May has been a busy month for me this year,
I haven't got much time to finish writing the remaining portions my trip reports.
This is part 4 of my Mini-Mileage Run,
returning to Canada from Hong Kong
Here is a list of the previous parts in this series:
After my 6 days stay in Hong Kong,
it was time to return home.
Hong Kong international airport can be considered my "focus city" if not a hub.
In my log book which I started doing so since 2007 alone has recorded 41 times of usage,
followed by Toronto Pearson (26 times) and Ottawa MacDonald Cartier (10 times).
The actual number may possibly be doubled as I traveled much more frequently within Asia prior to 2007.
The Airport has evolved and upgraded over time,
but the general layout remained the same in the past decade,
I can pretty much roam around with my eyes closed.
While I was checking in, something wasn't quite working as they should.
I scanned my passport at the kiosk, it successfully retreated my booking information but I was not allowed to check in nor print my boarding pass and it said on the screen that I had to visit an actual check in counter to do so.
Strange... eh?
So basically, I have made a rookie's mistake... not a fatal one but severe enough to destroy my original plan.
I am still quite embarrassed by it considering my extensive air travelling experiences I had in the past.
I booked myself to Haneda instead of Narita without realising until checking in at the airport as I was distracted by the "Aircraft Type" section.
I got a new nickname "Mr. Wong Airport" from my friends after they named my girlfriend "Ms. Flight delay" when she missed her second ever flight.
My connecting flight departs at Narita the next morning and I booked a hotel room at Narita Rest House next to the Airport, intending to just spent a night at the airport as most businesses and restaurants will be closed after 20:00 prior to my arrival.
Time wise it shouldn't be a problem as I have more than enough time to get to Narita, I could probably walk from Haneda to Narita by foot between my transfer (17 hrs according to google, maybe not then).
The real concern was most railway lines and public transport will be out of service soon by the time I arrive Haneda.
It wouldn't be an issue to most other travelers as there are few scheduled train en route to central Tokyo.
However, the hotel I booked in Tokyo is located at Narita Airport and by the time I arrive central Tokyo, most services to Narita would be out of service and will not be resumed until 0500 the next morning.
My options were very limited and taking the Taxi to Narita would probably cost more than what I have spent for the whole trip...
The most convenient options such as N'EX and Skyliner were obviously out.
Trust me, travelling in Tokyo after regular hours by public transport is way harder than you think, even google couldn't give me any good suggestion, most of them require me to find somewhere else to stay until the next morning.
I probably have not been this adventurous since I was 16 when I lied to my parents that I was visiting my relatives in England while actually travelling across Europe to 6 countries on my own with a tipsy head...
Good old days... Good old days... but that is a story for another time.
Let's back to the main topic,
Flight Info:
Flight: Cathay Pacific 542
Destination: Tokyo (Haneda) International Airport (HND/RJTT)
Departure: 20 April 2016, 1625 HKT
Arrival: 20 April 2016, 2135 JST
Duration: 04hr10min
Aircraft Type: Boeing 747-400 (reg: B-HUJ, 21 years Old)
Seat: 52K Economy Class
The Queen of the Sky,
It is arguably the most iconic plane in commercial aviation history.
747-400 is not a rare type in my log book,
I have taken pretty much all variants of the 747 Family except the SP and 400D (and have yet to take the latest -8).
With the high fuel price in the past few years, and much superior and efficient products such as the 77W,
many airlines have withdraw the 747 from Passenger's service, just like the MD11 (click here for my report on KLM's last MD-11).
Cathay have just announce the retirement of the remaining 3 passenger's 747 fleet in October this year.
This is almost for certain my last time to be on board a Cathay Pacific's 747 and I was lucky enough to get the rare original RR engined variant, not the one transferred from SQ with PW engines.
one of my favioured planes, ranked just after the MD-11 and A340-500.
The same flight and exact same plane I took a couple years aso.
I have to admit that I have a special admiration toward 4 engines planes
Sad to see them going away...
I couldn't print my boarding pass at the kiosk due to the mistake I made...
But I ended up getting a "real" boarding pass thick and sturdy, printing out fresh from the counter.
It wasn't so bad after all?
It also indicated that my ticket was sold as JL7032 as I purchased it through JAL.
I wonder what was it in the middle of the road...
Oops.
The flight was fairly empty,
I made myself to the plane soon after boarding was called.
No queuing was needed.
My view for the next 4 hrs.
The infamous fixed shell Long haul economy seat was introduced in around 2008.
It was very innovative and way ahead of its time,
The idea is that the seat unit is fixed, and you recline with the seat cushions sliding forward, very much like business class, hence you won't be interrupted by the passenger in front of you as they recline and take up all your spaces.
I personally quite like the idea and this product, but I also understand the reason why it deserves so much hate and shortly swapped out by Cathay.
1. The seat cushion is very thin and hard, I remember how much it hurt my back the last time I took it from Toronto to Hong Kong on a 15 hours flight.
2. The fixed default recline angle as you can see below is rather awkward. I think most people would prefer a more upright seating position...
3. Your legroom would be severely reduced as you "recline"
4. It is really a pain in the arse to maintain... with the added complexity of the seat, some of them don't even function properly after a few years in operation.
Legroom shot, 32" pitch
Not the greatest (certainly not as good as JAL) but still way better than what North American and European carriers offer.
Overhead bin is probably the easily way to tell an airplane's age.
The very classic boxy design from the 70's through 80's.
The 747 in Cathay are known to be troublesome due to their age.
the flight was delayed for about half an hour as the PA system was not functioning properly at the rear economy cabin, and they soon discovered that the they plane has some anti-ice system malfunction.
Well, at least it is not leaking water from the overhead bin onto my head this time.
They probably didn't figure out a way or bother to fix the PA system..
you can hear it from the video below, the volume of the safety demo could barely be heard.
Push back and take off :
Cathay is keeping their policy quite up to date.
Meal service begin soon after take off.
Tea and some peanuts
I forgot the other option,
but I opted for the pasta with some white wine on the side...
a little disappointed that I didn't get an individual bottle which many airlines do in economy class.
eww... plastic utensil
and what kind of stupid design is that...
not only they are ugly but also way too thick and wide to be useful...
probably the awfullest utensil I have used.
Tea and coffee were offered after the meal,
not thing special afterward.
I felt asleep in the remaining 2 hours as I really needed the energy for my "grand crossing" of Tokyo
Descending into Haneda
It was way too dark to take any decent pictures..
I tried, and my phone did a much better job capturing it in video. (maybe it is really the time to upgrade my camera equipments)
The landing:
ANA's 787
I believe the trouble teens were all returned to Boeing?
Parking next to another Queen of the sky.
747 looks great in TG's livery
I certainly did not have much time to fool around the plane and the airport...
I did figure out a way to get myself to Narita before sunrise.
However, my time frame was rather tight.
I have to rush to Ginza (central Tokyo) and then take the only overnight Airport bus to Narita.
If I couldn't get on the train before 2300 and the bus by 0115, I'd have to give up the hotel and find somewhere else to stay.
Here is my "grand crossing" of Tokyo from Haneda to Narita
Arriving hall
Right next to the train station, very convenient.
My first step is to take Keikyu Line then Asakusa Line to Ginzaeki
After living in Canada for so many years...
I have forgotten what public transportation is like...
It took me a while to figure out how the system works...
I guess I can use it to wherever I want as long as the price does not exceed 570 yen.
I guess I'll stay away from the underground ...
The east bound Platform
Very clean, tidy and bright
Although it looks complicated,
but it's actually quite easy to understand.
Different tier of trains running on the same route with different set of stops, just make sure you're on the right one or you'd see your stop passing by the windows.
Underground on the other hand...
oh deer deer...
Japanese's art of queuing.
Everyone is on their cellphone.
Finally made it to the central district...
Totally unexpected/unplanned visit to Ginza...
iconic landmark at Ginza,
even my local ramen restaurant has a picture of this exact same building, lol.
Wondering around as I have more than an hour to kill before the bus arrives
Thank goodness there was a 24hrs sushi restaurant.
You have not been to Japan if you don't treat yourself with a meal of sushi.
I can get decent Ramen, Yakitori and Teppanyaki in Canada but good sushi...
Here I can get excellent sushi without costing an arm or a leg.
with a pint of Kirin
It really was a big relief...
I can make it to my hotel before sunrise...
apparently the overnight bus cost double... 2000yen instead of 1000yen
what a ripoff... well... monopoly...
Everything in Japan is better than in North America...
maybe not the long haul bus for this instance.
For once, I think grey hound in Canada was slightly better comfort wise, except their buses are much older.
power outlet is provided.
However, it is the type A which doesn't have the ground wire pin.
type A is still very common in Japan.
The bus was surprisingly (or not?) empty,
it was about an hour bus ride, I pretty much slept my entire way to Narita..
Arrived at Narita Terminal 2
all the doors were locked... oh well...
apparently the only way to get to my hotel is going through the parking lot.
It was really dark outside and I was way too tired to take any picture...
It took me a while to find the hotel (Narita Rest House)
I asked a security guard for direction
his English wasn't so good to show me the direction nor my Japanese was good enough to tell him not to worry...
He ended up escorting me to my destination...
the single room I booked was essentially a double room with one fewer bed...
interesting.
I took a hot bath and went to bed to make my money worth as I have only 4 hours until heading to the terminal again for my next flight...
To be continue in Part 5,
[JAL Japan Airlines 6, Boeing 777-300ER, Economy Class, NRT-JFK]
JAL's Longest non-stop flight with the Best Economy Product, Mini-Mileage Run to Asia Part 5/6
Past Trip Reports:
[JAL Japan Airlines 735, Boeing 767-300ER, Economy Class, NRT-HKG]
[JAL Japan Airlines 9, Boeing 777-300ER, Economy Class, ORD-NRT]
[American Eagle 2936, CRJ-200ER, Economy Class, YUL-ORD]
