This past January I took a mileage run on United to Tokyo and stayed at the Hilton Tokyo Narita Airport for one night. The online rate I booked was shockingly low at only 8,000 yen (about $85) for a fully cancelable standard Hilton Queen room. The non-refundable advance purchase rate was only 1,000 yen less, for what it’s worth.

The hotel offers free shuttle service from the airport at various times throughout the day, typically in 20- or 30-minute intervals (except mid-day when it’s hourly). I had just missed one shuttle and out of laziness and a desire to take a nap as soon as possible, I grabbed a cab for the short ride (about $17).

As a Diamond HHonors member, I was upgraded to a Deluxe Plus room, which the only difference I can ascertain from the website description is 108 additional square feet of space.

The bed was very comfortable and a bit softer than what’s found in many U.S. locations. And there was plenty of desk space and drawers.

Deluxe Plus Queen Room

My welcome amenity included two bottles of water and a couple of hazelnut biscuit crackers. Also included with my status came complimentary health club admission and “American Breakfast,” which turned out to be access to the full buffet.

Welcome Amenities

The nightstand next to the bed controlled the room lights and temperature, and also included a digital alarm clock. Inside the closet a safe large enough for my 15” MacBook Pro was present along with robes and slippers.

I was expecting a super-small bathroom, but was pleasantly surprised by an average sized one similar to what you’d find at say a La Quinta or Holiday Inn – not necessarily a U.S. Hilton. And yes, the toilet featured all the bells and whistles that the Japanese love. The Peter Thomas Roth amenities, standard for Hilton, were slightly larger than what you’d find in the U.S., but still TSA friendly.

Service was excellent at the hotel and everyone spoke English quite well, which you’d expect for a worldwide brand at an airport location. I didn’t snap photos of the breakfast buffet the next morning, but it was fantastic. Everything from typical Western dishes to Japanese and other fare was available.

While the hotel is rather isolated for walking to much of anything, it’s ideal for a quick night before catching a flight the next day. Oh, and if you’re coming in from the city on the train, the hotel also offers free shuttle service to/from Narita Station.

Related posts:

Flight Review: United Airlines Global First Class, San Francisco to Tokyo

Lounge Review: United Global First, Tokyo Narita Airport

Lounge Review: ANA Suite Lounge, Tokyo Narita Airport

The unadvertised promotional United Global First fare to Tokyo I flew on last week had limited domestic origins, Boston being one of them. And since I’m getting “old” and can no longer handle nonstop flying over several days, I flew into Boston the day before my BOS-SFO-NRT segments and booked into the Hilton attached to the airport.

Hilton Boston Logan Airport

I flew in on a red-eye from San Francisco, so I initially hung out in the United Club as it was far too early to check-in. By about 11:00 a.m., though, I was getting antsy and decided to take the long walk from Terminal C, through Terminal E, to the skybridges connecting the hotel to the terminals. Shuttle service from each terminal is also available, but I was keen on the exercise.

Gladly, a room was available and I received an Executive Level King room on the 10^th floor.

Hilton Boston Logan Airport Executive King Room

The room was very clean and offered the standard amenities for executive level accommodations, including complimentary bottled water, bathrobes and slippers. I dug the leaning mirror along the wall near the window, as well as the lap tray for use on the lounger.

Hilton Boston Logan Airport Room

I had a pretty decent #avgeek view overlooking the parking garage to the tower at one angle, and a view of the runways and terminals at another. A grounded Japan Airlines Boeing 787 sat nearby its replacement 777-200 parked at the gate.

View of Boston Logan's Control Tower

View of a JAL 787 and 777-200

I enjoyed complimentary Wi-Fi as a Diamond HHonors elite and booted up my laptop on the average-sized desk. A safe is housed in an adjacent compartment that appears to have been where a minibar was once located.

Work Station

In-Room Safe

The bathroom was nothing special and included Peter Thomas Roth bath amenities commonly found at most Hiltons, including shampoo, conditioner, body wash and lotion. My only complaint about the bathroom was the rather aged showerhead that could use replacing.

Hilton Boston Logan Airport Bathroom

Bathroom Amenities

As a Diamond and having received a room upgrade, I had access to the Executive Lounge (also on the 10^th floor), which opens at 5:30 p.m. on Sundays. You should be aware it’s closed on Saturdays.

Evening hors d’oeuvres consisted of veggie egg rolls and rather chewy beef tips on a skewer with roasted peppers. A selection of cold veggies and fruit was also available, along with soft drinks, coffee, tea and bottled water. Sadly, I forgot my iPhone in the room and didn’t get any pics. I would’ve felt a little weird going back a second time just to snap photos.

It’s a decent property, though I have to say the nearby Hyatt affords even better views of both the airport and Boston’s skyline. In the morning, I ended up taking the shuttle back to Terminal C for my 6:00 a.m. flight to San Francisco.

Related posts:

I’m Off on a Weeklong Mileage Run

Hotel Review: Hilton San Francisco Airport Bayfront

Hotel Review: Regal Airport Hotel Hong Kong

Delta Air Lines published upcoming changes to the SkyMiles program earlier today. Whether it was deliberate or an error, the page has since been taken down from Delta’s website. But not before an astute Flyertalker captured the details, as shown below.

[Updated 1/17: Delta has indeed announced the MQD portion below this morning]

Earning Medallion Qualification Miles (MQMs)

Beginning March 1, 2013, the MQMs SkyMiles members earn on select fare classes will change.

For Delta-marketed flights, the MQM bonus for First/Business F and J fare classes will double from 50% to 100%. Economy M fare class will no longer earn a 50% MQM bonus. This change will apply to tickets purchased on or after March 1, 2013.

The above changes also will apply to F-, J- and M-equivalent fare-class tickets on Aeromexico, Air France-KLM, Alaska, Alitalia and Virgin Australia-marketed flights. This change will apply to travel flown on or after March 1, 2013.

The MQMs you earn on certain other partner-marketed flights will adjust for travel flown on or after March 1, 2013.

Please note that the way you currently earn redeemable miles is not changing.

Medallion Qualification Dollars (MQDs) – Coming Next Year

Beginning January 1, 2014, SkyMiles members residing in the United States (excluding Guam, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands) will qualify for Medallion status based on an additional threshold – the member’s annual spending with Delta, which will be measured by Medallion Qualification Dollars (MQDs).

Members must also meet the existing Medallion Qualification Miles (MQMs) or Medallion Qualification Segments (MQSs) qualification criteria.

The threshold ranges from $2,500-$12,500 MQDs depending on Medallion level.

Alternatively, Delta SkyMiles Credit Cardmembers can be waived from the new Medallion Qualification Dollars (MQDs) requirement if they make at least $25,000 in Eligible Purchases within the calendar year.

First on the MQM side, it actually makes sense to me to reward full-fare first and business class fliers with large bonuses, particularly on the elite qualification side of the equation. Giving F- and J-class ticket purchasers a 100 percent MQM bonus would lead the big three U.S. airlines. United’s PQM bonus is currently 50 percent and American doesn’t give a bump in elite qualifying miles, but does provide 1.5 elite qualifying points per mile under their system.

Removing the third-most expensive coach M-class fare MQM bonus of 50 percent isn’t particularly bothersome as the airline’s main focus is predominantly on full Y-B fares in economy. I say this, of course, as someone who rarely (if ever) buys a ticket that expensive.

What’s most interesting to me is that Delta isn’t reducing either MQMs or redeemable miles earned on the lowest fare classes, if these are indeed the only planned changes for the remainder of 2013 and the 2014 program year. I would have assumed U.S. airlines would lower the earn rates there at the same time as adding an annual revenue requirement. This would bleed-out elite ranks faster for the lower-spend “over-entitled” fliers like myself.

And regarding the revenue requirement, is it time to “move” to Canada (or Guam, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands or anywhere else globally) for some Delta elites as the new MQD concept applies to only 50-stater U.S. residents? The spend threshold for each tier ranges from $2,500 to $12,500, probably something like this (my total guess) [Updated 1/17: And I was wrong on the Plat tier amount, it's confirmed at $7,500]:

• Silver Medallion: $2,500
• Gold Medallion: $5,000
• Platinum Medallion: $9,000 $7,500
• Diamond Medallion: $12,500

United’s rumored, yet unrealized changes for the 2012 program year also had a spend requirement I blogged about in 2011. The proposed levels were:

United Airlines Rumored Spend Requirements From 2011

Yeah, I know it’s still Premier 1K, but “Diamond” was speculated at the time as the top level.

And now might be the time to get a Delta credit card if you don’t already have one. The MQD requirement will allegedly be waived if you spend at least $25,000 in eligible purchases each year.

It remains to be seen what the actual changes will be, but I’m certain they’ll be announced this year, as I blogged about yesterday. Here’s the link to the ever-growing Flyertalk thread discussing the possible changes.

Delta fliers: Is this a big deal to you?

Related posts:

The First Airline in 2013 to Change to a Revenue-Based Frequent-Flier Program Is…

My Thoughts on the Rumored United MileagePlus Changes

Looking Back at 2013 and What’s Ahead in 2013