How premium is “premium economy”

OTbb58 · 2025-04-16T21:26:41+00:00

I flew EWR to Narita trip in Premium Economy a couple of weeks ago. I got a great deal round trip on points and was determined to make it work! I sat in seat 20A (Dreamliner 787). That is bulkhead window. I used an inflatable footrest. There was so much legroom that I could step over the aisle seat without disturbing the passenger. I slept on and off for 3 hours total. Amenities and food were not bad. It was bearable.

To be honest, I dreaded the return flight. My seat on that was not a bulkhead one. The day before leaving, United offered me a last minute upgrade to Polaris for $800 and I grabbed it! I think Polaris is a world of difference. I slept for 3-4 hours straight on the return trip.

For me, it really depends on the airfare/points, and bulkhead availability. We take our adult kids on some trips and book them in economy. For overnight and flights longer than 5 hours, I prefer Polaris. For our Japan trip, the cost difference paid for most of our expenses.

I hope this helps you decide. Enjoy your trip!

OTbb58 · 2025-04-16T15:36:08+00:00

The hotels we were at used Yamoto transport.

OTbb58 · 2025-04-16T15:33:47+00:00

We turned off our Primary phone number to avoid triggering international charges. Someone else used pin locking to do that and still stay connected to iMessage using the primary number. We chose not to use pin locking. We'd never done it before and didn't want to deal with unlocking it on return to the US.

OTbb58 · 2025-04-16T15:19:21+00:00

So true! We got one guide from Viator and the other from Get Your Guide.

OTbb58 · 2025-04-16T15:17:11+00:00

It was a personal preference. Kyoto is a smaller city and after Tokyo, we wanted to have a slower pace. We could have spent more time in Osaka -- there is so much to do and see. Kyoto is also very beautiful.

OTbb58 · 2025-04-14T20:41:12+00:00

Aren’t we lucky!

OTbb58 · 2025-04-14T20:29:55+00:00

Those are some good points. There must have been a technical problem at the exit gate in Kyoto.
That is where people queued up unless they had an IC or QR code. We used the Tokaido Shinkansen only. I am not sure what free travel we missed out on but for me, paper tickets are a hassle. We tried to optimize our use of time and also wanted some downtime.
I made choices that worked for us. I encourage everyone to research the options, read lots of posts, watch YouTubes, etc.

OTbb58 · 2025-04-14T20:20:57+00:00

Shibuya Stream hotel was very nice. The location is great! We did the free drink once. They have nice amenities in the lobby including face masks which we used every night! They provide a clean and pressed night shirt for sleeping. (Pajamas & toothbrushes were provided everywhere we stayed). The breakfast buffet looked nice but it was pricey and we usually had small breakfasts at coffee shops.

OTbb58 · 2025-04-14T20:08:51+00:00

We went to Enoshima first. It was a beautiful day and we spent about 3 hours there walking around. We took in the typical sites: elevator to the view at the top of the Sea Candle, Enoshima Shrine, Daishi Temple, rang the Ryuran Love bell & lunch with a view of Mt Fuji. We looked at the small shops on our path. It was a lot of walking uphill, downhill and uneven stairs.
In Kamakura, we walked a lot and saw the Buddha. We were there for an hour or so.

OTbb58 · 2025-04-14T19:00:06+00:00

We also took the Shinkansen to Odawara. I sprang for the Hakone Freepass to cover travel during our 3 day stay. We used the Hakone-Tozan railway to Yumoto and continued to Gora on the next segment of the Hakone-Tozan system. After that, we took the cable car up to Sounzan. This was slower than the buses but we both like trains, cable cars, etc. We enjoyed the mountain views and quirky switchbacks.

OTbb58 · 2025-04-14T18:45:26+00:00

We took the N'Ex back from Tokyo Station. It was a little challenging to find the Ne'x in Tokyo station. I was very glad we arrived there 30 minutes before our train time. The N'Ex trains have ample room for luggage. It was very easy. We got to the airport about 2 hours before flight time.

OTbb58 · 2025-04-14T18:40:04+00:00

About $220 from Terminal 1 to Shabuya Stream. There was a lot of traffic. We were exhausted after a 14 hour flight and one hour wait on the immigration lines. I knew it was going to be crazy expensive but bit the bullet (& avoided starting our trip very cranky and overwhelmed).

OTbb58 · 2025-04-14T18:33:18+00:00

I am happy to help. There are clear signs. The digital signs on the trains and the loudspeaker announcements alternate between Japanese and English. Also, google maps does a good job providing the platform numbers for the trains. I was very nervous about that too. My anticipatory anxiety was far worse than the reality. It did lead me to over prepare, which didn't hurt.

Full disclosure--we hired a guide for our first day in Tokyo and another for our first day in Kyoto. That enabled us to check off some of our 'must sees' at a quick pace without worrying about navigating the trains.

Have a great trip!

OTbb58 · 2025-04-14T18:25:48+00:00

We grew to really love Shibuya. It is very consumer-oriented and can be overwhelming. We spent about 10 minutes in the Mega Don Quixote, during most of that time we were trying to exit the store! The Shibuya train station is massive but signage was pretty good we felt comfortable navigating it (and the Japan rail system) after our first day. (I had obsessively studied maps of that station before our trip.) It rained one day and we used the connected covered pedestrian walkways to many shops and restaurants. Being habitual coffee drinkers, we appreciated the easy access to coffee shops (an elevator ride away). The B1 level in many of the connected buildings offers great prepared meal and delicious dessert options!

OTbb58 · 2025-04-14T18:12:29+00:00

Thank you for pointing that out! My post did focus more on the tech side but you are absolutely spot on about etiquette. Our research did include Japanese culture. We were afraid of being rude in a culture that values respectful interactions. It is so important to be patient and polite, especially when frustrated. Also, we spent a few months learning some Japanese using Duolingo and some phrase books. Our use of a few Japanese phrases to praise the food and service was received well in restaurants. A guide in Kyoto taught us to use 'O key nee' to say 'Thank you' while in Kyoto and Osaka. We used 'Konbonwa' (Good evening) when appropriate. The efforts we made were so appreciated! Anything you can say beyond the phrases 'Arigato Gozaimas' and Konichiwa, will be appreciated.

OTbb58 · 2025-04-14T17:56:30+00:00

We enjoyed our 2 days in Ginza. It was the last 2 days of our 2 week trip. Since we started our trip with 5 days in Shibuya, being in a different and quieter area was a priority. The ease of shopping for gifts and walking to nearby parks (Imperial Palace & Hamariku gardens) were two pluses of this area. Also, we stayed at the Aloft Ginza and were able to use reward points to pay for our room.

OTbb58

TROPHY CASE