Denise Stephens flies from Sapporo to Tokyo Haneda on Air Do ADO020.
The plane: Boeing 767-300.
Airport experience: As I had a special fare for overseas visitors, I checked in at the counter to show my passport and international flight details. Baggage drop was at a separate counter. The whole process took about 15 minutes and the staff were helpful in directing where to go next. Sapporo's New Chitose Airport has a wide range of dining and shopping options. It's a great place to get last minute souvenirs or Hokkaido delicacies. I spent a few minutes watching chocolates being made at the huge Royce flagship store.
On time: Boarding was very organised and completed quickly, so the plane departed on time. We arrived at Haneda a few minutes early.
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Advertise with NZME.Class: Economy.
The seat: 36G, a window seat near the back.
Price: $145
Flight time: 1hr, 40m.
Fellow passengers: A mixture of business people and tourists, Japanese and international.
How full: Very full — I couldn't see an empty seat. I chose to fly from Sapporo to Tokyo because it takes eight hours by train. This is probably why so many people fly between the two cities, making Sapporo-Haneda one of the busiest air routes in the world.
Food and drink: The cabin crew served a selection of hot and cold drinks, including green tea, berry tea, mineral water, apple juice and coffee. Additional items available for purchase included beer, and rice and onion soup.
Entertainment: There were several music channels and news in Japanese, but no seat-back screens. This didn't really matter for a relatively short flight.
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Advertise with NZME.Service: The cabin crew were calm, smiling and efficient. The crew members I spoke to had adequate English.
Toilets: Spotlessly clean. A lavender sachet scented the air, a nice reminder of the Hokkaido summer.
Luggage: The allowance is one 20kg bag checked, and one 10kg carry on bag.
Final word: Air Do (say it like hairdo without the h) is one of several airlines flying this route, and I would happily fly with them again.