Posted by Seth on July 24, 2011 under Dining, Flying, Mileage Run, Review, Trip Reports | 
Every time I board a long-haul flight with a ticket for a premium cabin seat my expectations are high. When it is a flight in Continental‘s BusinessFirst cabin those expectations might be (probably irrationally) even higher. I’ve had a number of great BF experiences and when I used my last system-wide upgrade to confirm into my favorite seat on that plane – 8E – I had pretty high expectations. I suppose it is no surprise that they were not met given that setup. Still, it was a bit disappointing.
Don’t get me wrong – the seat was still just as awesome as I expected. The foot-well in the bulkhead rows is notably larger than that of the other rows and that makes a big difference for a taller passenger. And the overall seat + IFE experience was top-notch, giving me time to watch a few movies interspersed amongst some naps to pass the time.
  |
| The difference in the foot-well space in the bulkhead and other rows in the new BusinessFirst seats is noticeable for taller passengers. |
Dinner was a typical multi-course affair. The appetizer and salad were fine, though not particularly special. I was somewhat impressed that the flight attendant took care of one of the nearby passengers and his request for more of the garlic bread even before the service got into full swing but that level of service didn’t extend very far.
For the main courses there was no misSteak™ on the menu. This made my choice a bit harder. I decided against the pork chop and went with the salmon instead. I got what I deserved: a somewhat overcooked piece of salmon.
The cheese course was, as always, pretty if not particularly flavorful.
And apparently I consumed my ice cream sundae so fast that I forgot to take a photo of it. So that’s a good sign, I suppose.
Still, there were a few misses in the service that made the overall experience less than stellar. The drink service was slow on the refills, somewhat surprisingly for a flight with 30% of the cabin empty, and there were a number of requests made that weren’t filled. None significant enough at the time to be an issue but overall the pattern was such that it was apparent the crew wasn’t really in to actually providing service on this particular flight.
Breakfast time – served well after noon in the arrival time zone – was the real service miss that defined the flight for me. Given the choice between cereal and eggs I actually asked what the cereal was. Apparently this was an insult to the flight attendant taking my order; things went downhill from there. I ultimately did choose the Corn Flakes as my breakfast as when they were thrown down on my tray table I realized that apparently asking what the cereal option would be was a bad idea.
I also was somewhat excited for a cinnamon roll as part of my breakfast. When they didn’t show up in the basket I jokingly noted that they must not have been loaded on the flight. About 5 minutes later a plate with two of them, minus the frosting, was tossed on my tray table. Not good to skip confirming whether I wanted them or not. Pretty awful the way they were presented.
Overall the flight was fine. It really probably doesn’t deserve real complaints. Still, there were enough little things gone wrong that it bugged me. The service was definitely not up to the standards that I generally expect from a Continental BusinessFirst crew; definitely worse than my prior experience flying Hong Kong to Newark two months prior.
Related Posts:
Tags: Continental, Dining, in flight, Japan, Newark, Photos, review, Tokyo, Trip Report, TYO2011, upgrade
Posted by Seth on July 23, 2011 under Dining, Mileage Run, Trip Reports |
Trips to Tokyo are, for the most part, all about the food. At least they are for me. It starts with a visit to Tsukiji. There really is nothing finer. Whether you go for the fancy places, a yeoman’s shop or just pick a random stall with a line in front, odds of getting a great meal are incredibly high. This particular trip included a couple different bits at Tsukiji, in addition to the joy of walking the market, that were quite delicious.
As I meandered through the aisles outside the market early on a Saturday morning, lost while trying to find my way to the main entrance of the auction area, I happened upon a number of stalls offering up food stuffs. One in particular caught my eye, with a variety of bun-looking options on offer. I wanted to see the auctions, however, so I kept walking right past. I regretted that decision almost immediately from the moment I did so but I justified it with the higher purpose of getting to the auction. About five minutes later I realized that I was too late and too lost; the auctions were not to be this particular morning. Fortunately I was not yet far enough removed from the bun shop that I could not find my way back.
I retraced my steps and eventually found myself staring down what appeared at first glance as sweet buns of some sort. I could not have been more wrong, nor more happy about the mistake. It turns out that the buns were actually mostly scallops (I think, possibly some other similar seafood) and what appeared to be a sweet glaze wrapping them was actually bacon. It was like a little bit of heaven came down from above and ended up in a fried ball that I could buy for ¥250 (~$3 USD).
While taking advantage of the sustenance provided by the fried ball of goodness I wandered the stalls of Tsukiji, enjoying pretty much everything I saw. And then it was time for a real breakfast. I spent a bit of time – quite a bit too much, really – surveying the options and deciding upon the shop at which I’d be having my sushi breakfast. At the "basic" price point all good and the prices are generally similar. Eventually I chose one that wasn’t so crowded there was a line out the door but also not completely empty. I have no idea what the name was or if I could find it again. But the meal I got was pretty darn good. Not as good as the "upscale" place I went on my last trip a couple years ago but still quite tasty.
My last meal in town (other than the yakitori that deservedly gets its own post) was a lunch with an ex-pat who now lives just outside of town and who graciously agreed to come in on a Saturday and meet up for lunch. I probably should’ve paid more attention to where we went as I have no idea if I could find it again. After reviewing the menu and still not really knowing what the options were I chose one of the set plate lunches for ¥1000 and hoped for the best. I think I did pretty well.
The main course was some chicken over rice with an egg on top. Mixed together, along with some of the chili pepper they put on the side, it was quite tasty. There was also a shooter of a soup broth, some seaweed, pickled something and a gooey green tea dessert that probably isn’t something I’d try again. Still, the meal overall was rather good and quite reasonably priced for the amount and quality of the food.
Knowing that meals like these can be found at reasonable prices all over town, despite Tokyo’s reputation as exceedingly expensive, makes it easy for me to want to go back. After all, with a cheap fare, a cheap room and cheap meals it is possible to soak up quite a lot of the Tokyo experience without breaking the bank.
And when the experience is this delicious that is a glorious thing.
Related Posts:
Posted by Seth on July 22, 2011 under Mileage Run, Trip Reports |
Tokyo has no shortage of great visuals to keep one busy during a visit. Pick any neighborhood and just wander around a bit and you’ll come across awesome sights. With nothing particularly special on my itinerary this past visit it was rather easy to roam the streets, looking for scenes that caught my eye. Here are some of the results.
 |
| Waiting for a train on the subway platform. |
 |
| A quick visit to the shrine outside Tsukiji market. |
 |
| There is something very meta and entertaining to me about this image. |
 |
| Getting over the heat by playing in the water in one of the local parks near Roppongi. |
 |
| Young girls enjoying the spoils of their shopping adventures. |
 |
| Looking down on the amphitheater at Roppongi Hills. |
 |
| A strange (and quite large) spider statue at Roppongi Hills. |
 |
| Local hipsters on the train to Narita. |
Related Posts:
Posted by Seth on July 21, 2011 under Dining, Flying, Mileage Run, Review, Trip Reports |
Tokyo for the weekend seemed like a good idea. Actually, it still does seem like a good idea and I’m considering booking more similar trips, but I’m also somewhat hopeful that the trend I experienced on my last trip reverses itself. I managed to book a somewhat creative routing, passing through Hawaii on the way. As the travel progressed through the three flights the flight duration got longer and the seats got smaller. That’s not the way you really want to fly.
LaGuardia to Denver was the first hop and it was a pretty reasonable flight once we got past the part where the originally assigned aircraft had a "major fuel leak" and we got underway. Fortunately flights out of LaGuardia are generally quite well padded on the schedule and we weren’t all that delayed into Denver in the end. The United Airlines 757-200 was pretty much as expected. Nothing special in the seat nor the service, though being called aside during the delay for a personal briefing from the agent managing the delay was a nice touch for Global Services members. As it was a breakfast flight the choices were eggs or cereal. I chose the eggs for some strange reason.
Despite the interesting texture imprint on top the eggs were actually pretty good. The sausage and potatoes were very flavorful; the fruit pretty bland.
Once in Denver I chose to buy my own meal for the onward flight. Yes, my upgrade had cleared for the Denver – Honolulu flight, but something in me decided that was the right move. In the end I actually gave away my seat so a couple could sit together, in large part because I had that food, so it worked out well for everyone in question. Also, I had a much better meal for lunch than would have otherwise been the case. As I mentioned in the full post on that flight the crew was exceptional, perhaps to a fault, once they realized I had downgraded myself. Had it not been for the downgrade, however, I’m not so convinced. Either way, the seat was definitely smaller, though Economy Plus certainly doesn’t suck.
The last flight of the day, from Honolulu to Tokyo’s Haneda airport, was the longest and also involved the smallest seat, a regular economy assignment on an Air Japan d/b/a ANA 767-300. The interior was pretty similar to a Continental 767 so that was at least familiar to me, if not especially comfortable. The seats were fine, but nothing special. They do have a footrest under the seat in front but that was less than useful for a passenger taller than 5′ 7" or so.
 |
| The bulkhead in the mini-cabin actually looks quite comfortable but I was not so lucky to secure such a seat assignment. |
I was rather impressed with the initial meal service on the flight. In economy we had a choice of a pork curry or scallops and asparagus main. Side included noodles as well as salmon and some veggies. One of the better coach meals I can remember recently.
Combined with the snack I picked up at the L&L just outside the airport it was sufficient to make for a pretty good dinner overall.
The flight also includes an arrival meal which wasn’t nearly as good as the first meal, but more than nothing. There were some pickled veggies, a fruit cup and a wrap that had some sort of meat-ish flavoring inside.
The best part of the flight for me was picking up a new carrier and a fun new line. The service was good, as is generally expected from the Asian carriers.
That the seats got progressively smaller during the trip as I got progressively more tired didn’t matter all that much; it turns out that I’ll sleep anywhere if I’m tired enough. Sure, I’d rather the trend was the other direction but I’ll take what I can get. Besides, I can claim it was prep for my pod hotel experience.
Just another day of living the dream.
Related Posts:
Tags: ANA, Boeing, Continental, Dining, elite status, Hawaii, in flight, Japan, New York, New York City, Photos, review, Tokyo, Trip Report, TYO2011, United, upgrade
Posted by Seth on July 13, 2011 under Dining, Mileage Run, Review, Trip Reports |
Tucked away under the tracks of Japan‘s famed Shinkansen bullet trains in central Tokyo is a dining experience that is hard to beat: Yakitori Alley. The area has become rather developed lately, with "real" restaurants filling in a number of the old shop areas and changing the feel a bit. Still, show up any evening and slide on to a stool and you’ll likely be left with some of the same thoughts I was.
They serve what?!?!
Everything, apparently. Given the translation mistakes that happen from time to time between Japanese and English part of me wants to think that these weren’t really options on the menu. But I know that is not true. They really are serving up gizzards, liver, heart, intestine, bowels and uterus, among other things. Turns out I’m not all that adventurous an eater, especially when the minimum order is two skewers and I’m on my own at the table and want to try more than one stall. Still, I did venture out to such "crazy" options as chicken meatballs and leeks.
One other minor bit on the ordering options: each shop seems to only offer one type of beer. So if you’re looking for Asahi and you’re in a Sapporo stall you’ll be out of luck. I figured out eventually that the ones out on the street advertise their beer choice in the bins that make up the tables. I also learned long ago that I don’t really care that much about the beer amongst those choices so I just drank whatever was available.
I regret that I have but one stomach to give for my travels
In addition to all the choices of animal parts (and some veggies, too!) there are a number of stalls to choose from. Two sit in what appears to be the original area, literally in a passage under the train tracks. The others line an adjacent block, setting up their stools and tables out into the street to accommodate the large number of customers and to keep the social outdoor scene alive.
That’s a dozen or so restaurants, all vying for customers and all of which I wanted to try. The food is cheap enough (JPY160-200; $2-2.50 for most skewers) and the beer not too unreasonably priced (JPY550-600;$6-7.50 for a pint) that one can certainly try a number of the shops without breaking the bank. But there was no way I was only ordering one skewer at each stall. I’m sure the owners wouldn’t appreciate it and it is a horribly way to get a feel for the quality of a restaurant. But I really, really, really wanted to try more of them.
Damn, that was good
So I couldn’t eat at all the stalls or really even a lot of them. In the end I only made it through two before exhaustion, budget and beer consumption issues finally conspired against me. And they were damn good. The shop under the tracks (I ended up at the one with the pig in front) was better than the one outside, but it is also much smaller and harder to get a seat a if you aren’t there early. And neither was bad.
They grill the meat to order, which is to say that they put it on the grill when you order it and serve it when it is ready; you’re not going to ask for the intestines to be served medium rare. But the food is served up fresh and the beer is cold. Plus the food is actually really, really good, assuming you like grilled meats. Somewhat surprisingly to me the chicken was better than the pork (a bit rubbery on the latter in both places I tried it). Not surprisingly I preferred the regular chicken over the chicken meatballs (though I felt compelled to try both given some of the reviews I had read about the meatballs).
For better or for worse my visit was on a Saturday and that meant fewer locals enjoying the food and beer. It also meant that I could actually get a seat and eat and not feel like I was taking up space from folks who knew what they were doing there. Such is life, I suppose. Much like having not yet experienced the Tokyo subway at rush hour I think I’m willing to forgive missing that experience for the sake of my sanity.
Also, finding Yakitori Alley can be a bit of a challenge. The closest subway exit is A2 at the Hibiya station. Turn right at the top of the stairs and walk along side the railroad until you see the passage way with the glowing lights and the grill smoke rising from it. Exit C1 from the Ginza station offers more subway line connections and isn’t too much farther away. From here you’re closer to the "uncovered" yakitori stalls rather than the original ones under the tracks. You pretty much want to aim for the "o" in Yurakucho in the middle of this map.
Related Posts
Posted by Seth on July 12, 2011 under Hotel, Mileage Run, points, Review, Trip Reports |
Two years ago on my visit to Japan I slept in a plywood box. It was a crude approximation of the somewhat famous "pod" hotels as implemented by a hostel in the Asakusa region of Tokyo. On this trip I decided to actually plan a bit more in advance and find a proper pod hotel to try a couple nights. I ended up in the Hotel Nihonbashi Villa and, well, it was definitely a good deal for the price paid.
To be clear, I wasn’t expecting much. I needed a bed. And somewhere to shower in the morning. The capsule room at Nihonbashi Villa definitely met those requirements. They even threw in a small TV with a dozen or so channels and a radio/alarm clock, too. And it was cheap. I booked through hotels.com to get my Welcome Rewards credits and got a rate there of about $34/night, a bit less than the JPY2900/night advertised on the hotel’s site. For that price it probably rates a 3-4 star ranking.
The main negative bit about it was the heat. The capsule was stifling with the "door" closed. Cracking it just a couple inches at the bottom made a huge difference and the common room air conditioner kicked in nicely at that point. Plus pretty much all of Tokyo was on the verge of steaming in the heat and humidity. Still, the lack of ventilation was a bit rough. Jet lag can do amazing things, however, and I managed to sleep quite well both nights.
Also, if you’re much taller than 5’11" expect to fill the sleeping space completely. I was definitely "cozy" inside from head to toe, though there was plenty of width for me, even with the small shelf on the inside wall.
At check in you get a set of towels, a robe and a toiletry kit of a razor and toothbrush. It is clear that most guests are not book in advance types who plan the stay in advance.
My other (minor) complaint is that I was in a capsule on the 4th floor and the showers were on the first, with just a sweltering stairwell to connect them. Such is life.
Speaking of showers, the best analogy I can draw is a high school gym with a few semi-private stalls. Clean enough (though not necessarily clean) and more than functional, but definitely a shared use facility. There was also a small sink area for finishing up prep before returning to your room to get dressed and head out for the day.
The common area offers free WiFi but there is none in the room areas. The common areas also have a couch, vending machines and it is the designated smoking area for guests in the pods; fortunately the capsule areas are non-smoking.
Would I do it again? Probably if the trip was night or two. Would I do it again during the hottest week of the year in Tokyo? Absolutely not. Would I try to save some cash if it was more than one person by doing two of them? Not a chance. The capsule/pod hotels are great for the very specific demographic that they aim at. For most other folks they are a really, really bad idea.
Related Posts
Posted by Seth on July 11, 2011 under Trip Reports |
OK, fine. It is already dead by the time it gets to the market, so not much of a life. It is still rather amazing to see just how quickly a tuna gets processed at Tokyo‘s Metropolitan Central Wholesale Market, better known by its location name, Tsukiji. The fish are brought in from the boats early every morning. In a matter of hours they are reviewed, purchased, transported, sectioned and sold again to buyers who will be serving them for lunch or dinner later that same day.
I visited the market back in March of 2009 and when I got to Tokyo this past weekend that was really the only absolute "must-do" of my plans. I’m incredibly glad I did. The process for getting in to the auction part of the market is a bit harder now. You have to show up early and apply for one of the 140 passes that are issued each day. Thanks to jetlag and being lost I missed out on that part of the trip so I have to rely on my videos from last time for the auction bit.
Once the auction concludes the fish is loaded on a cart and wheeled through the narrow aisles of the market to the stall of their buyer, and I was awake and in the right place this trip to capture the experience.
From there the fish has to be cleaned and sectioned. This is the most impressive part of the process to me, mostly because the tuna are so huge and so expensive that any waste can mean lost money on the transaction. Plus the tools these guys use are awesome. It is not your typical chef’s knife that is going to be able to cut a 200 pound fish into pieces.
Quarter by quarter the fish is prepared. Some of the cuts are made by just one person. Some of the bigger ones, however, are made using a knife that is more like a sword and that cannot be handled by just one person. Plus you need one or two guys to hold the fish while it is being cut. The whole thing is a pretty awesome process to watch.
Eventually a second set of buyers (like the guy in the blue hat) get involved, taking the sectioned pieces for their individual shop, restaurant or secondary processor.
It is amazing just how quickly this whole process happens. It is a matter of 60-90 minutes before the fish is moving out the door and on its way to your stomach.
Related Posts
Posted by Seth on May 25, 2011 under Flying, frequent flyer, News, points |
If you’ve got the days to spare (4 night minimum) and can find flights that work, this is a deal not to be missed. The Japan National Tourism Organization has partnered with JAL, Continental, ANA and United Airlines as well as five hotels in Tokyo to offer up a simply unbelievable package. It is pricing at $780 including all taxes and fees and includes round-trip air and four nights of hotel in Tokyo.
Considering that the best sale fares seem to hit around $575 or so adding on $200 for the hotel is a bargain unless you planned on sleeping in a plywood box like I did last time I was there. And the hotels participating appear to be pretty nice (one has rack rates over $250/night).
Availability is spotty but it is there for some departure dates. Bookings must be done through an affiliated travel agency, not online. And there are no guarantees that you’ll earn frequent flyer points on the flights as they could be considered consolidator tickets. Still, if the inventory shows up and you can spare the time this is a phenomenal deal. Plenty of time to have a blast in Tokyo.
If you need some ideas of things to do once you get there, consider these:
Related Posts:
Posted by Seth on April 15, 2011 under Mileage Run, Trip Reports |
As a travel destination it is hard to rate Guam to incredibly high, especially coming in from the mainland US or Hawaii. Sure, it is warm and generally sunny, but so is most of the Caribbean or the beaches of Mexico and they’re a LOT easier to get to than Guam is. If you happen to be in Japan or Korea already I can somewhat see the appeal – only 4-5 hours away by air and a much different environment that caters to you as a tourist – but really a hard sell coming all the way from New York City. Still, I managed to find a few things to do while there and it wasn’t like the beaches were particularly bad as visiting goes.
The main drag of Tumon Bay Beach is where all the resorts are based and where most tourists end up. The area is just a couple miles from the airport and pretty much serves as the focus of the tourist industry on the island. And with good reason. Other than one section of particularly nice beach that I saw on one of the Navy bases, the beach at Tumon Bay is one of the nicer stretches of land available in Guam for enjoying the Pacific Ocean and it has most of the restaurants and shops, too.
The wide, shallow bay plays more like a lake than an ocean, with virtually no surf to speak of but that’s great for the folks staying at the resorts who are looking to snorkel, windsurf or sail in the area. And the white sand beach is wide enough that there is generally enough room, though it is not particularly deep which can make it a bit crowded at times.
One of the nicer features of the beach is that it is readily accessible both to the guests of the high-priced resorts that sit right on it and to the general public, thanks to Governor Joseph A Flores Park, a public access facility, at one end. With free public parking and access everyone can enjoy the sun and sand.
A bit further south along Marine Corps Drive the tourist population dwindles and the locals dominate the scene. The coast is lined with parks, providing parking and access to the waterfront, though generally much less in the way of actual beachfront. There is a grassy area adjacent to most of the parking lots but no sand to relax on. For some folks that’s probably an ideal sort of beach, but not me.
In addition to the large, calm stretches of coastline there are also some areas where the surf break line is close enough to shore for folks to take advantage of it. Just off of Paseo De Susana Park there were a number of surfers and body boarders doing just that.
The park also has a replica of the Statue of Liberty on display. I happen to like ours in NYC a bit better, but this one is certainly more convenient to visit if you’re in Guam.
Finally, there is a small park adjacent to the regional government building that provides some pretty cool views of the region. The plot of land that now houses the government was used as a fort in the days of Spanish rule and as an anti-aircraft emplacement during World War II; evidence of both eras remains in the park area.
Construction in the region was historically performed by elevating the buildings, both to protect against rising tides or floods as well as to keep critters out. The towers that the buildings were set on are known as lattes and they are rather significant to the history of the island. Traditionally they were built of two pieces, the long, tapered column and then a chunk of coral set atop that. The government recently built a look-out tower that mimics the design and style of a latte. It is actually a pretty neat tower and it provides great views of the coast line.
There is also a marker signifying the base reference point on Guam for all GPS location points on the island. Vaguely interesting for the geek in me.
Between these beaches, the view from Two Lovers’ Point and the diving available on the island I managed to fill my 49 hours on the island well enough. I’m quite certain that I don’t really need to go back as I got my fill and there are more interesting destinations still on my list.
Related Posts:
Posted by Seth on December 13, 2009 under News |
The negotiations of the USA-Japan open skies treaty have been ongoing for quite a while now. This latest round of talks, held last week, was actually extended by a day to allow for the final details to be ironed out since they were so close. And ultimately the deal that they struck seems to be a very fair and very good one for the airlines and for customers.
Tokyo Service
With the exception of Tokyo all destinations in Japan are now accessible with unlimited frequencies by all American and Japanese carriers. That is a significant step forward. The Tokyo market, however, is key to pretty much all service to Japan and the agreements reached on that front are quite interesting. Both airports – Haneda and Narita – will remain slot controlled due to the significant demand for service to those airports. And the number of slots that US-based carriers have at Narita will actually decrease a tiny bit. But there’s a good reason for that.
Tokyo’s Haneda airport – the more convenient and desirable destination for most passengers headed to Tokyo – is opening up to more international flights starting in 2010. Some of those flights will be potentially operated to the United States under this deal with as many as four daily flights permitted. That is going to be a very significant benefit for whichever carrier manages to secure those slots. There are a number of restrictions on the new Haneda slots, including late night departure times which aren’t particularly ideal. But it is better than nothing.
Anti-trust Immunity
There are some other interesting nuggets that came out of the agreement as well. Anti-trust immunity (ATI) will be permitted on the US-Japan routes for the first time ever. While there will still be specific applications required for such operations the ATIs will permit coordination of schedules, service and fares for partner carriers on routes between the two countries. The Star Alliance carriers of ANA, Continental and United Airlines are best position to take advantage of the ATI opportunities and they’ve already announced their intentions to do so. The three carriers expect to be able to better coordinate their offerings and streamline operations. In addition to the Star Alliance three, JAL will likely take advantage of the ATI opportunities once they figure out which suitor they’re going to dance with in the bankruptcy/bailout recovery effort. Both Delta and American Airlines are still pursuing the carrier aggressively and being able to apply ATI policies to the operations following whatever deal might be reached will be rather beneficial to whichever partnership comes out of that deal.
Extra Freedoms
Finally, both countries will be removing restrictions on fifth freedom routes. Fifth freedom flights are some of my favorites because the routes seem strange when viewed out of context. They are flights operated between two countries, neither of which the airline is based in, where the airline is permitted to sell seats only on that route. There are a number of such flight in Asia particularly, such as Air France flying between Bangkok and Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City. And there are a few in the USA, like Cathay flying from Vancouver to New York City’s JFK airport. As part of this agreement fifth freedom flights will the permitted without restriction by Japan or the United States. This is great for carriers that want to grow their route maps onward from Japan or the USA. These “add-on” segments generally help to make flights that might otherwise not be profitable happen, so there is an increase in service between markets. Plus there is the opportunity to grab the “other” flight generally rather cheap and have some fun flying on different carriers.
The loser on this bit is most likely Delta which acquired a number of route authorities ex-Tokyo when they bought Northwest Airlines recently. That purchase gave them a number of slots and authorities from Tokyo and now all the other carriers who desire such will be able to get in the game on those flights, assuming they can find the slots. Also, the third country will still need to approve the fifth freedom flights so it isn’t completely open, but there are many more opportunities now for many more carriers.
Mostly good, but potential gotchas
Overall, agreements such as this are generally a good thing for passengers. The increased opportunities for carriers to provide service generally means that where they think there is a market airlines will try, at a lower cost than if they had to buy route authorities to provide such service. The ATIs are always a bit of a toss-up as they essentially permit collusion and price-fixing between partners. As long as there are enough non-partnered carriers in a market that generally isn’t a problem but it is something that always causes a bit of apprehension as it can lead to higher prices due to less competition. Still, there’s a lot of potential good news out of this agreement. Now we just wait to see how it actually plays out.
