Japan has two major airlines, both of which are incredible. Is one airline materially better than the other? Well, my opinion on this is starting to evolve a bit.
Both ANA and JAL are fantastic airlines
Japan’s two global airline players are All Nippon Airways (ANA), which is a Star Alliance member, and Japan Airlines (JAL), which is a oneworld member. These are both excellent airlines, for a variety of reasons.
Part of the reason both airlines are so high quality is cultural. Japan simply operates on a different level when it comes to the quality of service, and the pride that’s put into offering a great experience. Even at a convenience store in Japan, you’re going to be treated with respect. The same is true when it comes to reliability, which is an important aspect of airline operations.
So when you look at the global aviation landscape, there’s no denying that the Japanese-ness of both airlines is a major factor.
However, beyond that I think the two airlines are high quality because they have one another to compete with. There’s something to be said for the power of two pretty comparable rivals, and how that encourages airlines to be the best versions of themselves. Okay, maybe that’s not always the case in the US, but it often is in other markets.
Historically when I’ve ranked the two airlines, I’ve given ANA the edge over JAL, and have found the airline to be ever-so-slightly higher quality. However, I’ve often said that it’s basically a coin toss.
Well, my thinking on this has evolved a bit, and I now actually do have a preference as to which airline I prefer. To be clear, I’m not saying anyone should care about my opinion here, and for that matter, I’d love to hear what preference OMAAT readers have.
Here’s why I now prefer JAL to ANA
I don’t want to suggest that JAL is better than ANA in every way, because that’s not the case. However, I do believe that the airline now has the edge. Both airlines are fantastic in terms of service, food, drinks, etc. It’s the fleet and lounges that differentiate the carriers a bit, if you ask me.
When it comes to premium cabins in the international fleet, ANA’s flagship aircraft is the Boeing 777-300ER, which has the carrier’s amazing “The Suite” first class and “The Room” business class. These are really great products.
However, I have to say that I think JAL’s Airbus A350-1000 is a bit swankier. JAL’s new A350 first class has the edge, and I’d say the carrier’s A350 business class is roughly comparable to ANA’s business class. What’s different is that the A350 is a much more enjoyable plane to fly, and that JAL has better tech, due to having more modern cabins.
Now, let me acknowledge the reason for this uneven fleet renewal. JAL is replacing its 777-300ERs with A350-1000s, while ANA plans to replace its 777-300ERs with 777-9s. Those have been delayed by at least six years, from 2020 to at least 2026. That’s obviously challenging, and several years down the road, this could be a very different story.
Even in economy, I’d say there are significant advantages to JAL over ANA, when looking at the international fleet. JAL’s A350-1000s have nine seats per row, while ANA’s 777-300ERs have 10 seats per row. Meanwhile looking at international 787s, JAL has eight seats per row, while ANA has nine seats per row.
I’d also argue that JAL’s domestic fleet is superior to ANA’s domestic fleet. JAL has Airbus A350-900s in a three-cabin layout, with a really beautiful first class, plus a spacious Class J (essentially premium economy). Meanwhile ANA has Boeing 787-8s and Boeing 787-10s, which are in a two-cabin layout, and aren’t quite as snazzy.
In my opinion the overall lounge and elite status situation is better with JAL than ANA. The oneworld alliance has oneworld Sapphire and oneworld Emerald. Top tier members get access to first class lounges, which are excellent. Getting that perk while flying in another cabin is awesome.
Meanwhile there’s not much incremental benefit to having Star Alliance Gold status with ANA, compared to just flying business class. For that matter, I find JAL’s first class and business class lounges to be better than ANA’s comparable lounges, especially at the Tokyo Haneda hub.
Let me acknowledge that there are some advantages to ANA as well — some may prefer the carrier’s 787 business class to JAL’s, and there are some minor elements of the first class soft product that some may prefer on ANA vs. JAL.
However, personally if I could only pick one Japanese airline to fly, I’d be on #TeamJAL, at least as of now. Of course that could change again in the future.
Bottom line
Japan has two excellent global airlines, and I’m delighted every time I get to fly with either of them. They’re both excellent, and historically I’ve thought that ANA had the edge. However, JAL’s international fleet of A350-1000s, and domestic fleet of A350-900s, has really given the airline an advantage, in my opinion.
Of course the beautiful thing is that we don’t actually have to decide between the two airlines, and it’s an absolute pleasure to fly them both. But still, JAL has really grown on me in recent times.
I’m curious if I’m alone on this, or where others stand — do you prefer ANA or JAL, and why?
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