I recently visited Japan with my family. A decade ago, I had worked there for a few weeks and it changed the way I viewed the world. May be it had something to do with it being my first legit foreign country to visit. My biggest take away was to be humble no matter how rich or influential you are. Fast forward to today, I was excited to go there again but a little nervous since I had my family this time, that means I cant go wandering around without an agenda (like a singleton), eating 2 meals a day and riding subways all day long because I liked them so much. To help us with our journey, I decide to try the flagship flights by Delta Airlines from Los Angeles to Haneda.

The Flight

Our flight into Japan was broken down into 2 parts. Dallas-Los Angeles, Los Angeles-Haneda. We chose Haneda because its 30 min to the Tokyo vs Narita which can taken about 70 min. Also, I am a big fan of Delta Airlines and wanted to try their new flagship route. With the mileage I had accrued and my status (Platinum Medallion), we decided to indulge in First class – Delta One. We booked it and started to dream about it. We were thrilled to be sitting on the other side of the plane that we were always curious about from the economy class. Also, the lounge access had us super thrilled. A little more about Delta One to Haneda from Los Angeles:

The Plane: The Los Angeles to Haneda leg of the journey had my favorite Airbus 350-900. Amazingly large wingspan and just a beauty to look at.

The Seats: A classic 1-2-1 configuration with lie-flat seats. My husband is 6′ 2″ so this worked out pretty well for him. We slept for 3-4 hours on the way in.

The Food: You are greeted with Champagne or Mimosa (I asked them to mix one with orange juice for me). With Delta One, we can pre-order your meals. You get an email 4-5 days ahead of your flight to order your meals. I ordered the Japanese meal for myself while hubby decided to stay vegetarian. My kiddo had some options with American cuisine. The food was a little disappointing. On the way in, they gave us 1 dinner/ lunch meal and a breakfast meal. The snacks were disappointing. We were hungry and ended up eating a 3 dollar noodle soup. This was the most satisfying meal for me and kiddo. But the dessert made our day! I will not say what we got but leave it as a surprise for y’all.

The Service: The staff, as always is courteous with Delta Airlines. That’s the best thing going for Delta. I wished they checked a little more on kids especially with snacks, when needed.

The Amenities: The LSTN headphones were good although I had to change them halfway through the flight due to noise. If you like Westin comforter and sheets, you are in luck because the sheets and pillows were from Westin. Toiletries are from TUMI and comes in a cloth pouch. We like to carry our own toiletries so we didnt use them much other than the lip gloss.

The Airport – Haneda (HND)

Did you know that the airport is on an island surrounded by sea water. After landing, the airplane drives out of that island to park at the terminal…amazing human feat! The customs was a breeze, 5 mins tops.

For those of you who want o spend a little time at Haneda before heading to the city, the airport offers so many things. They have an Edo-era street, complete with a bridge and lanterns. You will not think you are at an airport. Highly recommend it for those who are too excited to get started. There is a 7/11 on the second floor which can amazing varieties of Kit-Kat. Must see, must buy.

It is better to get a portable wifi device so that you are connected at all times to the internet to look up directions, hail a cab, look up a place or reserve at a restaurant. You can collect your portable wifi device on the second floor from Ninja Wifi. Dont forget to pick up your Japan Rail Pass. It is located at behind the Welcome center near the elevators.

Getting to the city

If you have a large family of more than 4 people, I recommend reserving your seats at the selected time using the Airport Limousine Service. They are located right outside as you exit the terminal, near the welcome center. We decided to spend an extra $20 and get a comfortable taxi that would take us to our hotel within 30 min.

Overall, the flight from Dallas to Haneda was easy and comfortable for folks travelling with young kids.