The Castle

[Flyfrequently]

Access denied

Our three days in Manila were mostly spent in the pool or napping in the suite.

The hotel was chosen as a bit of a treat for the family.

The rest of our trip is in far more modest digs.

In my first year as Accor Platinum, we were also keen to try the well-regarded executive lounge.

On our first full day when we tried to access the lounge, we were denied entry with Miss H.

The lounge staff claimed children were not permitted.

I showed staff the published terms on the Accor website, but they wouldn’t budge.

View attachment 350814

At reception I spoke with the duty manager.

She also wouldn’t budge and produced this price list, claiming the last line to be evidence of the no-children policy.

View attachment 350815

Instead, she offered to book us a table at the downstairs bar and provide snacks.

Sadly, this wasn’t even close to comparable with the full buffet offered in Club Millesime.

It was a major failure for a property claiming five-star status to deny a clearly published benefit.

But the disappointment continued with service at the bar incredibly slow and in no way 5 star.

It was almost comical at times.

I ordered a red wine and watched as our waiter walked through reception, stepped into the lift and disappeared.

He reappeared soon after with a half empty bottle of red wine, presumably from Club Millesime.

Strangely the very same wine was offered on the wine list at the downstairs bar.

To his credit, the waiter acknowledged the slow service and offered warm rolls with butter as an apology.

But I suspect this wasn’t the first outing for this dish of butter.

Guest at other tables received neat, round circles.

Ours was a hacked at, half-circle, covered with baking paper.

View attachment 350816

View attachment 350817

Service for all three days at the downstairs bar was patchy.

Finger food was presented high-tea style and Miss H certainly enjoyed the treats, though it was clear these had also been gathered from the lounge.

Dry bread for the cheese sandwiches was the giveaway.

View attachment 350818

The room, pool and breakfast were all terrific.

This should have been a phenomenal stay.

However, stubborn and argumentative staff in both the lounge and at the front desk, let the hotel down badly.

Sofitel Philippine Plaza is now top if my do not stay list.

Such a shame that the staff were so rigid in their interpretation of the "rules" @Captain Halliday and whoa that butter!

IIRC reading another AFFer had a similar experience and wrote to Accor and was given points as apology, worth the effort?

 

[Captain Halliday]

Manila to Tokyo

In contrast to our midnight drive to the hotel, our return to Manila airport around 6:30am on a Sunday morning was a breeze.

Check-in and security were straightforward, though Mrs H and me both had our small deodorant confiscated.

They were within the size limit but deemed flammable by security and lobbed basketball style into a bin with hundreds of others.

In a coincidence that will surprise no-one, the first shop we passed after security had a prominent display of over-priced deodorant.

JAL use a contract lounge in Manila.

It was small and offered a limited range.

UHT juice and milk, a push-button coffee machine and limited range of tea.

Food included pre-packed ham and cheese sandwiches, cereal, a beef curry with rice, and cup noodles with a zip boil tap.

Our aircraft for the sector was JA838J, a Boeing 787-8.



I’d selected 1A.



With the divider up, the seat offers good privacy.

You can’t see any other passengers.

However, accessing to the seat between the two small shelves is tight and may be a challenge for some people.



This seat also has fewer storage compartments than other seats in the business cabin.

The aircraft was wifi enabled, but making it work was beyond my limited technical capabilities.

We departed Manila in far better weather than our arrival, though a temperature inversion had the city blanketed in smog.



Off the coast, the smog gave way to a nice view of the islands and reefs just east of the Philippine capital.



As the cabin service commenced, Miss H set about making new friends.

 

[exceladdict]

Manila to Tokyo

In contrast to our midnight drive to the hotel, our return to Manila airport around 6:30am on a Sunday morning was a breeze.

Check-in and security were straightforward, though Mrs H and me both had our small deodorant confiscated.

They were within the size limit but deemed flammable by security and lobbed basketball style into a bin with hundreds of others.

In a coincidence that will surprise no-one, the first shop we passed after security had a prominent display of over-priced deodorant.

JAL use a contract lounge in Manila.

It was small and offered a limited range.

UHT juice and milk, a push-button coffee machine and limited range of tea.

Food included pre-packed ham and cheese sandwiches, cereal, a beef curry with rice, and cup noodles with a zip boil tap.

Our aircraft for the sector was JA838J, a Boeing 787-8.

View attachment 350982

I’d selected 1A.

View attachment 350983

With the divider up, the seat offers good privacy.

You can’t see any other passengers.

However, accessing to the seat between the two small shelves is tight and may be a challenge for some people.

View attachment 350984

This seat also has fewer storage compartments than other seats in the business cabin.

The aircraft was wifi enabled, but making it work was beyond my limited technical capabilities.

We departed Manila in far better weather than our arrival, though a temperature inversion had the city blanketed in smog.

View attachment 350985

Off the coast, the smog gave way to a nice view of the islands and reefs just east of the Philippine capital.

View attachment 350986

As the cabin service commenced, Miss H set about making new friends.

I lost my small deo ex mnl earlier this year too! Also found the mango in the departures area more expensive than palatable.

 

[ellen10]

We are flying JAL un J early next year.
What is your impression of the J experience? Do you get a blanket?

 

[Captain Halliday]

We are flying JAL un J early next year.
What is your impression of the J experience? Do you get a blanket?

Food and service will be in the next post when I get to it tomorrow.

In my pic above, you can see on the seat amenities provided. Headphones and slippers are obvious.

Perhaps less clear is the light blanket underneath (black blanket wrapped in plastic).

Before take off crew also walk through the cabin offering cardigans. It’s a JAL thing.

They’re grey or black button up cardigans.

Ours was a day flight so blanket and cardigans not required, but available if you really want to sweat it out.

 

[ellen10]

Great info thanks @Captain Halliday . We have a few flights. The first one an overnighter.
I am enjoying your trip report

 

[Captain Halliday]

Hiragana homework

Miss H had a Japanese exam scheduled for the day after we returned to Australia so she was keen to make the most of her JAL flight and brief time in Tokyo to practice.

We let her take the lead on interactions with the crew, including selecting the meals.









From these menus, Miss H selected the Japanese menu for herself.



The soft-shell crab and Japanese omelette were exceptional.

For me, Miss H ordered the Western menu.



Once again, we’d both made a start before I remembered photos!

The starters were delicious – in particular the chicken galantine.

The steak was still a little overdone, but the bourbon espresso sauce was fantastic.

We both had the caramel banana mousse for dessert.

It was lighter than it looks with a biscuit base.



While enjoying her dessert, Miss H set about practicing her Hiragana (one of three character sets in Japanese writing).



The crew were delighted to help Miss H.

This was a highly enjoyable sector.

Not only were the crew terrific with Miss H, but the service throughout was very good.

We arrived to a fine afternoon at Narita.



But there was time for just one quick photo because our next flight was departing from across town.

 

[Captain Halliday]

Tokyo Transfer

We had around six hours until our next flight.

I’d researched both the airport shuttle and train – each would take around 90 minutes.

We’d chosen the train and followed the signs to the station where we found the ticket machine accepted cash only.

I had flashbacks to being ripped off by the ATM in Manila, and suggested to the family we should change the plan.

Potential delays from Tokyo traffic were raised as a possible issue.

But on a Sunday afternoon how bad could it be?

After buying tickets we made our way to the shuttle.

The coach was modern and clean.

As we left Narita, I connected to the free but slow wifi and used Google maps to learn just how wrong I was.

The thick red line that mapped our journey immediately told me the shuttle service’s advertised duration of 90 minutes was ambitious to say the least.

As we crawled along a Tokyo expressway, the family very helpfully pointed out every train that zipped past us.

“Oh look, that train doesn’t seem to be stuck in traffic.”

“Neither does that one.”

“Maybe we should have caught the train.”

All up the journey took a little over two hours, not helped by our terminal being the third and final stop.

As twilight fell over Haneda, we headed for check-in still with more than three hours to spare.

 

[Captain Halliday]

First Class Wife

Check-in was straightforward and we made our way to the JAL First Class Lounge, knowing that my Oneworld Emerald status would only allow access for me, plus one guest.

Of course, we could all access the business lounge as we were travelling in business, but it’s hard to go past an F lounge.

I asked the lounge staff if they’d allow Mrs H and Miss H to enter if I opted out.

I figured me plus one equals two… so did it really matter which two?

Why not let the family enjoy the experience and I’ll sit this one out.

In a country where adherence to the rules is so entrenched, it was always a long shot.

As expected the request was politely declined with directions to the business lounge.

I briefly considered leaving Miss H with staff at the front desk to practice her Hiragana.

But the wise and generous Mrs H pointed out there’s no point having status if you don’t use it.

She insisted I take Miss H into the First lounge and meet her in the Business lounge after dinner.

And what a fine dinner it was too.

We chose a table by the window offering expansive views of the tarmac.

At each table there were ample charging points.

A self-serve bar and a light buffet selection are available for those short on time.

Alternatively, you can order from the a la carte menu on the JAL app.

This was convenient, but meant Miss H couldn’t practice her Japanese.

We opted for a selection of entrée / small portions to share, staring with the fig and prosciutto.



The flavours complimented each other perfectly.

Next we shared the chef’s sashimi platter.

This was prepared at the live cooking station – that’s marketing speak for "kitchen where you can see the chef".

Four pieces to the serve, the sashimi was fresh and delicious with both salmon and tuna.

It was eaten before I remembered to take a photo, so we ordered a second serve.

Same result.

Then it was on to the crispy skin snapper.

Light in both flavour and texture it was superbly cooked.

Easily the pick of the dishes.



We also ordered the pork fillet.

Served medium rare, it was tender and juicy.



Larger portions included Japanese meal sets, curries and ramen noodles.

Miss H rounded out the evening with the Baumkuchen, which was heavy and sickly sweet.



After a wonderful father-daughter dinner it was time to catch up with Mrs H in the business lounge.

After reassuring her that the F lounge was “just okay” and “you didn’t miss much”, we settled in to wait for the starter’s gun: go to gate.

 

[RooFlyer]

She insisted I take Miss H into the First lounge and meet her in the Business lounge after dinner.

Whilst not knowing the wonderful Mrs H, of course, I suspect you may have interpreted that incorrectly .

 

[Youfah Mizzum]

The thick red line that mapped our journey immediately told me the shuttle service’s advertised duration of 90 minutes was ambitious to say the least.

As we crawled along a Tokyo expressway, the family very helpfully pointed out every train that zipped past us.

LOL.
I so sympathise!
I've just returned from Israel (a couple of weeks prior to the current mess erupted) and the bus from Tel Aviv to my northern Galillee destination was stated to take 3 hours. 4.5 hours later we finally arrived! Grrrr. Fortunately the accommodation kindly stayed open for our arrival.

There were significant roadworks going on in Tel Aviv so just getting out of the metropolis took about 1.5 hours.

After Israel, we were in the UK and our final public transport trip was from Birmingham to Heathrow. The coach left about 25 minutes late - OK for us as we had plenty of time, but for those with a plane to catch and a tight schedule I was mildly concerned.
The coach driver was all smiles and carefree in Birmingham. Didn't seem to care about his late(ish) departure. And the trip evidenced the why. This driver drove like the clappers and arrived at Heathrow about 10 minutes early! I mean, I've seen speeding trucks on the M1 (driving regularly between Sydney & Gosford) but this was something else. We were rushing past semi trailers, other buses, cars. Gosh!

 

[Captain Halliday]

Finnair AirLounge

From Tokyo to Amsterdam, we flew Finnair, via Helsinki

The first sector, HND to Helsinki was aboard the A350 with the Airlounge seat.

I’d selected seats mid-cabin on the left side of the aircraft to be away from the galley and toilets and maximise sleep on the 14-hour overnight sector.

At check-in, we were issued boarding passes for row 2 – including one bulkhead seat.

Champagne before departure was served in AY’s well known Thule.



Blueberry juice was also available.

Miss H reports that the juice pairs nicely with JAL lollies.



Finnair have unconventional seat numbering in their business cabin.

While window seat on the right of a widebody are typically K, not so with Finnair:



The seat itself has plenty of space.

There’s excellent width in both the seat base and through the shoulder area.

Below the lamp is a pop-open storage area with USB port and storage space for small personal items.

For those with newer model phones, there’s also a charger built into the side table.



My reassigned seat, 2L was a bulkhead.

I found the seat itself comfortable in either seated or sleeping position.

However, the moving between those modes was a hassle.

With the cabin in darkness finding the levers was difficult.

Just in front of the footwell is a pop-open storage area that appears to be designed for shoes or larger items like an ipad.



It wasn’t big enough for my boots meaning the only practical place to put them was under the footrest.

However, the boots then became stuck under the footrest when adjusting the seat.

For side sleepers, seat choice may be important.

As a left-side sleeper I’d chosen an A seat to have my back to the aisle.

The move to a L seat meant facing the aisle, but also that my knees hit the curved grey panel you can see under the TV in the photo above and below.



Light and noise from the toilet and galley also disturbed my sleep.

But I’m pleased I wasn’t in row 1.

With the curtain pulled back row one has sweeping, uninterrupted views of the loo.



Overall the seat gets 7/10 from me.

 

[Captain Halliday]

HND to HEL service

The soft product on the HND to HEL sector was very good and began with dinner service after departure.



The meal included two starters.

And in what’s become a clear trend on this trip, I’d eaten the first one before remembering to take a photo.

Here’s the Edamame bean puree:



For main, I selected the chicken.

Just like mum used to do - simple and with over cooked veggies:



And for dessert I had the mousse. (Not pictured, usual reason)

After departing in darkness around 10pm, it was a surreal experience for the view outside to get ever so gradually brighter through the meal service as the flight headed Northeast over the Bering Sea to avoid Russian airspace.



After the meal service the crew announced that lights would be dimmed and asked for window shades to be lowered.

The final ten hours of our flight which would be in near full daylight.

Finnair has a nice feature in their A350… when the cabin lights dim, an image of the northern lights is projected on the ceiling for a few minutes before fading to full darkness.

This is accompanied by a pop-up on the IFE, explaining the phenomenon.



This aircraft allegedly had wifi, but I was unable to connect.

There was also a handy inflight display for those with connecting flights.

The system even highlighted our connection in bold.



With Miss H already asleep, I settled in to get some sleep myself.

A couple of hours before our arrival in Helsinki, I woke up feeling refreshed.

As I looked across the cabin, Miss H wasn’t in her seat.

Mrs H was standing in the aisle.

No words were spoken, but it was immediately clear: whatever had happened was my fault.

 

[Seat0B]

Oh my, you have left us with an end of season cliff hanger there @Captain Halliday! I hope this TR gets renewed for Season 2!!!

 

[Captain Halliday]

A flight to HEL

Next thing I saw was Miss H emerge from the toilet looking grey.

As she walked down the aisle, she was followed closely by a flight attendant carrying water and lemonade.

Miss H collapsed into her seat.

The flight attendant said something to Mrs H and disappeared back to the galley.

Mrs H made her way around to my seat.

“What are you going to do?”

Not only was it my fault, but I was also expected to fix it.

But I still didn’t have the full picture.

I crouched down beside Miss H.

She was in the foetal position but managed to fill in the blanks.

You see, while Mrs H and I had been sleeping, things in seat 2H had deteriorated.

After about four hours sleep, Miss H woke feeling unwell.

Nothing serious, just queasy and a little feverish.

Miss H described the symptoms as “horrible cramps, thought I was going to die.”

So bad, she decided not to wake either of her parents.

The crew realised she wasn’t doing so well, but they too allowed us to continue sleeping.

Several hours before the rest of the cabin, the crew prepared breakfast for Miss H.

Then she was given green tea.

And finally, as the lights were switched on for breakfast and a queue formed for the bathroom, I’m told Miss H was given priority clearance by the flight attendant who asked other passengers to wait.

After hearing the story, I stood back up.

Mrs H repeated her question, “Well, what are you going to do?”

At 41,000 feet, somewhere near the North Pole, what could I do?

“I’m going to have breakfast” I replied.

We were about 90 minutes from Helsinki.

There wasn’t much we could do except make Miss H comfortable and hope she could get a little more sleep.

I thanked the crew for taking care of our girl and they gave me ginger ale and lemonade for our onward journey.

As we approached Helsinki, things outside the cabin began to get brighter.





We were all hoping things would get brighter for Miss H too.

 

[Captain Halliday]

Helsinki to Amsterdam

Arriving in Helsinki, we made our way to immigration, hoping for a short queue.

We got lucky and were through within five minutes.

On the long walk to the Schengen end of the terminal we had to stop every few hundred metres as Miss H double over with stomach cramps.

The pharmac_ we passed was closed so we continued to the Finnair lounge.

I knew it would also be closed, but from my previous early morning visits, I insisted the family wait at the door.

While waiting, we talked tactics.

Mrs H would take the first left, then the second right to secure a shower.

I was to head directly to the far end of the lounge to the “quiet room” where I knew there were just two reclining lounges.

We were fortunate to be first through the door when the lounge opened – lucky too as there were six people waiting for a shower within 2 minutes.

After a shower, Miss H tried to get some sleep in the recliner.

At 7am on the dot I was dispatched to the pharmac_.

No gastro-stop.

Nothing for stomach cramps.

Not even children’s paracetamol.

I left empty handed, but wondering just how many people buy do-it-yourself hair die and weight loss solutions at an international airport.

Boarding for our flight to Amsterdam started at 8am and we were soon on our way again.

With Miss H yearning for some sleep, an aircraft change weeks before our trip from an A350 to an A321 would mean any sleep would have to be achieved upright.

Once in Amsterdam, Miss H was still not 100%, but said she felt like something salty.

Small fries at Burger King Schiphol: 11 Australian dollars.

Making Miss H feel better: Priceless.

From there we headed directly to the hotel hoping our room was ready.

It was still well before 11am, but the room was ready.

I’d barely put down the bags and Miss H was asleep.

 

[Captain Halliday]

When is an airport hotel not an airport hotel?

Our hotel for the week was Novotel Amsterdam Schiphol Airport.

The room offered views to Schiphol airport in the distance.

Yes, in the distance.

You see, Novotel Amsterdam Schiphol Airport is not at Schiphol airport.

In fact, it’s not even close.

It’s a 6km drive or 15 mins by train.

Perhaps I have unrealistic expectations, but if you have “airport” in the name of your hotel, guests really should be able to walk to the terminal.

But I’m sure we can all agree that if you need binoculars to see the planes, calling yourself an “airport” hotel might be a stretch.

Don’t get me wrong, it’s a good hotel and I knew exactly where the place was when I booked.

It suited our needs very well.

The hotel was a three-minute walk to the train station and a major bus interchange.

With day trips planned to Rotterdam, The Hague, plus various places in Amsterdam itself, being near a transport hub was its big advantage.

We’d looked at places in the CBD but prices were eye watering.

More than $400 Australian per night for an Ibis.

Frankly $1,900 for seven nights at any Novotel is a good deal, but in one of Europe’s most expensive cities I thought this was a bargain.

The 40-minute train ride to downtown Amsterdam was a small price to pay for a larger room and almost $2,000 extra spending money.

When we reached our room, I was still looking after the ailing Miss H and forgot to take pics.

But the room was very clean and comfortable, and the amenities were good.

We were upgraded from the room booked to an Executive room.

Same floor plan and the only identifiable differences were a pod coffee machine and complimentary mini bar.

Perfect for the caffeine loving parents and the kid with a sweet tooth.

 

[Youfah Mizzum]

I can see where it's all your fault @Captain Halliday . You see, you made the flight bookings, the hotel bookings etc. After all, if you weren't flying and still cocooned at home there'd be no tummy cramps, no odd food consumed, no differences in sleep patterns.
Bad dad!

Coming back from a recent 5 week holiday - I can confirm Mrs Mizzum takes along a self-prepared pharmac_ full of wondrous remedies for various ailments. Y'know - just in case. No doubt we would've had some kind of pill for an upset stomach. I remember seeing Buscopan at least. And antacid.

 

[Flyfrequently]

A flight to HEL

Next thing I saw was Miss H emerge from the toilet looking grey.

As she walked down the aisle, she was followed closely by a flight attendant carrying water and lemonade.

Miss H collapsed into her seat.

The flight attendant said something to Mrs H and disappeared back to the galley.

Mrs H made her way around to my seat.

“What are you going to do?”

Not only was it my fault, but I was also expected to fix it.

But I still didn’t have the full picture.

I crouched down beside Miss H.

She was in the foetal position but managed to fill in the blanks.

You see, while Mrs H and I had been sleeping, things in seat 2H had deteriorated.

After about four hours sleep, Miss H woke feeling unwell.

Nothing serious, just queasy and a little feverish.

Miss H described the symptoms as “horrible cramps, thought I was going to die.”

So bad, she decided not to wake either of her parents.

The crew realised she wasn’t doing so well, but they too allowed us to continue sleeping.

Several hours before the rest of the cabin, the crew prepared breakfast for Miss H.

Then she was given green tea.

And finally, as the lights were switched on for breakfast and a queue formed for the bathroom, I’m told Miss H was given priority clearance by the flight attendant who asked other passengers to wait.

After hearing the story, I stood back up.

Mrs H repeated her question, “Well, what are you going to do?”

At 41,000 feet, somewhere near the North Pole, what could I do?

“I’m going to have breakfast” I replied.

We were about 90 minutes from Helsinki.

There wasn’t much we could do except make Miss H comfortable and hope she could get a little more sleep.

I thanked the crew for taking care of our girl and they gave me ginger ale and lemonade for our onward journey.

As we approached Helsinki, things outside the cabin began to get brighter.

View attachment 351639

View attachment 351640

We were all hoping things would get brighter for Miss H too.

I'm sorry for the poorly state Miss H was in, but couldn't help but laugh at your measured response @Captain Halliday - "I'm going to have breakfast".
Still laughing, so I've held off on reading what happens next......

 

[Seat0B]

Hope Miss H is feeling better now.