Ok, I’m done being lazy for the moment, and shall write.
Last Friday I headed to Japan to begin my studies at Yamasa. After checking my bags I headed to the security checkpoint… Orlando has the self-select lanes, and though the airport is almost always busy, I expected to get through security quickly via the expert lane. Well I arrive at the checkpoint, and lo, passengers were choosing lanes arbitrarily. Well, not quite… most were going to where others were lined up, and the expert lanes were actually full of families who should have been in the family lane. Though I slept maybe two hours the previous night, I still had enough wit to choose the lane without a line. Apparently my free thinking raised suspicion, for I was subjected to a patdown.
Aaaand after a three hour flight I barely remember and quick layover in Chicago, I’m on an ANA plane bound for Tokyo. Usually I fly Continental when visiting Japan, but this time ANA was cheaper. I found it odd the ANA flight, being a Japanese airline, had fewer Japanese than the Tokyo-bound Continental flights I’ve flown on. Most of the asians were Singaporean and Vietnamese, it seemed.
Anyways, when I booked the flight I chose a seat which was among 18 between a set of 6 bulkheads, 3 forward and 3 behind, thinking in a separated area I could recline my seat far (as I didn’t expect the bulkhead behind to become annoyed) and avoid most of the cabin noise. Unfortunately, only the former held true. It turns out the 3 forward bulkheads can be fitted with a baby bed when the plane is cruising. And fitted they were. Four babies there were in the row behind the forward bulkheads. During most of the flight, at least two were crying at any one time. And one toddler was let loose to pester other passengers.
Besides the babies, the flight was alright, and I believe I’ll choose ANA over Continental in the future, for three big reasons: Better customer service from stewardesses, slightly more edible airline food/free booze, and superior in-flight entertainment.
The stewardesses would often offer refills, quickly pickup trash after meals, and didn’t hit my elbow or run over my foot with a cart. Although why, being the only white guy among Asians in 18-seat baby-friendly bulkhead land, they spoke Japanese to me and no one else, I have no idea.
Airline food always sucks, but ANA’s is more edible, and the servings are slightly larger. Also, their menu fits the plane’s current demographic, unlike Continental. With Continental, on Japan-bound flights in which most passengers are Japanese, Western style meals are served. On America-bound flights full of Americans, Japanese food is served. Sense this does not make.
Most importantly in my opinion, was the excellent in-flight entertainment. On Continental, there are maybe a dozen or so movies and shows to choose from, but most the channels have ridiculous amounts of static (WHY?), all have fixed start times, don’t restart until the longest program ends. On ANA, not only is the selection four or five times larger, but all programs are on-demand. They start when the passenger select them, can be paused, rewound, fast-forwarded, boiled, mashed, and stuck in a stew.
Oh, and the tray tables on ANA planes have a hole into which drinks can be placed. Also known as a cupholder. This is a no brainer. All airliners should have a cupholder, not just some half-assed 3mm depression. Cars have cupholders, and they bounce only a few inches. Why would a plane, which can bounce several feet in an instant, lack cupholders?
Since the title of this entry is “Japanland” and not “Babble about airlines”, I suppose I could write about Japan. Um…
Oh! When I was on the train heading from the airport to my hotel in Tokyo, I spotted a beetle crawling near my luggage. My first thought was to crush him with my rubbery sole, but I was merciful and spared it. How was my mercy thanked? It crawled up to my back under my shirt. It was promptly squished.
