The main reason why we stayed at the Mercure Hotel in Naha was its location in relation to the airport. It was a mere five stops away. Getting there upon our arrival was quick and easy. Needless to say, going back to the airport on the day of our return to Tokyo in the middle of the second week of February was easy too. Unlike the time when we arrived, it was peak hour and office workers were going home. Our train trip to the airport was not as busy. Our flight was during the middle of the day and trains were not full at all.

Check in was a breeze and just like in other airports where we fly United Airlines or any of its partners, we were able to spend time in the First Class/Business Class/Premier Lounge. ANA's domestic lounges though didn't provide lots of food. Just some rice crackers and drinks. We did make it a point to tour the airport terminals before boarding. Just like the many souvenir stores we saw in Naha's Kokusai Dori, souvenirs for sale here were mainly boxes of sweet red potato tarts and other sweet treats.

With our Premier Gold status with United Airlines, we either were in Group 1 or 2 for boarding. Unlike in US flights, the overhead bins of the ANA flights we took were never full. In fact, there were lots, absolutely lots of space for everyone and more. We arrived around 2 pm in Tokyo after a two and a half hour trip from Naha. We booked two tickets on the Airport Limousine to TCAT and we arrived there around 3:30 pm.