This is a Trip Report from the Upper Class cabin
Ground Staff
Food & Drink
Entertainment
Seat
Cabin Crew
I will also add photographs with annotations to my profile album, as well as attempting to insert some into the posts themselves; if at first I don’t succeed, come back and check later.
Are you sitting comfortably?
Then, we’ll begin.
Let’s wind the calendar back to October 2014, when I learned that VS was cutting the LHR-NRT NRT-LHR route.
My first trip to Tokyo was in 2011, a crazy 4 night adventure in Tokyo (the TR is still in note form; I’ll get around to writing it up) and having enjoyed it so much, was determined to go back, but for a longer visit allowing an exploration of the Japan beyond its capital.
The loss of the route was the spur to make enquiries, in much the same way as getting myself on one of the last HKG-SYD SYD-HKG flights in May 15 (OK, that’s another TR that requires a write-up).
Checks on Expert Flyer and the VS booking system revealed a couple of G’s available outbound on 13 Jan 15 and inbound on the 29 Jan.
A swift text and email to Lauren confirmed that she had no intention to allow me to make a solo trip and so, on 27 Oct we put the Black Amex to work and parted with 100 K miles and £589.16 for each ticket. The break-down of the taxes and surcharges was, approximately, 2/3 LHR-NRT and 1/3 NRT-LHR; thanks Gideon.
The next stage was to order the current Lonely Planet Japan guide, Japan by Rail (Trailblazer Guides) as we intended to do rather more than simply stay in Tokyo, and the DK Eyewitness Top 10 Tokyo; Amazon loves travellers.
Obviously, I knew when we were leaving LHR, arriving in Tokyo and returning; that allowed pre-booking of arrival and departure hotels in Japan.
As a general rule, I have favourite hotels and if we’re staying in a location for more than 4 nights I will normally select one favourite hotel and one previously unknown, albeit with very favourable reviews (Condé Nast Traveller and v-flyer are our friends), as a try-out for future trips.
There was a reasonable amount of information on Japan prior to my previous trip, but I wouldn’t class the country as a one of the world’s top holiday destinations, so I started a thread entitled ‘Japan January 2015’ with the aim of extracting as much information as possible from v-flyers as to where to go, where to stay, what to see and, most importantly, what to eat; as, it’s all about the food, every time.
That, coupled with the v-flyer social on 16 December 2016, and some helpful PMs from gfonk led to a tentative itinerary.
So thanks to Bretty, gfonk and Maximus, plus anyone else that I have failed to mention, for the ideas and tips.
VS900 has a scheduled departure of 1130; to maximise ClubHouse time that equates to a very early start on the morning of departure, or an overnight in the LHR area beforehand.
Adding in the practicalities of driving to LHR, parking or finding a hotel with parking (over 14 days), and thinking about arriving back on 29 January, without the benefit of the Revivals Lounge (Terminal 3 0500 – 1330) and heading into rush hour traffic, I decided to book an airport transfer.
My two recent trips (HKG & SYD, and JFK; OK, I know, another TR is missing, I’ll do it) used similar logic to book a car but this time, instead of using a London based firm, I chose Caer Cabs & Chepstow Taxis as their rate was more competitive (http://www.taxischepstow.co.uk 07798 622590 Mervyn Webber) and they offered a Mercedes saloon as standard (minibus available for families, or those with even more luggage than us). Internet booking and confirmation was straightforward.
The Sofitel at T5 wasn’t offering the dinner room rate and at over £200 is overpriced for a room only experience, so it was back to the Radisson Blu Heathrow which offered a room for £85 using the **** rate for booking.
So far, so good.
Lauren and I raided the local supermarkets for tea, biscuits and HP Sauce, which we leave in our hotel rooms, each morning, for Housekeeping, and act as eccentric sweeteners for Hotel concierges to make otherwise impossible restaurant reservations; remember, it’s all about the food.
Hotel Chocolat provided a rather attractively packaged box of mixed chocolates for the Cabin Crew, and we were almost ready for departure.
InsideJapan (http://www.insidejapantours.com) provided two 7 day ‘Green Car’ Japan Rail passes (more on these later, but they have to be purchased outside of Japan and are, essentially, only available to non-Japanese nationals), two Manaca IC (multi-city Japanese ‘Oyster’ cards) travel cards pre-loaded with 2500 yen and Royal Mail Special Delivery for £453.00 (Rail Pass £205 each, IC card £19 each, RMSD £5).
Packing lists sit on my iPad for short, medium and long trips (work or leisure) and the only modifier is the historical local and regional weather, together with the 10 day forecast; result: we needed to pack some cold weather clothing.
So winding time forward to 12 January; we’re packed, it’s raining, I haven’t managed to drop my Lonely Planet New York guide book and the accumulated v-flyer knowledge from the thread ‘New York in January 2015’ to my barber; so that goes in the post; security and house alarm systems are set, the neighbours know that we are going to be away and we exit, at 1320, through a side entrance that is not overlooked, to be met by the charming, efficient and 5 minutes early Mr Webber and his E-Class Mercedes.
Just over 95 minutes, and some interesting conversations, later, we’re at 140 Bath Road and unloading our suitcases; as usual, there is no-one from the hotel staff on the outside of the hotel and no luggage trolley; having to go into the hotel to request a trolley irks and that’s why, if you’re reading this, I don’t tip the porters in the Radisson Blu Heathrow.
Check-in was immediate, as we had scheduled our arrival for after the 1500 watershed and, despite the discounted booking rate, we received a room upgrade.
A hotel car is booked to take us to Terminal 3 in the morning (£12) and I contemplate using the DTCI, but decide on the main check-in as we’ve not been through there for a while and we might find a couple of interesting looking people to guest into the ClubHouse (as no-one has taken us up on our offer, again).
Dropping our hand luggage in the room, we headed straight to Trunk Bar and Restaurant, as we were both ravenous having skipped breakfast to finalise packing and had existed purely on coffee, all day.
A fairly comprehensive menu, we both settled on the Club Sandwich inclusive of a fried egg (£10.25) a Peroni Nastro Nazzuro (£4.85 1 pint).
The sandwiches were, simply, huge and came with a side of French Fries; I was in near starvation mode and managed to finish mine but Lauren failed at the 75% stage; both pints remained, moderately, unfinished.
Back to the room and Lauren settled down with a book and a glass of Veuve Cliquot (packed chilled into a suitcase that morning), and I repacked one of the cases to redistribute mass as I had not been able to find my electronic luggage scales that normally reside in my carry-on case.
By 2100 we are both feeling a little hungry and decide to head down to get a drink and something to eat.
Unfortunately, it’s Monday and the relatively new Indian restaurant Annuya, which replaced the Brasserie, is closed.
Neither of us wants to eat more than a starter so rather than heading back to Trunk, we duck into Bijou Bar for a Scottish Oak smoked salmon sandwich on wholemeal bread (£8.50), but only if the waitress can find some horseradish sauce to go with it, and two Peroni.
Within 10 mintes, the waitress returns with horseradish sauce from Trunk and another massive sandwich stuffed with smoked salmon; more than enough to share.
Suitably filled we withdraw to our room, finish off the Champagne and set the alarm for 0700. As Lauren drifts off to sleep, I key in the details for OLCI.
On waking, Lauren is first into the shower and I make coffee. I decide not to shave as I have forgotten to pack my shaving soap; it has been left on the duvet in the main bedroom because I did not have the wooden lid to hand as I was packing my toilet bag; no matter, I can get a shave in the ClubHouse!
The luggage trolley and porter arrive with a little telephone prompting, despite having set a time for this on arrival, and by 0830 we are making our way across a wet and windy Terminal 3 forecourt to VS Check-In which, for UC, is deserted other than for a couple of Delta security sticking stickers on your Passport people and a full complement of check-in staff behind the counters.
Check-in takes less than 5 minutes, our luggage is surprisingly light (3 suitcases at around 25 kg each) and, with no-one wandering past from Y or PE, we take the lift up to the next level, scan a boarding pass and enter through the magic door.
The security channel is empty, save for one American who is having difficulty, beyond the scanning equipment, in persuading the security staff that, amongst other things, Kiwi instant shoe polish does not contain a gel (it does).
He was, still, arguing as we left the security area despite having to go through the scanner several times (nails in boots, watch), something odd in the carry on case, swab case contents etc.
Straight through Duty Free and up to the ClubHouse; boots in to be polished, treatments booked; manicure for Lauren and a shave for me and, then, breakfast.
Lauren chooses Egg Benedict with coffee and orange juice, and I go for the English breakfast with Earl Grey tea and grapefruit juice. Somehow, Lauren has, already, managed to order a Bellini from the bar.
Our treatments are booked for 0945, so we decide to linger over breakfast, get cut, shaved and polished and then head out to Duty Free, before a drink prior to boarding.
My shave was terrific; a combination of a facial and a decent shave with a post-shave balm; not inexpensive at £25, but there is a 10% discount on all treatments, if you have a Au card.
Duty Free was simple; buy shaving cream (Dr Kiehl’s Close Shavers Squadron) as I could not find a shaving soap, purchase La Fée Absinthe Parisienne and Stolichnaya vodka, return to lounge.
Time was beginning to run-out; no time for the 'Greetings from the ClubHose' on v-flyer and my steam shower was somewhat truncated, but I did manage one Virgin Red Head, as Lauren consumed her second Bellini.
We headed to the Gate at the second call and were then forced to wait, in sight of the Gate, as LHR staff elected to allow disembarking passengers across the corridor; cue closing of glass doors, mutterings of discontent, people worrying that they will miss their flights, opening of glass doors to allow ground staff to pass through, closing of glass doors, more waiting, more mutterings and finally, opening of glass doors to allow us to reach the Gate; a brilliant system, well done Heathrow.
Straight through the Passport and boarding pass check and onto G-VYOU Emmeline Heaney A340-642 named after the daughter of Mr Heaney who won an eBay (?) auction to name a VS aircraft; delivered 31 August 2006 and into seats 10 and 11A.
The TR is from 11A, rather than 12A, for reasons that will become apparent.
TR to continue; I wanted this bit up before gfonk departs for HND on BA in CW; have a good flight!
