JAL A350 first class, Bermuda, Cayman Islands, New Haneda Centurion lounge, and more

[bmcc]

Intro

About 12 months ago an award seat popped up for SYD>HND>JFK on JAL first class, including their brand new (at the time) A350 first class offering. I immediately jumped on it, put the booking through and then promptly forgot about it.

In the meantime, a few things happened. First, there was an equipment change on the SYD>HND leg from 777 to 787, meaning that leg was downgraded to Business. Second, I relocated to Tokyo, meaning I would have to reposition to pick up the flight. Last, I had some business and personal commitments arise in Bermuda and the Caribbean, making this trip a bit more complicated than first anticipated.

My intention for this trip report is to simply post my thoughts on some flights, lounges and restaurants that fellow travellers might be interested in. I'm not a big photo taker, so please bear with me.

The final routing will be as follows:

1. Cathay Pacific economy class Narita > Hong Kong
2. Cathay Pacific economy class Hong Kong > Manila
3. Cathay Pacific business class Manila > Hong Kong
4. Cathay Pacific business class Hong Kong > Brisbane
5. Qantas business class Brisbane > Sydney
6. Japan Airlines business class Sydney > Tokyo
7. Japan Airlines first class Tokyo > New York
8. American Airlines economy class New York > Bermuda
9. American Airlines economy class Bermuda > Miami
10. American Airlines economy class Miami > Grand Cayman
11. American Airlines economy class Grand Cayman > Charlotte
12. American Airlines economy class Charlotte > New York
13. Japan Airlines business class New York > Tokyo
14. Japan Airlines business class Tokyo > Hong Kong

Did I mention that this will all be done over the course of 9 days?

 

[bmcc]

Narita Japan Airlines 'Sakura' First Class Lounge

Warmly welcomed at check in, entrance via my Oneworld Emerald status (Qantas) despite flying Cathay Pacific economy class.

This place is huge, split over two levels. Feels a little 'sterile'. Some nice views across the tarmac. There is a sushi station, where the sushi master will do nigiri etc on demand, all ordered through an app via QR ode. Upstairs is the 'Salon', which feels a lot more clubby. There is some seriously decent whisky at the bars scattered around the place. Overall, this was a nice experience. Especially considering the alternative was the Cathay business class lounge, which is the space occupied by the old American Airlines lounge here and still feels tragically like an Admirals Club.

 

[bmcc]

CX521, Cathay Pacific economy class NRT>HKG

Cathay is one of my favourite airlines. I fly them weekly in economy in a 'commuter' capacity. They really take care of their Diamond members and Oneworld Emerald members very well.

Boarding on time on this ~5 hour hop to Hong Kong on an A330. Dedicated boarding line for OWEs, sat at exit row with limitless legroom, purser came around to introduce himself and ask if there was anything I needed; my request for a G&T after takeoff was promptly executed as soon as the seatbelt sign was turned off. I skipped the meal on this occasion but service looked polite and efficient. There's not much to report here other than to commend Cathay for a solid economy class product and a pleasant flight into Hong Kong.

 

[bmcc]

Hong Kong lounges - Centurion dining section and Pier first class

I'm a regular transit passenger in Hong Kong and have visited all of the lounges currently in operation.

Today, I had only about 90 minutes. So I popped into the Centurion lounge for a quick bite before decamping to the Pier First Class lounge for a drink prior to boarding.

The AmEx lounge in Hong Kong is...ok. It's a small space and I get the impression it can get crowded out at times. It also suffers from being an 'open air' lounge and so is subject to the HKIA's whims - it is warm and the lounge operators have tried to remedy this by placing pedestal fans all over the place. It just looks a bit messy.

Onto the positives - the lounge staff are delightful. Front desk are Hong Kongers, but the entire rest of the hospitality team is Filipino. The bar is well stocked and they move fast.

The lounge has a separate dining area for Centurion card holders. Today I stopped by for caviar, some beef short rip, and a negroni. Photos attached. It's a nice place, although the dining area can be surprisingly full from time to time.

After a quick lunch at the AmEx lounge I walked down to the Cathay Pacific Pier First Class lounge, which was adjacent to my flight today. This has been reviewed to death, so I'll just repeat what everyone else says (and with which I agree) - this is one of the best first class lounges in the world. It feels warm, welcoming and the food and drink is excellent. I treated myself to a pre-flight martini before my quick hop across to Manila this afternooon.

 

[bmcc]

CX919 HKG>MNL and MNL Cathay Pacific Lounge

Reporting in live from Cathay Pacific lounge in Manila.

Something very unexpected happened this afternoon. An upgrade on Cathay! Haven't had one of those since pre-covid. I was waiting in the boarding line and an attendant approached with a new boarding pass for me. What a pleasant surprise. One or two others in the line were upgraded also - having had a look at the loads once onboard I suspect the flight was oversold.

It was a short and pleasant flight to Manila, with some holds for weather. Food was good by airplane standards. Attentive staff ensured drinks were topped up and everything was generally fine.

Arrival in NAIA was the usual cough show. I ambitiously tried to use the transfer desk to transfer back onto the flight I just came in on but that truly confounded the otherwise very friendly transfer agent - I ended up just lining up for immigration and picking up my ticket landside.

In the Cathay lounge now for my flight back to HKG where I will stop over for 24 hours before heading onwards to Australia. This is a nice lounge, particularly by Philippines standards. Manned bar and noodle bar where you can get some dan dan mien.