Review: Japan Airlines Business Class Tokyo to New York

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A while back, I managed to redeem my American Aadvantage miles to book a business class seat on a flight between Tokyo and New York JFK on Japan Airlines’ 787 Dreamliner.  With a total flight time of nearly 13 hours, I had a lot of time to enjoy the experience. Here’s how it went:

Flight Stats:

Seat: 2A
Carrier: JL 004
Route: Tokyo, JP to New York, US
Flight Time: 12 hours, 55 minutes

Departure Time: 6:30 p.m.
Arrival Time: 6:25 p.m.
Aircraft: Boeing 787-900

At the Airport:

Business class passengers queue up in a separate area.

JAL Business Class Check In

JAL Business Class Check In

At Narita, business class passengers have access to the Sakura lounge, which is identified on your boarding pass.

Sakura lounge

Sakura lounge

The lounge itself is spread over two floors: sitting area on the 1st floor, and dining on the 2nd floor. After checking out the area downstairs, I headed upstairs to get some food.

Japanese curry: one of my favorite dishes!

Japanese curry: one of my favorite dishes!

 

A while later, it was time to board. Here’s a view of the aircraft:

JL 004 NRT-JFK

JL 004 NRT-JFK

 

In-Flight Experience

Seating configuration on the flight in business class is in a 2-2-2 configuration. And here’s my seat!

JL004 Seat 2A

JL004 Seat 2A

 

I’m a pretty short guy (5’ 5’’) and my legs couldn’t even reach the foot rest!

Can't reach the foot rest!

Can’t reach the foot rest!

A view of my monitor. Nice and big!

Our route map

Our route map

 

 

Seat controls. More than I’ve ever seen on any flight!

JL004 seat controls

JL004 seat controls

The seat is definitely more than just a seat. In fact, Japan Airlines officially calls this their “SkySuite.”

Seat length

Seat length

Ready for take off!

Ready for takeoff!

Ready for takeoff!

For those sitting near the window, a sort of wall separates you and your neighbor, which made this seat particularly private.

JL004 seat dividers

JL004 seat dividers

 

For perspective, here’s how the business class section looks like.

JL004 business class section

JL004 business class section

When you’re ready for your bed to be made up, you can request turn-down service from the flight attendant. The padding JAL used was amazingly soft.

JL004 lie-flat seat

JL004 lie-flat seat

Another interesting aspect about flying with JAL was the bathrooms. Specifically, it was my first time seeing a bidet (or any option frankly) available on an airplane.

Toilet options on JL 004

Toilet options on JL 004

 

JAL Business Class Dining

Business class passengers had the option of going with either Japanese or Western cuisine. Here’s the menu.

JL004 Menu

JL004 Menu

 

 

 

JL004 page 1

JL004 page 1

JL menu food options

JL menu food options

 

 

I opted for the kobachi bowls as my appetizer. Here’s one of them:

JL004 Kobachi bowl

JL004 Kobachi bowl

 

 

I also thought this simple crane to rest your chopsticks was a nicely done touch. 

JL004 crane chopsticks holder

JL004 crane chopsticks holder

 

View from the Wing:

This was my first time traveling on a Dreamliner. One thing that I thought was interesting was how you raise and lower your window shades. Rather than a manual window shade, the Dreamliner had a button that gradually made the window opaque. I definitely thought that this was something different, and I’m not sure I quite like it. It’s a lot easier to simply pull up or down a shade rather than pressing a button.

JL004 Dreamliner window shade button

JL004 Dreamliner window shade button

 

A favorite part of flying between the US Northeast and East Asia is the wonderful scenery we got to fly over.

 

 

View of the Canadian Arctic

View of the Canadian Arctic

 

Frozen waters somewhere over Canada

Frozen waters somewhere over Canada

Overall

Japan Airlines Business Class Sky Suite was definitely a memorable and worthwhile experience. I’d highly recommend opting for a seat near window as it affords extra privacy. Overall I highly enjoyed this particular journey, and can’t wait to do it again!

A Decade on the Mainland: Five Things I Like About Living in the Northeast

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This month marks my tenth anniversary of living in the U.S. Northeast!! Hard to imagine that I moved to Philadelphia for college way back in July 2006, and moved down to DC for my first job in June 2010. As a kid from the West Coast (okay, far West Coast), I always imagined that at some point, I’d eventually move back closer to home, either all the way back to Hawaii or to California. Ten years later though, and I’m still loving it here in the Northeast! Here are the top 5 reasons why I absolutely love being out here in the Northeast:

#1: We have seasons!

A massive tree changing colors in Philadelphia's Washington Square Park.

A massive tree changing colors in Philadelphia’s Washington Square Park.

In Hawaii, we have two seasons: summer and winter. And really, the only noticeable difference between the two seasons is that it rains much more often during the winter in Hawaii.

Compare that with the four seasons that we have in the Northeast.

I’ll still remember the first time I saw snow: December 7th, 2006. It was my freshman year of university, and I had just finished my last afternoon class for the day. Walking back to the dorms, snowflakes started falling!! I had seen snow before then, but always from a distance. I’d never seen it falling from the sky, let alone touched it. Definitely an unforgettable feeling.

And it’s not just the snow during the winter that I enjoy.

I really do enjoy the culture that comes during each season. Endless outdoor activities during the summer, apple and pumpkin picking in the fall, holiday parties and drinking warm drinks in the winter, and seeing the trees and flowers bloom and come back to life in the Spring.

I admit that I really don’t like the humidity and heat during summers in the Northeast, but thankfully the gross weather lasts just only a few weeks in July and August. I’ll put up with that if it means I can experience the rest of the seasons!

#2: It’s so easy to travel around the Northeast!

Flying over Central Park en route to La Guardia. Thank you British Airways Avios points for making flying to NYC a viable option.

Flying over Central Park en route to La Guardia. Thank you British Airways Avios points for making flying to NYC a viable option.

One thing that I absolutely did not like about Hawaii is that it was so expensive to travel inter-island, let alone traveling to the U.S. mainland or anywhere outside of Hawaii. Spending $200 on a 30 minute flight is certainly not uncommon in Hawaii.

Contrast that with traveling between cities or exploring other parts of the Northeast. First off, the sheer variety of options you have to travel in the Northeast is unparalleled to any other region of the U.S. Whether by driving yourself, taking a bus, riding Amtrak, or catching a flight, there are a ton of options for getting around in the Northeast. Best part of all is that it’s pretty affordable to.

For as little as $1, I can travel to pretty much any city that Megabus goes to from DC. Or, if I’m willing to live a little, tickets from DC to NYC on Amtrak, when booked far in advance, cost just $49 one way, not bad for a 3.5 hour journey (and a great way to avoid the traffic on 95). For example, even though I’ve never lived in New York, I’ve probably visited the city at least two dozen times since I moved to the Northeast a decade ago. I would’ve never imagined I’d be visiting New York that many times when I first moved to the Northeast.

#3: There’s so much to see and do, and if you’re ever bored, there’s another city to explore!

Watching Ariana Grande in Concert at Philadelphia, Wells Fargo Center.

Watching Ariana Grande in Concert at Philadelphia, Wells Fargo Center.

I think those of that live in the DC area are seriously spoiled with the sheer number of activities we can do in the city, that are unique to DC. From exploring the EU during embassy day, or doing something offbeat, there’s so much to do just in the DC metro area.

I’m a big fan of music, and one thing that I hated about living in Hawaii was that few bands ever visited Hawaii, for obvious reasons. In the Northeast however, pretty much any artist will have a stop in any of the cities from DC to Boston. I’ve driven up to Philadelphia to see one of my favorite singers, Ariana Grande (!), went to New York to see my favorite DJ Armin van Buuren perform, and have gone to Baltimore to see Justin Timberlake in concert. Simple day trips that living in Hawaii would’ve never been possible.

#4: We have public transportation systems that are actually a viable means of getting around.

At just $7.75 each way, the fastest, affordable and relaxing way to get to midtown from JFK is on the Long Island Railroad (LIRR).

At just $7.75 each way, the fastest, affordable and relaxing way to get to midtown from JFK is on the Long Island Railroad (LIRR).

The first time that I ever rode on a subway was way back in the Spring of 2002. I had gotten 2nd place during Hawaii’s National History Day Competition, and I was eligible to go to DC for the National Competition, which was being held at the University of Maryland College Park. During that week at UMCP, my family and I rode the subway from College Park to the Smithsonian to tour all the monuments. I remembered everything about that first ride: waiting on the platform for the train to arrive, shuffling onto the subway, trying to “surf” the subway while it was in motion, and looking at the metro map and being amazed by all the places I could go on the subway.

Fast forward ten years and I’ve pretty much used all of the public transportation systems in the Northeast: Boston’s T; New York’s MTA, LIRR and NJ Transit; Philadelphia’s SEPTA and Regional Rail, and DC’s Metro. Each system not only has an extensive rail network, but has an even broader bus network that is fairly simple to follow. Yes, I know that people have died using the Washington Metro, and personally I feel like the DC metro has gotten considerably bad and unreliable when I first moved here in 2010, but I still appreciate the fact that if I ever had to get rid of my car, getting around by public transportation wouldn’t be completely unfeasible.

#5: My life is here.

My humble apartment in Arlington, Virginia, where I've lived for the past five years!

My humble apartment in Arlington, Virginia, where I’ve lived for the past five years!

Probably the biggest reason why I like the Northeast is that my life truly is here. Although I was born and grew up in Hawaii, I’ve spent significant time (defined as more than three months) in Boston, Philadelphia, DC, Shanghai, Tokyo and Taipei. In each city that I lived in, one of the central themes that kept coming back to me was that people (aka your friends and family) truly make a place home. Having gone to college in Philly, I still have a number of close college friends living along the Northeast that I still see fairly regularly. Something that I wouldn’t be able to do if I lived in another part of the country.

When I moved to DC, I literally knew nobody. Fast forward six years and I’ve cobbled together a professional and personal life that I truly feel would’ve never been so awesome if it weren’t for the people that I’ve met and befriended along the way. As much as I’ve considered moving to another city, my ties to DC, to the Northeast, are an aspect of life that I’m not yet ready to give up on.

Summary:

When I first moved to the Northeast ten years ago, I would’ve never imagined that I’d still be here. Along the way, I discovered so many unique aspects of this part of the country that I still appreciate. But above all, what’s gotten me to stay and make this place truly feel like home are the friends whom I’ve met along the way. Thank you for making this west-coaster feel at home in the Northeast!

Three Days in Toronto

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Heading to Toronto for the first time? Here are my suggestions on how to spend three days in and around Toronto.

Take in the views at the CN Tower

Visiting the CN Tower was one of the first things I did on my trip to Toronto, but at $45 for an adult ticket, the ticket may be expensive for some. If you go, you’ll need to book your ticket a minimum of 24 hours prior to your visit. If I had to do it over again, I’d try to time my visit up the tower to be around sunset.

Downtown Toronto from the CN Tower

Downtown Toronto from the CN Tower

Toronto Harbour from CN Tower

Toronto Harbour from CN Tower

At the CN Tower

At the CN Tower

Tour a Brewery

Located right next to the CN Tower, the Steam Whistle Brewery. For $15, you’ll get a tour of the brewery and a souvenir of your choice.

Steam Whistle Brewery

Steam Whistle Brewery

Tour of the brewery

Tour of the brewery

Learn about Toronto’s history and architecture at Casa Loma.

I’m a huge lover of history and architecture. Although a relatively young city compared to cities in say Western Europe or parts of Asia, Toronto’s Casa Loma provides a great introduction to how the city of Toronto developed during the 19th and 20th century.

View of Casa Loma

Flags inside Casa Loma

Flags inside Casa Loma

Discover Toronto’s Neighborhoods

Toronto is a city of neighborhoods. And given that it’s a relatively flat city, it’s really easy to walk around this city without feeling overly bogged down by climbing up and down steep hills. During my visit to Toronto I mostly explored the neighborhoods around my hostel.

Poutine in West Bloor Village

Poutine in West Bloor Village

Street art in Toronto

Street art in Toronto

Visit St. Lawrence Market.

Whenever I visit a new city, as much as possible I’ll try to visit a city’s main local market to get a glimpse of everyday life. Main markets have a tendency to be a little touristy, so I’ll also try to see if there’s a local neighborhood farmers market near wherever I’m staying. During my visit to Toronto, I visited the St. Lawrence Market. It’s huge!

While there definitely were a fair bit of tourists, it also seemed like a lot of locals were at the market that day.

Entrance to St. Lawrence Market.

Entrance to St. Lawrence Market.

The market was voted as the number one food market in the world by National Geographic!

The market was voted as the number one food market in the world by National Geographic!

Black Rice at St. Lawrence Market

Black Rice at St. Lawrence Market

Delicious Canadian Bacon sandwich at the market!

Delicious Canadian Bacon sandwich at the market!

Visit Niagara Falls

One of the great things about Toronto is how close it is to get to Niagara Falls from the city! I’ve always wanted to visit Niagara, and the Falls is just a quick 90 minute drive from downtown. Check out this great resource on how to get to Niagara Falls: How to Get to Niagara Falls.

Rainbow at Niagara Falls

Rainbow at Niagara Falls

At Niagara Falls

At Niagara Falls

Check out the largest Chinese Mall in North America:  Pacific Mall

The Greater Toronto Area is home to Canada’s largest concentration of Chinese Canadians. Over in Markham, a suburb of Toronto, sits the Pacific Mall, the largest Chinese Indoor Mall in North America. Visiting this mall truly feels like you’re back in the endless maze of shops throughout Hong Kong. You’ll find pretty much everything you can imagine at this mall.

Entrance to Pacific Mall

Entrance to Pacific Mall

Mango Boba at Pacific Mall!!

Mango Boba at Pacific Mall!!

Markham is about a 30 minute drive from downtown Toronto.

Best Views of the City:

Unlike Chicago’s skyline that runs along Lake Michigan, Toronto’s skyline runs perpendicular to Lake Erie. For the best views of Toronto, I’d recommend going out on the water and exploring Toronto’s Islands. The view from Billy Bishop Airport is also pretty amazing!

View of Toronto from Billy Bishop Airport.

View of Toronto from Billy Bishop Airport.

View of Toronto from Casa Loma

View of Toronto from Casa Loma

Where to Stay:

Toronto has a range of accommodations to choose from. For those on a budget, I’d highly recommend staying at Planet Traveler. Located near the University of Toronto, the hostel is a short 10 minute walk to the Queen’s Park subway station, and is near a bunch of different neighborhoods worth exploring, including Little Italy and Chinatown.

Planet Traveler Toronto

Planet Traveler Toronto

Get Around:

If you’re looking to just stay in the city, Toronto has an extensive public transport system that’s pretty easy to use. If however you’re looking to head out to Niagara Falls and explore Toronto’s suburbs, you’ll need to get rent a car.

Toronto's streetcar network is one of the most extensive in North America.

Toronto’s streetcar network is one of the most extensive in North America.

How to Get There:

Toronto is serviced by two airports: Toronto Pearson, located in the nearby suburb of Mississauga, and Toronto Billy Bishop, located in Toronto Harbour and just a few minutes drive from downtown. Billy Bishop is serviced solely by Porter Airlines; all other airlines fly through Pearson. Toronto is just a quick 90 minute flight from most of the US. East Coast. Billy Bishop Airport.

 

If you live in a city that Porter services, I'd highly recommend flying Porter! Great service, and gets you right into the heart of Toronto!

If you live in a city that Porter services, I’d highly recommend flying Porter! Great service, and gets you right into the heart of Toronto!

3 Things I Wish I Knew at 18 to Travel More

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This month I celebrated my 28th birthday, and next month marks my 10th anniversary of leaving Hawaii for the U.S. mainland. One of my biggest goals when leaving the islands was to travel more. And well, I can honestly say that I’ve traveled more in the past 10 years than I ever would’ve imagined. Looking back on this past decade, if I could have done it over again, here are the three things that I wish I knew before I started traveling:

Go to a cheaper school.

With my parents at my college graduation.

With my parents at my college graduation.

If I could have done it over again, I would have gone to a university that, while may have not been my dream school, would’ve left me with a lot less debt.

For most of my middle and high school years, I had always wanted to go to one school: the University of Pennsylvania. It was my dream school for years, and as a kid growing up in a working class family in Hawaii, strongly felt that attending a top tier university on the east coast was my ticket to, well, essentially everything.

As luck would have it, I ended up getting into my dream school. I had an amazing four years at Penn, but left college with about $85,000 in student loan debt.

And at 22, that kind of debt is crushing. When I graduated I felt compelled to tackle that debt as quickly as possible. Travel really didn’t feel like an option, nor really doing anything that wasn’t remotely lucrative. Feeling financially constrained is no joke, and is a big reason why I’ve spent most of my twenties living in a living room to free up as much money as possible to pay down my loans while still having money for travel. If I had gone to a cheaper school, student debt and feeling constrained would be much less of an issue.

Take a gap year, consider even taking two gap years!

My student ID card at National Taiwan University (Taida).

My student ID card at National Taiwan University (Taida). I took a “gap semester” between jobs after college graduation. Best decision ever!

If I could have done it over again, I would’ve taken a gap year between high school and college, and again during my college career.

When I first learned about the concept of a gap year, I honestly felt like doing something like that was really only for privileged folks that could rely on their parents to pay for their travel experiences. Fast forward ten years later, and the truth is, gap years can be as cheap or as expensive as you’d like, and there are many ways where you can do a gap year for free. It might not seem typical, and some might even call the experience frivolous, but there are a ton of volunteer and fellowship opportunities abroad that are available for high school and college students that can pay for your travels.

Get a work holiday visa.

At one of my favorite spots in all of Sydney: Jeffrey Wharf!

At one of my favorite spots in all of Sydney: Jeffrey Wharf!

There are five countries around the world that grant work holiday visas to U.S. citizens: Australia, Ireland, Korea, Singapore and New Zealand. Although each country has different policies regarding eligibility for U.S. citizens, the work holiday visa enables holders to stay in a country for an extended period of time, generally for one year, to legally work and earn money in the country. Below is a table of requirements by country:

Work Holiday Requirements

Country

Duration

Age

Australia

12 months max

18-30 years old

Ireland

12 months max

Current post-secondary or graduated in past year

Korea

18 months max

18-30 years old and be either a current post-secondary or graduated in past year


New Zealand

12 months max, 18 months for those in agriculture

18-30 years old

Singapore

6 months max

18 – 25 years old

If I had graduated with more manageable student loan debt, after college I would’ve applied for a work holiday visa to begin my career in either Singapore or Australia!