Digging around, I found another series I haven't posted. This trip was a daytrip down to Miyazaki (宮崎) down on the island of Kyushu (九州). This was another one of those funky trips I was doing that took advantage of a loophole in the UA MileagePlus system to book a one-way award ticket from NGO to ITM allowing for a long layover in KMI for only 5k miles. I took the first flight of the day from NGO to KMI then took the last flight of the day from KMI to ITM. This gives me about 12 hours to explore Miyazaki and Aoshima. Thus, the routing is:
Part 1 – NGO-KMI [NH 341, Bombardier DHC-8-400, Economy] – You are here Part 2 – KMI-ITM [NH 512, Boeing B737-800, Premium] – Here
This report will cover the flight from NGO to KMI including a stop at the Centrair Global Lounge. There will be a Miyazaki tourism bonus at the end of this report and an Aoshima tourism bonus at the end of Part 2.
Pre-flight:
After a quick breakfast at home, I took the Meitetsu train to Centrair and arrived around 6:45am. It was a torrential downpour when I was on the train with a large storm system moving across Honshu. Reaching the airport, I quickly swung by the NH counters to pick up my two boarding passes (they issue both to me since this was technically a one-way trip to ITM). Aside: I have no idea why I sat in 18A, but have boarding pass for 18D.
Reaching the observation deck, the rain has let up a little, but dark clouds are still looming ominously.
Domestic operations at NGO.
My plane is the Dash8 on the far left in the background. I don’t know if they do it intentionally, but they always seem to alternate NH and JL planes at the gates.
Squeegeeing the windows on the JL B738 in the foreground :)
The international side of the airport is quiet this morning. A bunch of narrowbodies in addition to the CX A333 and KE B772.
The FIDS gives a hint at the weather. All the flights north to Tokyo were being delayed and the flight to HND threatened to return to NGO.
The security for domestic departures is usually empty and I am airside instantly.
I quickly stopped by the lounge for a beer and a cup of coffee before heading to my gate. The domestic lounge has been showcased in many of my reports; it’s essentially just a small room with free drinks.
The call was made in the lounge that my flight was boarding soon, so I packed up and went to the gate. Since my plane is leaving from Gate 102, it is downstairs where the paxbus terminal is.
The bus ride from the terminal to the remote stands goes underneath the jetbridges of the domestic terminal giving good spotting from ground level.
NH B738.
NU B734 in Sakura Jinbei Jet special livery (there are 2: one is pink and one is blue).
NH B763.
NH B738.
JL B738.
7G A320.
BC B738.
The view of the bus as we will pull up next to our Dash8.
Our plane waiting outside.
PW150A.
Heading up into the plane, the FA in the galley greets me and offers a blanket, which I decline today.
I head to the back and settle into my seat. The pitch is excellent on the NH Dash8s (even with the sagging seatback pockets).
A look back into the galley from my seat.
A look forward as boarding was wrapping up. The load was very light at around 40%.
Outside my window is the exhaust of the PW150A.
TG A330 touching down.
Looks like only 1 checked bag today^^
The safety demonstration starts as the front door closes. Our next-door neighbor spins around and heads out to the runway.
As soon as they left, we started up our engines and did the same. Still a lot of water on the taxiways.
As we approach the runway, a NH Dash8 is lifting up.
We align to take off towards the south.
Aerials of NGO.
The southern tip of Aichi Prefecture as we head towards Mie Prefecture.
We disappear into the clouds for the rest of the flight.
Seatback contents.
Safety card.
Sky Shop and BOB menu.
The NH ladies at work.
I request a coffee, which is given to me along with a chocolate. The chocolate was because it was Valentine’s Day.
Dropping into KMI.
We pull into our gate.
This looks like overkill for a Dash8…
The cabin deplaning.
The FAs thank me for flying as I deplane. A view of our bird on arrival.
So cute! Family photos in front of the airplane, so jealous.
Up the stairs into the jetbridge.
Then down into the baggage claim.
I head outside to catch the train.
Checking this signage, I realize I just missed a train and it would be a 40 minute wait so I made a U-turn to find a bus to the city center.
Tempting food vending machine.
Buses can be caught to the main train station and offer a good alternative to the train (the train requires a transfer to reach Miyazaki).
***BONUS***: Miyazaki tourism bonus.
Welcome to Miyazaki^^
JR Miyazaki Station.
I spent the morning at the Miyazaki Prefectural Museum and Miyazaki Shrine.
Wild roosters^^
Some old houses at the Miyazaki Prefectural Museum.
Miyazaki Shrine.
Heiwadai Park.
The Peace Tower built in 1940, kind of ironic given the onset of WW2…
The tower was the starting point for the torch relay before the 1964 Olympics.
The best thing to see in Miyazaki is the Haniwa Garden, which has a collection of replica burial statues (haniwa).
A view of Miyazaki from the Haniwa Garden.
See more
Verdict
ANA
6.8/10
Cabin8.5
Cabin crew10.0
Entertainment/wifi1.0
Meal/catering7.5
Centrair Global Lounge
5.0/10
Comfort6.0
Meal/catering3.0
Entertainment/wifi6.0
Services5.0
Nagoya - NGO
9.0/10
Efficiency10.0
Access8.0
Services8.0
Cleanliness10.0
Miyazaki - KMI
8.0/10
Efficiency10.0
Access6.0
Services6.0
Cleanliness10.0
Conclusion
A typical NH domestic flight marked by excellent on-time performance and crew. The catering is standard for Japanese carriers and the Dash8s are really generous for legroom.
Cabin comfort: The Dash8 cabins are dated looking. The seat pitch is excellent on them and the seats are more than good enough for a 1.5h flight.
Crew: Great NH crew, the one FA spoke fluent English.
Meal and catering: Standard drink service. A chocolate was handed out in honor of Valentine's Day.
Entertainment: No newspaper offered. standard seatback literature. No overhead monitors and cloudy skies means a boring flight.
9 LIKESLIKE TO THANK THE AUTHORTHANKS ! FLIGHT-REPORT LIKED
"Still not tempted to try the beef consommé ? Could be yummy along with chocolates. Lol" - I think I only tried the beef consomme once, it's like the blood orange juice on AZ^^
Family photos in front of the airplane, so jealous.
Just stop and think those cute children will become teenagers, will suck to the last yen out of their father, and then will thank him by dumping him in a nursing home where he will cuddle Paro the robot seal for the rest of his lonely days. Still jealous?
Great bonus! I wonder what those burial statues represent. I mean, their "shocked" faces, as if they had been following the last US elections on TV.
"Still jealous?" - Does that nursing home come with sponge baths and buffet meals? If so, sign me up!
"Great bonus! I wonder what those burial statues represent. I mean, their "shocked" faces, as if they had been following the last US elections on TV." - As far as I know, they are used to protect burial sites like scarecrows. I think they come from the early periods of Japanese civilization so might be related to the Terracotta Army.
"Interesting! I've never seen a message before of "may return" on any FIDS screen I've seen before." - I think Japan is the only place I've seen this. It happens frequently since a lot of the times there is heavy snow storms on the western shores of Japan. So cities like Akita and Niigata are subjected to frequent closures and Dash8s aren't able to make it safely there.
"Great photos from your trip. I'd love to visit Japan sometime." - You missed your golden window the last couple of years, now the JPY is restrengthening so prices are going to go up again. That said, I still think the cost of hotels/food in Japan to be really low relative to most of Europe.
"They look phenomenal in those weather conditions. Great!" - I think rain is a very nice accent too, the reflections in puddles and water spraying ad excellent effects.
"Pitch looks great indeed, not bad at all." - I don't know what it is about NH, but of all the Dash8s I've flown, they are the carrier that has ridiculous legroom on them.
“Very interesting." - I was tempted to see how the heating mechanism works since it promises "hot" food, but I knew I could get better food for only a little bit more in the city.
"Absolutely wonderful bonus! There are so many "hidden" gems on this planet that don't get talked about frequently." - Sometimes the road less traveled is better ;)
Flight-Report is a free website hosting more than 500 000 pictures and 17 000 reviews, without ads, this website can't exist. We understand that ads can be annoying, this is why we only display a maximum of 2 non-invasive ads per page.
To continue using Flight-Report, we invite you to add Flight-Report to your blocker's "white list".
#17 out of 94 Airlines A minimum of 10 flight-reports within the past two years is required to appear in the rankings.
229 reviews
10 Comments
I doubt that's a B744 ._. HAHAHAHA
Nothing special to notice about this normal NH flight.
Still not tempted to try the beef consommé ? Could be yummy along with chocolates. Lol
"Still not tempted to try the beef consommé ? Could be yummy along with chocolates. Lol"
- I think I only tried the beef consomme once, it's like the blood orange juice on AZ^^
Just stop and think those cute children will become teenagers, will suck to the last yen out of their father, and then will thank him by dumping him in a nursing home where he will cuddle Paro the robot seal for the rest of his lonely days. Still jealous?
Great bonus! I wonder what those burial statues represent. I mean, their "shocked" faces, as if they had been following the last US elections on TV.
Thanks for sharing! ^^
"Still jealous?"
- Does that nursing home come with sponge baths and buffet meals? If so, sign me up!
"Great bonus! I wonder what those burial statues represent. I mean, their "shocked" faces, as if they had been following the last US elections on TV."
- As far as I know, they are used to protect burial sites like scarecrows. I think they come from the early periods of Japanese civilization so might be related to the Terracotta Army.
"The FIDS gives a hint at the weather. All the flights north to Tokyo were being delayed and the flight to HND threatened to return to NGO."
Interesting! I've never seen a message before of "may return" on any FIDS screen I've seen before.
Great photos from your trip. I'd love to visit Japan sometime.
"Interesting! I've never seen a message before of "may return" on any FIDS screen I've seen before."
- I think Japan is the only place I've seen this. It happens frequently since a lot of the times there is heavy snow storms on the western shores of Japan. So cities like Akita and Niigata are subjected to frequent closures and Dash8s aren't able to make it safely there.
"Great photos from your trip. I'd love to visit Japan sometime."
- You missed your golden window the last couple of years, now the JPY is restrengthening so prices are going to go up again. That said, I still think the cost of hotels/food in Japan to be really low relative to most of Europe.
Absolutely wonderful spotting shots at NGO, they look phenomenal in those weather conditions. Great!
“NU B734 in Sakura Jinbei Jet special livery (there are 2: one is pink and one is blue).”
- Nice!
Stunning aerial shots.
Pitch looks great indeed, not bad at all.
“Tempting food vending machine.”
- Very interesting.
Absolutely wonderful bonus! There are so many "hidden" gems on this planet that don't get talked about frequently.
Thanks for sharing.
Have a good one, see you!
- I think rain is a very nice accent too, the reflections in puddles and water spraying ad excellent effects.
"Pitch looks great indeed, not bad at all."
- I don't know what it is about NH, but of all the Dash8s I've flown, they are the carrier that has ridiculous legroom on them.
“Very interesting."
- I was tempted to see how the heating mechanism works since it promises "hot" food, but I knew I could get better food for only a little bit more in the city.
"Absolutely wonderful bonus! There are so many "hidden" gems on this planet that don't get talked about frequently."
- Sometimes the road less traveled is better ;)
Thanks so much for stopping by and commenting!
Login to post a comment.