Founded in 1952 as Nippon Helicopters, ANA has steadily grown into Japan’s largest carrier, dwarfing its main rival – Japan Airlines. Today, the airline operates a diverse fleet of aircraft, including A321neos, Boeing 737s, 787s, and 777s, flying to a myriad of international destinations from its hubs in Tokyo Haneda and Narita.

Booking ANA Business Class

I booked this ANA flight as a codeshare with United Airlines on united.com. As the two airlines maintain a joint venture agreement, you’ll often find comparable fares for flights on both carriers. On this occasion, I paid a fare of USD 3,235 for a multi-city fare, including flights between Jakarta, Tokyo, New York, San Francisco, and Seattle. A great deal if you ask me!

Check-in

I arrived at Jakarta Soekarno-Hatta International Airport just under three hours before my 06.20 departure. Like most full-service foreign airlines, ANA operates from Terminal 3, which is the airport’s newest terminal. In recent months, it has been undergoing some renovations, so expect it to look nicer soon.

The ANA counters are located on Island B, with dedicated lines for ANA Diamond, Business Class/Star Alliance Gold, and Economy Class. Although the aircraft today features a Premium Economy cabin, it is not sold on this flight. There wasn’t a line in the premium counters, so when they opened at 03.38, I was assisted immediately.

After the mandatory visa checks by the friendly agent, I was quickly issued my boarding pass to Narita. I was also told I could use both the Garuda Indonesia Lounge and the Plaza Premium Lounge; despite that, he suggested using the latter due to its relative proximity to the gate.

Lounge

Like Japan Airlines, ANA uses both the Garuda Indonesia Lounge and the Saphire Plaza Premium Lounge, which are the only options in the international section of the terminal. The latter is generally considered the better of the two, which I generally agree with. Theoretically, you could also visit both lounges if you have the time. I have reviewed both lounges in previous instalments.

Boarding

Bored at the lounge, I walked over to the faraway Gate 1A, 20 minutes before our printed boarding time of 5.50. About five minutes later, an airport-wide boarding announcement was made for our flight, despite the fact that boarding had not yet started. 

At the gate, boarding lines were already set up, with Business Class boarding with Group 2. As we started lining up, I found it curious how most passengers on this flight were local Indonesians – a contrast to the clientele on the Haneda flights, the majority of whom are Japanese.

With most passengers lined in queues by 06.44, preboarding commenced for passengers requiring special assistance. As nobody was in the Diamond Line, this was followed by general boarding for Business Class four minutes later. Today’s flight is operated by JA887A, a Boeing 787-9 delivered new to ANA in November 2016.

ANA Business Class Cabin

Our flight today is operated by the airline’s denser Boeing 787-9, featuring 246 seats spread over three classes. Business Class has a total of 40 seats in a 1-2-1 configuration, equipped with the ANA Staggered seat, based on the Safran SkyLounge; this same seat seat available on most of the airlines’ long-haul jets. Business Class is spread between two cabins, with a front main cabin between Doors 1 and 2, and a mini cabin behind Door 2.

As expected from a staggered configuration, the seats alternate between those closer to the aisle and those closer to the window. As the seats closer to the aisle do not feature any added storage, I would recommend selecting them. On the contrary, the seats closer to the window are shielded from the aisle by the side table; as such, these seats feel more private and less exposed to the rest of the cabin.

In addition, I’ll also note that there are no ‘honeymoon seats’ in the centre section; this, of course, refers to a pair of centre seats in a staggered configuration that are next to each other. Instead, the centre seats are divided by a side table and a privacy shield, making them more or less identical to those by the windows. As such, I wouldn’t recommend these seats for couples travelling together.

Seat details

The ANA Staggered seat is based on the popular Safran SKYLounge seat, heavily customised to incorporate the airline’s geometric styling cues and signature blue theme. Like any staggered seat, there is a footwell right under the 18-inch touchscreen monitor across the seat. In ANA’s version, the boxy footwell is relatively spacious, containing a padded ottoman that joins the seat in bed mode. There is some space under the ottoman, useful as an inflight shoe locker.

To the side is a fixed table, large enough for a laptop, which is the primary storage surface in the seat. Behind that is a shallow literature pocket and a protruding clasp to hang the headphones. Furthermore, the seat controls are located on the side of this table, just above the leather armrest; featuring just a few buttons, they are very simple and intuitive enough to use. Additionally, there is also a Do Not Disturb feature, which lights up a sign on top of the seat.

Immediately below the control buttons, you’ll find the tray table; this is released by pulling a small lever on the corner of the table. The table is sturdy and large, certainly sufficient for working and dining. Furthermore, next to the side table are also a handheld remote for the monitor, a personal reading light with three brightness settings, a USB-A port, an audio port, as well as a universal power outlet.

Amenities

Waiting on the seat at boarding was a fluffy large pillow, a mattress pad, and a thick duvet, along with a decent pair of slippers, a pair of headphones, a small bottle of water, and the inflight menu. As this was technically a daytime flight, amenity kits are not provided. This feels like a cheap move on the part of ANA, paling in comparison to rival Japan Airlines, which also offers a much larger bottle of water in addition.

Having said that, the slippers were nice enough; they come with a carrying pouch and a plastic shoe horn for convenience. Less pleasant were the Panasonic headphones, which weren’t comfortable and felt cheap and flimsy. While these headphones have been used by ANA for years, I’m still surprised to see them whenever I fly ANA. Although they would pass off fine in Premium Economy, the airline really should consider investing more in this department.

Departure from Jakarta

As I settled into my seat, purser Tomoko approached me to introduce herself as she warmly welcomed me aboard. After a brief exchange of pleasantries, I looked out the window to see Airbus A330-300s belonging Garuda Indonesia and Cathay Pacific preparing depart for Singapore and Hong Kong, respectively. Meanwhile, a Batik Air Boeing 737-800 is getting pushed back from Terminal 2.

I was soon offered a pre-departure beverage or either sparkling wine or orange juice, served in plastic goblets. Curiously, this service is only offered on longer flights, which I think is a bit cheap on the part of ANA. At the very least, I was able to request other drinks as well and got a glass of cold green tea.

As the load was light on today’s flight, boarding was completed within 15 minutes, prompting the door to be closed at 06.07. In total, only 13 seats were occupied in Business Class. An automated safety announcement was played as the doors were closed, followed by a screening of the safety video.

Pushback and takeoff

We pushed back at 06.15, which was accompanied by a welcome announcement by Tomoko on behalf of Captain Yoshiyuki Hayashi. In particular, we expected a flight time of 6 hours and 40 minutes before arriving at Narita Airport. The cabin was promptly prepared for departure, considering our quick taxi to the runway.

After passing a couple of Garuda Indonesia heavies and a TransNusa Comac C909, we soon reached Runway 25R. As the sun rose over the horizon, we throttled down the runway quickly, soaring into the sky on our way to Japan!

Inflight Service

16 minutes after takeoff, the seatbelt signs were extinguished, prompting the crew to prepare the meal service by asking each passenger for their meal and drink preferences. As the aperitif service started, Captain Yoshiyuki came on the PA to welcome us aboard and to announce our expected arrival time of 15.20. Flight attendant Hoshi soon showed up, offering a disposable hand towel, alongside my typical drink of cold green tea.

As is usual, on offer for the meal was a choice between a Japanese set meal and a Western one. You can refer to the inflight menu on this flight below.

Breakfast

Knowing for a fact that ANA doesn’t serve the best Western meals, I opted for the Japanese breakfast set. This consisted of Teriyaki Beef served with white rice and a selection of sides. As always, the presentation was undoubtedly phenomenal, although admittedly, looks can be deceiving.

To start, there was a zensai plate, consisting of simmered French beans in sesame paste, prawns simmered in ginger, duck breast simmered in soy sauce, and a Japanese omelette (or dashimaki tamago). Served cold, this platter tasted relatively fresh, though nothing restaurant quality.

This was followed by the main course of beef fillet cooked in teriyaki sauce, served with asparagus and a carrot slice. While the rice was great, the beef wasn’t the best in quality, and the light-tasting teriyaki sauce did little to mask its taste.

On the contrary, the simple sides of miso soup and cut fruits were probably the best part of the meal, being impossible to mess up – particularly on a Japanese airline! Overall, the meal was quite mediocre, with so-so-tasting food of variable quality.

For reference, the following is what the Western option looked like. It is definitely the less enticing option of the two, with a main of scrambled eggs topped over soggy bread.

On the plus side, however, both Hoshi and Tomoko constantly checked on everybody to clear empty plates and offer drink refills throughout the meal service. Having had over five glasses of green tea by this point, I opted to conclude breakfast with a glass of ANA’s Original Kabosu citrus drink.

Entertainment

As I took my meal, I concurrently checked out the ANA SKY Channel inflight entertainment system. There was a varied choice of films, of which over 50 were recent releases. This was complemented by three live TV channels, which featured NHK, Sport 24, and CNN. Frankly, this selection was better than that offered by JAL’s Mooove system. I notice that the airline has invested more in entertainment in recent years, though it still pales in comparison to airlines like Cathay Pacific or Emirates. You can browse the airline’s entertainment catalogue here.

Furthermore, WiFi is available on most long-haul ANA flights. Likewise, the network was turned on on this flight, I unfortunately couldn’t get the splash page to load, however.

Lavatory

After the meal, I checked out the lavatory to freshen up a bit before trying to get some sleep. On the Boeing 787-9, there are three lavatories in Business Class, shared between the 40 passengers. As is expected from a Japanese full-service carrier, each lavatory features a bidet-equipped toilet. In addition, toothbrushes, mouthwash packets, and sachets of face and body cleansing towels were also on offer by the sink.

Bedmode

With over five hours to go after the meal, I decided to try and get some sleep. It was easy enough to turn my seat into a fully flat bed, using the simple buttons to the side of the armrest. Furthermore, I’ll note that the seat has a slight angle when fully reclined, as is the case with any flatbed Business Class seats.

With the mattress pad in use, the bed is quite comfortable as a sleeping surface, especially when you sleep on your back. I wouldn’t say the same if you tried sleeping on your side, however. Despite the footwell’s relative spaciousness (particularly for a staggered seat), its boxed-in design means that it still feels quite constraining. When sleeping on your side, you might find yourself frequently hitting the footwell walls as you adjust your position.

Service

As you might have surmised from the above, service on this flight was very good. Both the purser Tomoko and flight attendant Hoshi, who were working my aisle, were very friendly and polite, setting forward an upbeat and cheerful atmosphere throughout the flight. I also appreciate that they were attentive and proactive, constantly checking on each passenger to see if anybody needed anything. As such, I have nothing but good things to say about them. In general, however, I do feel that inflight service on ANA is typically less polished than Japan Airlines, where the crew will typically address passengers by their names.

Pre-arrival service

Before landing, Tomoko and Hoshi returned to offer a pre-arrival aperitif service. This includes the distribution of mixed rice crackers and packaged chocolate, along with a beverage and snack of choice. As always, I stuck with my trusty drink of cold green tea, alongside a mug of vegetable soup!

Arrival in Tokyo

50 minutes before our estimated landing time, Captain Hayashi announced the commencement of descent and the details of our arrival. The seatbelt signs were turned on 20 minutes later, which feels awfully early for a flight of this length. Strangely, however, the cabin was only prepared for landing 15 minutes after that. By this time, the coast of Japan has appeared into view, blanketed in the afternoon’s golden hue.

Within the next several minutes, we entered our final approach, signalled by Narita’s adjacent golf course coming into view. At 15.03, we landed at Narita International Airport with a soft touchdown on Runway 16L.

As we exited the runway, purser Tomoko welcomed us to Tokyo and Japan. We slowly taxied our way to Terminal 1, passing by a myriad of interesting planes along the way. This included a Spring Airlines Boeing 737-800 parked at Terminal 3, which until recently had been quite a mysterious airline to me.

We arrived at our gate 12 minutes later, deplaning from Door 1L. Before disembarking, I made sure to thank the crew for the pleasant flight and went on my way.

Verdict

Despite the airline’s sheer popularity and reputation, ANA Business Class can really be a hit or miss. While ANA Staggered is a solid (though increasingly outdated) offering, inflight entertainment on board is leagues behind other world-class carriers like Cathay Pacific, Emirates, or Singapore Airlines. On board, both the Japanese and Western meals can be mediocre, particularly when catered from outstations. Similarly, I’ve had my share of nice crews on ANA, as well as those who aren’t as good; I definitely lucked out with a great and attentive crew on this flight, making my flight a lot more pleasant. Although ANA offers a relatively well-rounded experience on flights to Japan, I’d still prefer Japan Airlines for a better experience.

Read more from this trip here!