aflyingkiwi From New Zealand, joined Nov 2010, 488 posts, RR: 3 Posted (1 year 10 months 3 weeks 6 days 7 hours ago) and read 8695 times:
Surprise Trip to Japan Pt 2, NRT-KIX-AKL on NZ 77E
Background
Part 1 The background of our trip starts exactly 5 days before we left for Japan. I was just checking the grabaseat website (a place where NZ sells some very low fares) when I discovered a 699 NZD return fare to Tokyo (usually about 1700 NZD, so definitely a fantastic deal). Now I know most people in this forum would probably be asking why I would want to visit Japan in these troubled times but the simple answer is I really wanted to see some of my family who live in Japan. After all it’s been a couple of years since I last visited them and it’s pretty hard to resist the lure of such a cheap fare. So after getting the OK from the family on the other end, I booked the flight and hoped for no more major earthquakes/tsunamis/radiation threats etc.
Part 2
There’s not much to add to what was said above apart from a couple of small things. First of all this flight is operated by the 77E which was a bonus as I flew over on the 763 so it will be a good chance to compare products. Secondly this flight would operate via KIX adding a few hours to our trip time but KIX is a new airport for me so that’s another bonus.
Tokyo Sightseeing
Over our 7 days in Tokyo we were able to see quite a few attractions. Here’s a few photos for your entertainment.
The famous Senso-Ji temple in Asakusa which we visited on the first day.
The beautiful 5-storey pagoda.
The souvenir shopping street, Nakamise-dori.
The imposing ‘Tokyo Big Sight’ in Odaiba, an artificial island in Tokyo Bay.
Rainbow Bridge
A fake Statue of Liberty, very cheesy in my opinion…
The Fuji TV building, note the futuristic sphere.
After spending some time in Odaiba, I decided to go to Haneda Airport for some spotting.
Firstly I went to the large Terminal 1 open-air observation deck where ANA rules.
Hokkaido International Airlines or ‘Air Do’ 767.
NH 77W taking off.
After a while I decided to walk to Terminal 2 and visit the observation deck there. Overall it is a lot smaller and the traffic levels are a lot lower (in the afternoon at least).
JAL rules here.
I have to say it’s a shame that they’re changing this livery, even though it’s pretty simple, it is very stylish and a lot better than the new one…
On the second to last day I went to Akihabara which is the major shopping area for electronic gizmos.
A lot of signs & crowds here.
On my final day I did a little tour of Tokyo. Firstly we went to Shinjuku which is the main skyscraper district in Tokyo. This is also the site of the world’s busiest railway station with well over 3 million entries/exits per day. I went up to the top of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building, which offers fantastic view 202 meters above ground.
The vast sprawl of Tokyo.
The Shinjuku skyscraper district.
In the centre you can see the ‘Tokyo Sky Tree’ which will be opened later this year at a height of 634 metres. This will make it the the second tallest structure (behind the Burj Khalifa in Dubai) in the world.
After that we walked to Harajuku famous for the ‘Harajuku Girls’.
From there we went to Shibuya which is a major fashion centre & also the site of the Shibuya Crossing.
This isn’t a particularly good shot but you can see the crossing & the surrounding buildings.
From there we took the Yamanote Line (Tokyo’s equivalent of the Circle Line) to Ginza, famous for it’s numerous department stores & high fashion outlets.
Overall we had a very fun time in Japan and I can only recommend going there. In Tokyo itself there is basically no sign of any earthquake damage and as long as you avoid the coast hit by the tsunami, everything is pretty much back to normal.
aflyingkiwi From New Zealand, joined Nov 2010, 488 posts, RR: 3 Reply 1, posted (1 year 10 months 3 weeks 6 days 7 hours ago) and read 8666 times:
2 May 2011
Our flight wouldn’t didn’t depart till 18.15, so I just spent the morning lounging around till about 13.00. After a lot of hugs & kisses I left for the hour long journey to NRT.
On the train to the airport
As I had a lot of time in my hands, I decided to visit the Terminal 1 observation deck, somewhere I had never been to before.
The open air observation deck is open everyday from 0700-2000 and offers fantastic views of the main runway. It is a great place to see many widebodies up close.
No doubt where I am.
2 DL B744’s
DL 77L most likely bound for ATL.
Fedex MD11F
Vladivostok Air A320
UA B744
NH B77W in Star Alliance colours
Probably the best catch of the day, PK A310 J
CO 772 in Star Alliance Colours
Overall the observation deck is a fantastic place for reg & photo spotters alike. It’s fantastic that Japan have kept these observation decks open to the public unlike many other places in the world.
Anyway, being on the safe side I left for Terminal 2 about 3 hours before the flight taking the free inter-terminal bus (about every 10mins). I’ve always wondered why NZ operate from T2 rather than T1 (where all other star carriers operate). I think this is because of the JL codeshare (interestingly there is no NH codeshare on this flight) but I can’t see why NZ couldn’t just switch in the interests of the alliance. Does anyone more knowledgeable in NZ operations have anything to say?
Once I arrived at T2, check-in had just started with only a small queue formed. This meant a short wait to our courteous agent who performed all the formalities politely and I was soon walking away with my boarding pass.
Check-In, notice how it’s pretty empty…
After check-in I visited the Terminal 2 Observation deck, actually there are two, one on each side of the terminal and they both provide great views of the apron and also the secondary runway.
Observation Deck
AA 77E
QF 744 & VN A321
Plenty of aircraft on the apron
JL in the foreground, NH in the background…
Shortly after the observation deck excursion I went through security & immigration. Both of which were quick and not to forget that the staff were all very professional & polite. Some countries could learn from that…
The T2 Satellite is a satellite terminal (duh!) with 17 gates. It is connected to the main terminal by a shuttle system (more info here
IMO It is not my favourite building in NRT. I found it cramped, (the low ceilings didn’t help) and the gate areas weren’t equipped with enough seats. Also there aren’t really any shops or anything else to keep you entertained. At least toilets were plentiful.
The T2 Satellite
CX A333
EK 77W
Boarding
Boarding started on-time at 17.45 and after a last-minute toilet break I boarded.
I was unable to see the registration or get a photo airside but luckily while walking along the jetway I was able to see the registration. ZK-OKG.
ZK-OKG is a NZ B777-200ER. It is a relatively young bird at only 4.7 years. The NZ’s B77E are planned to get the new interiors on the 77W though it has been mentioned on the NZ aviation thread that it might not get 10-abreast seating in Y. Hopefully this is true…
We were met on-board by some rather grumpy looking crew who directed us towards the back. Anyway I made my way down to 61A in the rear section equipped with grey cloth seats. I found the seats to be a bit firm but they sufficed for the flight.
Legroom was fine.
Our flight left on time but we were in for a long taxi, 25 minutes to be exact. Anyway we eventually made it to runway 16R and took off into the sky.
CX & EK
Taxiing
Takeoff
About halfway through our short hop to KIX a small snack of Cassava Chips and a cup of water was offered.
There were lots of pretty nightscapes on our flight, this was probably the best photo I had.
There’s not much to talk about on this short hop. I just watched the Airshow and before you knew it we were on approach to KIX and taxiing to the terminal.
Cabin
An announcement was made informing us that there would be a crew change at KIX and passengers getting off at KIX should disembark first. Once they disembarked I got my stuff and made my way off. I said goodbye to the crew but they seemed to be more interested in the hotel they were staying overnight at…
As we disembarked we were given JAL transit cards.
Osaka Kansai Airport was built in 1994 to relieve congestion at Osaka Itami Airport. What makes it special is that it was the first airport in the world to be built on an artificial island. It was planned to gradually sink due to the weight of the construction but unfortunately it sank a lot faster than expected. This led to a hugely expensive civil works project which has helped the rate of sinking drop from 50cm in 1994 to 7cm in 2008. The lessons learnt from this project helped to successfully complete other artificial island airports such as HKG, NGO & KKJ.
Anyway as I had never been to KIX before I decided to explore the airport a bit.
The architecture of KIX reminds me of BKK.
A long, long walk. The terminal at KIX is the world’s longest at 1.7kms from end to end and it definitely felt like it…
We eventually arrived at the main duty-free area which was mostly filled with boutique high-end chains like Hermes and Bvlgari, not exactly the type of stuff that interests me.
We eventually arrived at the main duty-free area which was mostly filled with boutique high-end chains like Hermes and Bvlgari, not exactly the type of stuff that interests me.
Boarding started 30 minutes prior to departure at 20.45. After a short wait I was able to step back on board where I was met by 2 friendly flight attendants and I made my way back to 61A.
SQ A333
We had another relatively long taxi but soon had a spectacular takeoff into the darkness…
About 1 hour into the flight dinner service began. The choices were between western chicken or Japanese style braised pork.
I choose the western style chicken…
The main course included chicken, which was satisfactory though not superb. The vegetables though tasted pretty good. The sides included a nice salad with seaweed and corn, a bread roll and a lovely cake for dessert.
As I was quite hungry and tired I managed to eat the meal pretty quickly and once the meal trays were cleared I went into the land of zzzz’s.
After about 3-4 hours of sleep I woke up approaching the equator.
I’d prefer mood lighting over complete darkness…
IFE
NZ has an AVOD though non-touchscreen system on their 77E’s. However there’s plenty of content with around:
70 Movies
150 TV Programs
Over 200 Music CD’s
Plenty of games
Overall the system is absolutely sufficient and will keep you entertained for many long-haul flights. Also next year NZ will be refurbishing the cabins on the 77E’s and the IFE will be replaced with what’s offered on the 77W’s so it will only get better.
The main menu of ‘KiaOra’
Movies, Television, Music Videos.
Seat Pocket Contents
Beautiful Sunrise
Simply amazing.
About 2 hours before arrival, Breakfast was served. The choices were between eggs or Japanese Salmon. I choose the eggs.
Overall a very good meal both in presentation & taste. There is absolutely nothing to fault in the main dish, everything was delicious. The fruit was quite bland though but the Japanese yoghurt was very nice.
After the meal I got up to take a cabin shot
Lavatory
The northern tip of New Zealand.
Hokianga Harbour in Northland
After more than 13 hours from leaving NRT we started our descent into Auckland. As always, The NZ hard boiled lolly was handed out.
Piha Beach, considered one of the most dangerous in the world.
Waitakere Ranges
We continued our approach across the Manakau Harbour and had a smooth touchdown on Runway 05R
[b]We docked in Gate 6 next to this beauty.
Disembarking was pretty quick and after picking up some stuff at the duty free store for a friend, I made my way to Immigration. Unfortunately this wasn’t a breeze with some rather rude & snappy staff. Also Quarantine was a mess with most passengers not knowing which line to go to. Definitely not the kind of service you expect from an airport that was ranked 8th in the world by Skytrax.
Conclusion
My two flights on Air New Zealand were definitely very enjoyable. The IFE, Catering & seating were all fantastic as was the crew on the second leg. The only thing that I can really faulty were the rather disinterested crew on the NRT-KIX leg but crew’s have bad days so I can accept that. Hopefully the rumours that the 77E will remain with 3-3-3 seating are true because NZ has a fantastic product as it is which I wouldn’t hesitate using again.
Finally, I can only recommend that people visit Japan sometime. It is a spotters paradise with observation decks at all the main airports and there is plenty to keep you entertained in the cities & towns as well. Anyway I’m sure the lure of the 787 when it finally comes around will get some people to visit. J
Thanks for reading this report and please feel free to comment
PlaneHunter From Germany, joined Mar 2006, 6183 posts, RR: 79 Reply 4, posted (1 year 10 months 3 weeks 6 days ago) and read 7821 times:
Hi aflyingkiwi,
nice report with many great pictures from Tokyo! I went to HND and NRT for spotting, but never visited the city.
Quoting aflyingkiwi (Thread starter): Firstly I went to the large Terminal 1 open-air observation deck where ANA rules.
I really enjoyed my stay there, got so many new registrations. I need to go there again after the 787's EIS.
Quoting aflyingkiwi (Thread starter): I have to say it’s a shame that they’re changing this livery, even though it’s pretty simple, it is very stylish and a lot better than the new one…
Quoting aflyingkiwi (Thread starter): The NZ’s B77E are planned to get the new interiors on the 77W though it has been mentioned on the NZ aviation thread that it might not get 10-abreast seating in Y. Hopefully this is true…
Interesting, I hope that, too.
Quoting aflyingkiwi (Reply 3): [b]We docked in Gate 6 next to this beauty.
Sultanils From Belgium, joined Mar 2010, 1173 posts, RR: 29 Reply 5, posted (1 year 10 months 3 weeks 5 days 23 hours ago) and read 7799 times:
Hi Kiwi,
Nice 2nd part of your Japan series, with a lot of enjoyable pics. Japan indeed seems to have stabilised after the massive disaster some months ago.
Now 1 question remains: do you prefer the 767 or the 777?
Quoting aflyingkiwi (Thread starter): It’s fantastic that Japan have kept these observation decks open to the public unlike many other places in the world.
Yeah, the cabin is pretty cramped as it is and 10-abreast definitely ain't gonna help.
Hi Nils,
Quoting Sultanils (Reply 5): Nice 2nd part of your Japan series, with a lot of enjoyable pics. Japan indeed seems to have stabilised after the massive disaster some months ago.
Thanks, in the main cities everything's pretty much back to normal.
Quoting Sultanils (Reply 5): Now 1 question remains: do you prefer the 767 or the 777?
Must've forgotten that... Well I prefer the 767 because the 2-3-2 seating makes a lot of difference to me plus I found the seating comfort a little bit better on the 767.
Quoting Sultanils (Reply 5): Hey good catch, lovely plane indeed!
Quoting Sultanils (Reply 5): 10 abreast? Are they really considering that? That will really feel cramped and uncomfortable.
Yes, The new 77W's already have 10 abreast seating. Fingers crossed that the 77E's will remain at 9 abreast.
Quoting Sultanils (Reply 5): Wow that is long, is there any travelator besides the shuttle?
Not that I know of. There are 4 shuttles to different parts of the airport so travelators aren't entirely necessary.
triple7man From Thailand, joined May 2005, 679 posts, RR: 0 Reply 8, posted (1 year 10 months 3 weeks 5 days 6 hours ago) and read 6394 times:
Thank you for an excellent trip report. I used to live in Japan, just outside Tokyo, so your pictures brought back many pleasant memories. The airports in Japan are always wonderful for spotting. Just a note, at HND Terminal 1 is for Japan Airlines and Terminal 2 is for ANA.
Shinjuku and the Ginza were always fascinating and at Akihabara you can find anything and everything in electronics. The JR Yamanote Line is easy to get around, as are all the trains. I always enjoyed riding the Yamanote Line because it gives you a nice look at Tokyo.
I liked the picture of the AA 777 because I am an AA retiree. The 777 that you took arriving was coming from one of our US destinations, JFK, ORD, DFW or LAX. Then, that evening it will return to the US.
Thank you again for your TR. And please do come back to Japan
aflyingkiwi From New Zealand, joined Nov 2010, 488 posts, RR: 3 Reply 9, posted (1 year 10 months 3 weeks 5 days 4 hours ago) and read 6259 times:
Hi vieri,
Quoting vieri (Reply 7): Are the observation decks pre security?
Yes, all the observation decks in HND & NRT are pre security.
Hi triple7man,
Quoting triple7man (Reply 8): Thank you for an excellent trip report. I used to live in Japan, just outside Tokyo, so your pictures brought back many pleasant memories.
Thanks, I'm glad that I bought back some of your pleasant memories.
Quoting triple7man (Reply 8): Just a note, at HND Terminal 1 is for Japan Airlines and Terminal 2 is for ANA.
My bad...
Quoting triple7man (Reply 8): The JR Yamanote Line is easy to get around, as are all the trains. I always enjoyed riding the Yamanote Line because it gives you a nice look at Tokyo.
Agreed, The JR Yamanote Line is one of my favourite ways to tour Tokyo and it's pretty cheap as well.
aflyingkiwi From New Zealand, joined Nov 2010, 488 posts, RR: 3 Reply 12, posted (1 year 10 months 3 weeks 3 days 15 hours ago) and read 5058 times:
Hi Suryo,
Quoting akhmad (Reply 10): Great follow up of your nice trip to Japan. Somehow you whet my appetite for a visit to the country of rising sun.
I'm glad you enjoyed my follow-up report. I do hope that you do visit Japan someday. It's a lovely country.
Quoting akhmad (Reply 10): I did not expect HND to be that huge! Wow!
Considering it mostly handles domestic flights in a relatively small country, it is surprisingly big.
Quoting akhmad (Reply 10): Good to know that no one bothered you taking pictures.
Photo taking in airports (especially at observation decks) seems to be pretty common in Japan.
Quoting akhmad (Reply 10): I hope it was due to the exhaustion. Just look at your following encounter.
There was a crew change but I think it was just a one-off...
Quoting akhmad (Reply 10): Did you have to clear security?
No, just stayed airside the whole time
Quoting akhmad (Reply 10): NZ is a country I would like to visit sometime.
I'm sure you'll enjoy it when you do come.
Hi Vieri,
Quoting vieri (Reply 11): Thanks. Deffo want to spend some time there when flying in and out of Narita soon.
Hopefully it isnt too cold in September/November!
Definately visit the observation decks. Sep-Nov is probably one of the best times to visit Japan and temperatures shouldn't be that cold.
vieri From UK - England, joined Jun 2011, 27 posts, RR: 0 Reply 13, posted (1 year 10 months 3 weeks 3 days 14 hours ago) and read 4992 times:
Quoting aflyingkiwi (Reply 12): Definately visit the observation decks. Sep-Nov is probably one of the best times to visit Japan and temperatures shouldn't be that cold.
Good news indeed. We cancelled our planned trip in March post tsunami. Was very tempted to go, but seemed counter-intuitive when NRT were packed with foreigners trying to fly out.
I ve a bit of time to kill on arrival and leaving NRT, so it will be time well spent on the observation deck!
EL-AL From Israel, joined Oct 2001, 1119 posts, RR: 5 Reply 14, posted (1 year 10 months 3 weeks 3 days 11 hours ago) and read 4856 times:
Hello,
Thank you for very nice report - I was looking to see how ANZ B773 looks like on the inside. Service looks decent, hope they will stay with 9 seats in a row configuration.
Great photos, Japan must be an interesting place.
Jonathan
"In our country, those who do not believe in miracles are irrational" - David Ben Gurion.
aflyingkiwi From New Zealand, joined Nov 2010, 488 posts, RR: 3 Reply 15, posted (1 year 10 months 3 weeks 2 days 16 hours ago) and read 4557 times:
Hi Vieri,
Quoting vieri (Reply 13): We cancelled our planned trip in March post tsunami. Was very tempted to go, but seemed counter-intuitive when NRT were packed with foreigners trying to fly out.
I can see how you were tempted but you probably made the right decision not to go. Have a great time in Japan when you do go!
Hi Jonathan,
Quoting EL-AL (Reply 14): Thank you for very nice report
Thank you
Quoting EL-AL (Reply 14): I was looking to see how ANZ B773 looks like on the inside. Service looks decent, hope they will stay with 9 seats in a row configuration.
Errr, this is a report about the 77E. The 77W's already have 10 abreast.
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