- Introduction: Twice To Tokyo
- Review: Delta SkyClub Miami Airport
- Review: Delta A321 First Class
- Review: Alaska Lounge New York JFK Airport
- Review: British Airways Club Lounge New York JFK Airport
- Review: NEW ANA 777 “The Room” Business Class
- Review: Haneda Airport Transit Hotel
- Review: ANA Business Lounge Tokyo Haneda Airport
- Review: Lufthansa A350 Business Class
- Review: Lufthansa Business Lounge Munich
- Review: Lufthansa A320neo Business Class
- Review: The Langley, Marriott Luxury Collection Hotel
- Review: NEW ANA 777 “The Suite” First Class
- Review: Andaz Tokyo, A Hyatt Hotel
- Review: Delta One Business Class A330-900neo
In July 2019, All Nippon Airways introduced spectacular-looking new first & business class seats with barely any lead time, as their first plane with these seats entered service just weeks later.
I knew I had to try them, because both first and business class look industry leading. As of now ANA is offering their new cabins to London Heathrow and New York, and they’ll soon also be flying them to Frankfurt.
To kick off this trip I flew ANA’s new business class, known as “The Room,” from New York to Tokyo Haneda.
Not to spoil anything, but move over Qatar Airways, because the Qsuite has officially been outdone!
In this post:
Booking My ANA Business Class Flight
All Nippon Airways is in the Star Alliance, so there are plenty of options for redeeming miles for them, assuming you can find award availability. Some of the best options for one-way business class tickets include the following:
- You can redeem 75,000 Air Canada Aeroplan miles, and you’ll pay mild carrier imposed surcharges
- You can redeem 75,000 Avianca LifeMiles
- You can redeem 80,000 United MileagePlus miles (if booking close to departure it will be more expensive)
The very best value for redeeming on All Nippon Airways is to book through Virgin Atlantic Flying Club, as you can redeem just 95,000 miles for a roundtrip business class ticket from New York to Tokyo. Unfortunately they don’t allow one-way awards, so in this case that wasn’t an option for me.
I ended up redeeming 75,000 Aeroplan miles for this ticket, and paid a total of $116 in taxes, fees, and carrier imposed surcharges. Aeroplan is transfer partner with Amex Membership Rewards and Capital One, and in this case I redeemed miles I already had in my Aeroplan account from a previous Amex transfer bonus.
ANA Business Class “The Room” Review
After spending most of the day at JFK Terminal 7, I couldn’t wait to get on my ANA flight. Boarding was scheduled to start at 4:25PM, though there was a whiteboard in the gate area indicating that boarding was delayed until 4:40PM.
ANA departure gate JFK
It always amazes me the extent to which Japanese airlines maintain their “culture” with boarding, even at outstations. That’s rarely the case with other airlines, but both ANA and JAL offer nearly identical boarding experiences at outstations as in Japan.
That’s to say that the ANA gate staff were probably the only friendly people working in all of Terminal 7. Furthermore, everyone working the gate area made a habit of checking their watch every 30 seconds, to make sure they don’t start boarding a minute too early, or a minute too late.
Boarding ended up starting at 4:40PM, with first class and ANA Mileage Club Diamond members being invited to board first, followed by business class.
ANA departure gate JFK
All Nippon Airways 109
New York (JFK) – Tokyo (HND)
Tuesday, January 7
Depart: 4:55PM
Arrive: 9:10PM (+1 day)
Duration: 14hr15min
Aircraft: Boeing 777-300ER
Seat: 15A (Business Class)
I remember the feeling I had when I flew Qatar Airways Qsuites for the first time, and how I was in disbelief upon boarding.
Well, it was like that all over again — I was gobsmacked when I walked into All Nippon Airways’ new business class cabin.
I had such a hard time believing these were business class seats, because to me this really looked like a cabin full of first class suites.
New ANA 777-300ER business class cabin
ANA’s new business class cabin is massive, with 64 seats:
- There’s a forward cabin, between doors one and two (immediately behind first class), with eight seats spread across two rows
- Then there’s a main cabin with with 40 seats spread across 10 rows
- Then there’s a rear cabin with 16 seats spread across four rows
Sitting in one of the mini cabins is probably ideal in terms of minimizing foot traffic, though I chose to sit in the main cabin, since I was curious to observe the service flow.
New ANA 777-300ER business class rear cabin
New ANA business class rear cabin 777-300ER
When I first saw the seats I had a few thoughts:
- Oh my gosh these seats are massive
- The seats as such kind of look about as thick as ironing boards
- Design wise, this looked to me like a cross between Qatar Airways Qsuites and Singapore Airlines’ “old” business class
- While not the most stylish cabin in the sky, I do think it’s significantly more stylish than ANA’s old cabin
Fundamentally ANA’s new business class seats are staggered, so in alternating rows passengers are either seated closer to the windows or closer to the aisle:
- In odd numbered rows (seats “A,” “E,” “F,” and “K”), seats are rear facing and are further from the aisle, and window seats are closer to the windows
- In even numbered rows (seats “C,” “D,” “G,” and “H”), seats are forward facing and are closer to the aisle, and window seats are further from the windows
Personally my strong preference would be to sit in a window seat in an odd numbered row.
For example, below is a picture of seat 16A, a forward facing seat that’s closer to the aisle and further from the windows. As you can see, the seat is still super spacious.
New ANA business class seat 777-300ER
New ANA business class seat 777-300ER
New ANA business class seat 777-300ER
However, I preferred my seat, 15A (in the second to last row of the main business class cabin), which was a rear facing seat closer to the windows. It was like my little cocoon… actually it wasn’t so little.
ANA “The Room” business class seat
As far as I’m concerned this is the best business class seat in the world. It has a lot in common with Qsuites — the seats have doors, half of the seats are rear facing, and the configuration is staggered.
But what really sets this apart, and what you can’t understate, is the sheer amount of space you have. The difference is noticeable.
I love the Qsuite, don’t get me wrong. But when I fly in that product I find myself constantly bumping my knees and elbows on things, because it is a bit tight. That’s the cost of adding privacy without increasing the footprint of a seat.
When I was in this seat the difference in personal space was noticeable, and I honestly felt more like I was in a first class suite than a business class seat.
ANA “The Room” business class seat
ANA “The Room” business class seat
The seat is just so brilliantly designed in almost every way. In front of the seat is a large high definition personal entertainment monitor.
ANA business class personal television
To the left of the seat is a compartment that opens, which has a literature pocket, a mirror, and a small pouch where you can store things. At the bottom of this are 110v and USB outlets.
They put some thought into the design, because the bottom of the cabinet has an area that “folds up,” so that you can charge things while the compartment is otherwise closed.
ANA business class storage compartment, mirror, and charging
Seat and entertainment controls are to the side of the seat, and are easy to use. There are seat pre-set options, and then there’s also a knob you can twist to recline your seat. The entertainment controller can be held in your hand, as it also has a cord.
ANA business class seat & entertainment controls
The tray table extends from in front of the seat, and is huge. It can also easily be moved around, so that you could even get up during the meal service, for example.
ANA business class tray table
Possibly most delightful is that the footwell is huge, so you won’t feel restricted when sleeping. You can also store some things underneath that footwell.
ANA business class footwell
On the far side of the seat is a USB outlet and a headphone jack.
ANA business class headphone jack & USB outlet
Then of course there’s the door, and I love the way it’s designed. First of all, doesn’t this look significantly larger than other business class seats with doors? I swear it looks like a first class suite.
ANA business class seat with door
There are two parts to the door:
- The door can be slid in or out from the “front” of the seat
- Then there’s a privacy partition at the “back” of the seat that that can be raised or lowered, and that becomes part of the door
There are two buttons to release the door components. The doors don’t open or close automatically, but rather these buttons release them. Then when you want to open them, you have to do so manually (and they’re quite heavy).
ANA business class door controls
ANA business class door controls
Oh, and perhaps the most exciting of all of this? ANA has finally installed individual air nozzles on their new 777s. YAY!!!
ANA business class individual air nozzles
As if the seat wasn’t delightful enough already, I also love the new classy window shades they have, which are electronically controlled. If you push once the shade is drawn, and if you push it again it goes to full blackout mode.
ANA business class window shades
The one thing the seat lacks is storage, though I don’t find that to be a huge issue. You can store stuff underneath the footwell, on the “counter,” and in the overhead bin. This doesn’t bother me because the airline has made such great strides when it comes to personal space in a staggered configuration, and to me that’s the biggest innovation.
Anyway, on to the soft product…
Waiting at my seat upon boarding was a pretty good pair of headphones.
ANA business class headphones
There were also slippers, a shoehorn, and a shoe bag.
ANA business class slippers
Then there was an amenity kit, which had a dental kit, eye mask, earplugs, and three types of lotion.
ANA business class amenity kit
There was also a significant amount of bedding at the seat, including two pillows, a blanket, and a mattress sheet (I wouldn’t really call it a “pad,” since it was really thin).
ANA business class pillows, blanket, and bedding
About five minutes after settling in Naito came by my seat to introduce herself, and tell me she’d be taking care of me. There wasn’t much service on the ground otherwise, and ANA doesn’t offer pre-departure drinks in business class.
Japanese airlines still have a weird culture around pre-departure drinks. Until a few years ago they didn’t serve them at all due to “safety” reasons. Even now they often don’t have them in business class, and in first class it’s not like Singapore Airlines, where they’ll top you off five times before takeoff.
In fairness, Japanese airlines board planes very efficiently, so it’s not like you’re sitting on the plane for an hour with the door open.
Anyway, at 5:05PM the main cabin door closed, and business class was mostly full, with just six empty seats (including the one right across from me).
ANA “The Room” business class seat
At 5:10PM we began our pushback, at which point the safety video was screened. Our taxi was quick (at least by JFK standards), and by 5:30PM we were cleared for takeoff on runway 13R, for our 13hr10min flight to Tokyo Haneda.
I find it odd that ANA doesn’t dim cabin lights during nighttime takeoffs, but rather they keep them at the brightest setting.
After takeoff we hit a bit chop, and the crew announced passengers should remain seated, and added “the turbulence does not impact the safety of the aircraft.” The seatbelt sign was turned off 10 minutes after takeoff.
Once the seatbelt sign was off, the crew closed curtains between cabins. Can we once again just appreciate how impressive-looking this cabin is?
Stunning ANA 777 business class cabin
After takeoff I still had a bit of work to do, so I powered up my laptop and connected to the Wi-Fi. ANA has made huge improvements in this regard. Their 777s used to have slow Wi-Fi where they charged based on data, while they now have high speed Wi-Fi with pricing based on time, rather than data.
All Nippon Airways Wi-Fi
There are three Wi-Fi pricing plans:
- $6.95 for 30 minutes
- $16.95 for three hours
- $21.95 for the full flight
All Nippon Airways Wi-Fi pricing
You could switch between devices, and the speeds were truly excellent. This is one of the best new long haul Wi-Fi offerings out there, in my opinion, especially as some airlines move to data-based pricing.
I then browsed the entertainment selection. On the plus side, the screen was high definition, and the interface easy to use and responsive.
All Nippon Airways entertainment selection
All Nippon Airways entertainment selection
Unfortunately the quality of the entertainment as such still isn’t great. The movie selection is alright, with several dozen movies, though the selection seemed quite arbitrary.
All Nippon Airways entertainment selection
All Nippon Airways entertainment selection
There are no US sitcoms, so TV show options are limited. On the plus side, ANA has hilarious videos about safety in Japan, which I’d highly recommend watching. They’re not meant to be funny, but they are.
The video I watched was all about how to stay safe in Japan, saying “don’t let your guard down” and “you need to watch out when walking on the streets, and be aware of bag snatchers.”
If there’s one place in the world you can travel where you can let your guard down when it comes to safety, it’s Japan. Obviously there are still some risks, but…
Personally I think videos explaining Japan’s high context culture would be a lot more valuable to visitors.
ANA business class entertainment selection
About 20 minutes after takeoff the crew served either champagne or orange juice in plastic(ish) cups. Essentially they do the typical pre-departure drink service post-departure instead. 😉
ANA business class after takeoff drink
Then 35 minutes after takeoff warm towels and menus were distributed.
ANA business class warm towel
On this flight dinner was served after takeoff, and then there was a pre-landing meal, in addition to an “anytime” dining menu. The dinner menu read as follows:
The drink list read as follows:
I was offered my first drink about 70 minutes after takeoff. I ordered a glass of champagne, and they were serving Duval-Leroy Brut Reserve. It’s nice that they pour your drinks at the seat.
ANA business class champagne
I was also offered an amuse bouche, consisting of a chickpea canapé, celeriac salad rolled with smoked duck, and a grape and cream cheese pistachio ball.
ANA business class champagne & amuse bouche
I decided to go with the western menu (don’t worry, on my subsequent ANA flight I’ll have the Japanese meal), and was served the starter about 90 minutes after takeoff. This included corn soup and smoked salmon rillettes with caprese with prosciutto.
ANA business class dinner — appetizer & soup
Nope, that’s not water I’m drinking, but rather I switched from champagne to the lovely Junmai Daiginjo Hakkaisan sake.
ANA business class sake
For the main course I ordered the roasted halibut and sautéed prawn with spinach puree and cream sauce, which was served about two hours after takeoff. This dish was excellent.
ANA business class dinner — main course
Dessert was served about 2hr20min after takeoff off a cart, with the choice of cheese, fruit, green tea pudding, or tiramisu. I had some cheese and green tea pudding.
ANA business class dinner — dessert
I found the presentation of the green tea pudding to be odd, as it was served in a plastic container, inside a bag. It was still good, though!
ANA business class dinner — green tea pudding
The crew finally ended up clearing trays about three hours after takeoff. Overall I thought the food quality was quite good, and the crew was friendly, though the service flow leaves a bit to be desired.
I think the problem is that ANA has massive business class cabins, and you notice that with the service flow, which is like an assembly line. Service isn’t personalized, you’re not really offered drink refills, and they clear your plates on their schedule, rather than your schedule.
The drawn out meal service didn’t bother me much given that this was such a long flight, though.
After the meal I checked out the lavatories, of which there are two between the middle and rear business class cabins. The bathrooms were quite nice, and even had bidets. They were also well maintained throughout the flight.
ANA business class lavatory 777
ANA business class bidet
There’s also a small snack bar between these cabins, and they had both additional amenities, as well as a small selection of packaged snacks.
ANA business class galley 777
ANA business class galley snacks
At this point I decided to make my bed. It doesn’t appear that they offer a turndown service in ANA business class (not proactively at least), and I also found it interesting that they didn’t mention the doors to passengers, but rather people were left to find out themselves.
I can’t overstate how huge this bed is.
ANA The Room business class bed
It’s not just the width towards the top of the bed, but what impressed me most was how wide the footwell is. I’m a side sleeper and I bend my knees, so in most business class products my knees are hitting a side of the seat.
This is the first staggered business class product I can think of where that wasn’t the case at all. I was in disbelief and was wondering if I was dreaming, or something, because I intentionally kept wiggling around to figure out how the heck I had so much space.
I will say that the bed is on the firm side, though not uncomfortably so, and I’m someone who is sensitive to that. However, if ANA really wants to take this product to the next level, it would be nice if they offered the option of a thicker mattress pad.
ANA The Room business class bed
Anyway, I closed my suite doors and tried to go to sleep. I’d note that there is a slight gap in the door, but it’s not like these doors give you full privacy anyway.
ANA The Room business class door
I went to sleep with about 9hr25min remaining to Tokyo.
Map enroute to Tokyo
Map enroute to Tokyo
I slept really well for nearly five hours, and woke up with about 4hr30min remaining to Tokyo, as we had just crossed the Bering Strait. For me that’s some good airplane sleep!
Map enroute to Tokyo
Map enroute to Tokyo
Upon waking up I ordered a coffee, which was served with a chocolate.
ANA business class coffee
I worked on my laptop for a bit, and then 2hr50min before arrival the crew turned on the cabin lights (though not to the brightest setting) in preparation for the pre-landing meal. Warm towels were distributed, and then about 20 minutes later orders were taken.
The pre-landing and anytime dining menu read as follows:
The international meal didn’t appeal to me, so I instead ordered two things from the “anytime” menu, including the udon noodles with mixed vegetables and shrimp tempura, and the grilled rice balls, which hit the spot.
ANA business class meal
To finish off the meal I was offered a fruit plate.
ANA business class meal
We began our descent about 30 minutes before landing, and about 20 minutes before landing the seatbelt sign was turned on. Around this point the crew passed through the cabin to distribute candy or other sweets.
ANA business class candy
We ended up touching down at Haneda Airport at 8:40PM, and from there had a 10 minute taxi to our arrival gate, allowing us to deplane about 20 minutes early.
ANA Business Class “The Room” Bottom Line
ANA hit it out of the park with their new business class. Simply amazing. They’ve created what’s the most spacious business class suite in the world, and I’m not exaggerating when I say that the seat really felt more like first class than business class.
And it’s not just that they did that, but they also improved on the other issues I’ve had with ANA in the past — they installed individual air nozzles, and they introduced fast and reasonably priced Wi-Fi with no data caps.
Best of all, they did all of this with very little hype. They announced the product just weeks before it entered service, rather than teasing it for years, like some other airlines do, only to introduce something mediocre (I won’t name and shame here). 😉
As far as the soft product goes, well, that’s a different story. I’d say the soft product is fairly good, but doesn’t match the hard product. The crew was friendly, but with the number of people in the cabin, it’s really not a very personalized service experience.
Other areas for improvement include a better entertainment selection and an option for a thicker mattress pad.
I’ve long said that business class is all about the seat, and if that’s the case, then ANA introduced the best business class in the world. But stay tuned, because soon I’ll share my thoughts on whether I’d rather fly The Room or Qsuites.
VERY well done, ANA!
Flew The Room LHR-HND July 2023.
The seat is incredible, exactly as Ben describes. Huge, spacy.
The soft product is totally different story. I had an Argentinian guy taking care of me and it was a Ryanair style. Really, Ive never had so bad experience in C, maybe with the exception of AA.
But not only the service, also the amenity kit is really poor, no hot towel, the food (bot western...
Flew The Room LHR-HND July 2023.
The seat is incredible, exactly as Ben describes. Huge, spacy.
The soft product is totally different story. I had an Argentinian guy taking care of me and it was a Ryanair style. Really, Ive never had so bad experience in C, maybe with the exception of AA.
But not only the service, also the amenity kit is really poor, no hot towel, the food (bot western and japanese) was average to poor. Pyjamas are available, but only on request and it is not mentioned anywhere.
Good wifi though.
All in all - superb hard product on par with F in many airlines, but only *** soft product.
The connecting flight HND-SYD in 787 was a great staff, the rest the same.
04-14-2023 just flew the Room bus class from SFO to Haneda leaving at 1:45am. No dinner service only light menu. No turn down no pajama. Hard product amazing but soft products is not even as good as China Airlines. Disappointed
ANA has two outbound spots in London from Heathrow (LHR) and London City Airport (LCY)
umm you mean London Gatwick (LGW) because I believe that 777 can't fly to LCY
The flat bed looks amazing and it covers the whole of the floor, thus giving you more room. It is a ODD that the lights do Not dim during a night take off, this is safety measure that should be followed!
Hey Ben! Traveling as a couple, would you recommend the two center seats? Wondering if that would be a better option than two windows or a window + center. Thanks in advance for your answer!
No pajamas in Business class?
if thats business class wtf is first?
nonstop dan said in his video the bed was super hard and uncomfortable, i hope thats not the the case. otherwise cant wait for these to roll out at LAX!!!!
Wow. I can't imagine what business class will look like in ten years or more.
Do Virgin miles awards on ANA count as 'ANA' or 'Star Alliance' - on the ANA website there seem to be quite strict differences in how The Room can be booked on certain days. e.g. July LHR > HND can only be booked if under an 'ANA' award, not *A. So given Virgin is neither, I wondered how to use ANA's availability as a guide
Excellent review! This has quite a resemblance with A350-1000 Qsuites.
But the 71" seat length is little short for me, that's where 81" Qsuites might be better for taller travelers? Just a thought.
Still, I'd have to try this new business class while flying to BOM, although my favorite has been Qsuites all these years. A healthy competition is always good!
The seat is huge, but looks very upright and flat. I am sure being flat would be great for sleeping, but when seated I would imagine you wouldn't feel that well supported. And is that an edible spoon I saw?
Ben, do you find the seat back a bit too steep and hard? In similar product, I have this issue with SQ's.
That ledge could potentially have housed a storage compartment although they probably didn't as there's most likely a lot of wiring in there so they didn't have the space.
I also know the Singapore first class drinks problem. I flew them once and I don't remember all of it because I was so drunk after about 3 hours that I think I just fell asleep as soon as the meal service had been cleared. I...
That ledge could potentially have housed a storage compartment although they probably didn't as there's most likely a lot of wiring in there so they didn't have the space.
I also know the Singapore first class drinks problem. I flew them once and I don't remember all of it because I was so drunk after about 3 hours that I think I just fell asleep as soon as the meal service had been cleared. I was so hungover when I arrived in London that the immigration officer said, quote you look f*****g horrendous
As a JAL flyer, must say I’m tempted, badly.
@Thirsty Go
Interesting comments, did the seat have sufficient length for you in full sleep mode?
I'm 3 inches taller.
What I find surprising is that many people complain that there are not enough reviews on this blog. I don't know if number of comments is an indication of the number of people engaging about a post, but reviews do not get as many comments as other topics, such as the most recent Ukrainian plane crash or the American Airlines downgrade that Ben posted about.
Ben, I’m surprised with what you have mentioned about the pre departure drink service not being done on ANA. I flew YVR-HND recently and I was served a beverage before take off. Is the nixing of pre dep drinks recent of restricted to certain routes?
No review/comments on how good looking the crew were?
I'm surprised they have partnered with Ippudo on the ramen, as it's one of the wrist chains in Japan imho. Ichiran is miles better.
Also, Japanese seem to like rock hard beds, maybe it had something to do with them sleeping on the floor (tatami)? I like a nice firm bed, but at times, is impossible to get s good night's sleep in Japan, because the beds are so hard.
"But stay tuned, because soon I’ll share my thoughts on whether I’d rather fly The Room or Qsuites."
Why do I get the feeling you will end up choosing the Qsuites, even though the The Room is a better suite...
While I loved having such a suite in business class, the hard bed and the poor IFE (very limited choices and what is offered is of low quality) made a long flight feel that much longer.
Thank you Ben for a great review! Question: the "thin pad" for sleeping, how thin is it? Is it thinner than the CX Biz class pad that you just flown recently? This seat definitely looked much better than SQ's biz class seats.
The shade is great if it works. I flew Emirates' First Class on A380, and one of the shade wasn't working. The FA tried to fix it but failed, so I basically had the entire flight in daylight. Trust me, that was not fun!
@UA-NYC:
Honestly, having just flown Polaris and ANA's old 777 business class back to back roundtrip, I would take the Polaris seat over the old ANA business seat. The angled entrance makes the window/honeymoon seats feel much more private and the seats are softer. The bedding is also better. I think the real issue though is that the ANA seats are just getting worn out on many aircraft, and the color palette hasn't aged...
@UA-NYC:
Honestly, having just flown Polaris and ANA's old 777 business class back to back roundtrip, I would take the Polaris seat over the old ANA business seat. The angled entrance makes the window/honeymoon seats feel much more private and the seats are softer. The bedding is also better. I think the real issue though is that the ANA seats are just getting worn out on many aircraft, and the color palette hasn't aged too well.
It's by no means competitive with Qsuites or the new Delta cabins, but in a vacuum I'd take Polaris over the old ANA biz, though ANA has a better soft product (except their IFE offerings).
Always appreciate different opinions. I have never flown Qsuites, but I was underwhelmed with the Room on the same route last month.
The seat was noticably lower to the floor than any other Y,J, F seat out there. Being 6'3, it was uncomfortable.
The seat is as flat as can be, with zero support anywhere. It felt like, and almost looked like, a bench seat on a yellow school bus.
Pillows were great,...
Always appreciate different opinions. I have never flown Qsuites, but I was underwhelmed with the Room on the same route last month.
The seat was noticably lower to the floor than any other Y,J, F seat out there. Being 6'3, it was uncomfortable.
The seat is as flat as can be, with zero support anywhere. It felt like, and almost looked like, a bench seat on a yellow school bus.
Pillows were great, but the pad and duvet lacks. No armrest, and while you can 'create' one with pillows, it's not the same.
My dinner service was over 4 hours, and they wake you up 3 hours before landing. Both were with full blast lighting. No personalization at all, and the service was same as Eco class. (they have good service in the back!)
Yes there is a lot of room, but sometimes having a suite at a Hyatt Regency, is not as good as a standard room at the Mandarin Oriental.
Except for immediately during boarding, I have never felt the wow factor disappear so quickly in all my travels. In fact, it made me upset because they missed a golden opportunity, the lighting is obnoxious, and the food was average (I'm sure as Ben had, there are always exceptions, heck- even UA and AA can have the odd perfect main dish.
If JAL had air nozzles and kept it cooler, they win hands down. However, with JAL being too hot, and ANA uncomfortable, I'd wouldn't choose either. It's unfortunate, because the attention to detail on JAL is impressive, and similarly on intra Asia ANA flights. I prefer CX or EVA by a lot.
@Ben
Yoiu are the first I have heard that finds the footwell deep enough to not sleep at an angle. You must curl up quite a bit, though the seat does allow for that. Even average height people normally complain that they have to sleep at an angle to fit fully.
Can the HDMI evangelists explain why they find it so useful on a plane? I can play videos via USB from a phone or tablet much more easily (the quality isn't quite AS exquisite, but it’s still great.) Or are you using the aircraft TV as a computer screen while you type on your laptop? Unless you’re a hardcore gamer or a video editor, I don’t see why that’s such a game changer. Sell it to us?
And United has...Polaris. Already looks and feels dated and it's only 1/2 rolled out.
The catering doesn't look as good as that of JL J. A little disappointing- thought ANA would improve F&B while also improving the hardware.
Ooops, I meant pre departure drinks !!
Not sure what happened to others in ANA.... I recently flew ORD-HND, then two segments to BKK, and NRT-IAD. These were on 777 and 787, with the old style seats.
The service, on all four flights was personable, friendly and attentive. There were pre-departure meals. I only had the Japanese meals on all four flights, which were excellent. I never had any language issues, and could always communicate regarding any service items. On two of...
Not sure what happened to others in ANA.... I recently flew ORD-HND, then two segments to BKK, and NRT-IAD. These were on 777 and 787, with the old style seats.
The service, on all four flights was personable, friendly and attentive. There were pre-departure meals. I only had the Japanese meals on all four flights, which were excellent. I never had any language issues, and could always communicate regarding any service items. On two of the flights the FAs were especially friendly and conversant. After having flown 3 million miles on United, it was refreshing to be appreciated and everyone seem to enjoy themselves. The boarding process was amazing , organized, polite and not the mad dash of most US departures.
OK, so only ONE gripe, which apparently they will be fixing. Almost all Asian airlines are stifling overheated, and hot, to the point of being very uncomfortable. I almost wanted to take off my shirt while sleeping just to cool down. A welcome addition to install air vents on the 777. Hopefully, over time, they will cycle in air vents on all aircraft, as they are replaced.
Bravo to ANA, can't wait to fly the new cabins.... Also, I will be moving towards more international travel, and will attempt to go through Japan as much as I can, just to escape UAL.
Wow this is a huge upgrade! We just flew ANA biz this past July. I am definitely interested in re-booking with the upgraded seats.
Availability for Virgin Atlantic award space has been non existent. Great to see this new offering but pretty much impossible to book
@ Rich C -- I'm sure it will return to normal soon, but I think the lack of availability is expected given the upcoming Olympics in Tokyo.
Do you have to sleep on the diagonal like in SQ biz? impressive square footage but looks very office-like...
@ Grenn -- Nope, you don't! So you get all that extra width, but you don't have to sleep diagonally.
@Ben
You are not bothered by the fact that one has to sleep at an angle? This always seem to be an issue for you on SQ. Here is it is completely passed over. Or that the seat belt is in the middle of the seat and can be a bit annoying when sleeping at an angle.
@ Jesper -- Unlike on Singapore you don't need to sleep at an angle. The footwell is deep enough that you can sleep "straight" if you want, and you'll just have a lot of extra space on the side.
"If there’s one place in the world you can travel where you can let your guard down when it comes to safety, it’s Japan. Obviously there are still some risks, but…" - Actually its that type of naive thinking that results in people becoming victims of crimes. Tourists who let their guard down are routinely drugged and robbed in places like Roppongi and kabukicho. You might also be interested in knowing that 95% of rapes...
"If there’s one place in the world you can travel where you can let your guard down when it comes to safety, it’s Japan. Obviously there are still some risks, but…" - Actually its that type of naive thinking that results in people becoming victims of crimes. Tourists who let their guard down are routinely drugged and robbed in places like Roppongi and kabukicho. You might also be interested in knowing that 95% of rapes in Japan go unreported and when it is reported the experiences of the survivors of sexual assault with the criminal justice system are often horrific. There is a reason why they have woman only cars on the subway. Its absolutely terrible advice to suggest that somebody should ever let their guard down in a foreign country. Many foreigners have experienced that the police are less interested in solving cases involving foreigner victims. I'm not saying Japan is the most dangerous place in the world (its quite safe compared to many places in the world) and they have indeed been taking steps to fix some of the issues with their system but when people let their guard down that is when they become victims.
Carlos Ghosn is my hero!
Missed this by a few months
What about for couples?
Where would you sit?
@ Michael -- For couples the center seats in the odd numbered rows are ideal. You don't get a "double" bed, but you can lower the divider so that you can sit right next to the person you're traveling with.
Have to echo the sentiment of others: the HDMI ports may seem like an afterthought but are game changers. As someone who typically works on 2-3 monitors at the office, this would help keep my productivity at a high level.
It also helps with the issue of ANA having a lackluster entertainment selection. Just plug your device in and boom, access to all your favorites on the large 4K screen in front of you. Shame it wasn’t working on your flight.
Carlos Ghosn welcoming you to ana WiFi? Hilarious!
While they offer a good selection of wines, why they limit to mass produced beers? I don't understand why many non North American carriers don't carry craft beers: they aren't much more expensive than mass produced beers.
When will this cabin be available to SFO? Probably not in time for my May trip.
@ Rico -- SFO hasn't yet been announced as a destination, though I'm sure it will be on the route eventually. We just don't have a timeline yet.
I just checked out the first class menu for this month and they have a couple of really interesting sakes. Again, from Noguchi Naohiko the have the Junmai Daiginjo Yamada Nishiki Muroka Genshu which is really special (and bloody expensive). Try this but also call up a drop of the business class one because it would make a good comparison.
There’s also a kijoushu which is a rare and unusual form of sweet sake...
I just checked out the first class menu for this month and they have a couple of really interesting sakes. Again, from Noguchi Naohiko the have the Junmai Daiginjo Yamada Nishiki Muroka Genshu which is really special (and bloody expensive). Try this but also call up a drop of the business class one because it would make a good comparison.
There’s also a kijoushu which is a rare and unusual form of sweet sake that is brewed using a method that is analogous to the solera method for making sherry. Would be lovely with dessert.
I’m very jealous and now I have a reason for switching my allegiance from JAL to ANA.
I don’t have any good photos of the brewery, I screwed up there, howeveR here is a very reverent photo of some Noguchi Naohiko Miyamanishinki muroka namagenshu in our hotel room in Kyoto after visiting the brewery.
https://www.instagram.com/p/B22hMdsAZka/?igshid=1bftpxuuu2b73
Wow, serving Noguchi Naohiko in business class is pretty amazing. That is one of the newest, most exciting (also most hyped), but also best Sake breweries in japan. Noguchi-san is head of the Noto toji guild and almost unique amongst master brewers does not drink alcohol, he’s almost a Beethoven if brewing.
I was lucky enough to visit his brewery outside Komatsu this summer, truly a magical little place and the tasting room is...
Wow, serving Noguchi Naohiko in business class is pretty amazing. That is one of the newest, most exciting (also most hyped), but also best Sake breweries in japan. Noguchi-san is head of the Noto toji guild and almost unique amongst master brewers does not drink alcohol, he’s almost a Beethoven if brewing.
I was lucky enough to visit his brewery outside Komatsu this summer, truly a magical little place and the tasting room is a thing of pure beauty, model on a traditional tea house but ultra modern in style with a vista over the rice fields.
Lucky, the Hakkaisan is acceptable but it pales in comparison to the Noguchi Naohiko. If you haven’t already taken your next ANA flight drink this sake on the plane, even if you have to call it up from business class.
I find it’s really rare in for a drink on a plane to be special and interesting like that.
Nice seats! The champagne is middling but I would drink it anyway. But that St Michelle chardonnay is trash, yuck!
I didn't realize that it wasn't standard to receive a PDB on Japanese airlines. I definitely got one flying KUL-NRT in NH regional business on the 787.
I recently had a chance to test out this product also. One thing I noticed is that the seat is very low. That's not a bad thing; I actually thought it was very comfortable. When the seat is in the dining position it is at its highest height and the back of the seat is almost 90 degrees upright.
I sat in 5A and my only issue was that after the main meal service, I...
I recently had a chance to test out this product also. One thing I noticed is that the seat is very low. That's not a bad thing; I actually thought it was very comfortable. When the seat is in the dining position it is at its highest height and the back of the seat is almost 90 degrees upright.
I sat in 5A and my only issue was that after the main meal service, I had trouble sleeping because the FA's would sort out the plates and utensils in the galley area between rows 6 and 7. My flight was NH110 and it seemed like a lot of people must have been awake during the flight and ordering food because the sound of the plates being stacked and utensils being sorted seemed to go on for a long time and seemed louder than usual. I usually always sit in the mini business cabin and usually galley noise is not an issue so I don't know if this was just an isolated incident or something with the new seats.
Looks fabulous.
Johnnie Blue in biz class. Wow.
Great review, and it looks like a solid product.
That said, I wonder about this one line:
"Sitting in one of the mini cabins is probably ideal in terms of minimizing foot traffic and privacy, though I chose to sit in the main cabin, since I was curious to observe the service flow."
I can see why you would want to minimize foot traffic, but I can't see why you would also want to minimize...
Great review, and it looks like a solid product.
That said, I wonder about this one line:
"Sitting in one of the mini cabins is probably ideal in terms of minimizing foot traffic and privacy, though I chose to sit in the main cabin, since I was curious to observe the service flow."
I can see why you would want to minimize foot traffic, but I can't see why you would also want to minimize privacy. Maybe you meant to say "minimizing foot traffic and maximizing privacy"?
Great review as always. Did you notice the photo of Carlos Ghosn in the photo of the WiFi screen? Strange but quite topical!
Hope this comes to IAD soon.
NH's current business class product doesn't have any storage either, so it's too bad they didn't improve that
Waiting for this product to roll out on the LAX-NRT/HND flights!! Looks like it’s such a big improvement on the old J.
Can we Expect a late 2020 LAX route roll out? Superrrrr excited!
Waiting for this product to roll out on the LAX-NRT/HND flights!! Looks like it’s such a big improvement on the old J. Can we a late 2020 LAX route roll out?
Fantastic review! Looks like a spectacular product. Regarding the bed: How long would you say the bed was?
@The nice Paul - I really didn't see this as an issue. I'll take having armrests being too far apart due to seat being very wide over a cramped space any day. There are two pillows and a blanket waiting for you on your seat that in any other case you'd put in the overhead bin but because the seat is so wide you can just leave them there and use them as an armrest....
@The nice Paul - I really didn't see this as an issue. I'll take having armrests being too far apart due to seat being very wide over a cramped space any day. There are two pillows and a blanket waiting for you on your seat that in any other case you'd put in the overhead bin but because the seat is so wide you can just leave them there and use them as an armrest. Worse case if enough people complain ANA can always offer a rectangular hard pillow similar to what SQ used to offer with their A345 J seats.
I don't know why most reviewers fail to mention the HDMI ports on this product and qsuites - the most useful feature for a business traveller. Having a second screen increases the productivity significantly, and could be the sole reason for choosing this over JAL.
@ Eugene
Thanks — that’s helpful (and not brilliant in what looks otherwise like a great new seat).
@ Ben -- Thanks for the review. We look forward to giving this product a try when First awards aren't available!
Lucky, no note on the HDMI port? The 24" and 42" displays in the J and F cabins are 4K resolution and being able to watch whatever content I want off my phone, tablet, laptop, etc, at high resolution is a huge win. I don't even care about the IFE on these planes.
@ Brandon -- Now that you bring it up, there was a specific announcement that the HDMI ports weren't working, so can't chime in on that. That's an awesome feature otherwise.
I sat in 13K which was an odd numbered row rear facing window seat.
"In odd numbered rows (seats “C,” “D,” “G,” and “H”), seats are rear facing and are further from the aisle, and window seats are closer to the windows
In even numbered rows (seats “A,” “E,” “F,” and “K”), seats are forward facing and are closer to the aisle, and window seats are further from the windows"
For those asking about...
I sat in 13K which was an odd numbered row rear facing window seat.
"In odd numbered rows (seats “C,” “D,” “G,” and “H”), seats are rear facing and are further from the aisle, and window seats are closer to the windows
In even numbered rows (seats “A,” “E,” “F,” and “K”), seats are forward facing and are closer to the aisle, and window seats are further from the windows"
For those asking about armrests, yes they are there and you can see them in the pictures. Take a closer look. The seats are too wide for you to be able to use both armrests, if you really need a second armrest in that case you can use the pillows.
Wonder if being left of right handed might come into the seat selection given there is only an arm-rest on one side.
Must admit - LOVE the look of this setup!
Ben, this may seem like a silly question all things considered, but was the lack of an arm rest on one side uncomfortable at all? It seems like an incredible seat, but this is something that has stuck out to me, for if you are working or lounging.
@ GuruJanitor -- Not a silly question at all! It didn't bother me one bit, and that may be in part because there were two pillows at the seat, so I could just put those next to me, and they acted as nice armrest substitutes.
It looks great, especially as a bed.
But ... what about armrests? I don’t see any, and they’re not mentioned in the review?
I also found the service of ANA to have somewhat decreased over the years? I flew ANA F from IAD in the old product last year and they didn't even pour all the drinks at your seat. The flight attendants did not speak English well enough to explain the drinks. There wasn't something extra special like in JAL F where they would check and make sure the bathroom is clean before you used it, personal...
I also found the service of ANA to have somewhat decreased over the years? I flew ANA F from IAD in the old product last year and they didn't even pour all the drinks at your seat. The flight attendants did not speak English well enough to explain the drinks. There wasn't something extra special like in JAL F where they would check and make sure the bathroom is clean before you used it, personal note, etc. For F it was a bit underwhelming. These seats look as good as F, width-wise. I probably would pick this over many other F products like AA Flagship F.
Looks very spacious and stylish! Thanks for yet another great review. Are all ”honeymoon seats” and ”true window seats” (closest to the window) backwards facing, like in QSuites? That bugs me.
I am truly impressed! I usually fly Qatar to Tokyo because of their QSuites, but I'm going to look into this option as soon as they offer this to Frankfurt.
Amazing.. patiently waiting for these to hit the west coast... obviously have not flown these yet, but agree looks like the qsuite may be #2. Although the color pattern of the qsuites are much more appealing imo. But I rather have room and service over color of seats and cabin.
Great review
the food looks on point! that door will always bother me though...