ANA All Nippon Airways

My partner and I purchased a very attractive ANA promotional fare for a flight to Tokyo Haneda from Sydney. We left in December and were fairly impressed with the evening flight to Haneda. However, there was no business class dessert. It was only a 21:30 departure. The IFE was good, the live broadcast of NHK was unavailable in some areas, screen was a great size and the noise cancelling headphones in Premium Economy were fantastic. We were expecting much the same on our return last week. The flight left Haneda just after 22:00, and relatively soon into the flight, the trolley came up the aisle. Assuming it was just pre-dinner drinks, I was ready to put in my request, but everyone was being given sandwiches, with a drink of their choice. I have flown other airlines at night and been served a meal, not just sandwiches. I was able to request a cup of noodles, but that was pretty much it. The hot meal of the flight was the breakfast, an omelette. So on this leg, there were neither offers of champagne and business class wines or business class dessert. On both sectors, the cabin crew seemed to make themselves relatively scarce. I don't know how many other airlines allow their Premium Economy passengers access to the Lounge, but it would seem that ANA want their Premium Economy passengers to fill up in the lounge, rather than serve meals inflight. In retrospect, ANA perhaps believe that for heatlth reasons a light meal is better after 2200 in the evening, but I would rather a choice be offered than to have a decision made by the airline. The benefits I can see in flying Premium Economy with ANA is that you have lounge access with free food and beverages, the IFE has a larger screen. ANA are not a bad airline by any stretch, but depending what time your flight leaves, Premium Economy is a bit of a take. We left the flight in Sydney safe and sound, but also with a sense of being underwhelmed and disappointed.

Bought a ticket from LAX to Tokyo Haneda with ANA, with a United Express segment from LAX to Vancouver. The United flight got delayed and we almost missed the ANA flight from Vancouver to Haneda. United staff told us we needed to go through Canadian immigration and that we were going to miss the ANA flight - but ANA said no, and sent ground staff to United's arrival gate to lead us straight to the ANA boarding gate. We got on just in time and departed without delay. The food and service onboard are top tier as expected from ANA. The airline is a heavy-weight champion in airline industry.

New York to Nagoya with ANA. Exceptional service and incredibly clean planes every time I've flown ANA. I love the food compared to most airlines, and the complimentary ice cream is a nice touch. Air feels cleaner on the planes as well. Leg room is excellent in my experience despite thinking it wouldn't be. I thoroughly enjoy flying ANA and wish USA carriers took some hints from them.

Dedicated check in area at Itami Airport for international connected flights. Very generous baggage allowance of 2x23kg! First flight was punctual and good. Aircraft interior new and clean, with helpful cabin attendants. Nearly all passengers were foreigners for onward connections from Tokyo Narita, therefore English announcements were made in the first flight. Transit in Narita was chaotic. Immigration queues not organised and not enough for the large number of transit passengers. Second flight was operated by Air Japan. Clean interior with new entertainment system monitors. This Boeing 767 was equipped with a stable Wifi and speed was fast. Food was disappointing given it's an ANA group flight, Japanese riceballs were offered as dinner. The flights were booked in Y and B class due to an extended stay in Japan, so it's not that good value for money.

Hong Kong to Kansai with ANA. Very generous luggage allowance of 2x23kg even for economy passengers. Very organised check in area with polite staff. Punctual and efficient boarding. Aircraft was a bit old but everything works and was clean. Entertainment screen resolution was a bit low for a mid-haul flight. Very good service offered on board, with cabin attendants offering more beer/beverages even for the snack before main meal. Main meal was superb, and absolutely delicious. Only bad thing is that immigration in Kansai takes ages to get through.

This Osaka Itami to Matsuyama journey with ANA was bought with the foreigners special fare, which costs 10,000 yen per domestic flight. Part of the ticket regulations, check in must be done at counter where your foreign passport (and maybe also international ticket to/from Japan) is checked. Long queue for bag drop but efficient service. Punctual flight with plenty of empty seats. Seats were comfortable with very spacious legroom. Only Japanese announcements were made however, including safety demonstration. Tea/coffee was offered mid-flight. Very efficient baggage reclaim at Matsuyama Airport. Great value for money.

Flight was 11.5 hours across north Pacific Ocean from Seattle to Tokyo Narita. Check-in was efficient and fast. ANA shares lounge with several other airlines at Seattle airport. Lounge was crowded. Lounge service good, food and beverage selection ok. The 787 business class cubicles offer good privacy. The IFE screen very large. IFE offerings great. Cabin crew efficient, friendly, proficientIin English. Toilet kept clean and supplied. Food and beverages excellent. The Japanese meal excellent. Wine selection very good. I appreciated the variety of snacks available between meals. Baggage claim was fine. Overall, a relaxing flight. The 787 is exceptional. I fly it several times a year. Air quality and lighting the best. Never have headaches or feel dehydrated after trans- Pacific flights.

I usually use Emirates or Korean Air for my annual commuting to Jakarta, and I didn't expect more from ANA. My trip from New York JFK to Jakarta via Tokyo Narita on ANA was above average service. The cabin crew was assertive and helpful, IFE has a wide variety of music and movies that was more than enough for me, and a touch of Japanese food (I tried their Japanese set menu which was incredible). Definitely will fly ANA again.

Tokyo Haneda to Ishigak. ANA seem to board flights much closer to departure than some European carriers. I got to the gate early, but I had to wait my turn behind special assistance pax. Boarding was very unusual: pax in seats A to E were told to board through door 2, those on the starboard side through door 1. Many got it wrong! Pushback saw the ramp handling crew bow their heads and wave to the plane; one of the many sweet idiosyncrasies of Japan. Lunch was very Japanese, but nothing to scare westerners. Champagne was available, rather than the advertised Cava. 3 hour flight was a joy, this aircraft keeps you feeling well and comfortable with its higher pressure and humidity. WiFi not available on domestic flights - the aircraft has the hardware?

Flew NRT to HKG. Boarding was delayed due to an equipment issue, after a short while they decided to switch to another aircraft, and the total delay ended up being 1.5 hours. Aircraft felt old, but onboard service was good, meal quality was acceptable but apparently was inferior compared to ANA's longer haul service. Good selection of beverages, including premium Japanese shochu. Have to commend ANA's service, as staff from ground crew to cabin attendants were apologetic about the delay - cabin crew approached passengers on board who missed their connecting flights with apologies. Situation was not in their control and nothing they could do, but at least they showed they cared.