{"id":1363,"date":"2013-11-26T00:55:37","date_gmt":"2013-11-26T07:55:37","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/mattfife.com\/?p=1363"},"modified":"2013-12-31T11:29:05","modified_gmt":"2013-12-31T18:29:05","slug":"japan-day-1-tokyo","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mattfife.com\/?p=1363","title":{"rendered":"Japan Day 1 – Tokyo"},"content":{"rendered":"

Writing this all in post-script fashion since I’m already back.\u00a0 Was going to try and keep a journal as I traveled, but turned out I kept so on the move that I decided to capture with photos then write up in hindsight.<\/p>\n

The flight over was a bit longer than needed but as uneventful as a 14 hour flight around the world is expected to be. \ud83d\ude42 \u00a0 I used miles to fund the entire flight; but in order to save miles, I ended up having to backtrack to Denver.\u00a0 So, I flew 2 hours the wrong direction so I could then fly 2 additional hours in the right direction (towards Japan).\u00a0 I don’t recommend it, but for the amount of miles it saved me (over 30,000), it was worth it to me.<\/p>\n

\"IMG_1587\"<\/a><\/p>\n

I flew out on a Monday morning at 6am, which by experience, I knew could be a terrible madhouse at PDX considering the usual morning business travelers trying to get places.\u00a0 So to save time, after web checkin on Sunday I had some time and had a leisurely 20 minute drive out to the airport to do the passport check in and picked up tickets.\u00a0 International flights require you to hit the desk to show your passport – even if it was just one of the automated kiosks.\u00a0 I wanted to avoid even that hassle – and figured if nobody was in line when I got to the airport, I’d short term park it, check it out, and do it\/not do it based on the line at the counter.<\/p>\n

When I arrived, there was absolutely nobody in line and I actually worked out some really nice seats (not available online) with the bored counter lady.\u00a0 I asked about the power outlets on my planes and also stopped for a bite to eat by the Ikea and headed home.\u00a0 Total of 45 minutes for me.\u00a0 And sure enough – the next morning was general mayhem at the PDX airport.\u00a0 Thank goodness I didn’t need to wait in the hour-long line for check-in.<\/p>\n

\"IMG_1590\"<\/a><\/p>\n

First stop – Denver.<\/p>\n

\"IMG_1597\"<\/a>\u00a0 \"IMG_1595\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Arriving in Denver, I find the weather extremely nice and sunny.\u00a0 It’s there that I get to view my Japan-bound chariot: the new Boeing 787 Dreamliner.\u00a0 For being such a large plane, it looks smaller than I expected on the outside because of the smaller dual-engine design.\u00a0 But onward we board.<\/p>\n

\"IMG_1603\"<\/a><\/p>\n

On-board, you immediately can tell you’re not on the 30 year old plane that exists in most of the US fleet.\u00a0 This thing is spacious and new.\u00a0 It even smells new.\u00a0 After riding in many older US planes, you forget that that all the handles, bins, fittings, and knobs are supposed to be tight and neat. Most of the interior lights are LED’s and there are lots of little colored accent LEDs that make everything look really sharp.\u00a0 The seats (except for first class) are in a 3-3-3 arrangement across each row and 3 front-to-back sections.\u00a0 Only about a dozen first class little beds\/cubbies up front, the cattle-car section in the back, and the extra legroom section in the middle.\u00a0 Even in the ‘cheap seats’ it feels much, much roomier than older planes.\u00a0 The extra legroom area is just the same as the cheap seats except the extra space front-to-back between each row.\u00a0 Every single seat has a TV on the back of it, but more importantly, a USB outlet.\u00a0 You can charge and use your usb devices right off the seat.\u00a0 I think there was also some way to get an app to interact with your TV as well but didn’t try that.\u00a0 Further – under the middle seat of each set of 3 seats were AC outlets.\u00a0 These power outlet features alone makes them worth the price of the ride when cooped up for 8-12 hours on your average trans-Pacific flight.\u00a0 I’ll definitely be checking to see if I can get on a 787 from here on out.<\/p>\n

Each touch-screen TV was pretty standard and I was a bit disappointed that the menu system was about the same as the old versions on other planes.\u00a0 This could have used a facelift.\u00a0 But each had it’s own selection of well over 50 movies, easily a couple dozen TV series and shows, music channels, and even a dozen or so audiobooks.\u00a0 Movies were the latest: Superman, both Star Trek’s, all 3 Ironman’s, etc.\u00a0 TV shows were also pretty new. However, they did have a ‘classics’ channel which consisted of black and whites, but also Ghostbusters.\u00a0 Ugh- am I so old now that 80’s movies are now ‘classics’?<\/p>\n

\"IMG_1607\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Another notable change is the electromechanical smart-glass windows.\u00a0 These things were crazy-futuristic.\u00a0 The above picture is what they looked like in a regular cabin with the outside bright daylight.\u00a0 Most of the windows at their darkest setting and one in normal transparent mode.<\/p>\n

I didn’t sit by the window, but here’s exactly how they worked after watching my row-mate play with his:
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