New Years Trip booked!!!

In early December, I got the itch to travel again. Checking my schedule, I could only get off work 12/29-1/3This of course is the busiest travel period of the year and I had little hope of getting anywhere.

I would check KVS tool every now and then for award availability and low and behold availability was there for NZ C class for LAX-LHR. And, what do we have here?? Availability on wet leased TG 777 from FRA-SIN? And wow, return availability on UA C from PVG-LAX. So I pieced together my itinerary. The timing worked out perfect and I called up Continental to book the following C class itinerary for 120k miles and about $110 in taxes.

NZ 2 LAX-LHR Business

LH 907 LHR-FRA Business

TG923 FRA-BKK Business

SQ977 BKK-SIN Business

SQ828 SIN-PVG Economy

UA878 PVG-LAX Business

Couple days go by and what do we have here, LH F space opened up from LAX-FRA. Although Air New Zealand tops the list of airlines I wanna try, I have been dying to visit the Frankfurt First Class Terminal so without hesitation, I called up Continental(Continental allows you to change award levels without re-doing the whole itinerary) and booked the available F space and was able to find availability in LH F from FRA-KIX and C availability on SQ for KIX to SIN. Best of all, I would arrive in Singapore a couple hours earlier. So here's what my final itinerary looks like. 130k miles plus ~$85 in taxes.

LH457 LAX-FRA First

LH 740 FRA-KIX First

SQ619 KIX-SIN Business

SQ828 SIN-PVG Economy

UA878 PVG-LAX Business

There might be a bit more tinkering as I am crossing my fingers that C space would open up for SIN-PVG. Also, since I only get about 3hrs in LH FTC, I might route through HKG instead of KIX, this would allow me to have close to 7hrs. But, as of now, only Y space is available on HKG-SIN. But, overall, I am pretty proud of this itinerary considering the last minute nature of the booking. Trip reports will definitely follow...

Highlights from my First Class Experience to Asia

This past Holiday season, I embarked on a trip of a lifetime, sampling First/Business products from the likes of United, Turkish, Singapore and Air China. This was all done using 120,000 Aeroplan miles transferred from SPG account. Here is the summary of the whole trip...

My routing-SNA-SFO-ICN-PEK-HKG-SIN-HKG-IST-JFK-LAX

The final destination being SIN with a stopover in Seoul. I just love the flexibility of Aeroplan Awards.

Some photos from the SFO-ICN Leg...

United First Class Lounge at SFO

The Seat

Had Sea Bass for Dinner

Westin Chosun and scenes from around Seoul...

My Welcome Message at the Westin Chosun

Toiletries at the Westin

Giant Dumplings...

Giant Dumplings

Gyeonbok Palace

$65 piece of meat

Myeongdong

Air China PEK-HKG and around Hong Kong & Singapore...

Air China Business Class Product on A-330

Mhhhh, was able to stop for some BBQ Pork thanks to United's 3hr delay

Chicken Rice vs BBQ Pork? Close call...but I would still take BBQ Pork

Singapore Sling on SQ

Another glass of bubbly

Fried Noodles on SQ

The experience of the lifetime! Turkish First Class Suites!!!

The Suites

The Caviar Tower

PJs

Seat fit for a King

The PJs

Seat Controls

Dinner on TK

Seats on United PS First

Finalized Trip to Asia

I waited and waited but it like Asiana will not be releasing any F availability on LAX-ICN...So here is my final itinerary... Not perfect but perfectly acceptable.

• SNA-SFO in United First (320)
• SFO-ICN in United First (744)
• ICN-PEK in Air China Business (738)
• PEK-HKG in Air China Business (333)
• HKG-SIN in United First (744)

• SIN-HKG in Singapore Business(772)
• HKG-IST in Turkish First(77W)
• IST-JFK in Turkish First(77W)
• JFK-LAX in United PS First(757)

Not bad for 120,000 Aeroplan miles plus $110 in taxes. I will get the opportunity to sample Turkish's wet leased 77W from Jet Airways, with its First Class Suite before they are returned to Jet. Also United PS, and United 747 First.

Found in Translation

A whirlwind Business Trip to Japan has come to an end. I again find myself madly in love with the people and the culture I left 15 years ago. Although I remember very little from my childhood in Japan, this visit has helped me "translate" a bit of my childhood.

I would like to share some pictures taken during the trip. All shots were taken with my Iphone and Canon 550D camera with EF 28-105mm f/3.5-4.5 II USM Lens. If you can tell which is which, you get a gold star;)

7/31/10

SFO-KIX

Interesting cloud layer at SFO Airport

Breakfast of champions at the Singapore Airlines Lounge at SFO.

Your favorite restaurant may be 30,000 feet in the air my ass...

Still can't tell whether that was pork or chicken. Had the texture of marshmallow.

8/1/10

Osaka, Japan

Welcome to Kansai International Airport

After carrying my suitcase down to the Nankai Train Station in 35 degree heat, I couldnt resist the light.

My First Taste of Japan

Nankai Train bound for Namba Station

Typical Osaka Street

Shinsaibashi

Famous Glico sign in Shinsaibashi

My apologies for the over exposure, still working on my night photography skills

Shinsaibashi Suji

Bright Lights

mhhhhh, i love me some crab

I ate takoyaki everyday for lunch growing up in Japan. I would throw the obento my mom packed me down the balcony and using the money in my piggy bank, go downstairs to buy 6 takoyaki for 100 yen. I got in trouble for this because someone who lived across from me saw me dumping my obento and reported to my mom...

Does eating glico help you excel at running marathons? I thought eating too much Pocky would make you fat and slow you down?

8/2/10-8/4/10

Osaka

Please forgive me for the lack of pictures, I was actually in Japan for work : )

Best Chuka Ever! @Osho!

8/5/10

Taking the Shinkansen to Tokyo!

Kyoto. Next time I will definitely visit!

Beautiful Japanese country side. So much prettier than the rows upon rows of corn fields here in the US

Ekiben bought on the Shinkansen

Beats sandwiches anyday

8/5/10

Tokyo University

Famous landmark at Tokyo University. According to my colleagues, someone famous did Harakiri in front of this building. I love the architecture of this university. The buildings are full of character and historical significance.

8/6/10

Yokohama and Kamakura

Since we had some time on the last day of the trip, my wonderful colleagues Mr. Masuda and Mr. Kasuga took me to see the old Japan at Kamakura. It was definitely one of the highlights of the trip and I really appreciate the cultural experience.

The giant Daibutsu at Kotoku-in

The steps leading up Tsurugaoka Hachiman-gu. Supposedly it is bad luck to bring your significant other because the goddess at this shrine gets jealous and tries to separate the couple.

I also got my omikuji(Fortune). It says I only have slight good luck ahead :( But it told me to study my second language more. Yayyyy got my motivation to study more Japanese.

8/7/10

Tokyo

Saturday was my only day for sightseeing before I had to make the trek to Narita to catch my 5pm flight

I woke up extra early. 4:30am to be exact, even though I went to sleep at 1am. Why woud I subject myself to such torture? None only to visit Tsukiji, Tokyo's famous fish market! It was an amazing experience, even though fighting off the sleepiness was tough, I reached the market at 6am. I am very proud of myself because without internet access on my iphone nor a map of Tokyo I was able to find the market using only the map at the Shimbashi station.

I also used my handy compus on my iphone. Pointing myself in a south easterly directions. Amazing really, how primitive I am when I am traveling.

I made it in time to catch the end of the bidding process for maguro. It was really an amazing sight to see so many giant pieces of tuna being carried all over the place. Why is it frozen tho?

So many stands selling the day's catch.

Amazing the selection of fish...

Chopping up fish they just got from the bidding stands.

Amazing

This guy almost ran me over...

Biggest Ice Machine I have ever seen

Can't imagine running my hand through that ice fall...

Mhhhhhh...sea urchins

Biggest shrimp I've ever seen

What you looking at?

I had read online that the must try here at the Tsukiji Market is the Sushi Breakfast at Daiwa Sushi. The concept is that the freshly caught fish from the Tsukiji market is carted over to the restaurant 1st thing in the morning and the restaurant opens at 5:30am. Which means this place must serve the freshest sushi in the world. The place was definitely popular and I got in line at 7:30am and waited almost 1hr to get a seat at the sushi bar.

I went with the 3500 yen Omakase meal. The fish was definitely fresh and well worth the money and wait.

Best piece of Uni I have ever had. Soooo fresh, I could still taste it in my mouth. Yum Yum.

My sushi chef for the day.

Very cute post box

Ginza

Very efficient construction worker

Japanese animation is sooo cute.

After 'breakfast', I made my way to Hinode Pier to take the Tokyo River taxi to Asakusa. I had read that you get some nice views of Tokyo from the boat.

Interesting canal...

Hinode Pier

Our ride for the day...

Odaiba

Bridge to Odaiba

One of the many bridges we saw.

More bridges...

New Tokyo Tower?

Is this suppose to look like poop?

Asakusa

I spent my last hour in Tokyo at Harajuku. I only had the time to walk to the main thoroughfare in Harajuku. Saw some interesting fashion sense but nothing extreme.


Harajuku




Tokyo Branch of my company...

Am I in Tokyo or San Francisco. Awful lot of United Tails today at Terminal 2 at Narita.



I love the Beer machine at the ANA Lounge. They even top it off with foam.



My lunch at the ANA Lounge

You can see the ANA Logo imprinted

My filet mignon on the flight... Definately doesn't look like filet mignon. Now I am home sweet home, I have a bit more time to reflect back on the wonderful time spent in Japan before I have to take off to Shanghai next week.