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!

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.

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.

As the year comes to a close, that joyous time is almost upon us again. No, not the holiday season, but something even more festive: elite requalification deadlines!

Whether be you a member of one of the major global alliances or even just a domestic or national airline with its own program, frequent flyer status has its perks. A small amount of programs base your qualification on a rolling time period, but for the most part, the major programs look at the calendar year. That means December 31, 2010, folks!

So what do you do if you’re short of some key threshold? Is the level of status you want at 25,000 status miles? 50,000 miles? Or is that coveted 100,000 mile mark that is the top status threshold of a great many programs within reach?

For the calendar year of 2009, I was able to fly 105,000 BIS (body in seat) miles through Star Alliance carriers United Airlines, All Nippon Airways, Singapore Airlines, and Air China, earning a total EQM (Elite Qualfying Miles) of about 175,000 after various bonuses and promotions. This year, I find myself a bit short after all my flights. United Airlines, Air China, Lufthansa, Asiana, and All Nippon Airways have only netted me 83,000 EQMs, meaning I will be 17,000 EQMs short if I want to requalify for United 1K status next year.

So what does this mean for me? It means that by December 31, 2010, I will need to find at least 17,000 EQMs to maintain my 1K status. I will have to do a mileage run.

Travelers based in North America often have the luxury of being able to do a mileage run, or a series of flights purely for the purpose of getting more miles, at discount prices not seen when flying from Asia. While in the United States, a 3, 4, or even 5-cent “cpm” (cost per mile) is the measuring stick for flights for to sake of getting more miles, flying out of Japan it can be 6 cents or more per-mile even with the best sales.

As I am based in Tokyo, I will likely need to do one of the following:

• Tokyo-Singapore roundtrip on United Airlines (currently about JPY30,000 per trip for overnight turns…would need 3 of these)
• Tokyo-North America on United Airlines then mileage run within that trip (prices vary, but I’m tracking sub 5-cent cpms right now)
• Tokyo-North America-Other region on United Airlines
• Air China intra-Asia (currently very competitively priced for overnight turns)

I’m not yet decided on what I’ll do, but there are definitely some interesting options. I’ve ruled Lufthansa, Swiss, and Austrian out as the cpms just aren’t competitive for mileage runs, but it’s quite interesting that Air China severely undercuts other airlines on some intra-Asia flights. Singapore Airlines to Los Angeles is always a fun flight and if prices line up, that might be a good gateway to the United States. Check back in the coming weeks to find out just what I do to keep my 1K status!

During what I’ll call an “extended summer” period of lots of work and not enough time off, I was able to escape over a weekend and burn one of my Hilton Q3FN certificates to score a free night at the Conrad Tokyo.

Part of the Conrad family of Hilton Hotels, the Conrad Tokyo has this monolithic elegance to it that can be seen in just how unnaturally elongated every aspect of the hotel is. Be it the lobby, the windows overlooking Tokyo Bay, or even the features of the hotel rooms, everything at the Conrad Tokyo is tall.

Here’s the room:

What I liked about Conrad Tokyo’s Twin Suite was the sheer spaciousness of the room. As I used a Q3FN certificate I had previously earned from excessive stays at Hilton Hotels I didn’t have to pay, but I checked and the rate would have been about JPY80,000, which at current (insane) exchange rates is $1,000. If you look carefully, though, you should be able to find the suite for less than half the price. (I used my certificate to get in on a nearly sold-out weekend night three days before.)

Three TVs, one of which is in the bathroom fit for an emperor, two beds, one couch, and plenty of chairs makes for an environment great for work or pleasure. And on the side of decadence, I highly suggest ordering a fruit platter from room service. Fruit prices in Japan aren’t even close to as good as Singapore, but for Japan, it was still a scrumptious plate.

Dining throughout the hotel is in one word…”fantastic.” Prior to this stay, being that I am a Gordon Ramsay restaurant NUT, I’ve been to both the GR restaurants many times prior, but it was an entirely different experience walking to breakfast from the room than walking from Shiodome Station. Quite, quite convenient, and nice in being able to swing by the room after for a post-meal relaxation.

If you’re in Tokyo on a luxurious vacation and want something with convenient city access (close to both Toei Oedo Line and JR Shimbashi Station, not to mention tourist-friendly Yurikamome), give Conrad Tokyo a try. Office website here.

I had the fortune of being able to visit Paris this past February, and while at the top of the Eiffel Tower on a very cold and snowy Valentine’s Day, I saw this:

9,739 km to Tokyo from the historic landmark…lot of miles to top off that frequent flyer account!

Look at how frozen everything was down below:

It was a quite cold time, so the prices were excellent. It’s getting much warmer now, but so is the travel climate. If you’re dying to visit Paris (or some other dream destination, for that matter!), consider traveling in the off-peak. Summer vacations are nicer, but know what’s nicer? Getting airfare and hotel for a fraction of the peak cost and visiting sites when it’s not horribly crowded.

I was recently in Korea during the Golden Week holiday that everyone here in Japan (myself included!) celebrates every year and was lucky enough to snag a last-minute room at the Grand Hilton Seoul.

One might remember that there used to be two Hiltons, the international and the domestic one, and that only in the past few years did they formally come together in operations and in brand. Even so, one who has stayed at both a domestic Hilton in the States and a Hilton overseas can see the night and day when it comes to Executive Lounges. Whereas my recent stay at the LAX Hilton in Los Angeles yielded mostly cold food which was somewhat passable, the Grand Hilton Seoul had a marvelous Executive Lounge full of delicious breakfast and dinner, and on top of that, a nice decor. Some pictures are below:

Note to readers: since it was breakfast time and I was trying to quickly snipe some pics without disturbing other guests, I forgot to get a picture of my favorite part of the breakfast: the pork and beans! Though I am not from the British Isles myself, I do quite enjoy my pork and beans, and it’s nice to be able to indulge when away from home.

While I don’t have any specific complaints against the LAX Hilton, the Grand Hilton Seoul is in an entirely different league of hotel. The lounge was great, the  service was excellent, and all in all I felt like the hotel is a real value.

For those unfamiliar with what a VDB is, an airline will offer compensation for Voluntary Denied Boarding on a flight when it is oversold and they need to fill the seats with paying standby customers. If you’ve ever heard the announcement, “We’re looking for volunteers,” this means they are looking for people to VDB. While on domestic flights, the compensation can be quite slim, it can become quite handsome on international flights. Such was the case the other day when myself and my traveling companion were returning to Tokyo via Frankfurt on Lufthansa.

In the week prior to our return flight, there were a few days of pretty harsh snowstorms all over Europe which caused days of cancellations and delays (we were actually delayed a day in Munich, unable to take our MUC-CDG flight due to the snow and per European regulations, Lufthansa gave us a hotel, meal vouchers, and transit to/from the hotel). Anyways, the ripple effect was mostly cleared up prior to our flight, but whereas there might have been a few open seats or only a few standbys normally, there were over a dozen people trying to get on the plane. Keep in mind that due to the bad economy, Lufthansa and other carriers have slashed prices to what many consider “too good” levels, thus making many flights sold out or at capacity last minute. Here is exactly what transpired:

1. Took our CDG-FRA intra-Europe connecting flight as planned. We got to the airport early enough to switch to the earlier flight to avoid any snow delays.
2. Arrived at FRA, and tried to upgrade from “Y to C” (that’s Economy to Business). No luck as the flight was horribly oversold  by more than 12 people!
3. Hang out at in the seating near the desk and hear them make the announcement, “We are looking for volunteers.”
4. Go up to the desk very politely and calmly and ask about “What is the deal for volunteers?”
5. Told by the agent, “600 euro per person, meal vouchers, hotel, and out on the flight the next day.” (Note: next day flight happened to be quite empty and our Y to C upgrade would clear quite easily.)
6. Slowly repeat the offer to the agent (after getting OK from traveling companion, of course!) and after verification, accept the offer. We are then put on the waiting list to be “VDB’d” on the FRA-NRT flight.
7. Everyone boards, flight is full, and we are handed a nice little set of vouchers by the agent.  Also get hotel voucher and instructions.
8. Go to the ticket counter (we get to use First Class since Lufthansa lets Star Alliance Gold Members use it) and Lufthansa deposits the 600 euro (x2!) onto my debit card (that’s US$1,600!). Get ticketed for the next day’s flight and were on our way.

One little side note: it seems pretty common for Lufthansa to put people up in the InterCity Hotel. With the voucher and included breakfast, this meant we had a free buffet dinner and a free buffet breakfast. Note to those hoping to VDB at Frankfurt: there is nothing in walking distance from the hotel. There is a shop open 9:00AM to 1:00PM, and you’ll find that Korean Airlines uses the hotel as their primary lodging for their crew. While not a luxurious hotel, it provided everything needed (including some much needed rest in a real bed, which no matter how far away from a five-star accommodation, still beats a first-class seat any day).

One more final note: Business travelers are much less likely to take a VDB as they have to likely get to a meeting. FRA-NRT is basically Lufthansa’s gateway, flagship route into Japan and will be full of the most business travelers. This is your best option for getting VDB’d. I would suggest scheduling your flight on a Monday apart from a German or Japanese holiday if you hope to get a VDB of your own FRA-NRT. Good luck!

The other day I was traveling on Air China and received one of the most coveted things in all of air travel: a free upgrade known as an “op-up” (operational upgrade).

The other day, I tweeted about the great leg room in the exit row of Air China’s two-class intra-Asia planes. Hoping to get some nice leg room again, I decided to mix-up my request:

About eighty minutes prior to departure, ROB hands CHECK-IN AGENT at Pudong his passport and United 1K (Star Alliance Gold) card.  CHECK-IN AGENT begins typing on keyboard like a broken piano and says in Chinese to a co-worker that she has to input ROB’s United Mileage Plus number.

ROB (nonchalantly): Do you have any business class seats available for purchase?

CHECK-IN AGENT: Sorry, we are all sold out.

ROB: Oh, what about exit row?

CHECK-IN AGENT (checking her computer): Yes, we have window.

ROB: I’ll take it.

Fast-forward to boarding time after most of the plane has boarded. ROB gets to the plane about 25 minutes prior to takeoff and when his boarding pass is scanned, the computer makes a beep. The GATE AGENT mutters something to his supervisor and they converse for a minute.

GATE AGENT: Sir, your seat has been changed. (He scribbles a new seat number on the boarding pass and presents it to ROB.)

Hoping for an op-op, ROB takes the his boarding pass . His previous intra-Asia flight on Air China was on a two-class Boeing 737 where any row beyond the second was economy. He notices “11L” written in blue pen on the pass and takes it. Meanwhile, several people in sports uniforms proceed onto the plane.

ROB: Thank you.

ROB walks to the plane and notices is is a larger, three-class Boeing 767-300. He hands his boarding pass to the FLIGHT ATTENDANT and she looks at it, puzzled at the handwritten annotation to the paper.

FLIGHT ATTENDANT: Please wait a moment.

Confused, the FLIGHT ATTENDANT talks to another crew member and then still without an answer, she exits the plane and returns to the gate. Ten minutes later, she returns.

FLIGHT ATTENDANT: Please take seat 11L sir, Business Class.

ROB: Thank you!

ROB sits down in business class, the only passenger who is not a member of Team China soccer.

The leg room was slightly less than the other business class seats due to the partition between business and first, but there was an interesting rubber footrest meant to make the seat more comfortable. For a flight only a little over two hours, we even got a full business class meal!

In general, most people I know, including business travelers, often book economy class for short-haul intra-Asia flights, similar to savvy travelers in North America and Europe who do the same for short haul flights. My personal rule of thumb is over/under four hours, and it was quite apparent on the plane as first class only had two passengers, one of which was a NRSA (non-revenue, space available) Air China employee. Having experienced Air China business class once, I’d definitely be happy to experience it again. (Author’s Note: I have previously experienced first-class on Air China before on a two-class short-haul intra-Asia flight, but this was my first business class experience.)