Summer Holiday in Japan in May & June 2010 (Enhanced Version) ~ Part 1

Welcome to this blog report of my summer vacation in Japan in May & June 2010. This will be an enhanced version of the existing report, which was previously written in February 2012. This section will mainly cover the in-bound segment between Singapore and Tokyo (Narita) via Hong Kong.

Part 1 ~ The Opening

After finishing my mid-year examinations during my third year in secondary school, my parents decided to bring us all on a summer vacation towards Tokyo, Japan for the mid-year summer school vacation. I was very excited since this would be the first time we would be touching Honshu again, since November & December 2006.

On the morning of Thursday (27 May), we all woke up at around 7.30 a.m. to pack up our remaining baggage in preparation for the trip. My parents then informed us that they had arranged for a MaxiCab to come and fetch us to Singapore Changi Airport Terminal 1 at 8.30 a.m. a few weeks in advance.

Our itinerary for the in-bound journey towards Tokyo would be to fly with Cathay Pacific on flight CX 714, which would be scheduled to depart Singapore Changi Airport at 11 o' clock, and arrive at Hong Kong International Airport at 2.55 p.m.. Upon arriving at Hong Kong International Airport, we would have a layover of 1 hour 15 minutes before connecting to Cathay Pacific flight CX 508 bound for Tokyo (Narita), which would be scheduled to depart Hong Kong International Airport at 4.10 p.m., and arrive at Narita International Airport at 9.25 p.m..

As soon as all of our baggage was packed and laid out in the living room, our pre-arranged MaxiCab finally showed up at our doorstep at 8.25 a.m.. The driver then got out and offered to assist us in loading our baggage into the boot of his cab. Once everything was loaded at the rear, we finally departed the compound of our home at 8.30 a.m.. The entire journey between our home and Singapore Changi Airport Terminal 1 took no more than 25 minutes.

Upon arriving at the curbside of Singapore Changi Airport Terminal 1 by 8.55 a.m., my parents helped to unload the baggage while my younger brother and I went to claim a few baggage trolleys. Soon enough, with everything with us, we thanked the MaxiCab driver for his services, and proceeded into the terminal building towards the Cathay Pacific Business Class check-in counter to check in for Cathay Pacific flights CX 714 and CX 508 bound for Hong Kong and Tokyo (Narita). The entire check-in process took no more than 10 minutes.

Cathay Pacific (Traditional Chinese: 國泰航空公司; Simplified Chinese: 国泰航空公司) is the flag carrier and largest airline of Hong Kong. The airline maintains its headquarters at Hong Kong International Airport, and offers at least 60 overseas destinations towards North America, Africa, Oceania, Asia and the European Union. The airline uses a purely wide-body fleet consisting of Airbus A330s, Airbus A340s, Boeing 747s and Boeing 777s.

The airline is also one of the co-founding members of Oneworld, the world's second airline alliance formed on 1 February 1999, alongside American Airlines, British Airways and Qantas. Cathay Pacific also owns a subsidiary, Dragonair, which mainly flies to destinations within the People's Republic of China (Mainland China) and to certain regional destinations within Asia.

Terminal 1 is the first and oldest passenger terminal operating at Singapore Changi Airport today. The terminal was opened for service on 1 July 1981, in collaboration with the opening of Singapore Changi Airport, and is now used by a majority of foreign carriers flying to Singapore. Philippine Airlines will re-locate its operations here from Terminal 2 on 28 October 2013. However, in the late 2000s and early 2010s, some airlines moved either to Terminals 2 or 3. As of 1 April 2013, these are the airlines that used to operate out of Terminal 1:

1) Air India (Moved to Terminal 2 on 29 March 2009)

2) Air India Express (Moved to Terminal 2 on 29 March 2009)

3) All Nippon Airways (Star Alliance carrier - Moved to Terminal 2 on 1 October 2008)

4) Asiana Airlines (Star Alliance carrier - Moved to Terminal 2 on 29 March 2009)*

5) China Eastern Airlines (SkyTeam carrier - Moved to Terminal 3 on 25 March 2008)

6) Garuda Indonesia (Future SkyTeam carrier - Moved to Terminal 3 on 22 February 2011)

7) Jet Airways (Moved to Terminal 3 on 25 March 2008)

8) Korean Air (SkyTeam carrier - Moved to Terminal 2 on 29 March 2009)

9) Qatar Airways (Future Oneworld carrier - Moved to Terminal 3 on 25 March 2008)

10) Saudi Arabian Airlines (Saudia) (SkyTeam carrier - Moved to Terminal 3 on 22 February 2011)

11) SriLankan Airlines (Future Oneworld carrier - Moved to Terminal 3 on 22 February 2011)

12) United Airlines (Star Alliance carrier - Moved to Terminal 3 on 25 March 2008)

13) Vietnam Airlines (SkyTeam carrier - Moved to Terminal 3 on 22 February 2011)

*Asiana Airlines will re-locate its operations at Singapore Changi Airport from Terminal 2 to Terminal 3 on 30 September 2013.

After checking in for Cathay Pacific flights CX 714 and CX 508 bound for Hong Kong and Tokyo (Narita), we finally received our boarding passes for both sectors. The check-in agent then reminded us that Cathay Pacific flight CX 714 bound for Hong Kong would depart at eleven o' clock from Gate No. D41, and that boarding would commence at 10.45 a.m., approximately 15 minutes prior to the scheduled departure time.

1) Cathay Pacific Airbus A330-343X "Oneworld" Herpa Scale 1:500 (515573)