Due to my short stay in Japan, I woke up very early, at about 4am. I looked out my window to find Hoshinoya beautifully covered in snow, about 6 inches of the beautiful heavy, wet type of snow. I ordered an Udon breakfast that was delivered to my door. The night before my return, I yearned to see how I can get myself into business class on the return. The flight was showing as full on ANA in all classes of services. But, I took a stab at it anyways. I logged into my United.com Mileage Plus account and looked up the flight—nothing available. I neurotically checked every 30 minutes for a miracle. And bam! There it was!…. An economy class award seat. Well, that didn’t help me. I kept on checking. Finally at about 8:30pm, I refreshed the availability and the ANA flight came up in business class. I quickly reserved my space and instantly got excited about the luxurious experience I had a head of me! It was am miracle that a seat opened up; I don’t know how it happened.
My car came to pick me up and I checked out of Hoshinoya Karuizawa. I hopped onto the train back to Tokyo. An hour later, I was on the JR Express to Narita airport. Checked in. Priority bags tagged. Lounge invitation. The lounge was fabulous! If Steele Luxury Travel had a VIP Centurion Lounge outside of New York, this would be it. Chic grays and blacks with white sheer curtains surrounded the enormous space. Outfitted with a sake bar, udon soup bar and treats galore, this was the perfect place to relax or get hopped up on sake before your flight. Our flight was called and I rushed to the aircraft: a brand new Boeing 777-300ER. Delicious.
I selected the bulkhead single aisle window seat amongst 65 business class seats on the plane. My own sphere of personal space was so inviting. The fully flat bed with ample work and storage space was superb. I stretched out and awaited the service. The menus were handed out along with plush blankets that double as a duvet sleeping bag. The food menu featured a lunch service, either Japanese or Western style, along with a plethora of snack items available all flight long including a cheese burger, udon, soups, salads, sushi, parfaits, ice cream and many much more. A restaurant in the sky. I watched a movie while I enjoyed my delicious lunch and then flattened out my enclave into a bedroom where I slept a full 8 hours.
We soon landed in New York. After flying home in business class, I have a new found love for ANA. Flying their premium class offers you the better looking flight attendants, delicious cuisines and Japanese service that makes flying that many hours a true delight. Thank you Mileage Plus and ANA. During my jaunt to Japan, I stayed true to my company’s slogan and mission statement: Live Your Indulgence.
Be sure to check out my photos of the trip including images of ANA’s beautiful aircraft here: http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10101018872188769.2956322.821181&type=1&l=670a5c664f