Previous Trip Notes:
A Long Weekend in Tokyo – Part 3: Day 3 & Park Hyatt
A Long Weekend in Tokyo – Part 2: Days 1-2 & Grand Hyatt Tokyo
A Long Weekend in Tokyo – Part 1: Trip Set-Up & ANA First Class
With only being in Tokyo for three days, our schedule was action-packed. We tried to keep quasi-western hours, waking up at a local time that I usually go to bed at on the weekends back at home. When figuring out our final days’ activities, we charted everything out and booked our train based on the time we needed to be at the airport. Except, because of a miscommunication between me and NSPwife, the time the Narita Express left was actually the time we were supposed to be at the airport. Whoops. Given it is roughly an hour train-ride, we were cutting it really close. To say we had some nerves was an understatement. Upon arriving at NRT, we worked our way up the escalators. And up. And up. It seemed like we were never going to get there. We began to jog. We finally made it to the arrival terminal, which was very large, and had kiosks. Given we did not have checked luggage, and just needed to get to the gate, we approached a kiosk. Luckily, an ANA representative asked us where we were going, and seeing we had First Class tickets quickly ushered us to a private check-in area, which was almost a mini-terminal in itself:
Private ANA First Class Check-In Area
After a quick check-in, they escorted us out what seemed like a secret back-door, and walked us to a private security clearance area. Forget the fairly long line, it took roughly seven minutes from the moment we entered the check-in area to get our tickets and clear security. There was again time for a lounge visit.
We found some comfortable seats to relax after our nice jog:
ANA First Class Lounge – NRT, Tokyo, Japan
NSPwife went to look for some Olympic Gear she could buy, and I checked out the food and beverage selection. Overall, the lounge was fairly mediocre. Given the check-in situation, I was expecting a highly elevated offering, but it was not much different than a standard U.S. domestic lounge. One nice feature, though, is a currency converter machine. Sadly it was out of service, but the exchange rates were pretty competitive, and given the number of times I’ve found myself in a lounge before boarding a plane with local currency, was a nice touch. Food and beverage was average, at best:
ANA First Class Lounge – NRT, Tokyo, Japan
ANA First Class Lounge – NRT, Tokyo, Japan
ANA First Class Lounge – NRT, Tokyo, Japan
ANA First Class Lounge – NRT, Tokyo, Japan
ANA First Class Lounge Currency Machine – NRT, Tokyo, Japan
ANA First Class Lounge – NRT, Tokyo, Japan
ANA First Class Lounge – NRT, Tokyo, Japan
By time NSPwife got back, it was time to board the plane:
ANA First Class Boarding, NRT > ORD
ANA First Class Boarding, NRT > ORD
Well hello, First Class ANA. I haven’t seen you in….72 hours.
ANA First Class, NRT > ORD
The amenity kits had been changed out during our trip (technically they were supposed to be on our outbound flight, but had not been changed yet), so it was actually nice to be able to receive both of them:
ANA First Class Amenity Kit, NRT > ORD
ANA First Class Amenity Kit, NRT > ORD
Despite gorging on food for four straight days, the menu was too good to stop now:
ANA First Class Amuse-bouche, NRT > ORD
ANA First Class Meal Service, NRT > ORD
ANA First Class Meal Service, NRT > ORD
ANA First Class Cappccino, NRT > ORD
ANA First Class Meal Service, NRT > ORD
ANA First Class Meal Service, NRT > ORD
ANA First Class Meal Service, NRT > ORD
ANA First Class Meal Service, NRT > ORD
ANA First Class Meal Service, NRT > ORD
Service was again good, and for essentially 47,000 miles, the flight can’t be beat. Concluding the flight, it was time for a celebratory drink:
ANA First Class Champagne, NRT > ORD
It was now roughly 96 hours after we took off to go halfway across the world. Most people think we are crazy to have gone to Tokyo for just four days. But one of the advantages of flying in business and first class is that it’s part of the journey, part of the trip. And rest comes much easier than in economy. Even though jet-lag hit us, we were generally well-rested. That allowed us to hit the ground running, on both ends of the trip.
I changed out of pajamas and back into the same clothes I started the trip with. Home.
ANA First Class, NRT > ORD
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