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Links to the actual TR

Part 1: Planning
Part 2: LAX-NRT
Part 3: Transiting NRT
Part 4: NRT-SIN
Part 5: Day 1 in Singapore
Part 6: Day 2 in SIN, Shabbos
Part 7: Day 3 in SIN
Part 8: Day 4 in SIN
Part 9: Day 1 in PEK
Part 10: Day 2 in PEK
Part 11: Day 1 in HKG
Part 12: Day 2 in HKG
Part 13: Day 3 in HKG, Shabbos
Part 14: Day 4 in HKG, flight to HND
Part 15: Tokyo; flight home

Author Topic: Yehoshua's Singapore, Beijing, Hong Kong and Tokyo TR: Flying Solo  (Read 78324 times)

Offline Yehoshua

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Pre-Trip Planning Posted from the ANA F lounge in NRT

I started planning this trip quite a few months ago, 8 months ago actually, as seems to be the norm for me.  I planned the trip specifically for this time of year to coincide with my wife’s winter break. As a teacher, all of our trips either need to be during the summer or winter break.

Most of the time I’ve booked travel so far out I haven’t had any problems. This time I had 2, one big and one small.  The small problem had to do with a mistake on my part: I accidentally reserved seats for the wrong week. This problem was easily fixed however. With a bit of rearranging and $20 in fees to SQ to change our flight I got everything straightened out.

Now for the bigger problem: about 2 months after I booked the trip, while vacationing in London in July, we found out my wife was pregnant. Mazal Tov!!

“Ok,” I thought to myself, “It’s not that big of deal; people fly pregnant all the time.” Oh was I wrong.

About a month later, towards the end of August, the doctor told us that my DW would not be allowed to fly after, get this, January 20, 2016, the exact date we were supposed to depart on our trip. Yikes!

This left me with 2 choices: cancel the trip and try to plan it for the following winter with a baby (we want to avoid Hong Kong in the humid summer) or go solo.  After much deliberation I finally decided to go solo at the end of October when, thanks to a friend’s Hyatt Diamond account, I booked hotels—but I’m getting ahead of myself.

To minimize the amount of scrolling you have to do, I’ll just say that thanks to so doctors notes and some really nice CSRs at AC, AA, and SQ, I was able to cancel DW’s tickets fee-free.

This was the final routing, airline/cabin, aircraft, costs, and how I booked:

LAX-(NRT)-SIN, SQ F, A380, 91,375 SQ (from MR)+$288.65, booked with SQ online to get the 15% discount.
SIN-PEK-HKG, 30k AC (from MR)+$40.40, booked with AC online
   SIN-PEK, CA J, A333
   PEK-HKG, CA J A320 (originally B777 but was downgraded)
HKG-HND//NRT-LAX, 67.5k AA+$27.90, booked with AA over the phone
   HKG-HND, CX F, B747-400
   NRT-LAX, JL F, B777



For hotels:
SIN: 3 nights at the Grand Hyatt for 20k/night (60k total)
PEK: 1 night at the Park Hyatt for 20k
HKG: 2 nights at the Hyatt Regency TST using 2 anniversary nights, 2 night at the Sheraton for 12k/night
TYO: 1 night at the Andaz for 25k (Gasp! “You didn’t choose the Parky Hyatt Tokyo?!,” you exclaim. “No,” I answer, “I didn't chose the outdated PH over the modern and more centrally located Andaz.”

Enough chitchat, time for the TR:
Sorry, flight details will have to wait until later
« Last Edit: January 25, 2016, 10:24:42 AM by jj1000 »

Offline benjie1305

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Re: Yehoshua's Singapore, Beijing, Honk Kong and Tokyo TR: Flying Solo
« Reply #1 on: January 21, 2016, 06:15:41 AM »
Here we go..

Have fun and TR (used as a verb here) later!
Work hard, Play harder!

Offline Emkay

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Re: Yehoshua's Singapore, Beijing, Honk Kong and Tokyo TR: Flying Solo
« Reply #2 on: January 21, 2016, 06:18:57 AM »
I would have likely still gone with wife.....

Offline Yehoshua

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Re: Yehoshua's Singapore, Beijing, Honk Kong and Tokyo TR: Flying Solo
« Reply #3 on: January 21, 2016, 06:40:36 AM »
I would have likely still gone with wife.....
I guess your wife feels differently than mine.

Offline @Yehuda

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Re: Yehoshua's Singapore, Beijing, Honk Kong and Tokyo TR: Flying Solo
« Reply #4 on: January 21, 2016, 06:53:49 AM »
Enjoy!!
I would have likely still gone with wife.....
I guess your wife feels differently than mine.
Was going to say perhaps it wasn't his decision. ::)

Offline 12HRS

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Re: Yehoshua's Singapore, Beijing, Honk Kong and Tokyo TR: Flying Solo
« Reply #5 on: January 21, 2016, 07:43:01 AM »
B'sha Tova!

Offline Mech

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Re: Yehoshua's Singapore, Beijing, Honk Kong and Tokyo TR: Flying Solo
« Reply #6 on: January 21, 2016, 08:42:25 AM »
Wow! Can't believe you convinced your DW to let you go solo!

Offline Denverite

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Re: Yehoshua's Singapore, Beijing, Honk Kong and Tokyo TR: Flying Solo
« Reply #7 on: January 21, 2016, 08:49:56 AM »
Enjoy!  Looking forward to updates.

Offline shauly

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Re: Yehoshua's Singapore, Beijing, Honk Kong and Tokyo TR: Flying Solo
« Reply #8 on: January 21, 2016, 09:27:34 AM »
Wow! Can't believe you convinced your DW to let you go solo!

+1, no way I could have gotten away with that. Looking forward to the whole thing!  :)

Offline E-MAN

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Re: Yehoshua's Singapore, Beijing, Honk Kong and Tokyo TR: Flying Solo
« Reply #9 on: January 21, 2016, 11:51:56 AM »
Looking forward to the rest! Enjoy the trip

Offline @Yehuda

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Re: Yehoshua's Singapore, Beijing, Honk Kong and Tokyo TR: Flying Solo
« Reply #10 on: January 21, 2016, 02:47:42 PM »
Haha just noticed the title, "Honk Kong." Paging a mod.

Offline benjie1305

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Re: Yehoshua's Singapore, Beijing, Honk Kong and Tokyo TR: Flying Solo
« Reply #11 on: January 21, 2016, 03:00:35 PM »
Haha just noticed the title, "Honk Kong." Paging a mod.

Wow! I think that disqualifies the TR. Mods - delete it.
Work hard, Play harder!

Offline David Smith

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Re: Yehoshua's Singapore, Beijing, Honk Kong and Tokyo TR: Flying Solo
« Reply #12 on: January 21, 2016, 03:04:07 PM »
Haha just noticed the title, "Honk Kong." Paging a mod.
Swipe keyboards are a killer.
Who do you think you are fooling? You think you are going to pull a quick one on your Creator? Good luck with that.
JTZ

Offline Yehoshua

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Re: Yehoshua's Singapore, Beijing, Honk Kong and Tokyo TR: Flying Solo
« Reply #13 on: January 21, 2016, 03:10:18 PM »
B'sha Tova!
Thanks
Wow! Can't believe you convinced your DW to let you go solo!

+1, no way I could have gotten away with that. Looking forward to the whole thing!  :)
BH, she let me go without any issues. I'm really lucky.

Offline Yehoshua

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Re: Yehoshua's Singapore, Beijing, Honk Kong and Tokyo TR: Flying Solo
« Reply #14 on: January 21, 2016, 03:10:50 PM »
Haha just noticed the title, "Honk Kong." Paging a mod.

Wow! I think that disqualifies the TR. Mods - delete it.
Lol
Swipe keyboards are a killer.
+1

Offline @Yehuda

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Re: Yehoshua's Singapore, Beijing, Honk Kong and Tokyo TR: Flying Solo
« Reply #15 on: January 21, 2016, 03:12:32 PM »
Swipe keyboards are a killer.
+1
You wrote this post on your phone!? Or... you have a swipe keyboard on your computer!?

Offline Yehoshua

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Re: Yehoshua's Singapore, Beijing, Honk Kong and Tokyo TR: Flying Solo
« Reply #16 on: January 21, 2016, 03:17:07 PM »
You wrote this post on your phone!? Or... you have a swipe keyboard on your computer!?
No I typed it at 3am on a computer, but that doesn't change the fact that swype is still annoying at times.  ;)

Offline @Yehuda

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Re: Yehoshua's Singapore, Beijing, Honk Kong and Tokyo TR: Flying Solo
« Reply #17 on: January 21, 2016, 03:19:09 PM »
It wasn't 3AM where you were.

Offline Yehoshua

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Re: Yehoshua's Singapore, Beijing, Honk Kong and Tokyo TR: Flying Solo
« Reply #18 on: January 21, 2016, 03:19:37 PM »
It wasn't 3AM where you were.
True, but it is 4am where I am now.

Offline Yehoshua

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Re: Yehoshua's Singapore, Beijing, Hong Kong and Tokyo TR: Flying Solo
« Reply #19 on: January 25, 2016, 09:59:11 AM »
Wednesday, January 20, 2016: LAX-(NRT)-SIN
I left work mid-day, went home and Ubered to LAX. I arrived about 1:50 before the flight. I’d been to the Star Alliance lounge before and didn’t feel the need to arrive any earlier to experience it again. I had about 25 mintues in the lounge which I spent on the outdoor terrace speaking to a Christian guy about why I don’t wear my tzitzis out. Go figure.

Boarding was announced and I made my way down to gate 148 for my first ever trip in F and on an A380. Wow is she a beautiful bird.



One thing I can say with certainty is that the service in SQ F is like no other service I’ve yet to experience. From the moment I started walking down the Suites jet bridge and all throughout the flight I was addressed by name. The flight attendants were supper attentive, coming by periodically to check on me.

We left a few minutes late and had a smooth takeoff.


Some planes we taxied passed at TBIT


Take off from LAX

About 45 minutes later we were served our first mean (I called it lunch, I think they officially called it dinner). I had requested a KSVML (a kosher vegetarian meal for those not familiar with the acronym), the only airline I know of that allows you do so. It was catered by Emuna, a local (LA) caterer and was quite good.


First course


Main course: Vegetarian Stuffed Peppers

Since this was a daytime/westbound flight, I spent the flight both relaxing and working. I also asked for a tour of the upper deck, and the flight attendant was kind enough to oblige. After a short nap and another KSVML we were landing in NRT.


More food


While the picture may not the best, the Falafel Wrap was quite good


Just when I was full they brought out the main course: Pasta with Marinara Sauce (no cheese)


Welcome to Japan!