So our move we had scheduled and set up was changed a couple days before departing Japan... We now left earlier and landed much sooner than we had planned on. Which was definitely a good thing!
Our first flight from Misawa was quite nice! It was a smaller type plane, but the Japanese are so nice, and the flight attendants were so willing to help me with the baby car seat to get it in place, and get us on the plane first as well. We also were able to sit near each other quite nicely!
After landing in Haneda, we had to catch the bus to Narita. The bus ride was challenging as we had luggage for 5 people, a cat, and of course one of us was in a car seat (and it wasn't me)... We all had to sit in different seats at different areas on the bus. Yes my 2 eldest children were segregated from us by quite a distance! They did well on the ride though, I'm sure they were tired! The cat even got her own seat too! As we got to Narita, we claimed our bags from the bus and headed in to get checked in to our longest flight...
When we walked into Narita, we were astounded at the amount of people there were in line! But we were kinda lucky because we had 5 people traveling, a cat and TONS of bags, we got to go in the line needing assistance which was by far the shortest line there! We got out bags checked in and found out I had to take the cat to another area of the airport to finish her check in, so after detouring to accomplish that, we were finished signing in and had our tickets in hand. We went to find some food to eat. We thought there would be more of a selection of food once we went through security, however we were wrong... We did not have too much to choose and eventually just settled for the tiny shop which the kids chose pizza to eat... I was kind of hoping for one last great ramen or something, but oh well. We didn't have too much time till we had to board our flight for America. In fact, we spent little time eating and then rushed to our gate in the middle of boarding! We had an issue with getting seats too. They wanted to seat us all in different areas of the plane! That was not happening for this long of a flight!! Once we got on the plane, we found out that the seats that they had eventually found us together were double booked and someone else was sitting there already. We kind of held up the line of people boarding the plane then because we had 5 people of which was a huge car seat in the middle of the isle with no where to go. Finally they moved the person sitting in our seats and I was able to get car seat installed at the window seat. I then had one of my elder sons also sit with me, and the other sat with dad across the isle. Once the plane departed, the person sitting in front of the car seat became furious when they could not recline their seat! They asked me to move the seat! I told them no... Thankfully they did not cause a seen, but goodness, they gave me death stares the rest of the flight!! Ryder did great as he slept most the way (which was the normal night time really)... The elder boys slept most of the way too, which was nice!
Once we arrived America, we departed the plane and soon found we had to carry the stroller down 2 flights of stairs and an escalator because we could not find an elevator! We made our way to the customs and immigrations and claimed our bags and got our passports stamped. When we got to the other side, we rechecked our bags then had to go through security again to get on the domestic flight. Well this proved harder! The security in America is so different!! We all had to remove shoes, where in Japan, they didn't have a problem with the kids keeping theirs on since that's just way more work and time for everyone! Also, the water for baby formula... well in Japan, they had no issues during the two times we went through security to just let the diaper bag go through... no, through American security we were asked to dump out well throw away our canteen of water! I fought it though and explained it was baby water and after they wanted me to drink it, then they also did that test on the container they let me keep it... Also the cat needs to be in your arms when walking through the security and not in the carrier... baby has to also be in your arms and not in the carrier... Well since I got the cat out, and I also had touch our son, I somehow was seen as a threat and once through the security gate, I had to be screened separately with the wand as well as a swab of each of my hands... Yup... well that left poor hubby to fend with getting everyones shoes on (including the infants shoes!!) and getting all the carry on luggage back together (including each laptop, innotab, and ipad that had to have separate bins)...
After all that, we didn't have much time to make it to our gate! We were very hungry too! So not time for food, and with cranky kids, well that sucked!! We got to the gate to find out it was actually delayed though (which was good because if it wasn't delayed then we probably wouldn't have made it). When we finally got on the plane, the service was not pleasant! Nobody asked if they could help with all the kids and stuff we had... We all had to sit in separate areas, and they could not get us near each other!!! The only two seats together had to be me and my baby... Once we got situated we found out there was also an issue with the plane to have maintenance on before departing. So with weather and maintenance, we arrived BWI much later than planned and missed our bus to get us home!!!
Now we were stranded in BWI with no hotel and not even one we could call and book for the night because they do not allow animals!! The bus to the shore wouldn't run again till the next morning... and so we were stuck! We didn't have phones or anything to use in America... and so I set out on my search for the nearest pay phone. It took a while to find one!!! Yup, we don't have many of those around now a days!!! and the one I found cost me 2 dollars to talk to family for 5 minutes to set up for them to come pick us up that night! It's almost a 3 hour drive from the shore to BWI, so we patiently waited in the baggage claim for family to come pick us up. Once they got there, we left to make our way home... Stopping at a Royal Farms to grab food since the kids were starving at this point with no food on the flight, and no food from the previous airport as well as BWI since nothing was open when we landed... We got home early morning and slept! Yes everyone slept except me and Ryder!! Ryder didn't know the time difference and so he wanted to be awake! ::sigh:: I made and drank an entire pot of coffee that early morning!!
Phew! It was definitely a trip to remember!! I'm sad to have left Japan, but it is nice to be near family again...
Our first flight from Misawa was quite nice! It was a smaller type plane, but the Japanese are so nice, and the flight attendants were so willing to help me with the baby car seat to get it in place, and get us on the plane first as well. We also were able to sit near each other quite nicely!
After landing in Haneda, we had to catch the bus to Narita. The bus ride was challenging as we had luggage for 5 people, a cat, and of course one of us was in a car seat (and it wasn't me)... We all had to sit in different seats at different areas on the bus. Yes my 2 eldest children were segregated from us by quite a distance! They did well on the ride though, I'm sure they were tired! The cat even got her own seat too! As we got to Narita, we claimed our bags from the bus and headed in to get checked in to our longest flight...
When we walked into Narita, we were astounded at the amount of people there were in line! But we were kinda lucky because we had 5 people traveling, a cat and TONS of bags, we got to go in the line needing assistance which was by far the shortest line there! We got out bags checked in and found out I had to take the cat to another area of the airport to finish her check in, so after detouring to accomplish that, we were finished signing in and had our tickets in hand. We went to find some food to eat. We thought there would be more of a selection of food once we went through security, however we were wrong... We did not have too much to choose and eventually just settled for the tiny shop which the kids chose pizza to eat... I was kind of hoping for one last great ramen or something, but oh well. We didn't have too much time till we had to board our flight for America. In fact, we spent little time eating and then rushed to our gate in the middle of boarding! We had an issue with getting seats too. They wanted to seat us all in different areas of the plane! That was not happening for this long of a flight!! Once we got on the plane, we found out that the seats that they had eventually found us together were double booked and someone else was sitting there already. We kind of held up the line of people boarding the plane then because we had 5 people of which was a huge car seat in the middle of the isle with no where to go. Finally they moved the person sitting in our seats and I was able to get car seat installed at the window seat. I then had one of my elder sons also sit with me, and the other sat with dad across the isle. Once the plane departed, the person sitting in front of the car seat became furious when they could not recline their seat! They asked me to move the seat! I told them no... Thankfully they did not cause a seen, but goodness, they gave me death stares the rest of the flight!! Ryder did great as he slept most the way (which was the normal night time really)... The elder boys slept most of the way too, which was nice!
Once we arrived America, we departed the plane and soon found we had to carry the stroller down 2 flights of stairs and an escalator because we could not find an elevator! We made our way to the customs and immigrations and claimed our bags and got our passports stamped. When we got to the other side, we rechecked our bags then had to go through security again to get on the domestic flight. Well this proved harder! The security in America is so different!! We all had to remove shoes, where in Japan, they didn't have a problem with the kids keeping theirs on since that's just way more work and time for everyone! Also, the water for baby formula... well in Japan, they had no issues during the two times we went through security to just let the diaper bag go through... no, through American security we were asked to dump out well throw away our canteen of water! I fought it though and explained it was baby water and after they wanted me to drink it, then they also did that test on the container they let me keep it... Also the cat needs to be in your arms when walking through the security and not in the carrier... baby has to also be in your arms and not in the carrier... Well since I got the cat out, and I also had touch our son, I somehow was seen as a threat and once through the security gate, I had to be screened separately with the wand as well as a swab of each of my hands... Yup... well that left poor hubby to fend with getting everyones shoes on (including the infants shoes!!) and getting all the carry on luggage back together (including each laptop, innotab, and ipad that had to have separate bins)...
After all that, we didn't have much time to make it to our gate! We were very hungry too! So not time for food, and with cranky kids, well that sucked!! We got to the gate to find out it was actually delayed though (which was good because if it wasn't delayed then we probably wouldn't have made it). When we finally got on the plane, the service was not pleasant! Nobody asked if they could help with all the kids and stuff we had... We all had to sit in separate areas, and they could not get us near each other!!! The only two seats together had to be me and my baby... Once we got situated we found out there was also an issue with the plane to have maintenance on before departing. So with weather and maintenance, we arrived BWI much later than planned and missed our bus to get us home!!!
Now we were stranded in BWI with no hotel and not even one we could call and book for the night because they do not allow animals!! The bus to the shore wouldn't run again till the next morning... and so we were stuck! We didn't have phones or anything to use in America... and so I set out on my search for the nearest pay phone. It took a while to find one!!! Yup, we don't have many of those around now a days!!! and the one I found cost me 2 dollars to talk to family for 5 minutes to set up for them to come pick us up that night! It's almost a 3 hour drive from the shore to BWI, so we patiently waited in the baggage claim for family to come pick us up. Once they got there, we left to make our way home... Stopping at a Royal Farms to grab food since the kids were starving at this point with no food on the flight, and no food from the previous airport as well as BWI since nothing was open when we landed... We got home early morning and slept! Yes everyone slept except me and Ryder!! Ryder didn't know the time difference and so he wanted to be awake! ::sigh:: I made and drank an entire pot of coffee that early morning!!
Phew! It was definitely a trip to remember!! I'm sad to have left Japan, but it is nice to be near family again...
