| Japan has always been one of my favourite travel destinations since my time living in Hong Kong. I used to visit at least once a year, but it's been 6 years since my last trip to Japan! This will be my first time returning after the COVID-19 pandemic and my move to Manchester, UK. On this occasion, I will be travelling to Hong Kong, my birthplace, via Japan. |
| |
| Unfortunately, there are no direct flights from Manchester Airport to Japan, including Tokyo and Osaka. However, London does have direct flights to Haneda Airport in Tokyo. I'll be sharing my experiences of travelling between Manchester and London in this article. |
| |
 |
| ▲ |
Great! I can fly with Japan Airline this time. |
|
| |
| My friend Todd, who lives in Hong Kong and is one of my closest travel companions, will join me on this trip. We'll meet in Japan and then head to Hong Kong together. Todd is available from the 3rd to the 12th of January, but the dates are a bit tricky for me. The most convenient flight departs on the morning of 2nd January, meaning we could both arrive in Japan on the same day, 3rd January. I'll land at Haneda Airport in the morning, while Todd will arrive at Narita Airport later in the afternoon. |
| |
|
But getting from Manchester to London on New Year's Day was
another challenge. While my friends in Hong Kong were debating
whether the Christmas and New Year train services would run
overnight, it was already certain that UK rail services would be
reduced during the holiday period. The Manchester to London
route I needed to take was directly affected, and all direct
trains on New Year's Day were cancelled! |
| |
|
I ended up choosing to fly, which was a bit more expensive, but
generally more reliable (emphasis on 'generally'). On that day,
I ordered an Uber to the airport, although there was a tram (Metrolink)
right outside my door, which I could take directly to the
airport (cost £3.20, journey time 1.5 hours) or transfer to a
train (cost £9.00, journey time 1 hour). But since I was heading
on a long trip, I didn't mind spending a little extra. |
| |
 |
| ▲ |
Uber fare £31.90, including a £2 tip
(optional), and a £5 airport drop-off fee |
|
| |
| UK airports really know how to make money. Whether you're
taking a taxi, an Uber, or a friend drops you off, there's
always an additional fee – a £5 drop-off fee or a £6.20 pick-up
fee. This fee is, of course, passed on to the customer! Don't
think the driver is trying to cheat you! |
| |
 |
| ▲ |
Terminal 3, Manchester Airport |
|
| |
| Manchester is the third largest airport in the UK, following
London's Heathrow and Gatwick airports, and is the main airport
in northern England. It has three terminals: T2, which is the
largest and newest, used by major airlines like Cathay Pacific,
Singapore Airlines, and Emirates; T1, which is older and
typically used by airlines from the Schengen area in Europe; and
T3, the smallest terminal, mainly used by Ryanair and British
Airways. |
| |
 |
| ▲ |
Manchester Airport Map, showing the
distribution of the three terminals and the station |
|
| |
| The flight to London was operated by British Airways, so
naturally, it was from T3, located in a corner near T1. If
you're arriving by Metrolink or train, you'll need to pass
through T1 to reach T3. Initially, T3 wasn't even called T3, but
T1A, clearly an extension of T1. |
| |
 |
|
|
| |
| T3's departure level is on the 3/F, and the drop-off area
for vehicles is on the 1/F outside the door. After getting out
of the car, you need to take a lift up to the 3/F for check-in
and baggage drop. My ticket only included one checked bag, but
when I checked in, the staff suggested I could also check in my
hand luggage. Since I didn't have any lithium batteries or other
restricted items in my hand luggage, I decided to check it in as
well. This wasn't because the airline was being generous, but
because the flight was completely full, and it was a practical
solution to avoid passengers arguing for the overhead storage
space. |
| |
 |
| ▲ |
British Airways check-in counter at T3 |
|
| |
| At check-in, the staff didn't mention any delays, but when I
checked the flight board, I noticed that my flight, along with
several others, was marked as 'Delayed'. The weather had been
bad since the previous night, and I had even been woken up by
the sound of hailstones during the night. The UK Met Office had
issued a yellow warning for heavy rain and strong winds in
several areas, including Manchester and London, which remained
in effect until the afternoon. With such bad weather and the
general atmosphere of the New Year holiday, delays were hardly
surprising! |
| |
| After passing through security, I walked down a long
corridor to the departure hall and boarding gates. The whole
waiting area felt a bit crowded, though I wasn't sure whether it
was because the terminal was at capacity or because of all the
delayed flights. The density of passengers in the hall was
definitely high! There were a few duty-free shops and two more
formal restaurants, but the seating in the restaurants was
limited. Fast food was available at places like KFC and small
cafes, but seating was still scarce! |
| |
 |
| ▲ |
Corridor leading to the boarding gate |
|
| |
| If you're having fast food, it's not easy to order and then
find a seat, so I opted for one of the restaurants – The Lion
and Antelope. At least they had staff to show me to a seat, and
I could only order after sitting down. Ordering was done by
scanning a QR code to place an order and pay online (via card or
Apple Pay), or I could go to the bar to order in person, which
is quite common in many pubs and restaurants in the city. |
| |
 |
|
|
| |
 |
|
|
| |
| While having my breakfast, I checked my phone for updates on
the delay. My British Airways flight BA1393, originally
scheduled to depart at 12:10, was postponed to 13:13 while I was
eating. Then the departure time kept being delayed by a few
minutes every time I checked – essentially, the delay seemed
endless! I deliberately slowed down my pace to make the most of
the meal, enjoying a coffee slowly. I spent over an hour on a
simple breakfast, and eventually, there were so many people
waiting for a table that I felt a bit bad occupying the seat for
so long! After leaving the restaurant, I found a quieter corner
to sit and wait. |
| |
 |
|
|
| |
 |
| ▲ |
The Full Monty Breakfast and a cup of extra
shot latte |
|
| |
| By just after 1pm, the gate information was updated with a
new expected departure time of 13:56. Boarding was at Gate 142,
which was a bit far from where I was sitting, so I quickly
headed there. By the time I arrived, there was already a queue,
but queuing early didn't mean anything, as boarding was
organised by group number according to the boarding pass. |
| |
 |
| ▲ |
Seats in the corner with a view of the apron |
|
| |
|
Like most domestic flights, both the front and rear doors of the
aircraft were used for boarding. However, British airport staff
are often a bit careless. Ground staff didn't assign passengers
to board based on their seat numbers; instead, they would send
you to whichever door had fewer people. This caused some
confusion, with some passengers seated in the back boarding
through the front door, while those seated at the front boarded
via the rear, leading to a 'congestion' in the cabin aisle! |
| |
 |
|
|
| |
 |
|
|
| |
 |
| ▲ |
Many people already queuing at the gate |
|
| |
 |
| ▲ |
Finally, the plane I was going to board! |
|
| |
 |
| ▲ |
I was assigned to board through the rear door.
The plane in the foreground had been waiting for a while to
depart, from Ryanair. |
|
| |
 |
| ▲ |
The UK's air mail transport is handled by
British Airways, so the Royal Mail logo is painted next to the
registration number on the tail of the aircraft. |
|
| |
| At 13:56, the cabin door was closed, and the flight status
immediately changed from 'boarding' to 'departed'. Many people
confuse 'departure' with 'take off', but in fact, there's a
significant difference between the two. 'Departure' means that
the cabin door is closed, while 'take off' is when the pilot
receives clearance from the tower to accelerate down the runway. |
| |
| There can be quite a time gap between these two events!
After the plane had 'departed' at 13:56, I waited about half an
hour to be pushed back from the gate, then another 20 minutes on
the taxiway before the plane actually started taxiing, and we
didn't take off until 14:55 – an hour after 'departure'! |
| |
 |
| ▲ |
Weather not looking great after boarding! |
|
| |
|
On domestic flights, no meals or beverages are provided, just a
bottle of water and a small snack. Today's snack was a
traditional British Christmas treat – gingerbread men, but I
wasn't in the mood for food. I kept both the water and the
gingerbread and didn't eat them. |
| |
| After about 45 minutes on the sky, the plane finally landed
at London Heathrow. Just like 'departure' and 'take off',
'landing' and 'arrival' are two different concept. 'Landing'
refers to the moment the wheels hit the runway, while 'arrival'
refers to when the cabin door opens. Similarly to 'departure',
the airline announces the 'landing' time, as it's the time that
benefits them! |
| |
| Looking out the window, the weather in London wasn't much
better. It was still pouring rain outside, and the worst part
was that our plane was assigned outer bay. This meant we had to
board a shuttle bus under the rain to get to the terminal! The flight delay may
have been due to weather, but waiting an hour for my luggage was
probably just due to the holiday work atmosphere! |
| |
 |
| ▲ |
Snacks and water served on board |
|
| |
 |
| ▲ |
Approaching London, just about to land! |
|
| |
 |
| ▲ |
London's weather not much better! |
|
| |
|
I also wanted to quickly introduce Heathrow's terminal
layout. Terminals 2 and 3 are centrally located (Heathrow no
longer has a Terminal 1), while Terminal 4 is to the south and
Terminal 5 to the west. Walking between these three parts is not
allowed, but the most convenient way to travel between them is
by train (the Elizabeth Line or Heathrow Express) or the
Underground (Piccadilly line). |
| |
| The train or Underground services between terminals are
free; just
touch in and out at the ticket gate with an Oyster card,
contactless payment card, or mobile payment, no cost will be charged. Free ride tickets
can also be obtained from train ticket machines, though they
only apply to the train service, not the Underground. |
| |
 |
|
|
| |
 |
| ▲ |
Train ticket machines in Terminal 5 |
|
| |
 |
| ▲ |
Free terminal transfer ticket |
|
| |
| To make things easier for my early flight tomorrow, I'll be
staying at the Hilton Garden Inn
London Heathrow Terminals 2 & 3, located in T2. Now, I need
to take the train from T5 to T2. Just follow the 'Train' signs
to reach the train station in T5, and after one stop, I'll be at
the Heathrow Terminals 2 & 3 station. |
| |
| Once I get off, I follow the 'Terminal 2' signs, and after
about 10 minutes, I'll reach the Underground station for
Terminals 2 & 3. This means that if you take the Underground,
you can save yourself a 10-minute walk. Remember to take the
Underground, not the train! After arriving at T2, I walk towards
the car park, and crossing the car park will lead me to the
hotel. The hotel's main entrance is actually inside the car
park! |
| |
 |
| ▲ |
Train station at Terminal 5 |
|
| |
 |
| ▲ |
Elizabeth Line train interior |
|
| |
 |
| ▲ |
Platform at Terminals 2 & 3 railway station |
|
| |
 |
| ▲ |
Follow the 'Terminal 2' signs |
|
| |
 |
| ▲ |
Underground exit at Terminals 2 & 3 |
|
| |
| |
 |
| ▲ |
Walk through the T2 car park to reach the hotel |
|
| |
 |
| ▲ |
Hotel entrance inside the car park |
|
| |
| It took me about 35 minutes to get from T5 to the hotel. I
registered as a Hilton member during the pandemic staycation, so
I checked in early via their app. When I arrived at the airport,
I had already received my room number and the digital room key
via the app, so I didn't need to check in at the reception. I
simply went straight up to my room. Checking out was just as
easy via the app too! |
| |
| I stayed in a King Room, and the room rate was £170.46. They
also had rooms on higher floors that offered views of the
runway, but these cost an extra £10. I'm glad I didn't opt for
that, as it was already dark when I arrived, and I'd be checking
out before dawn the next day, so the view didn't matter at all. |
| |
 |
|
|
| |
 |
|
|
| |
 |
| ▲ |
Christmas decorations in the lobby |
|
| |
 |
|
|
| |
 |
|
|
| |
 |
|
|
| |
 |
|
|
| |
 |
|
|
| |
 |
| ▲ |
Another angle of the room |
|
| |
 |
|
|
| |
 |
|
|
| |
 |
|
|
| |
 |
| ▲ |
Coffee and tea facilities |
|
| |
 |
| ▲ |
Window without good view |
|
| |
| The hotel didn't have a swimming pool, but it did have a gym
open from 06:00 to midnight. However, these facilities weren't
of interest to me. There was also a restaurant and a bar!
According to my original plan, I would have arrived at the hotel
around 1pm, then headed to St Paul's Cathedral and to Oxford
Street and Regent Street to see the Christmas lights. However,
since my London itinerary was completely ruined, I decided to
just have dinner at the hotel and get an early night instead! |
| |
 |
| ▲ |
Restaurant on the 1/F – The Apron Restaurant |
|
| |
 |
|
|
| |
 |
| ▲ |
Teriyaki Glazed Baby Pork Spare Ribs |
|
| |
 |
|
|
| |
 |
| ▲ |
Bar opposite the restaurant – The Apron Bar |
|
中文版請按此 Date: 7th January 2025 (Tuesday) After ch...
中文版請按此 Date: 2nd January 2025 (Thursday) Today marks the e...
中文版請按此 Date: 4th January 2025 (Saturday) ...
No comments:
Post a Comment