FLIGHTS HAVE BEEN PURCHASED!!!!

Good Evening World! 

Well, as you can see by the title, and the emphasis on the caps, our flights to Tokyo have been purchased! 

That means this is real!!! 

We are so excited! We, of course, learned some lessons on purchasing the tickets but hey we got them! It would've been crushing if we didn't get them . . . . . 

Well anyways, I won't share the dates of our trip for our own safety, but I will share some of our details below. 

We decided to fly round trip on American from LAX to Tokyo's Haneda Airport. I did feel a little guilty since DFW applied for that route, but LAX got it instead - our departure city is still DFW though! hehe 

So flying business class, round trip, it was a total of $6,000 That is for both Josh and myself. Had we decided to go with flying AA there and then flying JAL back, it would've been close to $10,000. 

It would've been $13,500 if we flew directly from DFW to Tokyo. Those prices are probably changing as we speak, but we got what I believe is a great price. 

For all of you aviation geeks, our aircraft will be a Boeing 777 - 200, both ways. They are the retrofit planes with the new business class seats. 

Boeing 777 - 200 

I did some research, and the perks that we receive on business class is well worth it! 

For starters, the food and drink will always be pouring! The great perk flying this is that we'll get complimentary meals, snacks, and drinks - even alcoholic ones! 

Secondly, access to the AA lounges (In this case, the flagship lounge). We'll be able to skip the hotel breakfast and enjoy the buffet there. Even have a mimosa to calm the excitement or to relax or to. . .  do you need any other reason to have a mimosa? 

Finally, the seats. Essentially, you get a little cubicle in which you can turn your seat into a bed. You can also adjust it in different angles for maximum comfort. Your seat also comes with USB ports and outlets, storage for your tablets, magazines, drinks, etc. Some are rear-facing seats, but we won't be doing those. 

Business Class seats - would you sit rear facing?

Of course, as I type all of this, this is just showing other folks' trips. This is just giving us a taste of what is to come, we'll definitely be uploading our own pictures when our trip comes! It'll be fun to compare and contrast. 

In the beginning. . . .

January 19, 2017

Once upon a time, there was a lovely gay couple named Franky and Josh. Franky worked at the local international airport and always wanted to jump on a plane and go to a faraway land. Josh worked at the local school district, lost in dreams of exotic new worlds with great adventure.

Well, one day Franky and Josh decided to act on their dreams. "To heck with finances and being responsible" said Frank. "I need a break!" proclaimed Josh. The two realized that in order to achieve this, they would need to take the first step - deciding where to go.

After looking at many great places across the world - London, Paris, Vancouver, Mexico City, they both finally agreed on one location: Japan!

Tokyo!

Okay so I know that was a bit cheesy up above, but welcome world to our blog! My partner Josh and I have decided to take  a trip this summer to Japan. The hope with this blog is to share our adventure, from start to finish, and to help give ideas to those of you looking to travel to Japan.

I am also hoping the internet world will share ideas, suggestions, tips, and advice for our travels in Japan.

Flight Details

First things first, we're looking at some time in July. We haven't gotten our flights yet but we plan on buying them this week (waiting for my new AA credit card to come in, couldn't pass up the 50,000 miles bonus!).

We plan to fly to Tokyo Haneda on American Airlines through LAX. On our return to LAX, we'll fly out of Narita on Japan Airlines. I'm really excited to be on AA's 777 and on JAL's new 787.

Now, we live in Dallas and will need to get separate flights to LAX. Between DFW and Love Field, there are plenty of cheap options. I just found it strange that the cost of flying round trip from LAX to Tokyo was literally half the cost of flying directly from DFW. DFW has 3 daily flights to Tokyo's Narita. 2 on AA and one on JAL, so I guess that's probably why as there are several daily flights to Tokyo from LAX on several airlines.

Even though it's a trip about Japan, I am hoping to hit the beach while in LA as we'll have some time :)

Trip Details

Some more details: we are staying in Japan for 14 days, and plan on seeing as much as we can. We're looking at travelling to Kyoto and Sapporo, and probably a small town in between (Hakone)

A couple things hoping to see: Tokyo Sky Tree, Tokyo Tower, Roppongi Hills, and the Asakusa shrine. Naturally, I would like to see some of the more modern Tokyo including some of the shopping and entertainment districts.

In Kyoto, I would like to see some of the old temples and shrines, including Nijo Castle, Sento Palace, and the Kyoto Imperial Palace. Of course, no trip would be complete without visiting Fushimi Inari Shrine.

We will definitely want to stay in some Ryokans, and visit the onsen here and there. The relaxing warm waters are just calling my name and I can't wait to just let my stresses melt away.

Well, my goal is to update this blog as we make more concrete plans and put things in motion. It will also keep me accountable for making sure it all gets done! Once in Japan, I plan on taking detailed pictures and notes and will share with everyone. It should be a fun journey, can't wait to share with you all!