Nangona kunokubonakala ngathi kufakwa amanqaku kwinqanaba lokuqala leenqwelomoya kwixabiso lohlahlo-lwabiwo mali ngaphandle komthetho, ukuba uyazi ukuba ujonge phi kwaye ungabhukisha njani- kwaye unokutshintsha kancinci ngokwamaxesha- ungafumana ibhaso elifanayo amatikiti okubhabha ezinye zezona ndawo ziphambili kwiklasi yokuqala.
Kwinyanga ephelileyo, ndikwazile ukukhusela Iklasi yokuqala kwiJapan Airlines ukusuka eLos Angeles ukuya eTokyo, emva koko ukuya eJakarta, kwiklasi yeshishini- zonke ziikhilomitha ezingama-75,000 kunye ne- $ 32 kwirhafu kunye nemirhumo. Nantsi indlela endenze ngayo.
Indlela endiyibhukishe ngayo
Kwakufuneka ndihambe ukusuka eLos Angeles ukuya eJakarta ngoJuni, kwaye ndifuna ukukhulula iimayile zetikiti lokuwonga kwiklasi yokuqala ndikhwele inqwelo moya enye okanye nangaphezulu ezisendleleni. Ndigqibe kwelokuba ndisebenzise Isicwangciso sokuhamba ngeeNqwelomoya zeAlaska iimayile kuhambo lwam emva kokujonga ibhalansi yam ye-mileage kwiinkqubo ezahlukeneyo zokuhamba rhoqo, kwaye ngenxa yokuba iAlaska & apos; s itshathi yebhaso ibiza iimayile ezimbalwa kakhulu kunezinye iinqwelomoya.
Nangona ingekho kumanyano lwenqwelomoya njengeOneworld okanye iSkyTeam, amahlakani eAlaska angaphezulu kweshumi lezithuthi ezahlukeneyo kubandakanya iAmerican Airlines, iBritish Airlines, iCathay Pacific, iEmirates, iKorea Air, iQantas kunye neAirlines yaseSingapore. Ngokubhabha indibaniselwano yeAlaska kwaye uninzi lwabathwali kule minyaka imbalwa idlulileyo, ndikwazile ukuqokelela amakhulu amawaka eemayile zeAlaska. Njengebhonasi eyongeziweyo, ndanikwa amawaka angama-50 000 eAlaska ngeemayile zokubetha inqanaba le-MVP Gold 75K kunyaka ophelileyo ngenqwelomoya, kangangokuba iyodwa yayinemitha eyaneleyo kolu hambo lunye.
Ukuba awuyibhabhi iAlaska okanye amaqabane ayo kakhulu, unokucinga ngokuvula i Ikhadi lokuthenga ngetyala leAlaska Airlines Visa , ebonelela ngebhonasi yokubhalisa yeemayile ezingama-30,000 xa uchitha i- $ 1,000 kwiintsuku zokuqala ezingama-90, kwaye ufumana iimayile kuthengiso lwemihla ngemihla. Ungadlulisa amanqaku ukusuka kwiNdwendwe ekhethiweyo yeStarwood ukuya kwiPlani yeMayile yeAlaska. Ngama-20 000 e-Starpoints owadlulisayo, ufumana ibhonasi ye-5,000 yeemayile neAlaska.
I-Alaska ineerhafu zokuhlawulwa kwamabhaso kwiqabane ngalinye lenqwelomoya. Ukhetho lwam oluphambili luza kuba kukuhlawulela i-70,000 yeemayile zeAlaska kwiklasi yokuqala yaseCathay Pacific ukusuka eLos Angeles ukuya eHong Kong naseJakarta, okanye iikhilomitha ezingama-75,000 eAlaska ukubhabha i-JAL kwiklasi yokuqala ukusuka eLos Angeles ukuya eTokyo Narita emva koko ukuya eJakarta kwishishini iklasi. Ukujonga, I-American Airlines, eliqabane lomanyano lwe-Oneworld kunye ne-JAL kunye noCathay, angandibiza i-110,000 yeemayile ngamabhaso afanayo.
Ndikhangele indawo yebhaso ye-JAL ngqo kwiwebhusayithi yeAlaska, kodwa ukufumana amabhaso kwiCathay Pacific, kuye kwafuneka ndisebenzise iinjineli zokukhangela amabhaso kwiBritish Airways kuba iAlaska ayibonisi.
Ngokusekwe kwimihla yokuhamba kwam kunye nokufumaneka kwamabhaso ngelo xesha, ndaye ndagqiba kwelokuba ndibhukishe ibhaso lam kwiJapan Airlines. Ndiza kuhamba ngenqwelomoya ukusuka e-LA ukuya eTokyo kwindawo yokuqala yenqwelomoya yenqwelomoya ehamba ngeBoeing 777-300ER, emva koko ndinxibelelane neJakarta ndikhwele iBoeing 787-9 Dreamliner kudidi lweshishini. (Le nqwelo moya ayinayo ikhabhathi yodidi lokuqala.)
Ixesha lokuhamba elipheleleyo lohambo lwam yayiziiyure ezingama-20, imizuzu eli-10. Itikiti lam, elingenakuze liphume ngexabiso elipheleleyo kwisiza seJAL, beliza kuba lixabise i-15,560 yeedola, nangona kubonakala ngathi kwezinye iintsuku, ungabhukisha itikiti elifanayo kwixabiso lesivumelwano se- $ 10,349. Endaweni yoko, ndihlawule nje i-75,000 yeemayile kunye ne- $ 32.40 yeerhafu kunye neerhafu.
Iimbalasane
Eli ibilixesha lam lesibini ndibhabha kwiJapan Airlines kwiklasi yokuqala, ke bendisazi ukuba kufuneka ndijonge phambili phi kolu hambo.
Amava eJAL kwiklasi yokuqala Ityala: U-Eric Rosen
Ndiyabulela itikiti lam lokuqala, ndiye ndakwazi ukufikelela kwiQantas First Class Lounge e-LAX's Tom Bradley International Terminal ngaphambi kokuba ndibhabhe. Igumbi lokuphumla linendawo yokutyela enika inkonzo epheleleyo kwiimenyu zeli xesha ezenziwe kwiimenyu zeemephu ezenziwe yi-Aussie umpheki wodumo uNeil Perry kunye neqela lakhe leqela leRockpool Dining Group. Bendingafuni ukugcwalisa ngaphambi kwenqwelomoya, kodwa bendinokutya okutyikityi okubandakanya utyikityo osikiweyo kunye ne-squid squid kunye ne-aioli kunye nesosi eluhlaza yokuntywila iisosi, kunye nesaladi yedada eyosiweyo kunye neebhit, iinkozo, i-watercress kunye nelemon ukunxiba. Ndayihlamba ngeglasi yePerrier-Jouët Grand Brut champagne.
Ikhabhathi yeklasi yokuqala ye-JAL inezihlalo nje ezisibhozo ezikhulu ezizimeleyo (akukho zingcango, nangona kunjalo, ngokungathi uya kuzifumana ezinye iinqwelomoya njenge-Emirates ne-Etihad) zibekwe kwimiqolo emibini yezihlalo ezine inye. Abo bakumacala enqwelomoya ngabantu, ngelixa abo bakumbindi bebhangqiwe. Ndandinesihlalo 1A kanye phambi kwekhabini ekufuphi ekuphumeni.
Amava eJAL kwiklasi yokuqala Ityala: U-Eric Rosen
Izihlalo ngokwazo zibanzi kakhulu. Ziyi-intshi ezingama-23 ububanzi phakathi kweengalo ngelixa zikwimo yesihlalo, kwaye ziyanda ziye kuma-33 eesentimitha ububanzi kunye nama-intshi ezingama-78.5 ubude xa zihleli kwimowudi yokulala, kwaye ungabeka ukuqhubeka phantsi kwe-ottoman. Ndafika esihlalweni sam, ndafumana iBose i-headphone yokucima ingxolo kunye neseti yezilayidi ezilahlayo.
Ndichithe imizuzu yokuqala ndidlala ngawo onke amaqhosha olawulo lwezihlalo kwaye ndisebenzisa iifilimu kwi-intshi ye-23-intshi yokujonga ukonwabisa.
Umphathi wenqwelomoya weza wazazisa ngelixa omnye woogxa bakhe bezise iiglasi zeshampeni kunye namanzi, ikhowudi ukuze ndikwazi ukusebenzisa i-Wi-Fi ebhodini simahla, kunye nekhithi ye-Etro kunye ne-Gentle Steaming Face Mask ukuzihlaziya ngexesha ukubhabha.
Amava eJAL kwiklasi yokuqala Ityala: U-Eric Rosen
Nangona okokugqibela ndandihamba ngenqwelomoya kwiklasi yokuqala ye-JAL babethela i-salon 2006 champagne, ngeli xesha, babegcina ezinye iilebheli ezimbini ezidumileyo: 2009 uLouis Roederer Cristal kunye no-2006 Pol Roger uSir Winston Churchill. Ndizamile zombini, natch, kunye neendawo zokuzonwabisa zentlanzi etshayiweyo kunye neprosciutto ene-mozzarella kwii-canapés.
Ukutya isidlo yenye yezinto endizithandayo malunga namava weklasi yokuqala ye-JAL okoko amaqabane eenqwelomoya kunye neqela labapheki abaphumeleleyo baseJapan ukwenza iimenyu zalo, kwaye le nqwelomoya ayizange idanise. Ndaya kwimenyu yaseJapan, eyaqala ngeplate yezibheno ezintlanu kubandakanya ne-lobster eyosiweyo eneviniga yeqanda kunye ne-kelp-marinated fluke nge-braised soy pulp. Isitya ngasinye sasiyingqayizivele kwaye sinambitheka, nangona ndiziva ndigcwele emva kwale khosi. Kusele abathathu kuphela ukuba baye!
Nangona igumbi lokulala laligcwele, oko kuthetha ukuba kwakukhwele abakhweli abasibhozo, bekukho abasebenzi abathathu beenqwelomoya abasebenza, ke inkonzo yesidlo yathatha ngaphezulu kweyure. Kungekudala ndityile isitya kwaza okulandelayo kwakhutshwa kwi-galley.
Ngexesha lokugqiba kwam idessert, bendilungele ukulala, ndiye ndatshintsha ndaya kwiseti yeJAL ipyjamas abasebenzi bekhabhathi bandinika ngelixa abagibeli beenqwelomoya benza isihlalo sam ebhedini.
Amava eJAL kwiklasi yokuqala Ityala: U-Eric Rosen
Igumbi lokuhlambela lalinobuchwephesha beToto yangasese, nangona ndingakhange ndisebenzise ngokwam umsebenzi we-bidet. (Ngaba ukhona umntu okwinqwelomoya?)
I-airline ibonelela ngeephedi zoomatrasi zeAwewewe zokupholisa ezinamacala amabini aqinileyo kunye necala elithambileyo (elithambileyo kum), kunye neduvet kunye nomqamelo weAirwaeave S-Line wabakhweli beklasi yokuqala. Kwakumnandi kakhulu (okanye mhlawumbi yayiyiyo yonke into kaCristal endandiyinqanda) ndade ndalala ngokuqinileyo iiyure ezintandathu ngaphambi kokuba ndivuse iqebengwana leetayi zetyuwa zerayisi ngerayisi kunye ne-yam egayiweyo.
Ngelo xesha, kwakusondele ixesha lokuhlala emhlabeni, ke ndaphinda ndatshintsha ndanxiba. Sifikile esangweni lethu kanye ngexesha, kwaye ndakwazi ukwehla kwinqwelo-moya, ngokhuseleko lwezothutho, naseJAL First Class Lounge ngexesha lokuhlamba msinyane ngaphambi kokudibana kwam neJakarta.
Inqwelomoya ibonakalise ukuhamba ngenqwelomoya kwakutshanje, izihlalo zodidi lweshishini, oza kuzifumana kwiinqwelomoya ezininzi ukuya nokubuya eU.SA kwi-777-300ER nakwi-787-9. Babucala kakhulu kwaye banzi-kodwa abayiklasi yokuqala.
Ngaba Bekufanelekile?
Nangona i-75,000 yeemayile yayininzi yokuchitha kwibhaso elinye, kwakungcono kakhulu kunokuqhusheka i-16,000 yeedola, kwaye kulula ukuqokelela iimayile eziyimfuneko ngesicwangciso esithile sokubhabha kunye nekhadi lokuthenga ngetyala. Kwakukwimayile ezimbalwa kakhulu kunezinye iinqwelomoya zaseMelika, kubandakanya iMelika kunye ne-United, ezazifuna amabhaso okuqala e-Asiya. Kwaye cinga ngayo yonke loo mali oyigcinayo kwi-champagne yasimahla emoyeni.