Family trip to Japan - Tokyo and ski adventure

[QF WP]

So this Trip Report comes from my initial questions thread about travel to Japan. Whilst I’m going to add to that thread with answers to some questions for others travelling to Japan, this thread needs to have a beginning.

So this thread starts with waking up yesterday morning, early. 6am. With an 8.40am flight (first of two), we had to get our kids up. Anyone with a 15 yo son or a 17 yo daughter on holidays, knows how hard that was going to be. Whilst we’d packed the night before, there’s still putting in the final bits - toiletries, etc. Then packing our electronics after an overnight charge.

Off to the airport - with an 11 day trip, we’d found that parking at the airport was going to suit us. With 4 bags and 4 carry ons, we decided that parking at the airport was the best option. Only $209 using Park n Fly. We arrived and parked, an attendant was there and knew my name after scanning our licence plate. He advised us to drop the keys at the office and after getting a ticket for our car, we started the walk to the Virgin terminal.

Inside, we went through the Platinum check-in line and gave the CSA my card and our passports, as this was the first leg of our two flights today. This allowed him to process the boarding g passes for our BNE/CNS flight. My kids love two things about me - my Platinum status gets us Ecomony X seats and access to the Lounge.

We then walked out of the terminal and joined the security line - hugging the RHS wall for the elite status and going through the normal rigmarole of taking off boots, belts and mobiles. My wife had the most trouble. Once we were all cleared, the short walk to the VA Lounge, having my boarding pass scanned and we were in.

After finding a table, my kids went to get breakfast - they loved it in the Lounge.

It wasn’t long before we’d had seconds and our flight was called. Off to Gate 43, checking walk up the pod and to the status line. Straight on with the CSA and CM giving effusive thanks for the sleeve of 5 Ferraro Rocher chocolates that I gave them,

It was an uneventful flight to CNS and we even arrived early. Then a first for me, transitting from Domestic to International.

 

[I love to travel]

So this Trip Report comes from my initial questions thread about travel to Japan. Whilst I’m going to add to that thread with answers to some questions.

But this thread starts with waking up yesterday morning, early. 6am. With an 8.40am flight (first of two), we had to get our kids up. Anyone with a 15 yo son or a 17 yo daughter on holidays, knows how hard that was going to be. Whilst we’d packed the night before, there’s still putting in the final bits - toiletries, etc. Then packing our electronics after an overnight charge.

Off to the airport - with an 11 day trip, we’d found that parking at the airport was going to suit us. With 4 bags and 4 carry ons, we decided that parking at the airport was the best option. Only $209 using Park n Fly. We arrived and parked, an attendant was there and knew my name after scanning our licence plate. He advised us to drop the keys at the office and we started the walk to the Virgin terminal.

Inside, we went through the Platinum line and have the CSA my card and our passports, as this was the first leg of our two flights today. This allowed him to process the boarding g passes for our BNE/CNS flight. My kids love two things about me - my Platinum status gets us Ecomony X seats and access to the Lounge.

We then walked out of the terminal and joined the security line - hugging the RHS wall for the elite status and going through the normal rigmarole of taking off boots, belts and mobiles. My wife had the most trouble. Once we were all cleared, the short walk to the VA Lounge, having my boarding pass scanned and we were in.

After finding a table, my kids went to get breakfast - they loved it in the Lounge.

It wasn’t long before we’d had seconds and our flight was called. Off to Gate 43, checking walk up the pod and to the status line. Straight on with the CSA and CM giving effusive thanks for the sleeve of 5 Ferraro Rocher chocolates that I gave them,

It was an uneventful flight to CNS and we even arrived early. Then a first for me, transitting from Domestic to International.

Hope you have a great time

 

[QF WP]

Exiting the Domestic Terminal, we followed the blue line to the international terminal,





getting up close to the ATC tower



and stopping to get some ¥ in the terminal, before going back upstairs to go through to Immigration (using the kiosk to scan our passports - breeze compared with the old paper based card), then security again - so with our experience already this morning, it was a breeze.

To say that airside at Cairns International is underwhelming, sadly is correct. There is an open area and Gates to the left and right. We were hungry by now, having only tea and some snacks that we’d bought from home on board the domestic flight. What a rout, the most expensive lunch I’ve ever had - just under $100 for 4.

Whilst we waited, I was approached by a CA VSA and she checked our passports early, marking the BO’s to allow for quicker entry at the Gate. Here I thought it was a Platinum service, sadly no but it did help the boarding process.

Our chariot awaits:



On we got and again I gave some FR’s - a bigger box given the long 7hr 45min sector.

This flight was full of families - my kids got to sit in Row 3 and it ended up my wife was sitting in Row 4 on the left without any seat mates, so I moved from across the aisle to join her once the seatbelt sign was switched off.

My kids took some photos in cruise:







and we flew into the night:

 

[QF WP]

Arriving into Haneda, it was an interesting final flight path as we got to see all the other runways and other flights taking off.

Whilst the pilots didn’t grease the landing, the had the reversers on quickly and taxied to the Gate.



They gave us the furthest gate from C&I, so the long trudge there started. At least they have moving walkways to reduce the number of steps.

So we joined the long line of pax coming into Japan.





We had a driver waiting for us, so I was keeping him abreast of our situation:



Well that was a bit of an issue, but the line was continuously moving until we got to the front line greeter and I showed her my printed out QR code and passports.

“No, no, no there are 4 of you and only 1 QR code. You need one for every person.”

WTF?? I hadn’t been emailed any more, yet I had completed the online form for all 4 of us. I had thought it was all incorporated in my QR code. I was wrong

We were re-directed to a table for the rest of my family to complete the paper firm - thankfully it was in English and Japanese. Not what we needed with 20 minutes left on the timer for our driver

They completed their forms and we re-joined the line. Finally, we made it to the front in front of a bank of machines (I surreptitiously took this photo on leaving in case so got into trouble). The operator took our passports and using two machines, he processed us, getting us to put our index fingers to electronically ID us. Immigration done but not without issues



Then we joined the line to be processed again. Customs this time. We went up as a family, however the male Customs agent told us it was only one by one. So I went first, and saw a Virgin CSA walking past with a sign with our flight number on it, so after I was processed, I tracked her down to find our bags and set them up for when my family came through.

I texted our driver:



So we walked towards the Quarantine table, unsure of whether needed to do next. So I had my QR code and our passports ready, but I was intercepted by an official uniformed lady who asked my for my QR Code and that we could complete everything through her kiosk. So we tapped English when asked and I confirmed all the answers to the questions were “no”. Then she waved me through and we raced through the doors into the arrivals hall, looking for our driver. Lots of people standing there with name boards, but none mine - as we had to head to the Information desk as he had asked.

We met him with 5 mins to spare.

He then took us down to the carousel and went to get the car:



Out we went into the Haneda night. Firstly to the exit point:



The nearest hotel to HND (in case anyone ever needs to know):



Back around the airport and strangle, we went back under the concourse where we had walked from the plane:



For the next 30 mins, we drove north from the airport, past all the wharves, along various freeways into the night….

 

[QF WP]

It was a relief when I saw the front sign saying we had arrived at our destination for the night:





We were dropped at the front door, thanked
our driver for getting us here safely and almost ran inside, it was so cold outside



Great, turning left it was easy to see where I needed to go:



So I walked up there whilst my wife and kids went to sit down and joined the correct line:



However I’d have preferred to head to this private area behind me:





So I waited patiently with my booking details and explained in my basic Japanese that I don’t speak Japanese so the Front Desk clerk moved to English. We went through the booking details, he typed away and issued our door keys and I went back to my family and our luggage. Time to head up to bed:



We got into our room:





Our bathroom including a toilet with a bidet:



with an interesting view out the window:

 

[QF WP]

We were hungry so straight into the App on the in room menu. Not the cheapest, but we needed to eat:



It took right on 40 minutes to arrive so we were able to start unpacking and organizing ourselves for tomorrow. We got the knock on the door and in came this feast (one late had already been taken before so took the photo - have to be quick around my family):



We had also noted the vending machine on our floor, with prices much cheaper than the in-room menu:



We ate and chatted about our day, before sleep beckoned:

 

[QF WP]

We woke up to a frosty cold morning outside with condensation on the inside of our door. My daughter thought it was hilarious to add a comment:



and upon opening the door, we had a surprisingly good view:

Looking east away from Tokyo:



Looking back towards Haneda (and yes, there were already planes landing):



The hotel has its own chapel:



So off to the breakfast venue to fuel up for a big day of walking. This disc for when we are still eating:



but firstly I needed to see whether our flights had posted on my account (my kids family pool to me):



and that meant my renewal was done for the year:



The Grand Cafe had the grandeur:







and the prices to back it up (thankfully had a 10% off buffet rate to reduce the pain, but it was like a Panadeine for a migraine:



So we switched discs



and went up to plan our day…