20170131: JL26: Hong KonG » HaNeDa

Date: 2017/01/31

Flight: JL26
DEP/Actual Push: 1540HKT/1538HKT
ARR/Touch Down: 2025JST/2004JST

Aircraft/Registration: 777-200/JA710J

Class: Business (Restricted Fare)

Seat: JAL SKY SUITE III

Prologue

This is the return flight from Hong Kong

Pre-boarding

Used the in-town check in at Hong Kong Station.  JAL has one counter there serving all travel classes.  Fortunately, there wasn't much of a wait and check in was completed in a few minutes.

Lounge
JAL customers were directed to the Qantas lounge.  It is spacious, and always empty this time of the day (~14:00HKT)  Ample hot foods and beverages.

At the Gate
Gate# 18 wasn't far from the lounge, or immigration.  Boarding was scheduled to start at 1510.  I got there at 1510 and heard an announcement that boarding had been delayed till 1520.  In the end, boarding started at 1515.

On Board

Seats
The aircraft was a retrofitted 777-200 with the latest "Sky Suite III"  The seats felt surprisingly cramped.  Later, saw from photos, pictures on the web that similar seats on Cathay Pacific, American Airlines, Air France, Finnair, etc seem to be more spacious because JAL had optioned to build a platform above the foot rest.  That took more more space and made the enclosed area more claustrophobic.

Food

Had the western meal, The beef in the "Beef Fillet Steak with Barbecue Sauce & Mashed Potatoes" was unusually overcooked.   The rest was fine.  

Service

The business class cabin crew had little to do as there were less than 10 passengers.  And yet, the crew was inattentive and I had to ring for more Perrier.

Epilogue

JAL's business class product to/from HKG is mediocre.  They only have one flight/day between Haneda and Hong Kong. Their only advantage over competitors like CX is that it's cheaper to fly JAL.

Bibliography

http://www.jal.co.jp/en/inter/service/business/seat/skysuite3.html

https://www.jal.co.jp/en/jalmile/jgc/

20170127: JL29: HaNeDa » HongKonG

Date: 2017/01/27

Flight: JL29

DEP/Actual Push: 1005JST/0956JST

ARR/Touch Down: 1415HKT/1401HKT

Aircraft/Registration: 777-200/JA703J

Class: Business (Restricted Fare)

Seat: JAL SKY SUITE III

Prologue

This is one of my regular, periodic flight to Hong Kong.  Booking was done on JAL's website which is a pain to use.   Painful because its design is that of typical Japanese-design from the 90s.

Pre-boarding

Business class check-in counters were busy.  I used the JGC member counter and the whole process was completed in less than 5 minutes.

Lounge
The Sakura Lounge at Haneda can be quite busy in the morning rush.  Today it wasn't.  Even the dinning area had a certain calmness to it.  Tip:  for peace and quiet, go to the upper level of the lounge where only beverages are served.  The usual breakfast fair was on offer; scrambled eggs, sausages, hash brown, fresh salads, rice, Japanese curry.  A good hot breakfast could be have.

At the Gate
Boarding was supposed to start at 0935.  Got to gate 113 at 0936 and heard the announcement that boarding has been delayed because the aircraft wasn't ready.  (They don't tend to tell you the truth but just some excuse.)  I queued anyway and boarding commenced a minute after that.

Noticed that there was a line for first class passengers though this flight didn't have a first class.

On Board

Seats
The aircraft was a retrofitted 777-200 with the latest "Sky Suite III" It's the herringbone business class seats that are prevalent on airlines these days. Cathay Pacific, Air France, Finnair are other airlines which had implemented similar seats at least 2 years before JAL. The seats felt surprisingly cramped. The high partitions around the seat made it feel smaller. It felt as if I was in a cubical farm.  These seats were rolled out in starting summer of 2016. Yet, one of the 2 latches of the storage box was already dislodged; it couldn't be closed properly. The seat pocket for printed materials was too small for all the stuff that JAL had cramped into it. It was a struggle to even get the meal menu out.

Food

Had the western meal, Grilled Fillet with Mustard Sauce as the main course. The beef was done just right. The soup, Basil Flavored Consommé with Pasta, was a bit too salty. Otherwise, the salad was fresh, and everything else was delicious.

Western Meal

Service

The business class cabin crew had little to do as there were only around 10 passengers.   Service was OK, nothing to write home about.  As usual, the crew was a lot more enthusiastic in promoting in-flight shopping than actually serving passengers.

Around an hour before landing, the captain announced that we would land in HKG ahead of schedule, at 1335HKT, instead of the scheduled 1415.  But at 1335HKT, we were in a holding pattern.  The captained didn't bother to explain.  We were flying in very elongated circles.  In the end, descent didn't start till 1345HKT, and touched down on RWY25R at 1401HKT.  The planed stopped at gate 18 at 1412HKT.  The captain was right that we were ahead of schedule, by 4 minutes.  

Epilogue

JAL's business class product to HKG is mediocre.  

Bibliography

http://www.jal.co.jp/en/inter/service/business/seat/skysuite3.html

https://www.jal.co.jp/en/jalmile/jgc/

Hilton Helsinki Strand

Prologue

The primary reason for staying at Hilton Helsinki Strand is because I'm a HHonors member.  Secondary reason is that other hotels weren't enticing enough.

The Hotel

I'd booked on the Hilton website.  24 hours before my scheduled arrival, I checked-in on the website and choose my room.  The actual check in was quick, taking 3 minutes tops.  I was pleasantly, surprised that I didn't have to let time imprint my credit card again.  All the nice receptionist needed was my passport for ID purposes.  She then handed me a small folder with my keys and WiFi password.  This is the way it should be.  Pre-checked customers should be able to just pick up the key.  But this is the first time Hilton had afforded me such hassle-free check-in.

Room

I had a "King Executive Seaview," a room on the 7th floor. As a first-timer to this hotel, I didn't realize that the 7th floor was the executive floor, where the executive lounge was. Embarrassingly, I had to call down to ask where the lounge was and was informed that I was on the same floor as the lounge!

At first glance, the room was surprisingly small. That's probably because the king-size bed took up most of the space. Everything looked new. In fact, the room still smelt of new furniture. I later saw that this property was newly "opened" in December 2015. Later, saw from Googling that the hotel was completed renovated and the renovation completed in December 2015.

Bedside USB ports 

Desk power panel.

Instead of providing universal AC power outlets, there were plenty of built-in USB ports, which provided enough amp for my Android to say "charging," instead of "charging slowly.  Some beside the bed, and at the desk.  There was one universal AC power outlet in the bathroom.

Lounge

Breakfasts in the morning, and canapés from 17:00 are served.  The canapes, are hearty enough as dinner.  As I was there during the winter months, the lounge wasn't crowded at all.  Food and drinks were ample.  No complaints whatsoever.  

Lounge, food area.

Partial view of Lounge.

Epilogue

Great hotel.  Staff, hardware, everything were very efficient.  Some may feel that location is far from the city-center.  But it's just a few tram stops, and 2 subway stops away.  The nearest tram, bus, subway stops are about 150 meters away.

Bibliography

http://www3.hilton.com/en/hotels/finland/hilton-helsinki-strand-HELHIHI/index.html
https://youtu.be/d_Ad6_eQ7ho

Vantaa to Town (Bus#615)

Prologue

One can take the bus, train, or a taxi to town.  I ended up with the bus.

Bus

Research (Googling) said there were shared-taxi services to town, and that the number 615 bus would take me to near Hilton.  After getting some cash, and a SIM card, I approached the Airport Taxi Yellow Line counter.  There was another shared-taxi counter next to it but the attendent wasn't there.  The cost to town was €29.9, I think, but just under €30.  The next car was in 30 minutes.  I asked the gentleman where I could get the bus to town and he said it's just outside.

There seemed to be many bus stops.  I wandered a bit and found the sign for the stop which included the #615.  There was an automated ticketing machine.  Chose English as the language and purchased a ticket to town for €5.5 with my credit card.

Bus Ticket

There were a few people there and I asked a gentleman if he was in the queue.  He told me there wasn't really a queue for this or that bus. When the bus arrives, people just get on.   After a minute or two, the #615 rolled up and we all piled on in an orderly fashion.  One can buy a ticket onboard from the driver with cash and quite a few people did that.

Thanks to my working cellphone with a working data SIM card, I kept checking Google Map.  My destination was Hakaniemi subway stop.  Feeling that I was close to where I was supposed to get off, I told the driver that I was looking to get off at Hakaniemi and would he please let me when I was supposed to get off.  He patiently pointed out that my stop was the second one from then.  I thanked him and got off a few meters from the McDonald's Hakaniemi.  The hotel was about 250 meters from there.  The bus departed the airport at 15:15 and I got off at 16:00. 

One can also take the train from the airport to the Central Railway Station for the same  €5.5.   For me, I would then have to catch the tram, or subway back to Hakaniemi, the nearest tram/subway stop to Hilton.

Epilogue

There were signs at the exit of the aiport building pointing to ground transportation.  But one needed to know where to find the stop for Bus 615.

Bibliography

https://cfanreviews.blogspot.jp/2016/11/data-helsinki_13.html
https://www.finavia.fi/en/helsinki-airport/services/parking-and-traffic/airport-taxi-yellow-line/
https://debconf5.debconf.org/about/from_the_airport_to_the_center.html
https://goo.gl/maps/mxLXD37gLDm
https://www.hsl.fi/en/timetables-and-routes/terminals/transport-links-helsinki-airport
https://www.hsl.fi/en/tickets-and-fares

20161104: JL413: NaRiTa » HELlsinki

Date: 2016/11/04
Flight: JL413
Aircraft/Registration: 787-8/JA836J
Class: Business (award travel)
Seat: JAL SKY SUITE 787

Prologue

Redeemed 85,000 JAL miles for a return NaRiTa/HELlsinki trip on business class.  Booking award-travel with JAL is a bit of a pain. In fact booking ordinary travels on their website is a bit of a pain. The dates of this trip was determined by the award travel availability.

Pre-boarding

Business class check-in counters were free of passengers. I had one bag to check and was done in less than 5 minutes.

As a JGC member, I was allowed to use the priority, JAL-only security line. But then, there weren't many other people so it didn't make much of a difference.

After clearing immigration (on the south end of the terminal,) I happened to be facing the Sakura Lounge.

The layout hasn't changed since my last visit here bout 2 years go; it's a bit inconvenient. After checking in at the reception counter, the business class lounge is to the right. One needs to go down a flight of escalators to the main sitting area. For food, one needs to go back up a level, back the the level where the entrance was.

The lounge was busy. They had a sign erected at the bottom of the stairs leading up to the dining area saying it was crowded up there. Fortunately, I didn't have problems find a seat for a sit-down breakfast.

JAL NRT Lounge Breakfast Menu

The food on offer was the same as those in Haneda.  There weren't a lot of varieties but both Western and Japanese items were on offer and more than sufficient for a fast and hot breakfast.  The fresh-salad bar was a nice touch.  With the exception of the down-and-up split levels, it was an excellent lounge.

On Board

Plastic Welcome

Starters

Once seated, orange juice or champagne were offered. Too bad it came in a plastic cup. It took a while for the flight attendant to realize I had a jacket for them to store. In fact, I had to specifically ask her to store it for me. 

The business class cabin was a little more than 1/2 full. I had a window seat, which afforded me great privacy.   The "JAL Sky Suite" on this 787-8 seemed to be less claustrophobic than the ones on 777-300ER.    It's a good business class seat, and I think this type is unique to JAL.

The IFE, including the selection of movies were OK.  Choices leaned heavily towards Western (a la Hollywood) and Japanese tastes, with very limited non-Japan Asian choices.  It's a shame that the IFEs didn't have external camera views.  The controller is touch-screen.  As with anything touch-screens, after heavy use, the screens tend to be finicky.  Before take-off, I had trouble selecting the language.  It would automatically jump all over the place.  The problem went away after take off though.  Must have something to with on-ground power source.  

Meals

Western

The first meal was served about an hour after take-off. I chose the Western meal. The appetizers and salad were were fresh and tasty.   Had the wagyu (和牛) steak as the main dish. It was a very nicely done medium.  As it was a western meal, it came with bread. But I'd requested and got steam rice.

After the first meal, "Anytime You Wish" meals could be ordered up to 2 hours before landing.  It said on the menu that those were available up to 1.5 hours before landing.  But on this particular flight, 2 hours before landing.  These meals, as well as drinks are ordered via the IFE controller.  

Fumiko's Japanese Set Plate

Around 3 hours before landing, I ordered the "Fumiko's Japanese Set Plate." After half an hour, no food. I rang for the flight attendant who returned after a minute and said they had not received my order. She didn't say it out loud but cast doubt on my ability to order the meal. To prove my ability, I demonstrated to her who I had ordered and ordered the same thing for the second time. She agreed that that was the right way to do it.  A few minutes later, the chief purser came around to apologize and said that they had actually received my first order but due to a system freeze or whatever reason, they had 'overlooked' my order. She never explained exactly what happened but apologized again for the delay.  In the end, the meal was delivered 30 minutes after I'd ordered it.  The delicious meal made up for the hassle.

Service

Crane

Other than the welcome drink in the plastic cup, and the anytime-meal delay, service was good. Little details were like the origami crane in the bathroom was nice.

Arrival

Due to construction work at Vantaa, the flight had to park in an open-spot.  Though refreshing to step into the -2°C air, it was a shame to have to walk down the rickety stairs and onto the transfer bus.  It was especially troublesome for those with children and or bigger carry-ons.

Epilogue

Total flight time was 9 hours and 22 minutes. Time flew by.

Bibliography

http://www.jal.co.jp/en/inter/service/business/seat/skysuite.html

https://www.jal.co.jp/en/jalmile/jgc/

http://www.jal.co.jp/en/inter/airport/nrt/checkin/#counterSecurity

http://www.jal.co.jp/inter/service/lounge/nrt/special/

http://www.jal.co.jp/inter/service/lounge/pdf/first/nrt_food.pdf

http://www.jal.co.jp/inter/service/lounge/pdf/first/nrt_drink.pdf

http://www.jal.co.jp/en/inter/service/business/entertainment/

Riding to Narita

There are many ways to get out to Narita. It's a hassle to get to the bus and/or train stations with bags. 

I live within 10 km of Haneda. A taxi ride to Haneda (approx ¥4,500) then the "Limousine Bus" (¥3,100) is an option, total cost of less than ¥8,000. 

Uber charges a flat rate of ¥27,000 from any of the 23 区 (wards) to Narita airport. For me in Ota-ku, that is more than the ¥21,000 (+ expressway tolls) charged by MK Tokyo. 

Booking on the internet got me a ¥1,000 discount. The expressway tolls ended up being ¥2,800. The total cost was ¥22,800. 

I have used MK Tokyo quite a few times to and from Narita. The fact that I could book a ride in advance and have them pick me up at a specific time is infinitely better than Uber. I like MK Tokyo because their drivers are great and the cars are luxurious. For this particular ride, I got to ride in a Mercedes S300h. Previously, I had ridden in Lexus, BMW 7-series cars.

My only complaint with MK Tokyo is their mandatory "greeting service" fee of ¥3,000. Their reasoning is that this fee would enable the driver to park the car in a car park then come and greet you in the greeting area. That's fine, except when they were late.

I once came back from LAX and the driver was late. Two of their non-drivers met me at the greeting area. and they said the driver was late due to whatever reason. I ended up greeting the driver curbside. Yet, they charged me the mandatory ¥3,000. I should have been paid the ¥3,000 since I was the greeter.

Bibliography

https://tokyomk.com/en/airport.html
https://www.uber.com/en-JP/cities/tokyo/
http://www.limousinebus.co.jp/en/
http://www.keisei.co.jp/keisei/tetudou/skyliner/us/index.php
http://www.jreast.co.jp/e/nex/
http://willerexpress.com/en/airport-shuttle/narita-shuttle/
http://www.keiseibus.co.jp/kousoku/nrt16.html

Data SIM: Helsinki

As free WiFi is readily available all over Helsinki, you may not need to get local SIM card.  I'd wanted one for when I'm out and about for Google Maps etc.

What

The "Rajaton Prepaid" offered by DNA seemed to have the best value.  It has the face value of €7 but it was often on sale for €4.9.  Indeed, when I got in in early November 2016, it was still on sale for €4.9.  For €0.89/day, one gets unlimited local calls and data, i.e. should be good for your stay of ~1 week.  Rates and other details available on the DNA site.  At the point of sales, no ID-check, cash or credit cards accepted.  Instant activation. Hassle-free, fast data speed. 

Where

At the R-Kiosk convenience store located in the arrivals hall 2A (terminal 2,) Vantaa airport.

 

Note to Myself

To activate the SIM card, one needs to enter the "PIN1" code.  This is a 4-digit number.  I'm noting it here because once I'd scratched off the security screen, there were a bunch of numbers for PIN1, PIN2, PUK1, and PUK2.  Looks like PIN1 and PIN2 are 4-digit and PUK1, and PUK2 are 8-digit.  It wasn't obvious to me where the codes started/ended.  So, initially I'd entered 12 digits and failed.

Bibliography

http://toomanyadapters.com/buying-sim-card-finland/ 

http://tabi-recipes.com/archives/6311 (in Japanese)
https://corporate.dna.fi/en/dna-prepaid
https://www.finavia.fi/en/helsinki-airport/services/shops/kiosk-rkioski-2/