Getting massively excited for my first #JohnDoesJapan trip since 2019: nearly six weeks in #Japan, my favourite country to visit.
And I'm getting there in the most delightful way: #JapanAirlines #firstclass, where I will be delectating my way from Paris to Tokyo on Wednesday.
Here's the menu #thatjohnonJL
A substantial part of my #JapanAirlines #thatjohnonJL trip will be taken up by Champagne. On board, I can expect:
• Billecart Salmon's Cuvée Nicolas François 2007, or possibly Louis Roederer Cristal 2014
• Taittinger Comtes de Champagne Grands Crus Blanc de Blancs 2007
On my return flight, though, I am looking immensely forward to the Champagne Salon 2007, which according to my winebuyer is so rare that it is essentially priceless.
I'll have a long flight to enjoy it, though: with the closure of #Russia's airspace owing to its war on Ukraine, the flight is likely to track south, adding a couple of hours.
A couple of days ago, it went Germany-Austria-Hungary-Romania-Bulgaria-Turkey-Georgia-Azerbaijan-Turkmenistan-Uzbekistan-Kazakhstan-China, over the Yellow Sea and across South Korea, and over the Sea of Japan.
Struck this morning that my #Boeing 777-300ER to #Japan has only 244 seats on it: 8 first, 49 business, 40 premium and just 147 economy (one of the very few airlines to retain the 777's original, more comfortable, 3-3-3 layout compared with the much narrower 3-4-3).
If that 244 passenger number seems familiar, it's because it's the max pax (maximum passenger capacity) of the Airbus A321neo.
John Walton 🏳️🌈🇪🇺
Sam Gross
Sherwink
AirlineFlyer