Japan Airlines Boeing 787-9 Business Class Review

Flight: JL751
Aircraft: Boeing 787-9
Tokyo (NRT) to Hanoi (HAN)
Depart: 6:30 PM on Tuesday (6:31 PM actual)
Arrive: 10:55 PM same day (11:10 PM actual)
Duration: 6hrs 39mns
Seat: 8K Business Class

I left the Sakura Lounge and arrived at the departure gate right at our scheduled boarding time. Boarding was delayed by a few minutes but the actual process was very efficient and orderly. I’m always impressed by the level of service and communication provided by the Japanese carriers and I have always wondered why we can’t implement this same process here in the states. They had agents with signs directing passengers and lining people up in an orderly fashion. Boarding began at 6:10 PM for our 6:30 PM flight and even with a packed flight, we were only one minute delayed! That’s so impressive.

My aircraft for this flight was a three-year-old, Boeing 787-9, registration JA865J. It was configured with 38 Apex “Sky Suites,” business class seats configured in a 2-2-2, staggered forward-facing layout. These seats are great for couples traveling together or for solo passengers (if you can snag one of the true window seats).

According to SeatGuru, these seats provide 25.5 inches of width, 74 inches of pitch, and a fully-flat bed in sleep mode. I didn’t measure it but I don’t think those numbers are correct. The seat didn’t feel tight by any means but it didn’t feel like it was 25.5” wide either, so take those numbers with a grain of salt. Because of the staggered layout, every seat offers direct-aisle access and a high privacy wall to separate the two passengers. There is a small cutout for the true window-seat passenger to exit their seat without having to bother the adjacent, aisle-seat passenger but the two seats are close enough for the two passengers to converse and dine together.

Each seat is equipped with a large 23-inch personal entertainment system, two reading lamps, one universal electrical outlet and a USB port.

The entertainment options on this flight were very mediocre with only a handful of new Hollywood movies and TV shows. WiFi was provided but I did not pay for it so I couldn’t tell you how reliable or fast it was.

On this flight, I was seated in seat 8K, a window seat located in the aft business class cabin. There are two business class cabins on the Boeing 787-9s. The forward business class cabin has four rows of seats and the aft cabin has three rows of seats. I would choose a seat in the forward business class cabin if possible but I don’t think there was a noise or comfort difference between the two cabins.

Here’s the cutout from the window seat to allow you to get in and out.

And this is what it looks like with the divider raised between the two seats. If you’re looking for privacy, it really doesn’t get much better than this.

Waiting at our seats were a water bottle, printed menu, pillow, blanket, amenity kit, slippers and a pair of Sony noise-canceling headphones.

The Japan Airlines branded amenity kit was rather basic but it had almost everything you would need for a short international trip. The cloth pull-string case had a moisture mask, earplugs, eyeshades and a dental hygiene kit. It wasn’t a bad kit but socks, lip balm or facial moisturizer would have made the kit much more useful. The slippers were very comfortable and came with a shoehorn.

Storage-wise, these seats are not great. For window seat passengers, there are no pockets or bins to secure your personal items during flight and I ended up keeping all my items in my backpack, kept underneath the ottoman. There is a storage bin located behind your headrest but if you have to get up from your seat to use it, I don’t really consider it accessible (without contorting your body).

As I settled into my seat, the flight attendants came by with warm towels and cardigans.

The cardigan was nice but it was not necessary considering how warm the cabin was.

Once all the passengers were boarded, we pushed back from the gate and taxied to the runway for our 6-hour and 39-minute flight to Hanoi. It was wet and rainy with not much of a view.

Once we reached our cruising altitude, the seatbelt signs were turned off and the crew prepared for our meal service. Here’s a look at the menu.

Dinner started with a beverage service, which was accompanied by a package of Japanese rice crackers.

Up next was a selection from the bread basket and an assorted appetizer plate.

For my main meal, I went with the Japanese beef sirloin steak. It was small and a little overcooked but the sauce was quite tasty.

Dinner concluded with a small piece of green tea cake.

Overall, I thought the dinner service was good. The service was efficient and appropriately paced. The dishes did not sit on my table for too long but I also didn’t feel rushed either. It wasn’t the biggest meal and I’m definitely glad I ate in the lounge beforehand. Once my plates were cleared, I checked out the lavatory and changed out of my street clothes. The lavatories were stocked with additional body products and dental amenities.

The overhead lights were dimmed once all the passengers were done eating. I then reclined my seat, settled in for a movie and tried to nap for a bit. The seat itself was comfortable to sleep on. It looks a little tight in the pictures but it actually wasn’t bad. I can honestly say that I napped comfortably (once I stole another pillow). The blanket was perfect but the thin pillow was very flimsy. It was great for back support but not great for head and neck support. When fully extended, the bed measured 74 inches long.

I was able to snooze for a bit and woke up just prior to our initial approach into Hanoi. For a sub-seven-hour flight, I was hoping for a second meal prior to landing but nothing additional was offered. There were some packaged snacks in the galleys but nothing substantial.

Japan Airlines Boeing 787-9 Business Class Bottom Line

Overall, I was happy with this Japan Airlines Business Class flight. The pros included a great hard product with direct-aisle access for all passengers and a friendly and personable crew. The cons were very minor, in my opinion, a better amenity kit, thicker pillow, and more efficient storage solutions would have made this Japan Airlines Business Class flight much more memorable.

Have you flown in Japan Airlines’ business class? If so, please share your thoughts with us in the comments section below. Thanks for reading!

Read the rest of this article at Review: Japan Airlines Boeing 787-9 Business Class, Tokyo to Hanoi.

KLM Crown Lounge 52 Location, Access, and Hours

The KLM Crown Lounge 52 is located in the non-Schengen zone, near the entrance to the F concourse. The lounge is open daily from 4:45 AM to the time of the last KLM flight, which is currently 10:25 PM (KL8990 to Mexico City). The lounge is accessible by:

• Business class passengers traveling with KLM or any of their SkyTeam partner airlines.
• Flying Blue Platinum and Gold members, and SkyTeam Elite Plus passengers traveling with KLM or any of their SkyTeam partner airlines.
  • May bring in one guest free of charge.
  • May bring in additional guests (up to nine) with a 25% discount.
• All other passengers may purchase a day pass for 65 Euros.
  • Flying Blue Explorer members are entitled to a 10% discount.
  • Flying Blue Silver members are entitled to a 25% discount.
  • Day passes can be purchased at the lounge or online. Day pass purchases via KLM’s website are entitled to an additional 10 Euro discount.

KLM Crown Lounge 52 Review

Because it’s such a massive space, KLM has divided the lounge into four distinct zones: Polder (lockers, workspaces, food and drink), Dutch Mountain (entertainment and relaxation), Sea (sleep rooms, showers suites, and toilets), and Sky (Blue Bar and terrace).

As you exit off the escalator and scan your credentials for access, you will enter the Polder zone of the lounge. Here, you can store your bags, rest and relax, or seek assistance from one of the KLM agents.

This zone is the main seating area of the lounge. There are sofas and armchairs arranged around low tables, as well as single chairs along the windows. There is no dedicated business center but there are long communal tables you can plug in and work at if you can’t snag one of the individual booths. Large floor-to-ceiling windows line the entire length of the lounge and they let in plenty of natural lighting to make the space feel bright and welcoming.

Password-protected WiFi is provided throughout the lounge and European electrical outlets are provided by most of the seating areas.

Walking to the back of the Polder zone, there is a small self-serve buffet station, a dining area, and a small section of semi-private booths along the wall. As you can see from my pictures, this lounge is massive but it can also get very CROWDED. These pictures are from a Thursday morning at about 10:00 AM.

The Dutch Mountain zone is a large multi-level sitting area with sofas and booths leading up to the second floor (Sky Zone).

Up on the Sky zone, you will find the outdoor terrace and another large seating area surrounding the Blue Bar. For some reason, the outdoor terrace was closed during my visit so I didn’t get to go outside. But this area looked amazing and I would have spent all day out here.

Now, here is my main complaint about the KLM Crown Lounge 52. I don’t like being nickel and dimed and I hate it when things are not “all-inclusive.” When I’m flying business class, I want a lounge where I can order whatever I want without having to take out my wallet. The KLM Crown Lounge 52 does have a complimentary self-serve buffet area and hosted bar (I’ll cover that in a bit) but they also made this Blue Bar area a premium area where you have to pay for food and drinks. And the food and drinks aren’t anything more special than what other airlines serve in their normal business class lounges so there’s no reason to make this an upcharge area. But more annoyingly, there are no complimentary food or beverage stations located on the second floor. So if you are seated up here, and you don’t want to pay for something at the bar, you will have to walk downstairs every time you want a drink or a snack.

For reference, here’s the food and drink menu. Please tell me if I’m off-base here but I feel like these are all selections that can be provided complimentary.

Back on the first floor, the main dining room and a food station are tucked into the back corner. The food selection was fairly decent with a good mix of hot and cold dishes from cold cuts and yogurt to scrambled eggs and pasta. The buffet spread switched over from breakfast to lunch around 11:30 AM and I got to try out a little bit of both.

That being said, the drink selection was lacking with only a few bottles of spirits, some wine, and a handful of beers. I feel like they skimped out on this area so that people will go upstairs to buy a real drink from the Blue Bar.

Around the back side of the buffet area, there’s a nice coffee bar with barista-made coffees and teas and a little sitting area with cafe-style chairs and tables.

And towards the back of the dining area, a small set of stairs will take you to the Sea zone, where you can freshen up with a shower, relax in one of the loungers by the windows, or rent a day room for a quick snooze.

There is a kiosk located at the entrance to reserve a shower suite or day room.

The shower suites are actually very nice with rainfall showerheads and Rituals branded bath products. Shaving and dental kits are also provided for your use. Notice there is no toilet, which is kind of odd.

Shower suites are provided complimentary but day rooms are not. You must rent them if you want to actually get some sleep. Prices are 49.50 Euros for 3 hours or 75 Euros for 5 hours. The day rooms are for individual use only and couples will need to book their own day rooms.

And interestingly, there’s a room with several private VR experience booths that you can use to “recharge” your mind and body. These cost money so I didn’t use them, nor did I take the time to learn more about them, as they seemed a little gimmicky.

KLM Crown Lounge 52 Bottom Line

Overall, the new KLM Crown Lounge 52 for non-Schengen passengers is a massive space and a much-needed improvement over the old lounge. But I do have some problems with it. The pros include great food options to fill your belly and plenty of shower suites to freshen up after a long-haul flight. The design is warm and welcoming and the large windows make the space feel bright and airy. That being said, the lounge is always packed and the space can feel a little chaotic at times. I also don’t like the fact that you have to pay for certain things such as day rooms and decent drinks as it makes the experience feel less premium to me.

What are your thoughts? Am I being too critical here? If so, please share your thoughts with us in the comments section below. Thanks for reading!

The other posts in this series include:

1. oneworld Lounge LAX
2. Air France Boeing 777-300ER Business Class
3. Air France Salon Lounge Paris Airport
4. VR Santa Claus Express Train, Helsinki to Rovaniemi
5. Santa Claus Holiday Village
6. Aspire Lounge Helsinki Airport, a Priority Pass Lounge
7. KLM Boeing 737 Business Class, Helsinki to Amsterdam
8. KLM Crown Lounge Amsterdam
9. KLM Boeing 787-10 Business Class, Amsterdam to Los Angeles

Read the rest of this article at Review: KLM Crown Lounge 52 (Non-Schengen) Amsterdam.

But if you’re looking for something a little more special, then you can take the Santa Claus Express Train from Helsinki to Rovaniemi and back. The Santa Claus Express Train is operated by VR, which is the national railway operator in Finland. They operate a modern fleet of trains ranging from regular intercity trains to high-speed and overnight trains and all their trains are equipped with modern facilities. To get to Rovaniemi, the official home of Santa Claus, you can either take the intercity or Pendolino day trains, or the overnight-sleeper trains.

The big difference between the day and night trains is that the overnight trains are primarily equipped with sleeper berths. They do have a small section of economy-class seating but I don’t recommend this unless you’re really on a budget. Whereas, the day trains are all equipped with economy and first-class seating; panorama seating, and private (non-sleeper) compartments. It should also be noted that the day trains from Helsinki to Rovaniemi will take you about 8.5 hours. Whereas, the overnight trains will take about 12 hours.

The VR Santa Claus Express Trains to Rovaniemi-Lapland are super affordable and if you book in advance, you can easily snag an economy class seat from Helsinki for about 30 Euros, with no baggage fees. Seats in first class (Ekstra Class), a private compartment, or in the panorama restaurant car will cost you slightly more. In this post,

VR Finland Intercity Santa Claus Express Train

In economy class, seats are arranged in a 2-2 configuration, facing either forwards or backwards. They all feature adjustable headrests, tray tables, and electrical outlets at every seat and some seats are also equipped with footrests. Free WiFi is provided on all trains for all passengers. There are storage racks located above the seats but they aren’t very tall. You can keep your coats and other small personal items up here but anything larger than a backpack will need to be stored in the luggage racks at the end of the cars.

The economy class trains are all configured with spacious lavatories, luggage racks, cell phone booths and bike racks.

For those traveling with small children, you can book a seat in the family car. These cars are configured with a small playground area to keep your kids occupied. 8.5 hours is a long time and kudos to any parent that can keep their kids entertained for that long.

In Ekstra Class, seats are arranged in a 1-2 configuration. These seats offer a little more space and comfort in a quieter cabin and all seats (except the seats facing another passenger) are equipped with footrests.

Passengers in Ekstra Class also get a dedicated space to secure their belongings, a cell phone booth with a padded seat, and their own lavatory. The Ekstra Class cars also feature a small self-serve beverage area with unlimited water, coffee and tea.

If you’re looking for something a little more private, then you can upgrade to a private compartment. These compartments come in 2-seaters or 4-seaters but you have to “buy out” the whole compartment if you want to use them. You can’t just book one seat in a private 4-seater compartment at the moment. Maybe this will change in the future but as of now, you can’t.

These private compartments are great because you get your own dedicated space to sit, relax, talk, and store your belongings. Each compartment is equipped with regular economy class seats, a fixed table, electrical outlets, and personal lighting controls. You can store your belongings in the oversize rack above your seat or in the center of the compartment. The compartments all have their own windows and the doors can be shut to give you more privacy.

On this trip, my friend and I booked one of these 2-seater private compartments and it worked out well for us. We loved having our own space and with the door closed, we could talk and listen to music without having to worry about disturbing any other passengers. If we did this again, I would for sure book another private cabin. That being said, I will admit that these cabins do feel a little tight. It’s not because the seat is any smaller than the normal economy class seat but because the enclosure of the compartment does make the space feel a tad constricting. We didn’t have a problem with it but it’s something to be aware of. I also didn’t like how small this table was and you have to twist your body a little bit to use your laptop.

But look at how spacious this overhead storage rack is. That’s a full-size international carry-on bag and a large backpack. We didn’t have to worry about our bags being stored outside and we could easily go in/out of them to grab whatever we needed during our train ride.

And here’s the 4-seater. It’s basically the same compartment but just double the size.

All of the day and overnight trains are configured with dining cars. Seating in the dining cars is on a first-come, first-served basis but of course, you can always take your food “to go” and go back to your seat if there is no seating available in the dining car.

Food-wise, I was very impressed with the quality of the VR trains’ food selection. I was really expecting a limited menu but they surprisingly had a good selection from salads and wraps to salmon soup and different kinds of pasta.

I wanted to point out that VR trains have both a dining car and a restaurant car. The dining car is what I just showed you above and the restaurant car is a seat that you can actually reserve. I don’t know why they call it a “restaurant” car as there is no restaurant there but I’m assuming they call it a restaurant car because the car has restaurant-style seating. I totally forgot to take a picture of this car for you so here’s one from their website. These seats feature a row of seats that face the window and two rows of seats that face each like a table at a restaurant. There is a small upcharge to book a seat in this car. However, no other amenities are provided for passengers in this car.

VR Santa Class Express Train Finland Experience

As I stated above, my friend and I booked a 2-seater compartment for our trip up to Rovaniemi. We booked the Intercity 23 train, which is a direct train from Helsinki Central Station to Rovaniemi Central Station. It did stop at several stations along the way but passengers did not have to get off or switch to any other trains during the entire journey. The train departed on time at 8:24 AM and arrived at Rovaniemi at 4:46 PM the same day. The entire journey took us 8 hours and 22 minutes and though that is a long time, it actually flew right by. My friend and I had our own space to watch a movie, chat and catch up. We enjoyed the views outside and even had a meal in the dining car. If you love train rides through the European countryside, you won’t be disappointed.

For two passengers, the base price of the ticket was 90.80 Euros. The upcharge for the private compartment was 18.20 Euros for a grand total of 109 Euros.

Santa Claus Express Train Bottom Line

Overall, we had a pleasant experience riding the Santa Claus Express Train to Rovaniemi. The train was clean and the journey was pleasant. The seats were comfortable and the private compartment was great. The views of the snow-covered trees were beautiful and the dining car had a great selection of food. I also appreciated the free WiFi to help keep us connected and entertained. That being said, eight hours is a long time to be traveling when a flight to Rovaniemi takes about 50 minutes.  If you’re short on time, then book a flight. But if you’re on a budget or have time to spare, then the Santa Claus Express Train will be a good experience for you and your family.

What are your thoughts? Have you been on the Santa Claus Express Train to Rovaniemi-Lapland? If so, please share your thoughts with us in the comments section below. Thanks for reading!

The other posts in this series include:

1. oneworld Lounge LAX
2. Air France Boeing 777-300ER Business Class
3. Air France Salon Lounge Paris Airport
4. VR Santa Claus Express Train, Helsinki to Rovaniemi
5. Santa Claus Holiday Village
6. Aspire Lounge Helsinki Airport, a Priority Pass Lounge
7. KLM Boeing 737 Business Class, Helsinki to Amsterdam
8. KLM Crown Lounge Amsterdam
9. KLM Boeing 787-10 Business Class, Amsterdam to Los Angeles

Read the rest of this article at Review: Santa Claus Express Train, Helsinki to Rovaniemi-Lapland.

Helsinki is a small airport and there is only one contract lounge, the Aspire Lounge, for all the major airlines outside of the oneworld alliance. The lounge is a contract lounge for Air France, KLM, Lufthansa, etc., and it’s also a Priority Pass partner lounge. The lounge is small and the amenities are lacking but it’s a decent place to rest and relax for a quick minute before your flight.

KLM Boeing 737 Business Class Review

Flight: KL1164
Aircraft: Boeing 737-800
Helsinki (HEL) to Amsteradm (AMS)
Depart: 6:56 AM on Friday
Arrive: 8:46 AM same day (1 mn late)
Duration: 2hrs 50mns
Seat: 3F European Business Class

I left the lounge at approximately 6:30 AM, and made my way over to gate 26, where my bird was waiting. Boarding started a few minutes later with zones 1 and 2 through door 1L.

On this 3-year-old Boeing 737-800, business class is arranged in a 3-3 “European Business Class” configuration with the middle seats blocked. I hate that European carriers sell these economy class seats as business class, but it is what it is. On this flight, I was seated in seat 3F, a window seat on the right side of the plane.

According to SeatGuru, these business class seats measure 17 inches in width and provide 33 inches in pitch. These numbers aren’t great but they do provide about 3 inches more in pitch than the regular economy class seats further back. These seats feature adjustable headrests, USB ports, air vents and personal reading lamps for each passenger. No personal entertainment is provided but device holders are conveniently built into the seatback to secure your own personal entertainment devices such as phones and tablets.

WiFi was provided on this flight. A full-flight pass can be purchased for 8 Euros and messaging (WhatsApp, iMessage, etc.) is provided free of charge. No other amenities including blankets or pillows were provided on this flight.

No pre-departure beverages were provided. Once all the passengers boarded the aircraft, we pushed back from the gate for a 30-minute deicing bath. We then made our way to the runway for our 2-hour flight to Amsterdam.

As we hit our cruising altitude, the seatbelt signs were turned off and the purser came by with a bottle of water and a hot towel. He then came by with a drink service and a boxed breakfast. No description of the box was provided but I later found a printed menu inside the box. I must admit, the box looked very pretty but the breakfast items inside were very lacking.

Inside, the breakfast box consisted of a chocolate croissant, bread roll with dried fruit, two thin slices of dried fig bread, cheese crackers and a small serving of plain mixed nuts. The purser then came by with a warm cinnamon roll. The presentation was on-point but man, this was such a disappointing breakfast. On a two-hour flight, I really expected something a bit more substantial. This was the only meal provided on this flight and there were no other snacks provided prior to landing.

Service-wise, the purser on this flight was just okay. He wasn’t rude or anything, but he wasn’t personable nor did he do anything that went above and beyond. He didn’t greet anyone, refer to anyone by their names and service items stayed on our tables for a very long time. He wasn’t really proactive in taking care of the passengers. He had to be asked for things and he didn’t really walk the cabin much to check on the passengers.

KLM Boeing 737 Business Class Bottom Line

Overall, I was slightly disappointed with this flight and I’m not even referring to the seats. Catering and service are two of the most important aspects of any business class experience and KLM failed to deliver on this flight. The service provided was mediocre at best. I give them credit for the presentation of the breakfast box but the contents inside were very lacking.

What are your thoughts? Have you flown KLM Business class recently? If so, please share your thoughts with us in the comments section below. Thanks for reading!

The other posts in this series include:

1. oneworld Lounge LAX
2. Air France Boeing 777-300ER Business Class
3. Air France Salon Lounge Paris Airport
4. VR Santa Claus Express Train, Helsinki to Rovaniemi
5. Santa Claus Holiday Village
6. Aspire Lounge Helsinki Airport, a Priority Pass Lounge
7. KLM Boeing 737 Business Class, Helsinki to Amsterdam
8. KLM Crown Lounge Amsterdam
9. KLM Boeing 787-10 Business Class, Amsterdam to Los Angeles

Read the rest of this article at Review: KLM Boeing 737 Business Class, Helsinki to Amsterdam.

The Aspire Lounge is the contract lounge for the other airlines that fly to Helsinki including Air France, KLM, Lufthansa and others. It’s located in the Schengen area but you can also use it if you’re departing on a non-Schengen flight. Just make sure to save at least 15 minutes to clear passport control. The Aspire Lounge is also a Priority Pass partner lounge but entry is limited to three hours prior to your flight and is subject to space availability constraints. The lounge is open from 5:00 AM to 9:00 daily and children under the age of two are permitted free of charge.

The lounge is small but it’s actually bigger than one would expect. The main seating area of the lounge is located in the center, directly after the check-in desk. Here, you’ll find a variety of seating options from individual pods to table seating for multiple people.

The large windows bring in plenty of natural lighting and they provide great views of the ramp and runway below.

If you continue walking back toward the end of the lounge, you’ll find another small seating area that’s pretty quiet and secluded from the rest of the lounge.

And in the front of the lounge, you’ll find another small seating area with couches and work benches.

There’s also a small upstairs area with additional seating that most people won’t know about.

Food-wise, I was here twice and got to experience both breakfast and lunch. For breakfast, there was a very limited selection of cold cuts, breads, yogurt and oatmeal (but no toppings such as brown sugar, nuts or dried berries). And for lunch, there was a more substantial spread of hot cauliflower soup, which was very delicious, cold pastas and cold cuts.

For drinks, there was a small selection of spirits, wines and a Finnish beer on tap.

European electrical outlets were available in most of the seating areas and password-protected WiFi was provided throughout the lounge.

Aspire Lounge Helsinki Airport Bottom Line

Overall, I would say this is a decent lounge for Priority Pass passengers but not a great lounge for business class passengers. The lounge offers a decent offering of food and drinks at lunchtime (breakfast was a little lacking), plenty of comfortable seating and nice views of the ramp and runway below but it is lacking in amenities expected of a true business class lounge.

What are your thoughts? Have you visited the Aspire Lounge Helsinki Airport? If so, please share your thoughts with us in the comments section below. Thanks for reading!

The other posts in this series include:

1. oneworld Lounge LAX
2. Air France Boeing 777-300ER Business Class
3. Air France Salon Lounge Paris Airport
4. VR Santa Claus Express Train, Helsinki to Rovaniemi
5. Santa Claus Holiday Village
6. Aspire Lounge Helsinki Airport, a Priority Pass Lounge
7. KLM Boeing 737 Business Class, Helsinki to Amsterdam
8. KLM Crown Lounge Amsterdam
9. KLM Boeing 787-10 Business Class, Amsterdam to Los Angeles

Read the rest of this article at Review: Aspire Lounge Helsinki Airport, a Priority Pass Lounge.

Luckily for me, I had a few hours to kill so I was able to get a shower in, grab a bite to eat and relax a bit before my connection flight. The new KLM Crown Lounge is a beautiful space with multiple zones for resting, working and socializing with your fellow passengers. It’s massive but since it’s the only lounge in the non-Schengen zone, it does get fairly busy. I’ll have a full review up in a few days but here are some pictures in the meantime.

I left the lounge at approximately 12:00 PM and made my way to gate D10, where my brand new Boeing 787-10, registration number PH_BKH, was waiting. This jet was recently delivered to KLM just a few months ago and it still had that new plane smell!

KLM Boeing 787-10 Business Class Review

Flight: KL601
Aircraft: Boeing 787-10
Amsteradm (AMS) to Los Angeles (LAX)
Depart: 1:13 PM on Friday
Arrive: 3:27 PM same day (22 mns late)
Duration: 11hrs 14mns
Seat: 9K Business Class

Boarding started with business class passengers and SkyPriority passengers. Business class passengers boarded through door 1L and everyone else boarded through 2L. This was great in reducing foot traffic through the business class cabin and it made the boarding process much more pleasant.

KLM configured their Boeing 787-10s with just one business class cabin located between doors 1 and 2. These Jamco “Venture” business class seats are arranged in a 1-2-1 reverse herringbone layout and they offer plenty of space, privacy, and direct aisle access for all passengers. According to SeatGuru, these seats offer 20.5 inches of width and a full-flat bed length of 75 inches (6.25 feet).

Each seat offers a large IFE monitor, one USB and electrical outlet, multiple reading lamps and several storage spaces (but no air vents!). The IFE monitors are bright and crisp and KLM’s entertainment selection offers a good selection of new movies, television shows, music and other entertainment. WiFi was provided on this flight and prices weren’t unreasonable. KLM provides free messaging for all passengers and one hour of internet costs 8 Euros and a full flight pass costs 18 Euros. I didn’t connect to it so I can’t tell you how fast or reliable it was.

For storage, there’s an open storage compartment by your inside shoulder to secure your headphones, water bottles and other items. There’s also a shelf located directly underneath the IFE monitor for your laptop, iPad, books, etc., and another storage pocket down by your knee for your other small items. Additionally, for seats in the last row, you can also store items above your storage compartment to keep them handy during your flight.

Seat and lighting controls are simple to use and are located adjacent to the inside armrest.

The window seats are perfect for solo travelers and the center seats are great for couples traveling together. There is a center divider in between the two center seats but it can be tucked away to interact with your partner.

On this flight, I was seated in seat 9K, a window seat on the right side of the aircraft. Waiting at our seats were a pillow and duvet. The pillow was okay, a little on the flimsy side, but the blanket was good enough for the flight as the cabin was kept really warm during the flight.

A bottle of water, amenity kit, and a pair of generic noise-canceling headphones were also provided at our seats. The headphones were not great so bring your own. The Jantaminiau branded amenity kit was very nice and it featured both zippered and magnetic enclosures. Inside, there were socks, ear plugs, eye shades, a pen, and a dental hygiene kit. Rituals branded face moisturizer and lip balm were also provided. The Tulip and Yazu scent, developed exclusively for KLM, is light and refreshing and it’s one of my favorite exclusive scents for an airline.

There are three lavatories for the 38 passengers in business class. There is one located in the front of the cabin and two located behind the cabin. The lavatories were stocked with the same Rituals Tulip and Yazu scented body lotion, body mist and hair gel.

Once the majority of business class passengers were on-board, the flight attendants came by with hot towels and a pre-departure beverage of champagne or orange juice. Menus were then distributed and the flight attendants came by later to take our meal order.

With boarding completed and bags finally loaded, we then pushed back from the gate and taxied to the runway for our 11-hour flight to Los Angeles.

About 20 minutes into the flight, the beverage carts were rolled down the aisle for our pre-meal drink service. Drinks were served with your choice of either a small ramekin of mixed nuts or a mixed cheese plate.

An appetizer tray was then brought out with two options for starters, either a smoked bavette or a cup of tomato soup. The starter tray was served with a side salad and a warm bread roll. I didn’t know what bavette was but I decided to be adventurous by ordering that over the tomato soup. It was interesting to say the least.

For my main course, I went with the salmon and quinoa plate. I really wanted the Thai chicken but it was all gone by the time the flight attendant got to my seat. The salmon portion was very small and it tasted the way it looked. The fish was dry. The sides were soggy and it was drenched in sauce, which helped with the overcooked salmon but it wasn’t great.

For dessert, our options were either another cheese plate or a plate of petite desserts. I went with the petite desserts and they were delicious.

And then a piece of chocolate.

After dinner, our tray tables were cleared away and the windows were automatically dimmed and locked for the passengers who needed sleep. I then put my seat into bed mode and snoozed for about two hours. This seat was decent for sleeping. The outside armrest can be lowered to give you some additional shoulder width but the footwell is a little constricted.

After I woke up from my nap, I put my seat back up and worked on my laptop for a bit. In between meals, a small selection of snacks including a vegetarian sandwich and Stroopwafel ice cream were made available for passengers. I got a vegetarian sandwich and a stroopwafel ice cream. The sandwich wasn’t great. It was just two slices of bread with a thin spread of something.

Service-wise, this crew was nice but they weren’t the best. They seemed really rushed with everything and they weren’t really proactive with clearing plates and other service items. During the meal service, they came by several times to refill drinks but they were kind of non-existent in between meals. They weren’t very proactive with service and they just hung out in the galley for most of the flight. And they were very loud. Even with my earplugs in, I could hear them talking and laughing with each other and I know it kept a few passengers up.

About two hours before landing, the cabin lights slowly came on and a pre-arrival meal was served. Our two choices were either a burger or a dutch empanada. I went with the empanada and it was just okay.

KLM Business Class Bottom Line

This was my first flight with KLM and I can say that I wasn’t that impressed. Their hard product was solid and I appreciated the great amenity kit but the service and catering on this flight were slightly lacking. The crew felt rushed the entire flight and when they weren’t rushed, they were laughing and joking in the galley. They weren’t proactive in providing service outside of the meal services and the catering wasn’t great. I was slightly disappointed with this flight but I’m hoping this was a “one-off” and not the norm for KLM.

What are your thoughts? Have you flown with KLM Royal Dutch Airlines lately? If so, please let me know your thoughts below. Thanks for reading!

The other posts in this series include:

1. oneworld Lounge LAX
2. Air France Boeing 777-300ER Business Class
3. Air France Salon Lounge Paris Airport
4. VR Santa Claus Express Train, Helsinki to Rovaniemi
5. Santa Claus Holiday Village
6. Aspire Lounge Helsinki Airport, a Priority Pass Lounge
7. KLM Boeing 737 Business Class, Helsinki to Amsterdam
8. KLM Crown Lounge Amsterdam
9. KLM Boeing 787-10 Business Class, Amsterdam to Los Angeles

Read the rest of this article at Review: KLM Boeing 787-10 Business Class, Amsterdam to Los Angeles.

But before I get into my review, I want to clarify a few things. There are many names for this one area so if you’re searching for, or hear someone referring to Lapland, Rovaniemi, Santa Claus Village, Santa Claus Holiday Village, or something similar, then it’s most likely all referring to the same place. The name of this general area is called Lapland, which refers to the northernmost region of Finland, and the name of the actual city where everything is located is called Rovaniemi. You may see signs such as “Welcome to Lapland” or “Fly to Lapland,” etc., but that’s just referring to the general area as the airport, train station, and city center are all located in the city of Rovaniemi. The “Lapland” area is actually so big that it spreads across four different countries: Finland, Noway, Russia, and Sweden. That’s why you will also hear references to the Swedish or Norwegian Lapland, etc. but for the sake of this post, I’m only referring to the Finnish Lapland.

Santa Claus Village is the name of the attraction where you can meet Santa, ride reindeer sleighs, and play with huskies; and Santa Claus Holiday Village is just one of the many resorts located at Santa Claus Village. And lastly, Santa Claus Village is a collection of independent stores and tourist attractions. There is no one company that owns everything so you don’t need to pay an “entrance” fee to enter the village and you can’t buy an “all-inclusive” pass for meals or attractions. You kinda have to just see what you want to do and pay for them individually. And because they are all individually owned and operated, you will find competing locations to ride reindeer, play with huskies, and meet Santa.

Santa Claus Holiday Village Location

Santa Claus Village and Santa Claus Holiday Village are both located about eight minutes from Rovaniemi Airport and about 15 minutes from Rovaniemi train station/city center. There are public buses that will take you from the airport to the city center and to Santa Claus Village but they aren’t the most convenient. Taxis are readily available but they are very expensive so in my opinion, the best transportation option is to rent a car. By doing so, you can travel back and forth between the airport, the city center, and Santa Claus Village and having your own vehicle will also allow you to explore the other parts of Lapland and go hunting for the Northern Lights on your own.

If you don’t want to rent a car, you could of course just take a taxi from the airport to Santa Claus Holiday Village and then book day/night excursions with transportation included but needless to say, that will be very expensive.

Santa Claus Holiday Village Accommodations

The website refers to the accommodations as “hotel quality apartments” but they’re more similar to cottages than apartments. Depending on how big your travel party is, you can rent a single cottage that can accommodate two adults/two kids comfortably or a double cottage for bigger families. On this trip, we booked a “classic cottage” for our three-day stay. The classic cottage is their base-level accommodation.

The cottages are all modern, clean, and comfortable. The floors are heated and every cottage comes with its own sauna. Inside, you’ll find two twin-size beds (pushed together), a sofabed, and a little dining area. The amenities include a small TV, water kettle, and coffee maker.

The dining table isn’t the biggest but for the two of us, it was perfectly acceptable.

There’s also a little kitchen so you can buy groceries and prepare your own meals. There’s a stove, sink, microwave and a small refrigerator.

Above the sink, you will find dishes, utensils, pots, and pans. Dish soap and a sponge are also provided for your convenience.

The en-suite bathroom has a standing shower, toilet, and sink. There’s not much counter space but you can keep your toiletries in the medicine cabinet above the sink or the drawers next to the sink. And because the Finnish love their saunas, every cottage is equipped with its own personal sauna, which can accommodate up to four people. Soap is provided but it’s very generic so bring your own shampoo and body wash if you don’t want to use the stuff you would normally find in a gym. Other toiletries such as lotion, shower caps, dental hygiene kits, etc. are not provided in the “classic cottage” category of rooms.

The cottages are actually pretty spacious so you won’t feel like you’re on top of each other. There are plenty of storage spaces to pack your stuff away and password-protected WiFi is also provided.

Outside, there’s a little sitting area and each cottage also has its own Christmas tree and parking spot.

Adjacent to the cottages are some outdoor firepits, gazebos, and little hills for the kids to go sledding. I tried to take a combination of both day and nighttime photos for you guys. The resort is beautiful during the day with the snow-covered treetops but at night, this place really shines.

Breakfast is included for all cottages and it’s held in the nearby Christmas House. Here, you will find a gift shop, restaurant, and one of the two Santas.

I will say that breakfast was the most disappointing part of this experience. I’m glad breakfast was included to help keep costs down but it wasn’t the best.

The hotel reception building is located at the entrance to Santa Claus Village. Here, you can check in/out, get help, book tours and excursions, or grab a drink in the lobby bar. It should be noted that the Santa Claus Holiday Village has a strict 4:00 PM check-in time. If your flight or train gets in earlier, you can store your bags at the reception desk for a small fee.

This is also where the Three Elves restaurant is located. It’s not considered fine dining by any means but it is more expensive than the other restaurants located at Santa Claus Village. If you want to splurge for a memorable experience, you can book one of these two private, glass igloos to enjoy your meal.

Santa Claus Village Experience

Santa Claus Village is truly a magical place but to be honest, you can easily do everything you want to do here in two days; one if you want to just do the highlights, or three if you want to take things a little more leisurely. As I mentioned earlier, we spent two nights here and that was plenty of time for us to do everything we wanted to do and explore the surrounding area as well. Here’s the overall map of Santa Claus Village and all the shops, restaurants and attractions that you can partake in.

Arctic Circle – One of the highlights of Santa Claus Village is its location at the Arctic Circle. The Arctic Circle is a circle of latitude that runs 66°33′45.9″ north of the Equator. It marks the southernmost latitude where the sun can stay continuously below or above the horizon for 24 hours – these phenomena are known as the Midnight Sun in the summer and the Polar Night (“Kaamos”) in the winter. This is a very popular spot at Santa Claus Village and you can even check yourself out on the live Arctic Circle webcam. This is a free activity but a certificate saying you crossed the Arctic Circle will cost you.

Santa Claus – For kids, and those young at heart, meeting Santa Claus is a pretty significant activity. Luckily for you, there are two places in Santa Claus Village to visit him. Visiting Santa Claus is free at both locations but you will have to pay to get a picture or video with him (personal cell phones are not allowed). The smaller of the two places is located at Christmas House. There is nothing special about this location as it’s something you can expect to find at a nice mall.

The larger (and much better) place to visit Santa Claus is located at the Santa Claus Office. Here, you can walk a little path through the elves’ workshop and visit the big man himself. For us, this was a much better experience as he spent a good couple of minutes talking to us. This made the entire experience much more personable (and memorable). I don’t remember the exact price but I want to say it was about 30 Euros for a digital photo and video of your meeting with him.

But because he does spend some time with each party, the line does move slowly.

Mrs. Claus also has a house nearby for kids to say hi. It’s free to visit but we did not go in.

Reindeer Sleigh Ride – There are two reindeer farms where you can go on a sleigh ride through a small path. They are both about 5 – 10 minutes long and will cost you about 16 Euros/adult. These are convenient because they are right here but you can easily visit better reindeer farms outside of Santa Claus Village. Just Google them.

HuskyPark – Of all the things we did, HuskyPark was probably the most fun. Here, you can play with huskies or go on a husky sled ride. If you want to do the sled ride, you need to book in advance as they do sell out. And just like the reindeer park, there are cheaper options located outside of Santa Claus Village.

Post Office – This was also one of the cooler things we did. Here, you can buy postcards and postage and send out Christmas cards to all your family and friends. You can either have them sent out immediately or held to be sent out at Christmas time. I thought this was super cool as I sent cards to all my family and friends and they will be delivered around Christmas time 2023. You can also buy postcards from the Santa Claus Office but the postcards are slightly cheaper here. I forgot to ask but I hope they get stamped from “The North Pole!”

Something I did not know is that when kids write letters to Santa Claus and send them to the “North Pole,” the letters get delivered here. That’s because Santa Claus Village is the official home of the North Pole. They actually have “elves” that read the letters and send replies. How cool is that?

Snowman World – This is a brand new addition to Santa Claus Village. We didn’t pay to go in but it’s basically an attraction where kids can go sledding, tubing, and ice skating, and adults can enjoy a beverage inside an ice bar. You can even eat inside an ice restaurant.

Restaurants – There are plenty of dining places located on-site from quick and casual to sit-down and more upscale. I wasn’t planning on doing any restaurant reviews but I wanted to tell you about one place that we really enjoyed – Santa’s Salmon Place, located across from HuskyPark. It’s a little teepee-looking place so if you’re not looking for it, you will definitely miss it. It’s not a very big place and they only have one main entree but we enjoyed the food so much, we went back a second time. The menu is very limited: a simple salmon filet cooked over an open flame, served with bread and a Finnish salad. That’s it for 25 Euros. I know it’s pricey but it was definitely worth it.

Northern Lights – And lastly, no trip to Santa Claus Village is complete without a mention of the Northern Lights (Aurora Borealis). To answer the obvious question, “Can you see the Northern Lights from Santa Claus Village?”, the answer is “it depends.” That’s because you need both solar activity and a clear sky to see them. Santa Claus Village is located north enough for you to see them, and on a clear night without any cloud coverage, you can see them from the village. But you will need to get away from the village to get a better view. That’s because you need a dark environment to see them better and Santa Claus Village is lit up with lots of pretty lights at night. So yes, you can see them but the further away you get from the village, the better your viewing experience will be.

But keep in mind, you need both solar activity and a clear sky. So even on nights when the solar activity is very strong, you won’t be able to see anything if there are clouds in the sky. Unfortunately, that’s what happened to us. It snowed the whole time we were there and we didn’t get to see much.

Other Activities – There’s obviously plenty more to see and do at Santa Claus Village. I just tried to give you some of the highlights. More info on Santa Claus Village can be found here.

Santa Claus Holiday Village Bottom Line

Overall, we really enjoyed our stay at the Santa Claus Holiday Village. The accommodations are cute, the amenities are convenient and the location can’t be beat. I really appreciated the heated floors and personal sauna. This allowed us to play outside during the day and warm up quickly the moment we got back into our cottage. This truly is a magical place and we can’t wait to come back.

What are your thoughts? Have you visited Santa Claus Holiday Village? If so, please share your thoughts with us in the comments section. Thanks for reading!

The other posts in this series include:

1. oneworld Lounge LAX
2. Air France Boeing 777-300ER Business Class
3. Air France Salon Lounge Paris Airport
4. VR Santa Claus Express Train, Helsinki to Rovaniemi
5. Santa Claus Holiday Village
6. Aspire Lounge Helsinki Airport, a Priority Pass Lounge
7. KLM Boeing 737 Business Class, Helsinki to Amsterdam
8. KLM Crown Lounge Amsterdam
9. KLM Boeing 787-10 Business Class, Amsterdam to Los Angeles

Read the rest of this article at Review: Santa Claus Holiday Village, Lapland-Rovaniemi Finland.

Pro tip: There are no priority security lanes for business/first-class passengers in the TBIT terminal but if you have CLEAR or TSA Pre, you can use the dedicated lanes to the left of the terminal for faster clearance. Just walk towards the back of the terminal, turn left and follow the signs for TSA Pre. Most airlines participate in TSA Pre now, including Air France, and this will save you a significant amount of time over the normal security lane.

In the international terminal, Korean Air operates a business/first-class lounge for their SkyTeam partners but it’s not the best. It’s always crowded, and the amenities provided aren’t the best. Because of that, Air France has been contracting with the oneworld Lounge LAX for their premium cabin passengers. It’s not common for airlines to contract with competing airlines for lounge services but in this case, it’s a great move for Air France passengers as the oneworld Lounge is a much better lounge than the Korean Air/SkyTeam Lounge. This is only temporary as Air France/KLM is building its own lounge in the new TBIT West Gates area.

And speaking of the new West Gates area, this is where the majority of Air France/KLM flights depart from so prepare for a walk. From the main TBIT terminal, it will take you at least 15 minutes to walk to the new West Gates area (gates 201 to 225). The entire walk is covered and you won’t have to clear through security again but it is a long walk. That being said, I don’t recommend you walk over there too early either as services and amenities are rather limited in the West Gates area. There are bathrooms and a few restaurants but that’s about it.

Flight: AF69
Aircraft: Boeing 777-300ER
Los Angeles (LAX) to Paris (CDG)
Depart: 6:40 PM on Sunday
Arrive: 2:19 PM next day (9 mns late)
Duration: 10hrs 39mns
Seat: 6L Business Class

Air France uses new biometric readers instead of boarding passes and the machines work very well. However, because no one was checking boarding passes, it was kind of a free-for-all when boarding was announced for priority passengers.

This flight was operated with an 18-year-old Boeing 777-300ER (registration F-GSQC). In business class, the seats are arranged in a 1-2-1 reverse herringbone layout. This Safran reverse herringbone seat is my favorite design as I think it offers the most space and privacy for all passengers. According to SeatGuru, these seats offer 21.5 inches of width and 61 inches of pitch.

In the forward cabin, there are only 16 business class seats but in the rear cabin, there are a whopping 42 business class seats. If you want a quieter, more intimate experience, I would recommend seats in the forward cabin as the rear cabin felt like a zoo when I walked back there.

Each seat offers a large IFE monitor, a USB port, and an electrical outlet to keep your devices powered. The IFE monitors are bright and crisp and Air France’s entertainment selection is decent, but not great.

WiFi was also provided on this flight. Air France provides free messaging (WhatsApp, iMessage, etc.) for all passengers but one hour of internet will cost you 8 Euros and a full flight pass will cost you 18 Euros. I didn’t connect to it so I can’t tell you how fast or reliable it is.

Storage-wise, I really love these seats. There’s a storage compartment on the inside of the seat to store your laptop, iPad, books, etc., and another storage pocket down by your knee to store water bottles and other small personal items. Additionally, for seats in the last row, you can also store items above your storage compartment to keep them handy during flight.

Your larger personal items such as backpacks, laptop bags, and purses can be stored in the overhead compartment or underneath the ottoman.

Seat, lighting and IFE controls are simple to use and are located adjacent to the inside armrest.

On this flight, I was seated in seat 6L, a window seat on the right side of the aircraft. SeatGuru warns this seat may be bothersome due to its proximity to the galley, but I really like this seat. I think it’s the most private seat in the cabin and the noise coming from the galley wasn’t bad.

Waiting at our seats were a pillow and duvet. The pillow was okay, a little on the flimsy side, but the blanket was decent for the flight.

A bottle of water, an amenity kit, and a pair of generic headphones were also provided at our seats. The headphones were not great so bring your own. The Air France branded amenity kit was very chic and it contained all the necessary items including socks, ear plugs, eye shades, and a dental hygiene kit. Clarins branded face moisturizer and lip balm were also provided but man, these were the smallest tubes of products I have ever seen in an amenity kit.

There are three lavatories for business class passengers and they are stocked with Clarins branded facial products.

As passengers were still boarding, the flight attendants came by with hot towels and a pre-departure beverage of champagne or orange juice.

Menus were then distributed in between passengers and the flight attendants came by later to take our meal order.

With boarding completed and bags finally loaded, we then pushed back from the gate and taxied to the runway for our 10.5-hour flight to Paris. About 20 minutes into the flight, the beverage carts were rolled down the aisle for our pre-meal drink service. Drinks were served with a shrimp and mango amuse bouche and a box of cheese crackers.

Our tables were then set with white linen and an appetizer tray was brought out with a scallop mousseline and a smoked salmon and tomato salad. The appetizer was served with a side garden salad and a warm bread roll.

For my main course, I went with the cod and red rice, which was excellent.

The flight attendants then rolled down a dessert cart with several options such as a cheese plate, a trio of dessert miniatures, and a fruit plate. I went with the fruit plate and the trio of desserts.

I have to give Air France credit here. Their catering and service were on-point on this flight. The food was delicious and the service was very attentive. The flight attendants came by several times with drink and bread refills during dinner and nothing sat on my table longer than it needed to. They were friendly and proactive.

After my tray was cleared away, I put my seat into bed mode and snoozed for about six hours. As I stated above, this is my favorite business-class seat. I love that my feet and legs don’t fit into a small box and the wide surface allowed me to roll around.

If I had to critique anything about my flight, it would be the lack of personal air vents and how warm the cabin was kept. The bed was comfortable but I did wake up a few times just because it was so hot. If you like a cooler cabin, I would recommend you bring a personal USB fan like this one (Amazon affiliate link). This Arctic fan is one of the few travel gadgets I always pack with me to help keep me cool.

After I woke up from my nap, I put my seat back up and worked on my laptop for a bit. In between meals, a small selection of snacks and drinks were put out in the galley for passengers to nibble on.

About two hours before landing, the cabin lights slowly came on and breakfast was served. Breakfast consisted of an omelet with potato croquette, a fruit plate, and a cup of yogurt.

Air France Boeing 777-300ER Business Class Bottom Line

This was my first flight with Air France and I can say that I was very impressed. Their service and catering on this flight were top-notch and I love these business-class seats. The food was delicious, the service was personable and the seats were great in both seat and bed modes. If I had to be hypercritical, I would say the amenities could be improved a bit (better pillows, bigger tubes of products, slippers, etc.) and the entertainment selection could be more robust but all things considered, I think Air France offers a stellar business class product. Compared to their regional competitors such as BA, Lufthansa, etc., I think Air France’s hard and soft products blow them all out of the water. 

What are your thoughts? Have you flown Air France Business Class recently? If so, please share your thoughts with us in the comments section below. Thanks for reading!

The other posts in this series include:

1. oneworld Lounge LAX
2. Air France Boeing 777-300ER Business Class
3. Air France Salon Lounge Paris Airport
4. VR Santa Claus Express Train, Helsinki to Rovaniemi
5. Santa Claus Holiday Village
6. Aspire Lounge Helsinki Airport, a Priority Pass Lounge
7. KLM Boeing 737 Business Class, Helsinki to Amsterdam
8. KLM Crown Lounge Amsterdam
9. KLM Boeing 787-10 Business Class, Amsterdam to Los Angeles

Read the rest of this article at Review: Air France Boeing 777 Business Class, Los Angeles to Paris.

The oneworld Lounge LAX is accessible by:

• International premium cabin passengers traveling with Qantas, British Airways, Cathay Pacific, American Airlines, or any of their oneworld partner airlines
• oneworld sapphire/emerald members traveling with any oneworld partner airline. However, if your status comes from American or Alaska Airlines, then you must be traveling on an international ticket outside of North America in order to gain access. LAX to Dallas does not qualify, and neither does LAX to Mexico City.
• Qantas Club members
• Air France/KLM premium cabin passengers

For those traveling internationally with American Airlines, you can use the American Airlines Flagship Business Lounge in Terminal 4, or the oneworld Lounge in TBIT without having to clear security twice. From Terminal 4, just follow the signs for the airside connector to TBIT. The walk will take you approximately 6 minutes. More information about changing terminals at LAX can be found here.

At 42,000 square feet, the oneworld Lounge is massive with plenty of space to spread out and relax. There’s enough room for up to 600 passengers and that’s not even including the separate Qantas/oneworld First Class Lounge next door. The oneworld Lounge is a square-shaped space centered around a colorful, indoor atrium. The lounge is an “interior” lounge in the sense that there are no windows that face the outside world but the natural lighting from the indoor atrium does let in enough natural lighting to make the space feel open. Aesthetically, the warm colors and ambient lighting create a very comfortable and inviting space but I must admit, the furniture is showing its age a bit.

The other focal point of the lounge is the circular seating area around the indoor fireplace located on the right side of the lounge. If you just want to sit back and relax with a glass of wine and a book, this is the place to be.

There are plenty of seating options from comfortable lounge chairs and recliners to work desks and tables located throughout the lounge. During my visit at 4:00 PM on Sunday afternoon, I had no problem finding a table to eat at, a chair to relax in, and a desk to work at for the hour and a half I was there.

I didn’t use the shower room on this trip but there are 16 showers for passengers to use. The shower rooms are beautifully decorated with rainfall showerheads and are stocked with Aspar bath and body products.

For dinner, there was a good buffet spread of both hot and cold dishes from different types of salads and pasta to Jasmine rice, grilled vegetables, and curry. I had a bite of almost everything and I can say the food was delicious, especially the cauliflower soup. When the lounge first opened a few years ago, there used to be a make-your-own smoothie/juice bar with fresh fruits and vegetables. I didn’t see it on this trip so I’m not sure if it’s only a morning thing or if it’s a victim of recent cost-cutting measures.

For alcohol, there is a hosted bar with a fine selection of top-shelf beers, wines, and spirits. Not only is the bar a beautiful focal point of the lounge, but it is also a good place to interact and socialize with the other passengers.

There were plenty of employees working the lounge. They were busing tables, cleaning and replenishing the buffet spread. The lounge was kept clean at all times and used dishes did not sit on tables longer than necessary.

If you need to get some work done, WiFi is provided throughout the lounge and electrical outlets are located by all the sitting areas. But if you need a private workspace, you can find a dedicated business center located on the left-hand side of the lounge.

oneworld Lounge LAX Bottom Line:

Overall, the oneworld Lounge LAX is a great lounge. At LAX, I think it’s my second favorite lounge after the Star Alliance Lounge. The oneworld Lounge has a much better food spread but I just love the Star Alliance Lounge’s outdoor terrace. With an interior space and no views of the outside world, it’s hard for the oneworld Lounge to compete with the fresh air and runway views of the Star Alliance Lounge. That being said, the oneworld Lounge LAX is still a great lounge with plenty of spaces to sit, relax and enjoy a drink/meal before your flight. For oneworld (and Air France) passengers, this is a great way to start your premium cabin experience from Los Angeles.

What are your thoughts? Have you visited the oneworld Lounge recently? If so, please share your thoughts with us in the comments section below. Thanks for reading!

The other posts in this series include:

1. oneworld Lounge LAX
2. Air France Boeing 777-300ER Business Class
3. Air France Salon Lounge Paris Airport
4. VR Santa Claus Express Train, Helsinki to Rovaniemi
5. Santa Claus Holiday Village
6. Aspire Lounge Helsinki Airport, a Priority Pass Lounge
7. KLM Boeing 737 Business Class, Helsinki to Amsterdam
8. KLM Crown Lounge Amsterdam
9. KLM Boeing 787-10 Business Class, Amsterdam to Los Angeles

Read the rest of this article at Review: oneworld Lounge LAX.

This ANA Lounge is open from 5:00 AM to the time of the last ANA scheduled flight and is accessible by:

• Business and premium economy class passengers traveling with ANA
• Business class and Star Alliance Gold passengers traveling with ANA or any Star Alliance partner
  • ANA Diamond, Platinum, Super Flyer, and Star Alliance Gold members may bring one guest if they are departing on the same flight.
• Priority Pass (PP) members with a confirmed same-day boarding pass with any airline. However, PP members are not permitted between 5:00 AM and 11:00 AM daily.
  • Regardless of your membership agreement, Priority Pass Members may only bring in one guest, and even then, access may be restricted due to space constraints.
  • As of February 1, 2023, the ANA Lounge at Haneda Airport is no longer a Priority Pass partner lounge. 
• Day pass – All ANA passengers may purchase single-day lounge passes. If you buy a day pass ahead of time on ANA’s website, the cost is 4,000 Japanese Yen. If you buy it at the airport, the price jumps up to 6,000 Japanese Yen. More info about day passes can be found here.

Other bloggers may not agree with me but I think ANA has great lounges across their network. I think their lounges are spacious and modern and the catering and amenities are top-notch. And though, I do agree that this lounge can get crowded at times, I think it’s large and spacious enough to handle the increased traffic. Here’s a map of the lounge.

As you enter the lounge and scan your credentials, there will be a stand-alone machine located to your left. This is the shower reservation kiosk. If you want to take a shower, it’s best to request a shower suite sooner than later as it does get busy and there may be a long wait for a shower during peak times. Towels, personal hygiene, and bath and body products are provided for your use.

This is a really nice lounge and honestly, Priority Pass scored big time with this arrangement. But regardless of how you gain access, you will enjoy a quality space to rest and relax before your flight. The lounge is gigantic and if you love views of the ramp and runway below, there are plenty of comfortable lounge chairs and tables along the windows. Electrical outlets are located by all the seating areas and password-protected WiFi is provided throughout the lounge.

The main seating area is located in the center of the lounge. Here,  you’ll find a dining room and a large open area with long bar tables partitioned off for guests to work or enjoy a meal. I will admit that this space isn’t the most comfortable but it does allow for the most amount of people to use the space. If you just need an easy place to sit down and work, these tables will be just fine for you. During my visit, this is where I spent the bulk of my time eating and working.

In the front of the lounge, adjacent to the buffet area, there is another small dining/work area with some tables and chairs along the windows.

In the back of the lounge, you’ll find two more seating areas with traditional leather lounge chairs and tables. These areas tend to be less crowded and quieter than the main seating area so if you don’t mind being in the back, these areas will offer you a quieter place to rest and relax before your flight.

For food, there are two buffet stations. The main buffet station is located in the front of the lounge and there is a smaller station located in the back of the lounge. At the time of my visit, 6:45 PM on a Sunday night, there was a great selection of light bites such as salmon rolls and fried chicken bites, and more filling options such as chicken curry and rice. There is also a made-to-order noodle bar where you can order traditional bowls of Japanese udon, ramen, or soba noodles. I don’t know about you but there’s something about a warm bowl of noodle soup that comforts me before any long-haul flight.

For drinks, there is a small selection of beers on tap, wines and spirits on display, and a sake-tasting station. Coffee, soda, water, and juices are also available.

ANA Lounge Tokyo Haneda Bottom Line

In my opinion, I think the ANA Lounge at Tokyo Haneda is a great lounge. The lounge is spacious and modern. The catering is fantastic and the amenities are appreciated. I think the biggest complaint most people will have about this lounge is that it can get busy during peak times but as someone who usually gains access with my Priority Pass card, I appreciate the opportunity to rest, relax, and get cleaned up before my flight back to the States. This was one of my favorite lounges and I’m sad to see it’s no longer a partner lounge for Priority Pass members. That being said, I’m sure business class and ANA/Star Alliance elite frequent fliers will appreciate the less crowded space.

Have you visited the ANA Lounge at Tokyo Haneda? If so, please share your thoughts with us in the comments section below. Thanks for reading!

The other posts in this series include:

1. Japan is open for visa-free tourism! Here’s what you need to know before going.
2. American Express Centurion Lounge at LAX
3. Review: ANA Economy Class, Los Angeles to Tokyo Haneda
4. Review: Hilton Tokyo Bay, an official Tokyo Disney Resort hotel
5. Review: Disney Ambassador Hotel, an official Tokyo Disney Hotel
6. Beginner’s guide to visiting Tokyo Disneyland and DisneySea
7. Review: ANA Lounge Tokyo Haneda
8. Review: ANA Economy Class, Tokyo Haneda to Los Angeles

Read the rest of this article at Review: ANA Lounge Tokyo Haneda.

There are many year-end light shows but in my opinion, Astra Lumina is uniquely different than the rest as it’s not just an attraction that you walk through and snap pictures of. Instead, it’s more an experience that you immerse yourself in. At Astra Lumina, you are encouraged to stop at each exhibit and immerse yourself in the lights, music, and scenery. There are nine different exhibits throughout the event and each one features its own multi-media light and sound show. The shows run on a continuous loop and each show lasts between three and five minutes. And because it’s on a continuous loop, you can enjoy the exhibits for as long (or as short) as you like and there’s no need to catch the exact beginning of the show to understand the story of each exhibit.

Here’s a map of the event and a preview of the different exhibits.

Pro tip: As you enter each exhibit, just keep walking for approximately 20 feet. Most people will stop right at the entrance of the exhibit to watch the show but if you keep walking past them, you will get away from the crowds and get a much better view of the presentation.

Astra Lumina Los Angeles is a one-mile-long, outdoor walk and the entire event should last you approximately 60 minutes. This is a family-friendly event but keep in mind, you will be walking on a dirt and gravel pathway, the terrain is uneven and there are some very small hills, so it’s not ideal for strollers or wheelchairs. Astra Lumina doesn’t recommend the event for children under the age of four and pets are not allowed. I would recommend wearing a good pair of walking shoes for the uneven terrain and a warm jacket as it does get pretty chilly in the open-air venue. Also, some of the exhibits do utilize strobe lighting so if you’re sensitive to that, this may not be the event for you.

As you enter the venue, there is a small bar and snack area located on the right side of the welcome area. If you’re cold, you can grab a hot coffee or cocoa and bring it with you along the walk but alcoholic drinks are not permitted outside of the bar area.

Here’s the drink menu.

Photos and videos are allowed throughout the event but flash photography, tripods, and other professional equipment are not permitted. And of course, smoking/vaping is not allowed anywhere in the venue. Preferred parking ($20/vehicle) is available at the entrance and an off-site parking lot/shuttle bus ($8/vehicle) is also available down the street. Please allow yourself 15 minutes to park and catch the shuttle bus to the event venue.

Astra Lumina runs from December 8, 2022, to January 29, 2023, and is open nightly from 6:00 PM and 10:00 PM. Tickets start at $29 for adults ($24 for seniors, students, and military) and $20 for children between the ages of 4 – 12. It should be noted that the South Coast Botanic Garden is closed during the Astra Lumina event and your ticket price will not allow you access to the rest of the botanic garden.

More information can be found here.

The author attended this event as a guest of Astra Lumina. 

Read the rest of this article at Review: Astra Lumina Los Angeles.

I then made my way to the ANA Business Lounge for a shower and a bite to eat. I had spent all day at Tokyo Disneyland prior to arriving at the airport so needless to say, I was hungry and in desperate need of a shower. I no longer have Star Alliance Gold status but luckily for me, the ANA Lounge at Haneda doubles as a Priority Pass partner lounge. I know this is a very sensitive topic amongst frequent fliers but don’t worry, the ANA Lounge at Tokyo Haneda is well-equipped and large enough to handle the increased traffic. The lounge is spacious and the food is fantastic. This is one of my favorite Priority Pass partner lounges and I would definitely recommend a visit before your flight.

Flight: NH126
Aircraft: Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner
Tokyo Haneda (HND) to Los Angeles (LAX)
Depart: 9:05 PM (9:08 PM actual) on Sunday, October 16, 2022
Arrive: 3:10 PM (2:57 PM actual) on Sunday, October 16, 2022
Duration: 9hrs 49mns
Seat: 24A Economy Class

I left the lounge a few minutes prior to boarding time and made my way to gate 109. Boarding for our 9:05 PM flight was delayed about 15 minutes but once it began, it was smooth and orderly.

ANA has three different configurations for their Boeing 787-8 fleet. In this version, there are 184 total seats with three classes of service: business, premium economy, and economy. In economy class, there is a small forward cabin with just five rows of seats and a larger cabin behind it with 11 rows of seats. Economy class seats are configured in a 3-3-3 layout, offering 17 inches of width and 31 inches of pitch for all passengers.

On this flight, I was seated in seat 24A, which I think is one of the best seats on this aircraft. Row 24 is the last row in the forward economy class cabin. SeatGuru warns that seats in row 24 may have limited recline but that’s not true. These seats are located in a smaller, more intimate cabin; have full recline and they don’t have anyone behind them. Unless you like the emergency exit or bulkhead row seats, I think economy class seats in row 24 can’t be beaten.

Waiting at our seats were a pillow, blanket and a set of plastic headphones. The headphones were nothing amazing but they were much better than the disposable earbuds that other airlines give out nowadays. The pillow was a little thin and the blanket was long enough but not very wide.

The seat itself was decently padded but if you have sciatica issues or problems with leg numbness during flight, I highly recommend you get yourself one of these travel cushions to provide some additional comfort. When I’m flying in economy, I always pack this in my bag as it can be inflated in seconds and it does wonders for my seat comfort. You can check it out on Amazon by clicking here.

Each seat offers a personal entertainment system with a limited selection of western entertainment. I will say this is an area where ANA can really improve. For their “new releases” category, there was only a handful of new Hollywood movies such as Elvis, Lightyear, Top Gun: Maverick and the new Fantastic Beasts movie. The rest are Japanese or foreign cinema movies.

USB outlets and universal electrical outlets are provided at every seat. However, I found the USB outlet extremely inadequate for charging my phone. I would recommend using the electrical outlet below your seat.

Each seat also provides an adjustable headrest and an elastic footrest. The elastic footrest is not the best design but for people with long legs, it will do the trick. When reclined, the seatback reclines approximately three inches and the seat pan articulates forward, giving you an additional angle of recline (but it does reduce your knee space slightly)

These ANA Boeing 787s feature a quieter cabin, LED mood lighting, overhead vents and larger windows and overhead bins. The windows are 30 percent larger than traditional windows and are electronically controlled. No more plastic window shades here. The bathrooms are also bigger and are equipped with TOTO washlets, which provide users with a warm water bidet function. I must admit I was not brave enough to try the bidet function but I’m sure it’s wonderful. The aircraft also boasts a lower cabin pressurization system that enables passengers’ bodies to absorb more oxygen and thus, leave the plane feeling more refreshed.

We then pushed back from the gate and made our way to the runway for our 9-hour flight to Los Angeles. Approximately 30 minutes into the flight, the seatbelt signs were turned off and the flight attendants came around with a packaged wet towel. A beverage service was then served about 45 minutes into the flight. However, unlike my outbound flight from Los Angeles, a package of Japanese snacks was not provided on this flight. I’m not sure if they just forgot to cater it or if they don’t provide it on this route.

Dinner was then served about one hour into the flight. Individual menus were not provided but the flight attendants did hand out laminated picture menus to help you decide. On this flight, there were two options for dinner: simmered chicken with egg over rice or hamburger steak with tomato sauce. On my outbound flight, I went with the hamburger steak and it wasn’t great so I decided on the simmered chicken and it was much better.

Dinner was served with a cup of vegetable soup, some edamame, a side salad with corn, a piece of sushi and another dish that was only described as a “health salad.” I don’t really know what it was but it good. The vegetable soup was just a broth but it was very good. It was warm and flavorful and it totally hit the spot.

After dinner, our trays were cleared and Haagan Dazs vanilla ice cream was served for dessert.

After dinner, the cabin lights and windows were dimmed and I settled in for a movie and some work on my laptop. In between meals, the flight attendants walked the aisles frequently to offer passengers snacks and water. WiFi was also provided on this flight but I didn’t connect to it to see how fast or reliable it was. You can purchase three hours of WiFi access for $16.95 or a full flight pass for $21.95.

If you find it hard to sleep on airplanes because your head bobs back and forth, I recommend this GoSleep 2-in-1 travel sleep mask. I know it looks weird but trust me, you will get a more restful sleep with this mask than with any other sleep product. Especially on planes with limited recline, the GoSleep travel sleep mask will gently support your neck and head and prevent your head from bobbing back and forth during sleep. When I use this, I find that I sleep longer and wake up well-rested without any neck pain.

About 2.5 hours outside of Los Angeles, the cabin lights were turned on and the flight attendants prepared for our pre-arrival meal service. I don’t know why ANA does this but 2.5 hours prior to arrival is way too soon. Most people were still resting and another hour of sleep would have been much appreciated. Here’s the menu for the pre-arrival meal service.

For our second meal, the options were either an omelet or teriyaki fish over rice. I went with the omelet and it tasted like what you expect airplane breakfast to taste like.

After the second meal, the trays were cleared from our seats and we prepared for our arrival a full 1.5 hours before landing.

ANA Boeing 787 Economy Class, Tokyo Haneda to Los Angeles Bottom Line

Overall, ANA doesn’t provide the best economy class experience by any means but I think they are a perfectly acceptable option for traveling to Japan and beyond. The entertainment system is lacking and the catering is just mediocre. The first meal was appropriately timed but the second meal service felt very premature and the flight attendants should have let passengers rest a bit longer. That being said, I thought the flight attendants were friendly and attentive and the service on board was top-notch. My seat was also better than your average economy-class seat so those are both great positives. If you can select your seats ahead of time, I would definitely recommend selecting seats in row 24, or at the least, in the forward economy class cabin.

Have you flown ANA economy class lately? If so, please share your thoughts with us in the comments section below. Thanks for reading!

The other posts in this series include:

1. Japan is open for visa-free tourism! Here’s what you need to know before going.
2. American Express Centurion Lounge at LAX
3. Review: ANA Economy Class, Los Angeles to Tokyo Haneda
4. Review: Hilton Tokyo Bay, an official Tokyo Disney Resort hotel
5. Review: Disney Ambassador Hotel, an official Tokyo Disney Hotel
6. Beginner’s guide to visiting Tokyo Disneyland and DisneySea
7. Review: ANA Lounge Tokyo Haneda
8. Review: ANA Economy Class, Tokyo Haneda to Los Angeles

Read the rest of this article at Review: ANA Boeing 787 Economy Class, Tokyo Haneda to Los Angeles.

Hilton Tokyo Bay Location

In the Tokyo Bay area, there are two Disney theme parks (Tokyo Disneyland and Tokyo DisneySea); a Downtown Disney area called Ikspiari, and several Disney and non-Disney branded hotels. They are all connected via a monorail system called the Disney Resort Line. But unlike other monorail systems at other Disney parks, this one is considered public transpiration and you have to pay for it. It’s not very expensive (260 Japanese Yen per person over the age of 12, per trip) but it’s something to consider if you are traveling back and forth from the parks over the course of several days. As a point of reference, 260 JY is about $1.76 USD at the current exchange rate.

The easiest way to get to the Hilton Tokyo Bay from Haneda or Narita Airport is with the airport limousine. It’s called the airport limousine but it’s really just a shuttle bus so don’t expect anything fancy. The airport limousine from Narita will take about an hour and cost 2000 JY whereas the airport limousine from Haneda will take about 30 minutes and cost you 1000 JY.

Both airport limousines from Haneda and Narita to Tokyo Bay will drop you off at Mahaima Station, which is the main train station for the Tokyo Disney Resort area. Some airport limousine routes will also drop you off at the Hilton Tokyo Bay but you need to check their specific schedules and routes to make sure you book the correct one. But if for some reason you book the wrong one and end up at Mahaima Station, that’s okay also as the Hilton Tokyo Bay does have a free shuttle bus from/to Maihama Station. Just go downstairs and follow the signs for hotel shuttles.

All the hotels share this one stand so make sure you get on the correct shuttle bus.

Hilton Tokyo Bay Review

The Hilton Tokyo Bay is a huge hotel. It’s modern and clean but the minimalist design aesthetic is distinctively Japanese. The lobby features plenty of seating, a cafe, and a small children’s play area. There are also several restaurants, a Disney shop, and a 24-hour convenience store for late-night essentials.

Based on the design of the building, the Hilton Tokyo Bay offers two types of views. Rooms to the front of the hotel offer views of Tokyo Disneyland and rooms to the rear of the hotel offer ocean views of Tokyo Bay. The benefit of park view rooms is that you can see the fireworks at night and on a clear day, you can see Mount Fuji from the ocean view rooms. On this trip, I booked a basic twin-bed ocean view room and upon check-in, was upgraded to a twin-bed Celebrio park view room. Celebrio rooms are the equivalent of Executive Floor rooms.

The room was modern and very spacious by Japanese standards. The large windows let in plenty of natural lighting and the whole space felt very airy. But as you can see, the design aesthetic is very minimalistic, which is very common for Japanese hotels. The walls were very bare and the whole room felt very plain. That being said, the room does feature great ambient lighting to fit your mood.

The seating area was simple but adequate.

The room was furnished with two twin beds, a seating area, LCD television, mini-fridge, water kettle, security safe and two sets of robes/slippers. I really appreciated these thoughtful amenities as I was able to grab snacks and drinks from the convenience store and keep them in the mini-fridge and the robes were perfect for after the shower. That being said, if I had one complaint, it would be the lack of electrical outlets throughout the room. There were no free outlets by the beds and I had to unplug the alarm clock so that I could charge my phone.

The one amenity that I really appreciated was the reusable pitcher of water. Instead of housekeeping replenishing your bottles of water, the Hilton Tokyo Bay furnishes every room with a reusable pitcher and then provides free filtered water stations on every floor. This is such a great idea and I don’t know why other hotels don’t do this. I drink a lot of water and this saves me from having to buy and waste a ton of plastic water bottles. Instant coffee and tea packets were also provided free of charge.

The enclosed bathroom was very basic and small. This is not a family-size bathroom so if you’re traveling with more than one person, you’re gonna have to do some maneuvering as it’s really not large enough for two people unless one of you is in the shower. There was only one sink with limited counter space, a smart toilet, and a shower/tub combo. If I had to pick my favorite part of this room, it would be the toilet. I love the automatic seat warmers and bidet functions.

The bathroom also features ambient lighting options and a speaker to connect your favorite tunes from your phone.

Crabtree and Evelynn bath and body products were provided for your use. I personally like the smell of these products, but I don’t really like the quality as I think the Peter Thomas Roth products normally supplied at Hilton Hotels are much better.

Here’s the view from room 1075 (10th floor). That’s Tokyo Disneyland behind the buildings in the center of the picture. The view of the park used to be much better but Disney recently added a new section to the park called, “Fantasy Springs.” It won’t be completed until 2023 but what you’re seeing is the new Disney hotel that’s connected to Fantasy Springs so, unfortunately, the view of the park is now obstructed by the new Disney hotel.

The playground in the lower right-hand corner belongs to the Toy Story Hotel. It’s a cute little area to stroll through if you have some time. Officially, it’s for hotel guests only but you can just walk in.

A welcome amenity (Japanese crackers) was provided. It wasn’t much but it was appreciated.

Hotel amenities included an indoor pool, outdoor pool, jacuzzi, sauna, steam room, 24-hour fitness room, and a business center. I visited in October so the outdoor pool area was already closed for the season but the indoor pool stays open year-round. It should be noted that starting January 1, 2023, the Hilton Tokyo Bay will start charging for pool use. I don’t know why or how much it will cost.

The 24-hour fitness center is one of the best hotel gyms I have ever visited. The space is huge with plenty of cardio machines, free weights and strength machines. There’s even a small kettlebell section.

Hilton Tokyo Bay Elite Honors Perks

For Hilton Honors Gold and Diamond members, there is an Executive Lounge (Celebrio Lounge) located on the 1st floor for your use. The lounge is open from 10:00 AM – 8:00 PM and there is an evening reception from 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM nightly. Breakfast is held at different places depending on the day. On Sundays and Mondays, breakfast is served in the lounge from 7:00 AM to 10:00 AM; and Tuesday through Saturday, breakfast is served in the Square restaurant from 6:30 AM to 10:00 AM. I never made it for breakfast or the evening reception in the lounge but here are some pics of the lounge itself.

There’s even a cute little outdoor patio to eat and relax outside.

Hilton Honors Gold and Diamond members also receive complimentary WiFi access and a discount of 25% at the hotel restaurants (certain exclusions apply).

I was there from Tuesday through Saturday so I ate at the Square every morning before heading to the parks. The Square is huge with two different rooms serving a wide selection of both western and Asian breakfast cuisine, from scrambled eggs and French toast to congee and dim sum. There’s even an omelet station for made-to-order omelets.

Hilton Tokyo Bay Tokyo Disney Resort Benefits

In a nutshell, none. The only real benefit to staying at the Hilton Tokyo Bay is that it’s located “on-property,” which means it’s located along the monorail route. Unfortunately, staying at the Hilton Tokyo Bay does not guarantee you tickets on crowded days, Happy Entry admission, or anything else like that.

How to Get from Hilton Tokyo Bay to Tokyo Disney Resort

The Hilton Tokyo Bay offers a free shuttle to both Bayside Station and Maihama Station. Bayside Station is the closest stop for the Disney Resort Line monorail. From here, you can take the monorail to Tokyo Disneyland, Tokyo DisneySea, and Ikspiari. The shuttle runs every 15 minutes but it’s also a 5-minute walk from the hotel if you don’t want to wait. Here’s the timetable for the Disney Resort Line.

And here’s the timetable for the Maihama Station shuttle bus.

Hilton Tokyo Bay Bottom Line

The Hilton Tokyo Bay is a great hotel at an affordable price point. It’s not perfect by any means but the convenient location, great amenities and spacious rooms make the Hilton Tokyo a hotel worth considering for a budget-friendly visit to the Tokyo Disney Parks.

Have you stayed at the Hilton Tokyo Bay? If so, please share your thoughts with us in the comments section below. Thanks for reading!

The other posts in this series include:

1. Japan is open for visa-free tourism! Here’s what you need to know before going.
2. American Express Centurion Lounge at LAX
3. Review: ANA Economy Class, Los Angeles to Tokyo Haneda
4. Review: Hilton Tokyo Bay, an official Tokyo Disney Resort hotel
5. Review: Disney Ambassador Hotel, an official Tokyo Disney Hotel
6. Beginner’s guide to visiting Tokyo Disneyland and DisneySea
7. Review: ANA Lounge Tokyo Haneda
8. Review: ANA Economy Class, Tokyo Haneda to Los Angeles

Read the rest of this article at Review: Hilton Tokyo Bay, an Official Tokyo Disney Resort Hotel.

I feel like this lounge has been cursed but I’m really hoping this new management team will turn things around. Since June, I have visited this lounge twice now and I can say the lounge definitely has some pros and cons. But before I get into that, let’s start with the basics.

American Express Centurion Lounge LAX Access and Hours

Officially, the AmEx Centurion Lounge LAX is open from 6:00 AM to 7:30 PM daily but I have heard recent reports that they have been closing early. I don’t know if this is due to ongoing staffing issues but if you’re visiting later on in the day, don’t be surprised if it’s closed already. Access is granted for American Express Platinum Cardholders (Business and Personal) and Centurion Cardholders and for the time being, Platinum Cardholders are still entitled to bring in two guests free of charge. Starting February 1, 2023, guests for Platinum Cardholders will cost $50/person unless you meet the $75,000/year waiver. Delta SkyMiles Reserve Cardholders (Business and Personal) are also granted access free of charge but they must be flying on a same-day Delta ticket. Delta SkyMiles Reserve Cardholders may also bring up to two guests for $50/person.

For Platinum and Centurion Cardholders, you do not need to be departing on a flight from the TBIT to qualify for access. In fact, all you need is a same-day ticket from any airline departing from any terminal at LAX. If you are departing from another terminal, you can check out my guide on how to get to TBIT from Terminals 1-7 without having to clear security twice by clicking here. If your original departure flight is from LAX, then you can only visit the Centurion Lounge three hours prior to your flight. However, if you are connecting at LAX, then you can visit the Centurion Lounge for the entire duration of your layover. You cannot access the Centurion Lounge on arrival or on a standby ticket.

American Express Centurion Lounge LAX Location and Layout

The AmEx Centurion Lounge LAX is located in the Tom Bradley International Terminal (TBIT or Terminal B). As you exit the security check, make an immediate left for the entrance. Just look for this wall and walk down the small set of steps.

You will then need to take the elevator down two levels to the entrance and check-in counter.

At 14,000 square feet, this is one of the larger lounges in the American Express network but its awkward design makes the lounge feel very crowded and narrow. The whole space just wraps around along a narrow hallway with several small rooms for dining, relaxing and resting. As you enter the lounge, the bar and dining room are located to your right. Here, you’ll find a self-serve buffet area with a decent selection of hot and cold dishes to fill your belly.

Here’s the menu for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Next to the buffet area are the bar and dining room. There are tables for groups of 2 – 4 and individual seats along the window.

The hosted bar is the highlight of the American Express Lounges and this lounge is no different. Here, you can order one of their signature drinks or anything else you want from the bar. All drinks are included, even the top-shelf alcohol.

Here’s the signature drink menu.

Moving further into the lounge, there are several small areas for resting and socializing with your fellow travelers and another hosted bar in the middle of the lounge.

There are also several espresso machines located throughout the lounge for your caffeine needs.

Along the center hallway, there is a bank of private workstations, which are great for firing off those last-minute emails before boarding a long-haul flight.

In the back of the lounge, there’s a slightly bigger, “Sunrise” room with tables and chairs grouped together and individual loungers built into the wall. This room is brightly lit to simulate daytime to help reduce jetlag.

Adjacent to the Sunrise room, there’s a small “Moonrise” room with some day beds and loungers. This room is intended to simulate nighttime to help travelers adjust to different time zones.

There’s also a spa room with professional therapists providing quick 15-minute services. It wasn’t open when I visited but you can reserve a spot on a first-come, first-served basis at the front desk.

And if you need to freshen up, shower suites are also available on a first-come, first-served basis.

Décor-wise, I think the American Express Centurion Lounges are fairly classy with a clean, modern aesthetic and this lounge is fairly consistent with that theming. There are several American Express-inspired art pieces on the walls and the clever use of lighting and color makes the space feel upscale and unique. That being said, this is an interior lounge so there are no windows for natural lighting or views of the ramp or runway.

American Express Centurion Lounge LAX Bottom Line

Overall, the American Express Centurion Lounge at LAX is a decent place to rest and relax before your flight but this is definitely not a lounge I would show up early for, nor is it a lounge I would go out of my way to visit. The lounge is large but the layout is awkward and the space is always crowded. The food is just okay, definitely not the same quality as when the Centurion Lounges were first introduced, but the drinks are top-notch. If you have access and are departing from either TBIT or Terminal 4, I’d say it’s worth a visit. However, if you have to get here from any other terminal, I would say save your time.

The other posts in this series include:

1. Japan is open for visa-free tourism! Here’s what you need to know before going.
2. American Express Centurion Lounge at LAX
3. Review: ANA Economy Class, Los Angeles to Tokyo Haneda
4. Review: Hilton Tokyo Bay, an official Tokyo Disney Resort hotel
5. Review: Disney Ambassador Hotel, an official Tokyo Disney Hotel
6. Beginner’s guide to visiting Tokyo Disneyland and DisneySea
7. Review: ANA Lounge Tokyo Haneda
8. Review: ANA Economy Class, Tokyo Haneda to Los Angeles

Read the rest of this article at Review: American Express Centurion Lounge LAX.

The LOT Business Lounge Polonez is located in the departures area of Terminal A, near gate 25. As you exit the security check, take the escalator/elevator up to the third floor and the lounge will be located directly in front of you. The Polonez Lounge is open from 5:00 AM to 11:00 PM daily and is accessible by business class; and Star Alliance Gold passengers traveling in any class of service, on a LOT Polish or Star Alliance partner flight. LOT Polish Premium Economy passengers (with no status) used to be able to buy a day pass to the Polonez and Mazurek Lounges for PLN 120 (about $31 USD) but I’m not sure if this is still possible.

Review: LOT Business Lounge Polonez

I’m gonna cut to the chase and tell you that this lounge is not incredible by any means. The space is small and crowded and unless you’re a Star Alliance Gold member or flying on an intercontinental flight, there aren’t many places for you to sit and relax in the Polonez Lounge. The main portion of the lounge is one narrow room with several barriers to define the various seating areas but they are all the same. The lounge used to be more open with better spaces for relaxation but that has all changed. The lounge is now nothing but individual dining tables and chairs, crammed in together to accommodate as many people as possible. I guess I can’t complain as I would rather have a table in a cramped space, than no table at all.

During the day, the large windows let in plenty of sunshine to make the space feel bright and airy but the crowds make the space feel very loud and chaotic.

Because of the long narrow design of the main seating area, there are several food stations located along the side of the lounge. Here, you’ll find a pretty good selection of both hot and cold dishes from pre-packaged salads and cold plates of pasta to hot food items such as rice, chicken, and vegetables. I was really surprised by the variety of dishes offered and I have to give LOT Polish some credit here. The highlight of the lounge was definitely the catering as their food was actually delicious and filling.

For drinks, there’s a very small selection of sodas, beers and spirits; and a couple of coffee machines.

Other lounge amenities include a single shower suite and a “premium beauty lounge.” The shower suite is located in the men’s bathroom and it’s very basic. There’s a single stall with a single soap dispenser mounted to the wall. This isn’t the most luxurious setup by any means but if you really need to freshen up after a long-haul flight, then this will do the trick.

As for the Premium Beauty Lounge, I can’t really give many details here as I didn’t get to use it. From my understanding, there’s an esthetician that will provide you with mini-facials and other services, possibly free of charge, but I wasn’t able to use it or confirm the information. I couldn’t really communicate with the employee but I think she said it was for women only and shooed me away. I’m not too sure.

LOT Elite Club Lounge

However, what makes the Polonez Lounge unique is that there is a lounge within the lounge. With an attendant to check your credentials, the LOT Elite Club Lounge is accessible by business class passengers traveling on intercontinental flights (USA, Canada, Japan, China, Singapore, or South Korea), Star Alliance Gold members and Miles and More HON Circle/Senator members traveling in any class. However, I’m not sure how strictly they enforce this policy.

If you have access to the LOT Elite Lounge, you should definitely hang out here instead of in the main lounge. The LOT Elite Lounge is a more private and peaceful space to rest and relax in between flights. It’s less crowded and the lounge features several relaxation rooms in the back to get away from the noise and chatter of the main seating area. This is honestly how I wished the whole lounge could be.

There’s also an upgraded buffet menu featuring traditional hot and cold Polish dishes, some snacks and a small selection of alcoholic beverages.

Again, keep in mind that the Polonez Lounge is located in the Schengen zone. If you are departing on an international flight to a non-Schengen country, you will have to clear passport control before arriving at your departure gate. On a previous trip, it took me about 30 minutes to clear passport control and walk to the non-Schengen zone on a Friday afternoon at 2:00 PM.

LOT Polish Business Lounge Bottom Line

Overall, I was slightly disappointed with the LOT Polish Business Lounge. If there’s an area for improvement for LOT Polish Airlines, I would say this is one of them. The space is long and narrow and regardless of what time you travel through here, it will always feel loud and crowded. The food is great and I appreciate the Elite Club Lounge access for intercontinental passengers, but the overall space feels subpar to their regional competitors.

Have you visited the LOT Polish Airlines Business Lounge? If so, please share your thoughts with us in the comments section below. Thanks for reading!

The other posts in this series include:

1. Star Alliance Lounge LAX
2. LOT Polish Airlines Business Class, Los Angeles to Warsaw (Boeing 787-9)
3. LOT Polish Business Lounge, Warsaw
4. Air Canada Maple Leaf Lounge, Frankfurt
5. Air Canada Business Class, Frankfurt to Vancouver (Boeing 777-300ER)
6. Air Canada Business Class, Vancouver to Los Angeles (Airbus A220)

Read the rest of this article at Review: LOT Polish Business Lounge, Warsaw.

In this post, I’ll talk about the logistics of planning a trip; from which airport to fly into and how to get around to which hotels to stay at depending on your budget. I’ll also add a few other tips and tricks you need to know to get the most out of your vacation. But to be clear, this isn’t a review of the parks, rides, or food. There are plenty of YouTube videos and reviews of the parks already. This post is simply to help you prepare for your trip and make the most out of your time in Tokyo. I hope you find it useful.

Tokyo Disney Resort Location

The Tokyo Disney Resort, which refers to both Tokyo Disneyland and Tokyo DisneySea, is not actually located in Tokyo proper. The resort and its surrounding hotels are actually located in the city of Chiba, which is southeast of Tokyo center. This area is also referred to as “Tokyo Bay.” This is important to note as the two major airports have agreements with the airport taxi companies to provide a fixed rate from the airport to your hotel in Tokyo but this won’t apply to hotels in the Chiba area.

Additionally, you should know that once you’re in Tokyo Bay, it’s not exactly convenient to get to “downtown” Tokyo. By train, it will take you approximately 50 minutes to get from the Tokyo Disney Resort area to Shinjuku, and cost you 420 Japanese Yen ($2.82 USD). Or you could hire a taxi, which will take about 30 minutes and cost you about 10,000 to 11,000 JY ($67 – $73 USD).

As a point of reference, the exchange rate for today’s date (October 17, 2022) is 148 Japanese Yen to $1 US Dollar.

Which Airport to Fly into?

There are two major airports that serve the Tokyo area: Tokyo Narita and Tokyo Haneda. Narita is a huge airport with plenty of connections to almost every major city in the world. Flights to Narita tend to be cheaper than flights to Haneda as there are significantly more options. Whereas Haneda is a smaller airport with fewer connections, but it’s more manageable and closer to the center of Tokyo than Narita. If you’re debating between flights, I would take the one that gets in the earliest. For example, if flying into Narita will save you $100 but gets you in at 9:00 PM, as opposed to 4:00 PM in Haneda, I would take the Haneda flight.

Transportation To/From the Airport to the Tokyo Disney Resort

The easiest way to get to/from Haneda or Narita Airport to the Tokyo Disney Resort area is with the airport limousine. It’s called the airport limousine but it’s really just a shuttle bus so don’t expect anything fancy. The airport limousine from Narita will take about an hour and cost 2000 JY whereas the airport limousine from Haneda will take about 30 minutes and cost you 1000 JY. Both airport limousines from Haneda and Narita will drop you off at Mahaima Station, which is the main train station for the Tokyo Disney Resort area. Some airport limousine routes will also drop you off at one of the major hotels but you need to check their specific schedules and routes for more information.

However, keep in mind that the airport limousine doesn’t run all night. Depending on the day, it may stop running as early at 4:00 PM. So if you’re getting in later than that, you may have to find alternative transportation such as a train or taxi. Trains run till about midnight daily and Taxis run 24/7. A taxi from Haneda to the Tokyo Disney Resort area will take 30 minutes and cost you about 10,000 JY ($67 USD). A taxi from Narita will take an hour and cost you about 20,000 JY. You can check the timetable and routes for the airport limousine here.

Mahaima Station is located right next to Ikspiari, which is Tokyo Disney’s version of Downtown Disney in California or Disney Springs in Florida. To get from Ikspiari to Tokyo Disneyland, Tokyo DisneySea or other Disney hotels, you need to take the monorail aka “Disney Resort Line.” However, unlike the monorail at the other Disney parks, this monorail is considered public transportation and you have to pay for it. It’s not much, only 260 JY per adult (12 Y/O and older), per trip, but it does add up if you’re going back and forth a lot. The monorail runs on a continuous loop from the Resort Gateway Station at Ikspiari to Tokyo Disneyland Station to Bayside Station (where the majority of hotels are) and finally to Tokyo DisneySea Station and back.

If you’re going directly to the parks and need a place to store your luggage, there are plenty of public storage lockers to rent at any train station, including Maihama.

Pro tip: the Disney Resort Line monorail ticket booth is cash only so make sure to bring small bills or change with you.

Where to Stay for Tokyo Disney Resort

Where you stay at will largely depend on your budget. If money is no object, then you can stay at the Tokyo DisneySea Hotel MiraCosta, which is the only Tokyo Disney Resort hotel that is located in one of the parks. The other Tokyo Disney Resorts hotels are all located outside of the parks. The Tokyo Disneyland Hotel is the next best hotel and it’s located right outside the gates to Tokyo Disneyland. The Disney Ambassador Hotel is located next to Ikspiari and the Toy Story Hotel is located next to Bayside Station. The Tokyo Disney Celebration Hotel is located in a separate part of Tokyo Bay, about 20 minutes away by bus.

As a point of reference, the Tokyo DisneySea Hotel MiraCosta, Tokyo Disneyland Hotel, and the Disney Ambassador Hotel are all considered Deluxe Hotel types. The Toy Story Hotel is considered a moderate hotel and the Tokyo Disney Celebration Hotel is considered a value hotel.

There are many benefits to staying at one of the five Disney Resort Hotels but the most significant perk is the “Happy Entry,” which will grant guests early admission to the parks. This perk only lets you in 15 minutes prior to the general public but this allows you to hit one, maybe two, of the major attractions before everyone else.

If you want to save some money, I would recommend staying at one of the official Tokyo Disney Resort Partner Hotels instead. These hotels are much cheaper than the Disney hotels but they don’t offer any real perks other than a shuttle ride to the parks. However, some of them are conveniently located near the Disney Resort Line monorail so transportation will be much easier than staying outside of Tokyo Bay. These official Tokyo Disney Resort Partner Hotels include the Grand Nikko Tokyo Bay, Hotel Okura Tokyo Bay, Hilton Tokyo Bay, and others.

On this trip, I stayed at both the Disney Ambassador Hotel and the Hilton Tokyo Bay and they were both great. I will have my hotel reviews up within the next couple of weeks.

Other tips and tricks

Fastpasses – Tokyo Disneyland and Tokyo DisneySea got rid of their Fastpass machines and replaced them with a “Disney Premier Access” virtual queue. Just like the Lightening Lane passes at Disneyland and Disney World, you now have to pay to bypass the standby line at certain attractions such as Toy Story Mania and Soaring: Fantastic Flight at Tokyo DisneySea and the Enchanted Tale of Beauty and the Beast at Tokyo Disneyland.

However, there is one ride that will still give you a free “Fastpass” and that is the Haunted Mansion. To get your free Fastpass, you must use the Tokyo Disney Resort app to click on the Haunted Mansion ride. Select “Standby Pass” and it will assign you a time to return later on in the day. You can grab this free Fastpass as soon as the park officially opens for the day.

Tokyo Disney Resort App – Speaking of the app, you really should download it and link your tickets to the app. This will allow you to get the Haunted Mansion Fastpass, purchase Disney Premier Access passes and view ride wait times. But more importantly, you will need the app to watch one of the big shows such as Jamboree Mickey! Let’s Dance!, Mickey’s Magical Music World and Club Mouse Beat at Tokyo Disneyland, and Big Band Beat at Tokyo DisneySea.

Now, here is the one thing I don’t like. These shows are so popular that they can’t let everyone in and they don’t offer standby lines for them. In order to watch one of these shows, you have to “request entry” in the app and select the show and time you want. Once you make your selection, it will automatically put you in a lottery system. If you are selected for the show, you will be automatically assigned seats. If you are not selected for the show, you are not allowed to try again for the rest of the day. You can try for other shows but you can only try once per show. On my trip, I was only able to get one of the three shows I wanted to watch and there was no standby option to get a “second” chance at catching the shows.

Cash and credit cards – For such a developed country, Japan is really behind on cashless payments. Cash is still king and you will definitely need cash with you when exploring Japan. However, credit cards and “tap to pay” is widely accepted at the Tokyo Disney Resort and the only thing I needed to pay with cash was the Disney Resort Line monorail ticket. I was able to pay for almost everything else with my Apple pay or my Suica Card.

Suica Card – This is a metro card to pay for train/subway/bus rides in Japan. But surprisingly, you can actually use it to pay for more things than just transportation. You can use it at convenience stores in Japan and all the restaurants/shops at the Tokyo Disney Resort. This is convenient as you can load your Suica card with however much money you want from a credit card and then use the Suica card to make your daily purchases. This is handy if your credit card charges a foreign transaction fee as your credit card will only be charged each time you load your card and not each time your Suica card is used.

If you’re an iPhone user, you can add a Suica card to your wallet very easily. Just go to your wallet, press the plus sign in the top right-hand corner and click on transit card. Scroll down to Japan and add the Suica card. Then use Apply Pay to add funds to your Suica card. Simple.

And that’s all the info I have for you right now. I hope you found it useful. Feel free to ask me any questions you want in the comments section below and I’ll try to answer them in a timely manner. Thanks for reading!

The other posts in this series include:

1. Japan is open for visa-free tourism! Here’s what you need to know before going.
2. American Express Centurion Lounge at LAX
3. Review: ANA Economy Class, Los Angeles to Tokyo Haneda
4. Review: Hilton Tokyo Bay, an official Tokyo Disney Resort hotel
5. Review: Disney Ambassador Hotel, an official Tokyo Disney Hotel
6. Beginner’s guide to visiting Tokyo Disneyland and DisneySea
7. Review: ANA Lounge Tokyo Haneda
8. Review: ANA Economy Class, Tokyo Haneda to Los Angeles

Read the rest of this article at Beginner’s Guide to Visiting Tokyo Disneyland and DisneySea.

On October 11, 2022, Japan officially opened its borders for visa-free tourism but you do have to complete a health questionnaire and show proof of either a negative Covid test taken within 72 hours of departure or a vaccine certificate with at least one booster. More information on the requirements to enter Japan can be found here.

Pro tip: At LAX, the security lines are not clearly marked. For regular passengers, after you receive your boarding pass, walk towards the end of the hall and make a right-hand turn to go up the escalators for the security check. But if you have CLEAR or TSA Pre, do not go up this way. Instead, head to the back of the hall and walk all the way to the left before going upstairs. This is the entrance for both CLEAR and TSA Pre. If you qualify, this will be a much better experience than waiting in the regular line.

For business class and Star Alliance Gold members, ANA contracts with the Star Alliance Lounge for their pre-flight lounge services. This is one of my favorite lounges in the Star Alliance network. The lounge is beautiful and spacious and the outdoor deck offers a great place to get some fresh air before boarding a long-haul flight. This is definitely a lounge worth showing up early for. You can read my full review of the Star Alliance Lounge here.

If you don’t have Star Alliance Gold status but you do have an American Express Platinum Card, you can use the American Express Centurion Lounge, also located in the TBIT terminal. The Centurion Lounge is small but the food is decent and the drinks are strong. It’s worth a visit if you have some free time.

Flight: NH125
Aircraft: Boeing 787-8
Los Angeles (LAX) to Tokyo Haneda (HND)
Depart: 4:50 PM (5:09 PM actual) on Monday, October 11, 2022
Arrive: 8:55 PM (8:13 PM actual) on Tuesday, October 12, 2022
Duration: 11hrs 4mns
Seat: 28G Economy Class

At approximately 4:20 PM, I left the lounge and made my way to gate 134. Boarding for our flight was delayed about 20 minutes but once it began, it was smooth and orderly. There were gate agents walking around, answering questions and directing passengers to their appropriate lanes. This is unlike the other airlines where the gate agents just stand behind the podium and let the passengers run amok. This made the boarding process extremely efficient and completely stress-free for everyone involved.

ANA has three different configurations for their Boeing 787-8 fleet. In this version, there are 184 total seats with three classes of service: business, premium economy, and economy. In economy class, there is a small forward cabin with just five rows of seats and a larger cabin behind it with 11 rows of seats. Economy class seats are configured in a 3-3-3 layout, offering 17 inches of width and 31 inches of pitch for all passengers.

Waiting at our seats were a pillow, blanket and a set of plastic headphones. The headphones were nothing amazing but they were much better than the disposable earbuds that other airlines give out nowadays. The pillow was a little thin and the blanket was long enough but not very wide.

The seat itself was decently padded but if you have sciatica issues or problems with leg numbness during flight, I highly recommend you get yourself one of these travel cushions to provide some additional comfort. When I’m flying in economy, I always pack this in my bag as it can be inflated in seconds and it does wonders for my seat comfort. You can check it out on Amazon by clicking here.

Each seat offers a personal entertainment system with on-demand, audio/video entertainment but the selection for western entertainment is pretty limited. For their “new release” category, there was only a selection of about 20 new Hollywood movies such as Elvis, Lightyear, Top Gun: Maverick, and the new Fantastic Beasts movie. The rest are Japanese or foreign cinema movies.

USB outlets and universal electrical outlets are provided at every seat. However, I found the USB outlet extremely inadequate for charging my phone. I would recommend using the electrical outlet below your seat.

Each seat is also equipped with a headrest and an elastic footrest. The elastic footrest is not the best design but for people with really long legs, it will do the trick. When reclined, the seatback reclines approximately three inches and the seat pan articulates forward, giving you an additional angle of recline (but it does reduce your knee space slightly).

These ANA Boeing 787s feature a quieter cabin, LED mood lighting, overhead vents and larger windows and overhead bins. The windows are 30 percent larger than traditional windows and are electronically controlled. No more plastic window shades here. The bathrooms are also bigger and are equipped with TOTO washlets, which provide users with a warm water bidet function. I must admit I was not brave enough to try the bidet function but I’m sure it’s wonderful. The aircraft also boasts a lower cabin pressurization system that enables passengers’ bodies to absorb more oxygen and thus, leave the plane feeling more refreshed.

Once all the passengers were boarded, we then pushed back from the gate and made our way to runway 24L for our 11-hour flight to Tokyo. Approximately 30 minutes into the flight, the seatbelt signs were turned off and the flight attendants came around to distribute a packaged wet towel. A beverage service and a package of Japanese snacks were served about 45 minutes into the flight. A small selection of alcoholic beverages such as sake, beer and wine were provided free of charge during the meal service.

Dinner was then served about 1.5 hours into the flight. Individual menus were not provided but the flight attendants did hand out laminated picture menus to help you decide. On this flight, there were two options for dinner: salmon and hamburger steak. I went with the hamburger steak and it wasn’t bad (but it wasn’t great either).

The main dish was on the small side but it was served with a bunch of side dishes, which I appreciated. The sides included edamame, cold soba noodles, potato salad and ham, corn salad, and a bread roll. It was a very odd combination of side dishes.

Haagan Dazs vanilla ice cream was then served for dessert. This was the best part of the meal.

After dinner, the cabin lights were dimmed and I settled in for a movie and a nap. In between meals, the flight attendants walked the aisles frequently to offer passengers snacks and water. WiFi was also provided on this flight but I didn’t connect to it to see how fast or reliable it was. You can purchase three hours of WiFi access for $16.95 or a full flight pass for $21.95.

If you find it hard to sleep on airplanes because your head bobs back and forth, I would recommend this GoSleep 2-in-1 travel sleep mask. I know it looks weird but trust me, you will get a more restful sleep with this mask than with any other sleep product. Especially on planes with limited recline, the GoSleep travel sleep mask will gently support your neck and head and prevent your head from bobbing back and forth during sleep. When I use this, I find that I sleep longer and wake up more rested without any neck pain.

About 2 hours and 45 minutes prior to our descent into Tokyo Haneda, the cabin lights were turned on and the flight attendants prepared for our second meal. An hour after the lights were turned on, the flight attendants then came around with another wet towel and menus.

For our second meal, the options were either meat rigatoni or seafood Mexican rice. I know. I was a little skeptical of the seafood Mexican rice also so I went with the rigatoni, which was served with a bean salad and a muffin. As expected, my second meal wasn’t great (or bad) either.

After the second meal, our trays were cleared from our tables and the flight attendants prepared for our arrival a full two hours before landing. I really don’t know why they started the second meal so early but it felt very premature.

ANA Economy Class Bottom Line:

Overall, I can see why there are so many mixed reviews of ANA’s economy class. The entertainment system is lacking and the catering isn’t the best. I was also confused by the flow of the meal services. The first service seemed to start very late; whereas the second service started way too early. That being said, I thought the seat was above average by economy class standards and the flight attendants were friendly and attentive. ANA doesn’t provide the best economy class experience by any means but I think they are a perfectly acceptable option for travel to Japan and beyond.

Have you flown ANA economy class lately? If so, please share your thoughts with us in the comments section below. Thanks for reading!

The other posts in this series include:

1. Japan is open for visa-free tourism! Here’s what you need to know before going.
2. American Express Centurion Lounge at LAX
3. Review: ANA Economy Class, Los Angeles to Tokyo Haneda
4. Review: Hilton Tokyo Bay, an official Tokyo Disney Resort hotel
5. Review: Disney Ambassador Hotel, an official Tokyo Disney Hotel
6. Beginner’s guide to visiting Tokyo Disneyland and DisneySea
7. Review: ANA Lounge Tokyo Haneda
8. Review: ANA Economy Class, Tokyo Haneda to Los Angeles

Read the rest of this article at Review: ANA Economy Class, Los Angeles to Tokyo Haneda.

That being said, we have seen countries open up, report a surge in cases and then tighten restrictions again so you should always check with Japan’s Ministry of Health/Foreign Affairs for the most updated information. Additionally, I’m an American so this information will be specific to other Americans traveling to Japan. I’m not familiar with other countries’ requirements so please check with your local embassies for more information.

As of October 11, 2022, Japan lifted its cap on foreign visitors and reopened its borders to visa-free visitors. Americans no longer need to apply for a travel visa ahead of time and you can stay in Japan for up to 90 days upon your date of arrival. You also don’t need to book an organized group tour; purchase travel insurance; quarantine upon arrival, or even submit to a mandatory arrival PCR test if you meet one of the two following criteria:

• For unvaccinated travelers, submit a Covid-19 negative test result certificate before departure
  • Covid-19 negative test result certificates must contain the following information in English or Japanese.
    • Name, date of birth, testing method, sample, specimen collection date and time, result, name of medical institution, and the date of certificate issue
  • Must be taken within 72 hours of departure
  • Must be a NAAT (Nucleic Acid Amplification Test) such as PCR, RT-PCR, Lamp, etc.
  • More information on acceptable negative tests results can be found here
• For vaccinated travelers, submit a Covid-19 vaccination certificate before departure
  • Covid-19 vaccination certificates issued outside of Japan need to fulfill all the following requirements.
    • Name, date of birth, vaccine manufacturer, vaccination date, and the number of vaccine doses must be listed on your vaccine certificate.
    • Have at least three (3) doses of the following vaccines:
      • AstraZeneca, Janssen (Johnson & Johnson), Moderna, Novavax, or Pfizer. *Note* one dose of Janssen (Johnson & Johnson) is considered two.
      • Mix-and-match of vaccines is okay.
  • More information on acceptable vaccine certificates can be found here.

Additionally, you need to complete an online health questionnaire prior to your arrival in Japan. 

You can complete your online health questionnaire and submit your documents for verification through the MySOS app. This is an official phone app used by the Japanese Ministry of Health for entry into Japan. I highly recommend you download it and submit all your required documents ahead of time. Just trust me on this. It will allow you to use the “FastTrack” system and ensure a very smooth check-in process with the airline and arrival into Japan. If you don’t download the app, you can still present your negative Covid test/vaccine certificate at boarding and show the online health questionnaire upon arrival to Japan but this will not be ideal for you.

Instructions on how to use the MySOS app

After you download the app, open it and you will see a screen like this. It will be red in color.

Click on the “Pre-registration for Quarantine Procedures” (bottom left-hand corner) and follow the prompts to enter your personal details including name, passport number, date of birth, etc. You need to then do everything in order. For example, you can’t just skip to submitting your documents until you upload a picture of your passport. The app will also let you register a minor child if he/she is traveling with you.

• Upload a picture of your passport. You don’t need a picture of it already. You can take a picture of it in the app. It will send you an app notification to say if your picture was verified or not. It took me two tries to upload the picture correctly. Make sure the numbers at the bottom of your passport are clearly legible. This process took about 30 minutes before I could move on.
• Complete the health questionnaire.
• Upload your vaccine certificate if you have one. If you don’t, you still need to click on this and say that you will not be uploading one so you can skip to the next step.
• Upload your negative test certificate if you are not vaccinated.

Once you submit all your required documents, the app background color will change from red to yellow. This shows that your documents are being verified. And once your documents are verified, your app will turn blue and show a QR code. This is a good thing.

When you get to the airport, the check-in agents will ask for your passport and ask to see your MySOS app before checking you in for your flight. And when you land in Japan and get off the plane, they will ask to see your MySOS app again as soon as you get off the plane. There will be airport employees asking to see the app. If your app is blue, they will hand you this blue card and direct you to the FastTrack queue. If you don’t have the app, or your app does not show blue, then you will be directed to another way. The app does require an internet connection so if you’re worried about that, just screenshot the blue screen with the QR code and you should be good to go.

Take this blue card to the health station and show them the card and your QR code. They will screen your temperature, verify your documents and then give you this green piece of paper. Take this green piece of paper to the immigration officer to receive your visa-free landing pass.

And that’s it! I know the process can be intimidating but I hope you found this information useful. Japan is a wonderful country and now, without all the tourists, is a great time to visit. Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns.

The other posts in this series include:

1. Japan is open for visa-free tourism! Here’s what you need to know before going.
2. American Express Centurion Lounge at LAX
3. Review: ANA Economy Class, Los Angeles to Tokyo Haneda
4. Review: Hilton Tokyo Bay, an official Tokyo Disney Resort hotel
5. Review: Disney Ambassador Hotel, an official Tokyo Disney Hotel
6. Beginner’s guide to visiting Tokyo Disneyland and DisneySea
7. Review: ANA Lounge Tokyo Haneda
8. Review: ANA Economy Class, Tokyo Haneda to Los Angeles

Read the rest of this article at Japan is Open for Visa-Free Tourism! Here’s What You Need to Know Before Going.

Airbus has two variants for the A220 aircraft, the -100 and the -300. Air Canada has elected to purchase the longer version and thus, they fly these aircraft on some of their longest domestic and trans-border routes. But that’s no problem because the Airbus A220 is one of the best aircraft in terms of passenger comfort. If I had to pick, I would choose the Airbus A220 over any other narrow-body jet as it offers a quieter, more comfortable cabin; larger windows, which are set higher (more at eye level), larger overhead bins to secure all your belongings, and wider seats in every class. Business class seats are 21 inches wide and check this out, economy class seats offer a whopping 19 inches of width. That’s unheard of for a narrow-body aircraft.

Flight: AC554
Aircraft: Airbus A220-300
Vancouver (YVR) to Los Angeles (LAX)
Depart: 12:05 PM on Wednesday
Arrive: 3:05 AM same day
Duration: 3hrs 00mns
Seat: 3A Business Class

On these Airbus A220 aircraft, Air Canada’s “North America Business Class” is configured with 12 recliner seats in the forward cabin. There are three rows of seats in a 2-2 configuration.

In terms of comfort, these are the best recliner seats you will ever get on a narrow-body aircraft. Each seat provides 21 inches of width, 37 inches of pitch, and 4 inches of recline. These seats are also equipped with individual air vents, adjustable headrests, and both leg and footrests to provide you with maximum comfort during flight.

Seat controls are located in the center armrest and there’s also a pull-out drink tray for additional surface space.

For storage, the large overhead bins can accommodate all your carry-on bags and the space underneath the seat in front of you can hold all your personal items. There’s also a small pocket on the inside portion of your seat and two literature pockets to store your laptop, Kindle, iPad and other small personal items.

Personal IFE entertainment systems, USB C/A outlets and a universal electrical outlet are also provided at each seat. The IFE monitors are crystal clear and the systems are loaded with an impressive selection of movies, TV shows and other entertainment.

On this flight, I was seated in seat 3A. As I settled into my seat, the Cabin Service Manager, Hugo G., came by to introduce himself and hand out bottles of water, Covid kits, and printed menus.

There is one lavatory located in the front of the aircraft for business class passengers. It’s a decent size (much better than the Boeing 737MAX lavatories).

Once all the passengers were boarded, we then taxied to the runway and prepared for our 3-hour flight to Los Angeles. I seriously love how big these windows are.

I mean, just look at this engine view from my seat. It almost looks like I’m on an A330.

About 20 minutes into our flight, Hugo came around with drink orders and a package of roasted almonds.

Lunch (appetizer, main course and dessert) was then presented all on one tray. My chicken tagine was served on a bed of pasta pearls, with a mixed salad appetizer and a carrot cake dessert.

I don’t know if I was just starving from my last flight but this was the best meal I have ever had on any Air Canada flight. The chicken was tender and the sauce was flavorful. The pasta was cooked perfectly and it was the right amount of food. I really enjoyed this meal and the service provided by Hugo was spectacular. He was on his feet the entire length of the flight. He remembered our drink orders and was constantly taking care of all the passengers. Nothing sat on my table longer than it needed to and my drink was never empty.

After my tray was taken away and I had a few drinks in my system, I settled in for a movie, enjoyed the views outside and actually dozed off for a bit. Seriously, I had zero complaints about this seat (or this flight) and I don’t think you will either.

Air Canada A220 Business Class Bottom Line

Overall, I was really impressed with this flight. The Airbus A220 really is a game-changer in the narrow-body jet market. I love the extra-wide seats and larger windows. The IFE was crystal clear and loaded with an impressive collection of movies and TV shows. The cabin was comfortable and the catering was delicious but the star of the show was really our flight attendant. He was so personable and professional. He was on his feet throughout the whole flight and he made us feel like we were the only passengers, even though the cabin was completely full. This flight delivered in all categories and I could not have asked for anything more.

Have you flown Air Canada’s A220 Business Class? If so, please share your thoughts with us in the comments section below. Thanks for reading!

The other posts in this series include:

1. Star Alliance Lounge LAX
2. LOT Polish Airlines Business Class, Los Angeles to Warsaw (Boeing 787-9)
3. LOT Polish Business Lounge, Warsaw
4. Air Canada Maple Leaf Lounge, Frankfurt
5. Air Canada Business Class, Frankfurt to Vancouver (Boeing 777-300ER)
6. Air Canada Business Class, Vancouver to Los Angeles (Airbus A220)

Read the rest of this article at Review: Air Canada Airbus A220 Business Class, Vancouver to Los Angeles.

Margaritaville at Sea, part of the Margaritaville brand of Hotels and Resorts, is their newest entry into the “offshore resort” experience. They operate just one ship, the Paradise, and they only offer one sailing to Grand Bahama Island. It’s a relatively small ship so don’t expect any water slides, go-karts, or extravagant water shows. With just 658 staterooms, the Paradise offers a casual experience with several restaurants, bars, and nightclubs. There’s also a pool, spa, and casino on board. It’s not the most amazing ship by any means, but if you’re looking for a cheap getaway, and you can make your way to Palm Beach, then this is a pretty sweet deal.

Here are the important details:

• The “Heroes Sail Free” discount only applies to the qualifying guest(s). Any additional guests, who do not qualify for the discount, are booked at the going rate.
  • For example, if the qualifying member is a military veteran but his/her partner is not, then only one of you will qualify for the discount and the other person must pay the normal cruise rate. However, if both of you are military veterans, then you will both qualify for the discount.
• Qualifying guest(s) must be verified through GovX ID platform.
• Up to 2 qualifying guests may stay in the same stateroom.
  • If you have two qualifying guests, then you must call their reservations department to book your free cruise.
• A limited number of single rooms are available so you don’t need a second person.
• Taxes, fees, port charges and gratuities are not included.
• Valid for cruises from September 9, 2022, through December 29, 2022
• Suites upgrades are available for a fee.
• Unlike other cruises, you are not allowed to bring any alcoholic or non-alcoholic beverages on board during embarkation.

More information can be found here.

Read the rest of this article at Free Cruise to The Bahamas for Military, Police and Teachers.