Not expecting much, we made our way to the AA Admirals Club post-breakfast for a little peace and quiet. The lounge was busier than expected, and after grabbing a glass of juice (really, AA step up your lounge game) we decided that we’d just wait by the gate since there wasn’t much time until boarding.
Our ride for the morning was an old 757 with the worn, but comfortable recliner chairs in first. Even though we’d already had a small breakfast, we decided to pick at what was offered. I was actually impressed with the omelet and potatoes, normally the eggs are rubbery and the potatoes dry but somehow also mushy at the same time. However this time both the eggs and potatoes were some of the best I’ve ever had on a plane. We passed the time reading (K) and watching a movie (me). About an hour later we started our descent into Dallas, and arrived about 10 min behind schedule.
Even with the delay, we were going to try for a stop at the lounge after taking the train to the D terminal. When we arrived, it was only about 20 min to boarding but we decided that we still had time to try the lounge. Walking by the gate I noticed that we seemed to be missing a plane… (cue ominous music). Being an OW Emerald flying internationally we were able to get into the “Flagship” dining room (which was completely empty when we arrived). Setting our stuff down we went to the little buffet and had just ordered drinks and grabbed our first little plate when I noticed I had a missed call from an 800 number. Turns out that was AA letting us know that our flight had been delayed by 4 hours. The only other occupant of the dining room was on a mileage run and was on the same flight to Tokyo, and we chatted briefly. The plane that we were supposed to take was newly reconfigured 777-200 with the B/E seats (which all face forward and are supposed to be much better than the forward/backward Zodiac seats from what I’d read online).
Making the best of the situation we ordered a few more round of drinks and then headed out into the main part of the lounge which was much more spacious and open. Sitting by the windows we (really just me) passed the next 2ish hours plane spotting. I had been keeping tabs on my parents’ flight (from LAX) and where they stood on the upgrade list. Just prior to their boarding, I saw the marvelous check marks appear next to their names. With that, we were 4 for 4 on SWUs clearing for the trip, and all sitting up front for the way over. Finishing up one last drink we decided to move to “The Club,” a lounge on the Priority Pass network that I have access to. It was a little walk, but we made it pretty quickly. The space was broken up into multiple smaller lounges for different airlines or 3rd party operators. There wasn’t much space, but they did have some food and self-service wine and beer. Having had a few in the AA lounge, we skipped those and instead pre-hydrated with some water.
Finally it was time to board and we made our way down the jetway. Turning the corner to our seats I was not pleased to see that we had the Zodiac seats! K ended up being backwards, and we both had 3-point seatbelts due to the angle of the seat. The main complaint people have about the seats (other than facing backwards), is that most seats are connected to the one behind it, and it is very easy to transfer movement from one to another and disturb another passenger (or be disturbed).
Dinner (what should have been lunch) was served quickly after leveling off. I started with Champagne and the usual ramekin of nuts, though the glass was a United Airlines one, and the nuts were noticeably missing pistachios.
The first course was a bento box with a five different little dishes, including a chicken dish, smoked salmon, snow crab, scallops, and duck and shrimp. The chicken was ok, but for some reason was served with fish roe which didn’t really add anything. The smoked salmon and snow crab were both pretty great for American Airlines food. I found the scallops a little under seasoned, but still tasty, and while the duck and shrimp were good, they were served with some fish roe which was pure salt.
Next was grilled yellowtail (the best option I was left with). As expected, the fish was dry, veggies and fish bland, and the rice slightly sub par. The best part of the meal were the pickles.
As on all AA flights, dessert was an ice cream sundae, which I usually enjoy. This time however, the ice cream was incredibly gritty and not very good, and it was picked up unfinished. Having finished the meal, it was time to sit back and relax with some movies and a few drinks. I noticed that what others had said about the seat were true, and I would be jostled every few minutes as the guy behind me moved around a lot. Soon the shaking subsided, but unfortunately it wasn't for a great reason. As it turned out, he had been sick… all over the floor behind his seat (and the crew had closed off one of the bathrooms as a result). As part of the cleanup effort, towels and such were spread over the floor, and the galley light was left on for the majority of the flight.
I couldn’t sleep much, and ended up watching Suicide Squad (worse than expected), War Dogs (pretty good), Jason Bourne (good), Snowden (good and creepy), and the Mechanic (as expected). During my moving binge, I decided to order a snack of soba and sake. The noodles came quickly, and then a few minutes later some sake. Then, several minutes after that, another small bottle of sake. It was explained to me that the first one was actually the economy sake, and the second, the business class. The crew seemed on the young side (not sure if it was because it of the holidays?) and there was a feeling of uncertainty about some aspects of service.
As the movies progressed we closed the gap towards Tokyo, and soon it was time for breakfast. On the menu was beef with rice in a soy-based sauce. It was the best meal I had aboard, and the chocolate cake served for dessert was also very good. K hadn’t been feeling great, and had spent the majority of the flight sleeping, but also commented that she didn’t really like the seat either.
Deplaning in Narita, it was very clear that we were among the last people to arrive before the airport shut down for the night. There was no line at immigration and our bags were in the first five or so to come out. Making our way through customs (again, no line), we headed to the bus counter to get tickets for the ride downtown. Standing at the counter, the whole building started to shake slightly, and the staff started calling out that it was an earthquake. Even with the little bit of chaos, we were still able to buy tickets for the 9:45pm bus at 9:42! Unfortunately, this meant that we didn’t have time to grab cash before jumping on the bus.
Thanks for reading!