltons.

So I was happy I got a smoking deluxe, with my breafast voucher and internet code as a gold member and head upstairs.



Finally 4 pillows for a king size bed, good.



I remembered I didn't see a bathrobe last time I was here, maybe that is because of deluxe room



Two free bottles of water in deluxe room





They still use Crabtree & Evelyn LaSource while all US Hiltons had changed to Peter Thomas Roth toiletries, but I have no complain as I like C&E as well



I just finally had time to charge up my battery for my camera, it was almost dead, don't know why I forgot to charge it when I was at FRA, then I had a shower and used the instant noodle soup bowl that I got from ORD UA IFL for dinner, and go right to bed. My room actually had a good view facing the runway of NRT, but it rained the entire time I was in the room. Luckily by the time I finished breafast, the rain had stopped.

The next morning when I went down for breakfast, even though the breakfast voucher said it was only for continental, but I asked the waitress it was meant for full buffet, it was plentiful with both western and japanese options.

With some help on FT at the Japan forum, I was able to gather some information about Museum of Aeronautical Science. This is the museum I always wanted to go for a long time. There are only 4 departures from NRT T1 and T2, 9:35am, 11:35am, 1:35pm, and 3:35pm. So I decided I will take the 11:35am bus so that I don't need to rush or anything.

TG said I can't check my bags til 3 hours to departure !

When I went back to NRT T1, I thought I can just check my bags early for TG flight to BKK at 5:15pm since the TG counters were opened, well it didn't go as smooth as I think. They said that I couldn't check my bags til 3 hours before my flight for security concern ! So I was explaining to them I really need to leave my bags here as I want to go to the museum, there was no way for me to carry 3 bags to ride the bus and see the museum. They said no in a firm way, more like a Japanese way like they can't break any rules. They told me I can leave my bags in a storage area at the arrival level but it would cost me.

So I had no choice but tug my bags downstairs at the arrival level, paid 500 Yen for each bag, total 1000 Yen for two bags. (my carryon bag went with me) The lady asked when I will be back, I told her about 2pm.

Plane spotting at NRT

I had an hour before 11:35am bus, so I decided to go back upstairs to the observation deck for plane spotting. First was to the airplane store which actually operated by the museum



This store sell many plane models and magazines, and of course plenty of JAL and ANA stuff. It is located at the same level as the observation deck at NRT T1. On the same floor, they were also advertised about the new exhibits of the museum "Section 41". It was the nose of ex NW (SQ) 747-212B painted like No. 1 747 N7470 with all the 747 operators stickers on. When I mentioned about I was going to the museum, the lady who worked in that store gave me some information and a 100 Yen discount coupon for the museum. She just basically smiled and put everything in a little bag and gave it to me, while speaking very little english.







After that I went outside to the observation deck, it wasn't great weather, but at least the rain had stopped



They had a poster there listing what airline can be seen

[ORDnHKG]

It was rather odd they still have CO, but UA was already in new color

[ORDnHKG]

Museum of Aeronautical Science

At about 11:15am, I went back downstairs for the 11:35am bus departure to the museum. The bus stop located at the lower level (arrivals) of terminal 1, where all the Airport limosine buses and hotel shuttles are. When you got out of the terminal building, go all the way to right to bus stop no. 30



Here is a link to some information about the museum in English

http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e6404.html
http://www.aeromuseum.or.jp/pdf/infoE.pdf

And in Japanese

http://www.aeromuseum.or.jp/

It was a public bus, it costs 200 Yen each way, takes about 20 min, it made a stop first at T2 departure level, then several more stops along the way, the bus would make a stop right outside the museum, but it is not the final stop, but you can see the museum when the bus get there. It is 500 yen to go in (you can get a discount voucher 100 yen off at museum shop at NRT T1 obseravation deck level) Though the open area with a few planes including a retired YS-11 is free of charge.







First floor exhibits area

[ORDnHKG]

Second floor exhibits

[ORDnHKG]

Third floor outdoor observation deck

[ORDnHKG]

There is a restaurant on the 4th floor that sell airplane type meals





Fifth floor has a 360 degrees indoor observation deck
It also has a few monitors showing which flights are arriving NRT











Then I went back downstairs for the "Section 41 747 nose exhibit



The cockpit area of Section 41 only open at certain times and I believe there is guided tour that require a fee to go up to see the cockpit and somthing else.

[ORDnHKG]

Here are the outdoor exhibits (free area)















Due to I want to spend more time in NH F lounge (I was taking 5:15pm TG 77W in F), I took the bus back at 1:10pm also leaving right outside the terminal. There were basically 5 departures from museum back to NRT, 10:10am, 1:10pm, 2:10pm, 4:10pm, and 5:10pm.

[FlyingDan]

Excellent TR !

[ORDnHKG]

Checkin at TG counter at NRT

The bus got back to T1 around 1:30pm, along the way was just basically the airport workers got on the bus, none of them looked like pax just visited the museum and went back to the airport for a flight. So I have 30 min before they start the checkin counter. I went back to the luggage storage to get my bags, and went upstairs to the deparure level just wandering around a bit.

















Finally open, at 2:15pm, exactly 3 hours to my flight at 5:15pm



My bags were tagged all the way to HKG, despite I have to overnight at BKK (less than 12 hours). There were no lounge invite printed unlike previously I travelled on NH F. There was a TG escort me thru security, but that's about it, initially I thought she would escort me fast track thru immigration and into the lounge. It is basically pointless for her to do that, as there already had a priority security check.

Here are some christmas decoration at NRT departure hall.



Lots of afternoon departures

[ORDnHKG]

I didn't know I can view the planes before security / immigration



NH F/Suite lounge at NRT T1 by gate 50s

Even without any fasttrack thru immigration, especially for the visitor line, it doesn't take long at all the get past it, first was going to the NH F/Suite lounge by gate 50s (NH had two lounges in NRT, one by gate 40s, and one by gate 50s, both have separate F and C sides)

The NH lounge by gate 50s is one level up the departure level, where F and C on the same level but different side.





Here of course I could go to the F side of the lounge



This is where they called a suite lounge, basically it is like a personal cubicle where you can work on the computer, but also can relax with the private TV







The NH lounge had improved slightly in the past few years, other than installing those "suites" inside the lounge, there were a little more choices of food, but it is still you have to get your own food, no one is going to serve it. However, once you sit down, one of the girls would approach you and ask what you would like to drink. They would come back with your drink and hand you a wet towel, that's about it. After that, it is all DIY. The F lounge do also have the same made-to-order noodle bar like the C lounge, just the F lounge noodle bar serve rice dishes as well.





Now, let's have some food, it was already past 2:30pm, but I still didn't have lunch yet ! Let me order a rice bowl first.



Here are the amuse bouche offerings



And here I got some soup with sushi, a few amuse bouche

[ORDnHKG]

By the time I finished, my chicken rice bowl was already ready for me, and I had the usual 100% vegetable juice.



And the desert offerings







Let me check out the bathroom and shower rooms.





Upon arrival at the shower area, the shower rooms attendant asked my for my boarding pass, I was handed a Thann shower kit. So I asked the agent there was no Loccitane kit anymore, but seems like she didn't understand any english.





Thann is a new brand from Thailand, when I later got on the TG flight, I saw TG was using Thann's fragrance in their F and C bathrooms too. Normally if one if flying C, you would only get these cheap one time use toiletries packets in the NH C lounge.