HSLD

Greetings Asian Flyers:

Effective February 1st, the Tokyu Hotel at Narita will no longer allow crew members (pilots) from the Hilton Hotel to eat in their crew restaurant.

This stems from the request by the Hilton where pilots layover. When the Hilton undertook to renovate their restaurant and bar they apparently planned to make us all pay for it by reducing the crew member discounts. Breakfast at the Hilton increased to $1625 Y from $1270Y.

Across the street, the Tokyu has provided better food (in my opinion) and charged non-resident crew members $1255 Y. Now under complaint by the Hilton, which saw a big drop off in revenue from cheap pilots like myself, the Tokyu has decided to cut us off completely.

The Tokyu would like us back and they do acknowledge a BIG drop in business, but they are unwilling to buck the japanese mafia.

Attn: Hotel Committee....can you help us so that we have more than one captive dining option at the hotel?

dckozak

Its worse than reported. The Barge is no more, got some champaign thing happening with upgraded furniture and upgraded beer prices.
As far as the Toyku Hotel, it worked (last week ) to just tell them you forgot your room key when they asked to see it. Plan B, look inside, find some AA or UA F/A and ask her to help out. Best as I could tell they are all old enough to be your mother (the two I spoke to, hired 69 and 68 respectfully ). You could get them to reminisce about the 60's (I was too young to have any memories that don't entail a play ground). Hopefully they'll take pity on us "young'ns".

HSLD

Are you talking about the Barge Inn in town, or the Barrel in the lobby of the Hilton? If the Barrel in the Hilton has changed, no loss. I could never stand going there anyway, I could never relax watching the singing cowboy slowly killing himself with Beer and mayonnaise drenched french fries.

The secret to Barge Inn in town is to find a Virgin FA over at the Tokyu headed for the Barge. They get a decent employee discount since Sir Richard owns the dump. More fun than cozying up to grandma for a breakfast pass

Ranger

It's time to start putting some pressure on the Hilton. The next time that I roll through there I'm going to tell them that I will NOT be spending one thin, aluminum yen of my own in their hotel. I'll buy something downtown to eat for breakfast the following morning. And I always have a jar of coffee in my bag. I've never liked that hotel (or their attitude) regardless of who owned or operated it.

MaxKts

Agreed - Per Mark (the singing cowboy ) the best way to put pressure on the hotel to change things is to fill out a comment card every time you stay there. Tell them you are dissapointed with the service and atmosphere in The Barrel and you want the large beers back and anything else you want changed. I also suggest we all email the hotel committee asking them to look into a different hotel for Narita

130JDrvr

Leave the Righa/Hilton? And miss out on all the fun scavenger hunts in the ceiling of the bathroom? Sometimes there's some interesting things hiden up there. Lots of "reading material" !

Past....

cma2407

Perfect! I'm sure there's something there to curl your toes. I mean scratch your head. Umm...whatever.

Must be the formaldahyde in those $8 Kirin's acting up again...

RedeyeAV8r

What, you don't like the "Large Cowboy" singer. (he wasn't the worst lounge singer I have heard.) I thought that is why it was called the barrel.

Jetjok

Speaking of crappy jobs. He lives in the hotel, and comes down to the Barrel each night to play and sing to a group of United and FedEx pilots, who want nothing more than to be left alone with their interim beers so that they can concentrate on when the next bus leaves for the noodle shop. And it's in Japan to boot.

RedeyeAV8r

Maybe he gets Free Chow and a room as a Job Perk?

You got to wonder how someone like this ends up in Tokyo. I mean the pay can't be that good. If it were me, I personally would rather work in some dingy "off the strip Lounge bar" in Reno or Vegas.