I’m writing this post from the SilverKris Lounge at SFO as I’ll literally not be experiencing the midnight countdown tonight since our SFO-NRT flight will pass over the date line and skip the event by many hours.

It’s been a decent travel year for myself. So now, before I scurry over for a last-minute magazine run, here are five things in 2010 I learned and five travel resolutions for 2011. (As usual, expect an Asia-centric flare!)

WHAT I LEARNED:
1) THE BRAND-NEW KEISEI RAILWAYS SKYLINER is the BEST thing to happen to Narita-based travel from Tokyo…EVER. By the time you hop on and sit down and munch on your bento, you are literally pulling up to the airport!
2) MILEAGE RUNS are not easy, but well worth it. Status is like rewards and insurance all rolled into one, and year-end mileage running is the payment some of us have to make!
3) HANEDA (TOKYO INTERNATIONAL) AIRPORT is awesome. It’s so close, easy, and convenient for business travel, and hopefully more international routes come here.
4) JAPANESE TRAVEL AGENCIES have good deals. This can be a challenge to a foreigner, but if you live here and don’t speak Japanese, just ask a friend. Sometimes they even have wacky combinations are insane prices, too!
5) FULL FARE ECONOMY is well worthwhile if you are on business travel. Priority upgrades, priority standby during chaos, and a good EQM bonus, too! Until you’ve received it’s reward firsthand, though, it’s hard to grasp, but this author can now say that it is worthwhile.

MY RESOLUTIONS:
1) ACHIEVE UPGRADES through optimum planning. This means look at less popular (indirect) routes like NRT-SEA-SFO instead of NRT-SFO when there is just one direct flight and no upgrade inventory. Study the best days to travel, holidays, events, etc. Call this “counting cards” of the upgrade world.
2) CONTINUE TO BE NICE to airline employees, especially during craziness. When there is something going wrong, use the correct technical language in a polite way to get what is needed without sounding entitled.
3) DON’T UNDERESTIMATE the time it takes to walk to a train station is residential areas. It can be deceiving in Japan, but what you remember as a ten minute walk can turn out to be twenty minutes for phantom reasons. This is especially important when connecting to an airport train.
4) TAKE ADVANTAGE of hotel programs. Free breakfasts, upgrades, nights, etc. Wait for the right time for the killer promotion of the year then go nuts.
5) REQUALIFY STATUS, meaning United 1K, and also look at a non-Star Alliance program for when I can’t fly Star Alliance. Likely, this would b a oneworle program.

That’s all, folks! Have a safe and and happy 2011!

I am back in the Bay Area! After the lingering affects of a harsh storm that brought airports across the Northeast to a screeching halt, countless travelers across not just the region, but the world, were delayed anywhere from hours to days. This ended up affecting me as well.

As I previously wrote, I was on a mileage run to requalify for 1K, the status tier on United Airlines’ Mileage Plus program that requires 100,000 miles per year. Due to a severely down travel year, I was clocking in at about 93.000 Stae Alliance EQM (Elite Qualifying Miles, as in, miles flown and not credit card/bonus miles!), so I needed to add a trip just for the sake of more miles to get to my coveted 100,000 number. So I found an itinerary on Continental Airlines that was San Jose to Boston via Houston, with the outbound in T (discounted economy) and return in B (full fare economy), netting 8,080 EQM to United. (Note to the fellow mileage runner: Continental B fares on Continental planes earn 150% EQM, but codeshares booked as B through Continental but on United metal book into M and only earn 100% EQM when crediting to United!) the great thing was that my traveling companion needed slightly less than that to requalify for United Premier Exexutive, so she came along, too and we turned it into a micro-vacation.

So my outbound, SJC-IAH-BOS went without a hitch. Proceeded from BOS to the Hilton Financial District in very cold weather. It’s an old hotel. Neither of the phones worked, so I had to call the front desk from a mobile phone! The heater didnt work and things were falling apart all over the hotel. Hilton Financial District Boton is in bad need of a renovation. Got free breakfast due to HHonors Gold status, which was probably the only good thing about the hotel aside from its great location, Squeezed in a city tour and then Union Oyster House prior to our scheduled 4:15PM departure.

We got to the airport plenty early, and as I previously wrote, out outbound was delayed due to a staffing issue (crew stuck at Newark). So our 4:15PM flight was delayed to 7:30PM, causing a missed connection to the original connecting flight from Houston to San Jose. We did board on time, but then deplaned after the GA realized that there was no crew. During this time, I called to United 1K line to get patched directly to the Continental OnePass line, to which I found out in our record that the delay was marked as Continental’s fault. This fact was important as Houston side, the GAs didn’t know this wasn’t weather related, so I looks like I expedited everyone getting a hotel.

We ended up being put on standby for the first San Francisco flight the next day and got put up in the Park Inn & Suites overnight in Houston.

Fast-forward to the moment of truth in Houston. We were at the gate, on standby, waiting to clear. I’d heard that some people had been waiting 2-3 days to get out of Houston to the Bay Area due to Continental getting crippled for having that strong dependence on Newark as a hub. And here is where the magic happened. Instead of going to the back of the line for standbys, we got to go right to the front. As a United 1K and Premier Executive on full fare economy tickets, we were placed as #1 and #2 on the standby list! Almost always, leisure travelers book heavily discounted economy tickets and usually don’t have high status. The combination of fare class and status catapulted us to the top of the list, and herein lies the reason why, as a business, one might want to travel on full fare economy tickets. Not only due you get flexibility to change schedules, but when it comes to upgrading at the gate and especially to harsh delays and standing by, you skyrocket to the top.

Back in the Bay Area now for a couple more days then it’s back to Japan. 101,000 EQM for me for the year, and another year of 1K achieved. Happy Holidays!

So I’m in the middle of a mileage run, Continental SJC-IAH-BOS-IAH-SJC. No problems in the outbound (our EUA to first class cleared, too!), but on the return today, our BOS-IAH crew was stuck in EWR and our flight got delayed by four hours.
Fingers are crossed to play the standby game tomorrow. As a United 1K (myself) and Premier Executive (companion) on full fare economy tickets, I think our chances are pretty good for priority standby out of IAH tomorrow IAH-Bay Area.
Waiting to board our Houston flight (soon), catch the Tuesday Night Football Game on Continental’s in-seat DIRECTV, then finally catch some zzz’s at a Continental-provided hotel. Wish me luck to get home. And YES, this is worth every minute to requalify as a United 1K next year!

Flying from San Jose to Houston to Boston today. Yes, there is a huge snowstorm in the Northeast and it is STILL snowing in Boston. Some flights are canceled, but not all. The later arriving ones, like mine, have a great chance of making it.
Upgrade on all four legs cleared. SJC-IAH about to board…have an overnight planned for tonight. Let’s hope this works. An never forget the three golden words: “original routing credit.”
1K for me and 1P for companion, here we come!!!
UPDATE: layover in IAH was fun and smooth. Got some Texas BBQ, then boarded IAH-BOS which arrived into Boston about an hour late with an extremely bumpy landing. In any case, quite glad my outbound legs went out okay. Should be no problem on the return, but will hit up Union Oyster House today before taking off for sure!

OK, mileage run for real now in a few days! Will be taking Continental from San Jose to Boston via Houston. Return is B (150% EQM) which not only bumps me up to 1K status on United, but also bumps my traveling companion up to Premier Executive!

Only in Boston for about 20 hours, but plan to get some good clam chowder. Still deciding on which Hilton to book, so look for a full write-up next week!

TIP: Booking a “B” fare on Continental’s website books into “M” if it’s operated by United, so make sure your “B” flights are operated by Continental if you are crediting to Mileage Plus to earn that 150% EQM!

Happy mileage running!

I previously wrote about Asiana Airlines (OZ) and their deal of the holidays in the form of a trans-Pacific business class ticket to North America via Incheon (ICN). For those who don’t mind connecting in Korea, for just JPY270,000 all-in, one could get to sample a 5-star airline (and airline of the year). For travelers aligned with Star Alliance, this provides the finest option to cross the Pacific. But what about oneworld program travelers?

The Cathay Pacific Biz-Toku fare, which connects in Hong Kong via major Japanese airports, is even cheaper than Asiana’s discounted business class. Coming in at JPY240,000 all-in with a mere JPY10,000 to add a Hong Kong stopover one-way, the Biz-toku fare to North America is the classiest and most comfortable way for oneworld-aligned travelers to cross the Pacific.

Now, keep in mind that one has to literally backtrack, connecting the opposite direction of North America to the tune of 1,774 miles, and then embarking on an even longer trip to eastbound. For a global business traveler, who has business in Tokyo, Hong Kong, and New York, this fare is a steal as New York is priced the same as San Francisco and other closer destinations. Pay the extra JPY10,000 for a stopover in Hong Kong one of the ways (I’d go for it on the outbound), conduct meetings in Hong Kong for a couple days, then hit the road from Hong Kong directly to New York, being completely fresh in business class the entire way.

These so-called backtracking fares, while not always the first thought to the business traveler, can provide excellent values. Interestingly, when I look up the Cathay flights on Tornos, I see some additional fees added by the agency, so I suggest going directly to the website unless you plan a package. Connecting through ICN (Asiana) or HKG (Cathay Pacific) does do one more nice thing in addition to the comfort and relaxation: you get more miles. NRT-ICN-JFK nets you over 7,500 miles and NRT-HKG-JFK nets you nearly 10,000 miles. Happy flying!

Last week during a whirldwind 30 hours in Hong Kong, I was able to take a few minutes out of my hectic schedule to get some takeaway from the “in” dim sum shop in Taikoo, Hong Kong: West Villa Restaurant. Located inside the Cityplazza shopping center, which like the EAST Hotel, is owned by the SWIRE Group, West Villa Restaurant was highly recommended to me by the EAST Hotel, so I decided to give it a shot whilst I was in the midst of shopping for supplies.

View inside of the restaurant

Not having a lot of time, I proceeded to get two orders of the cha siu bao (aka steamed pork buns) as I am constantly deprived of them in Japan (I know only one good place here and it’s out of the way for me), and even the past two trips to Hong Kong, I wasn’t able to eat any, so this was my chance.

Eats on display...

The manager and a senior staff member spoke English just fine, but after ordering, they tucked off and left me with “the help.” Not surprisingly, this person didn’t speak English, but fortunately we were able to communicate in Mandarin about the manager coming back in a few minutes with my change and food. Not exactly what I had hoped for as I was hoping to get my change right away, dash to the shop next door and buy something and then come back, but at least I knew they didn’t forget about me.

The goods

Finally, after a wait of about 6 or 7 minutes, I received my order and headed back to the hotel after a quick stop at the shop next door.

The result: delicious!!!

I’ve seen some complaints about West Villa Restaurant being too crowded, running out of food at night, etc, but for me, a guy getting take-out in the middle of the day, it was for the most part a very smooth experience. As for the food, the cha siu bao was fantastically delicious. If I end up staying at EAST next time (I usually do Hilton Hotels myself, but Conrad Hong Kong isn’t exactly a business hotel, now is it?), I’ll try to give the dine-in experience at West Villa a chance. For me, this hit the spot exactly when I needed it, and let me chomp on one of my favorite foods in the world during a hectic schedule.

Today, I am about to embark on my first ever mileage run, a series of flights solely for the purpose of earning more miles to gain status. In years past, I’ve always hit my desired status level with United Airlines Mileage Plus, earning about 200,000 EQM (Elite Qualifying Miles) in 2009 and 75,000 EQM in 2008 (Note to the uninitiated: Mileage Plus status qualification is based on the January 1 to December 31 calendar year). Sadly, this year, due to a lighter travel schedule, I’m only a tad above 93,000 with all my travel, and would fall short of the coveted 1K status should I fail to take any more Star Alliance flights this year. I absolutely have to have 1K status to get my Systemwide Upgrades (which I can even use on Lufthansa!), so what else to do but take a mileage run to reach 1K!

There are tales on FlyerTalk of people going totally nuts on mileage runs lately, but I won’t be doing nearly as much catch-up. NRT-SIN-NRT gets me 6,656 miles, and thanks to some heavily discounted fares at United Airlines Japan website, I was able to bag this without breaking the bank. Most importantly, this doesn’t cut into my Christmas vacation and I can knock the mileage run out over a weekend in less than 24 hours. For those based in Tokyo looking for 6,600 Star Alliance miles, there are still a few midweek days that have the covered S fares (JPY29,000), so take a look if you need some last-minute EQMs.

Anyways, I’ll be headed over to Narita Airport later in the day via Keisei Skyliner (just 36 minutes from Nippori to Narita!), so once I’m en route I’ll continually update and add pictures both on the Tokyo and Singapore sides! I’ll be doing this without a transit hotel (hotels in mileage runs are for wimps!), so stay tuned over the next 24 for non-stop posts!

UPDATE: Missed the Skyliner so had to get on a limited express Keisei train…will sprint from the station, but looks more than likely I’ll miss it…ugh! Doesn’t hurt to try, though! Fingers crossed!!!

UPDATE2: Arrive with 21 mins to spare. (!)

UPDATE3: UA closed doors 16 mins early instead of 15. Game over for this MR! ;-(

UPDATE4: On Keisei Skyliner now, just not the one I had hoped. I have only ever missed a flight once before due to being late, and it was actually the GAs fault for misinformation. This time, I spaced out thinking my departure was 6:30PM and not 5:50pm, confusing my Christmas Day San Francsico-bound flight with this one. Then, as I went to check-in online, I noticed the 5:50PM departure time and started scrambling faster than a Guy Fieri ten egg and mayonnaise omlette. Chalk this lapse up to mental fatigue; I was in Hong Kong Monday and Tuesday, red-eyed back, had three days of intense work and deal-making, had my second-ever public speech in Japanese (at a licensing business seminar…it wet well), and then just launched this blog in Japanese this afternoon. As I head back home tonight, I plan to cash-in on the sleep I’ll get now in my own bed instead of putting around Changi, though of course I am sad I’m missing out on the EQMs as well as the ability to reschedule this T fare. Better luck next time, I suppose! Just may need to burn a day whilst in the States after all now to requalify…we’ll see.

This past Thanksgiving, or rather, Pre-Thanksgiving, I was able to take some time out of a brief trip home (from Japan) to create an even briefer sub-trip to New York City. So nested betwixt my NRT-SFO and SFO-SEA-NRT longhaul flights, I squeezed a San Francisco to New York (SFO-JFK-SFO) trip on United p.s. and flew in business (discounted Z fare) on the outbound and on the way back (upgraded from Economy).

So with just two nights at the Embassy Suites on North End (one night booked using HHonors Points and one night booked with cash…and yes, upon check-in you can ask them to link the bookings so you don’t have to change rooms! However, I did get a welcome snack kit each night thanks to my status!), I decided to squeeze in as much as I could:

November 23, 2010:

• 7:05AM to 3:40PM: SFO-JFK on UA 6 (Z) – flight arrived very early!
• Circa 4:00PM: checked into the Embassy Suites
• 5:00PM: Dinner at Salaam Bombay Indian Cuisine (Exquisite cuisine, though a bit expensive, food is not your everyday Indian but rather perfect for special occasions and fine dining. I’d definitely go back there again!)
• Watched Stargate Universe on SyFy (can’t miss my SGU!)
• Late night carrot cake at Pick a Bagel (yum!)

November 24, 2010:

• Embassy Suites breakfast buffet (pretty solid as far as breakfast at American hotels go, though it’s no Waldof=Astoria!)
• Hook and Ladder No. 8 (Ghostbusters Firehouse)
• Empire State Building
• New York Public Library (used in the opening scene of the original Ghostbusters)
• Radio City Music Hall
• Rockefeller Square (and a very naked Christmas tree!)
• Lunch at Crif Dogs (I will say this now: THE BEST CORN DOG…EVER!)
• Rockit Scientist Records (used as Ray’s Occult Books in Ghostbusters II)
• Times Square
• Quick nibble from a Halal cart by News Corp.
• The Pee-Wee Herman Show (At the Stephen  Sondheim Theater, this was a great trip down memory lane. I’m really happy about the Paul Reubens comeback, and this satisfied both the nostalgia in me and the need for some very current entertainment. It was nice to see Pee-Wee even make a few jokes at himself in passing. This is a must-see for anyone in NYC with a sense of humor and it’s gone on January 2nd so act fast!)
• John’s Pizzeria (I’ve been here before and it was just as good as last time…and a nice escape from the FREEZING cold of a Manhattan Thanksgiving’s Eve!)

November 25, 2010:

• 7:11AM to 10:55AM: JFK-SFO on UA 5 (NC) and had a very happy Thanksgiving

Without further ado, here are the pictures:

New York is always a fun place to visit (I head there one or twice a year), and hopefully next time I have a little more than 48 hours to put around! Hope you all had a good holiday, too.

Tonight, Cathay Pacific hosted an airline event like no other. Not just for the press and not just for consumers, Light Up the Sky was a spectacularly executed amalgam of press and public that possessed such a critical mass as to have a persistent energy throughout the entire evening. There were buffets. And there were games. But most of all, there was the celebrated unveiling of a brand-new long haul business class alongside a lineup of  new, stylish uniforms.

Taking place at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre in Wan Chai, a venue typically used to host conventions in its gigantic halls, Light Up the Sky was already bustling with people when I arrived at in the late afternoon to attend the press conference. With this excitement in the air, I proceeded with some fellow bloggers (and escort of some outstanding Cathay Pacific staff) to the press room.

Mr. John Slosar greets members of the press in attendance for the event

We are all greeted by Mr. John Slosar, COO of Cathay Pacific. He had some nice opening remarks and commented on the airline in general, its growth, and what one would expect in a cordial, “warm-up” greeting.

Hong Kong-based designer Eddie Lau takes the podium

After Mr. Slosar, we were introduced to Eddie Lau, a famed Hong Kong-based designer of both fashion and interior as he prefaced and presented the new uniforms.

Mr. Lau and cabin crew with the new uniforms

After Mr. Lau, we were treated to Mr. Alex McGowan, Cathay Pacific’s Head of Product, for a deep dive into all things new business class.

Mr. Alex McGowan discusses the new business class

After a detailed overview of the new class, history, etc, we were treated to Hong Kong-based artist Maria Lobo and her unveiling of new cabin-based fine artwork.

Ms. Maria Lobo discusses in-cabin art

This is a very interesting concept. Fine artwork in the cabin. After all, as Mr. Slosar later put it, we put up artwork in our homes to create an atmosphere, so why not the cabin?

After the press session, we got to head over to the Light Up the Sky event, and that’s where the real fun started.

The author signing the "Light Up the Sky" board

View of the party

View of the party

Party introduction by Mr. Tony Tyler

Additional remarks by Mr. Henry Tang, Chief Secretary Hong Kong S.A.R.

Finally, after all the laser lights, dignitaries, and other bits, we got to the part both the journalists and frequent flyers alike wanted to see: the new business class with our own eyes.

New business class

VIP new business class seat tour

FAs

New seat

New seat

New seat

All in all, it was a fantastic event. The reception of the product was phenomenal, and most of all it was both comfortable and fun to sit in.

And one last bit from Light Up the Sky: FlyerTalkers sign-in!

I’m typing this as I sit in my room at EAST, a chic new business hotel in Tai Koo, Hong Kong. Any hotel that calls itself a single word is making a bold statement, so let’s see how EAST lives up to its name.

I found the room to be very spacious. One thing that so-called “business” hotels often lack, be they “lifestyle,” “value,” or just “pure business,” is comfortable pillows, but EAST actually had a bed I could rest on. So in the “Can I get a good night’s sleep?” department, the answer is: YES!

After putting around the floors and checking out the amenities like the dining floor, pool, etc, I believe I have discovered one of the first “West Hollywood meets East Asia” hotels that captures that Manhattan boutique hotel feeling I like to look for on of Sunset Boulevard.

Technology-wise, I love the complimentary hotel-wide wi-fi as well as the wired option, but what I really like is the repository of cables and connectors that are free to use, stashed under the TV. Need a power adapter? Check! Need a VGA cable to connect your PC to the TV? Check! Want to connect your iPod to the sound system? They got that, too!

One interesting tidbit not everyone may realize is that EAST is owned by Swire, the company that owns Cathay Pacific. Yes, you can earn Asia Miles by staying here, but one thing that is yet to be done (in the near future, hopefully), is the ability on Cathay Pacific’s website to book your flight to Hong Kong along with a Swire Hotel. It makes sense and should be coming in the future, hopefully 2011. From a foreign business standpoint, it could be very interesting to see what Swire can do selling into Japanese travel agencies, leveraging both their airline and hotel assets.

All in all, this is a very convenient hotel on the east side of Hong Kong Island. I was able to walk to the MTR and take the subway to see a friend of mine, and for those who are less adventurous, there is a lot happening in Tai Koo itself. Oh, and the pub on the top floor is a real “destination” in Hong Kong, and that’s not coming from just the hotel staff, but various people I’ve asked. Enjoy!