I’m thrilled about my upcoming journey! Just a few days ago, I detailed how I’m [finally going to experience Starlux Airlines’ A350 first class](https://onemileatatime.com/insights/flying-starlux-airlines-first-class/), my second to last first class offering in the world. My ultimate destination is Japan through Taiwan, and as I mentioned, I hadn’t secured a return flight yet.
However, I’ve finally sorted out my return plans, so let me share the specifics. I’m eager to fly with Philippine Airlines! I’ve also chosen to briefly explore a few hotels in Japan.
## I’m experiencing Philippine Airlines’ new business class!
Honestly, you wouldn’t want to be inside my mind when it comes to travel planning. It’s a chaotic environment, to say the least. After arranging my itinerary to Japan in Starlux first class, I needed to figure out how to return home. I have a tendency to be overly ambitious regarding my planned routes, which often leads to wild review trip itineraries.
Initially, I wondered, “Is there any chance I could return through the Ivory Coast to [experience Air Cote d’Ivoire first class](https://onemileatatime.com/news/air-cote-divoire-first-class/)? And if that’s the case, could I also include Jakarta in the routing so I can finally see the Park Hyatt Jakarta?” Then I regained clarity and went back to the drawing board.
Instead of putting myself through a lengthy planning phase, I decided to keep it straightforward — I’ll be making my way back to North America via a relatively simple route.
More specifically, I’ll travel on Philippine Airlines’ Airbus A330-300 in business class (the version with direct aisle access) from Nagoya (NGO) to Manila (MNL), and then from there on Philippine Airlines’ Airbus A350-1000 in business class to Toronto (YYZ).
Philippine Airlines offers appealing business class rates, and this one-way ticket sets me back $1,700. That’s still a considerable amount, so here’s what I’ve done:
– I booked using Chase points since I still benefit from 1.5-cent redemptions for flights, making the ticket cost me 113,953 points, with no cash expenditure.
– Philippine Airlines is part of the Atmos Rewards program, so because this is a revenue ticket, I’ll be accruing 12,415 status points and 22,347 redeemable points, effectively mitigating my cost.
– Ultimately, by redeeming points outright, it’s nearly equivalent to the price of a saver business class award, if not less expensive.
The Airbus A350-1000 features [Philippine Airlines’ new business class offering](https://onemileatatime.com/news/philippine-airlines-airbus-a350-1000/), and I’m very much looking forward to experiencing that, especially with [the airline about to join the oneworld alliance](https://onemileatatime.com/news/philippine-airlines-oneworld/). It also seems that I won’t need to switch terminals in Manila, allowing me to bypass [the world’s worst inter-terminal transit experience](https://onemileatatime.com/connecting-manila-philippine-airlines/).
If anyone has any insights or predictions, I’d be eager to hear them!
## I’m also exploring three hotels in Japan!
Though my stay in Japan is brief, I’m set to check out three hotels that have caught my attention for various reasons.
First up is the BVLGARI Tokyo. [The BVLGARI hotel chain is fascinating](https://onemileatatime.com/guides/bvlgari-hotels-resorts/), and I’ve been told that the Tokyo site is the finest in the collection, so I’m excited to see this for myself, even if just for a short visit. My last three reviews in Tokyo have focused on points properties — [the Park Hyatt Tokyo](https://onemileatatime.com/insights/park-hyatt-tokyo-hotel/), [the Tokyo EDITION Toranomon](https://onemileatatime.com/reviews/tokyo-edition-toranomon/), and [the Tokyo EDITION Ginza](https://onemileatatime.com/reviews/tokyo-edition-ginza/) — so I’m eager to compare this one.
Next, I’ll head to Osaka to explore two points properties that have been on my radar. First, I’m checking out [the Waldorf Astoria Osaka](https://onemileatatime.com/news/waldorf-astoria-osaka/), which I’ve heard wonderful reviews about since the hotel opened.