All Nippon Airways

I decided to take ANA this year after a disappointing trip on JAL last year.
I was not disappointed! It was sooo much better in terms of service and of course the FOOD.
We had a choice of international or Japanese food. On my return flight on JAL we had only one choice-​a ham and cheese sandwich. Of course that did it for me. No more JAL :O)

Flew into SFO on ANA on Friday, April 15^th. Our flight from NRT was scheduled to land at 10:35am, but we actually touched down around 10:10am.
I flew United to Japan, but flying ANA back was so much better. The economy /​coach seats were softer and more comfy. We got our own TVs with on demand movies, games, etc. I even got to play Tetris with the roommate’s brother. I suck and completely lost all games, but that’s another story. All personal entertainment centers came with a USB port for charging.
I slept more on this flight, so I was only awake for a snack and a meal. The food was standard as was the alcohol selection. Complimentary wine and beer. The snack was a small bag of rice crackers which I paired with white wine. For the meal offered, you got a choice of something Asian style or American style. I opted for the American dinner which was an Italian style hamburger steak. Came with a small salad, something that resembled potato salad and some type of noodle side. We got Haagen-​Dazs vanilla ice cream for dessert.
I don’t know why, but I definitely enjoy flying airlines based in other countries. If priced the same, I’d pick ANA over United any time. Their planes seem more up to date and the service always feels a little better. Now if only I could get into Business or First Class somehow. One of these days, it’ll happen!

This review is for my economy class flight to Tokyo on ANA’s Boeing 777−300ER. On this version of ANA’s Boeing 777−300ER (version 4 on Seat Guru), there are two economy class cabins in a higher-​density 3 X 4 X 3 layout. The forward economy class cabin is smaller and more private with only 6 rows of seats whereas the rear cabin is much larger with 13 rows of seats. All economy class seats are 17″ wide and have 31 inches of pitch. It’s a tight squeeze. And keep in mind, bulkhead and emergency exit row seats will have their IFE monitor and tray tables located within the fixed armrests so seat width in those rows will be further reduced slightly.
My personal opinion is the seats in the forward mini-​cabin are more ideal than the larger, more crowded rear cabin. However, if you are traveling with another person, try to get the seats on the left or right sides of rows 39 or 40. They are in sets of two and offer more space in between the window seat and the wall.
Waiting at my seat was a pillow, day blanket and set of plastic headphones. Storage-​wise, you can store you items in the large overhead bins or under the seat in front of you and your electronic devices such as iPads and laptops can be stored in the seatback pocket. In addition to the main seatback pocket, there is a secondary mesh seatback pocket for items like your wallet, glasses and cell phone. I like the mesh pocket as you can see what’s in them reducing the chances that you will leave your valuables behind.
Each economy class seat is equipped with a personal entertainment system with audio/​video, on demand entertainment, a foot rest, coat hook, USB port, universal electrical outlet (located under the seat) and personal reading lamp.
The HD in-​flight entertainment monitor is clear and crisp but the entertainment selection itself was very weak. For their «new releases», there was only a selection of about 8 new movies including titles such as Jurassic Park, Minions, Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation and Train Wreck. As for their «Hollywood Hits» section, add on a handful of movies such as the other Mission Impossible movies, Edward Scissor Hands and Minority Report.
If movies aren’t your thing, there are audio channels, video games, a moving map, forward facing camera and seat-​to-​seat chat functions to keep you entertained. Lucky for me, I haven’t seen any movies lately so I was able to keep myself entertained with the mediocre selection of movie titles.
Lunch service started with drinks and a package of rice crackers. Alcoholic drinks (beer, wine and spirits) were complimentary but it was a very limited selection. We had an option of a Japanese set meal or an international option. I went with the international option, which consisted of a cold cuts starter, potato salad, bread roll and the meatball with vegetables (hash browns) main dish. I know. It totally sounds random right? Meatballs and hash browns? But surprisingly, it tasted really good and I ate it all. After I was done eating, my tray was taken away and the flight attendants came by with Hagaan Dazs vanilla ice cream.
After lunch, I reclined my seat back and settled in for a movie. Seat comfort was really nice. Unlike the fake seat recline on ANA’s 787 (where the seat pan just moves forward but the seatback is fixed), this seat had a real recline and it was pretty decent too. Halfway through the movie, I fell asleep and was able to actually get about 3 hours of rest. That’s pretty good for an economy seat.
In between meals, beverages and snacks such as rice crackers, bananas and chocolates were laid out in the galleys.
About two and a half hours before arrival into Tokyo, the cabin lights were turned on and the cabin crew came by to prepare for our pre-​arrival meal service. Hot towels and beverages were distributed followed by our meals. Our two options were shrimp and scallop pasta or port wine braised chicken and pasta. I went with the chicken and pasta, served with a side of fruit, yogurt and a bread roll. Again, it was a weird combination of items and flavors but I was pleasantly surprised with how good it tasted.
Overall, I was happy with this ANA flight. The seat was a bit narrow but I was happy to see an actual reclining seat. I was also glad to see they have improved their catering since my last flight with them. Their food used to be one of my biggest complaints but it looks like they have stepped up their game a bit. So now my only complaint with ANA is their mediocre movie selection. If you’re into Japanese movies and Animé, you will be happy but everyone else will long for a bit more entertainment.
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Service on ANA continues to decline, despite the windfall profits all airlines are making now that the price of fuel has dropped to less than half of what it was two years ago, while fares have remained the same or gone even higher. This time, beverages were only offered twice (on the 10 hour flight to Tokyo), instead of the customary once an hour — at one point, I walked up to the galley to ask for a drink of water. Self-​service is clearly the future of air travel. I feel this more acutely on ANA since the service USED to be impeccable — like a fine restaurant. Now it feels like busy cafeteria.

Took ANA flight NH2 12 hours from Tokyo to Washington Dulles in business class. Best flight ever. Comfortable seat, great food and really nice staff. On this trip I flew United, Thai Airway and Bangkok Air and ANA was a real standout. I would seek them out in the future.

I’ve been with Continental, Southwest, and United but All Nippon Airways aka ANA has become my absolute favorite airline of all time! The services they provided were very professional and customer oriented. I flew with ANA from Los Angeles to Narita and then from Narita to Vietnam, both experiences made my trip comfortable. I didn’t want to leave the plane!
After about an hour into my flight, the flight attendants started bringing out drinks for us. They have a special Japanese soda that was pretty good. Following the drinks came hot wet towels with the light scent of tea for us to wash our hands and faces before dinner service. Loved the scent of tea on those warm towels! Then came the amazing food. First they hand you a menu with two options (A or B) and pictures of the food included. If you can’t speak Japanese or English, just point to the picture you want. They give you huge dinner plates (check out my photos) & the food was really high quality. Not your usual airplane food! After dinner came endless drinks. Attendants would come by every 20 – 30 minutes offering us more drinks. It was awesome! Exceptional service with a friendly smile with each encounter.
Bathrooms are often scary on airlines, but ANA’s bathrooms were kept really clean. The only downside I could think of was the fact that the seats weren’t too comfortable, but United wasn’t any better so I’m guessing that’s the standard for most airlines. I flew economy so I can’t comment on Business or First Class. Regardless, I was able to get enough sleep on my flights and had a good experience.

Sucks on reservation and Customer service! This is our 1^st time taking Ana and was pretty excited on the upcoming 787 experience. However, it’s a total disappointment for several reasons even before we can fly with them:
1. I booked the ticket on Orbtiz 9month prior to our departure. Early enough, right? The pre-​seating assignment was never open and randomly put family of 4 at 4 different spots. When I call ow (3month prior), I was told the seats were all taken. The seats were never open, man! The rep gave me the ‘peak’ season crap. I checked the pre-​assignmet every month for 6 months already. They told me to check again 24hr prior to departure. What is my chance?
2. The phone waiting time is average 30min. I tried 3^rd time, finally, someone picked up. Instead of listening to my needs and inquires, the rep just could not stop blah blah and reading off her ‘bible’ that all my inquires couldn’t be done. What kind of customer service is this ?
3. This is a co-​shared flight with UA. So basically, these 2 airlines just kicking balls on my upgrade request (I was inquiring how much I should pay, not even ask for free upgrade). At the end, I was told that I have to cancel my entire booking and rebook. What the hell? If it’s already ‘sold out’ 9 month ago (per the rep), what is the chance I have with 3 month prior?
I am really disappointed with Ana’s booking experience and customer service, will try to avoid for future travel. Really annoying experience!

I would never fly this airline again. First of all, I got a really good deal on the airfare from Hong Kong to Vancouver, Canada. When I got to the international airport in Hong Kong to check in my 2 piece luggage, I got dinged with a $ 530 Canadian dollars for 13 kilos over the excess weight of 23 kilograms requirement. When I asked the check-​in counter staff how they came up with that figure, no one from the airline representatives was able to show me. I even asked them to show me on their web site, they were unable to disclose or locate the infos on their web site. I argued with their staffs for 55 minutes and they refuse to show me the infos. They literally told me to pay up or your 2 piece luggage is not getting on the airplane. In addition, I booked 3 months prior to get a window seat but when I checked in, they bumped me to an aisle seat which I did not request for.
In the end, I had no option, I had to pay the $ 530 for the 13 kilos excess weight luggage. Ana Airline was literally using an entrapment strategy to force me to pay and I truly felt they were taking me and luggages as hostages. Would I ever fly this airline again? DEFINITELY NO!
I learned through this experience that Ana Airline is not a transparent company and they are misleading customers, if you think you get a good deal on your airfare, you better watch your back because they will find other ways to come after your wallet one way or another. They will not tell you or inform you about this on their web site. Consumer Beware!

I am very disappointed with this airline. I have to say that Seth was great and is very pleasant to work with but please make sure to review your itinerary once you pay for it. I was sent a quote about my from San Francisco-​Japan-​Hawaii-​San Francisco flight. He sent me a great price and dates were all correct. Once I paid for it I didn’t realize that the dates were WRONG. I figured everything was fine and was very pleased with the service. One week later I get a «itinerary change» email, so I review it and noticed the dates were wrong so I double checked the original and they were wrong. Now I realize I should of reviewed it better but I just overlooked it bc there were so many connections.
To make a long story short in order to change the flight (mind you its not for 7 months) they are charging me $ 1600 to change my Hawaii-​San Fran (4 hour flight) flight. Its so ridiculous and I am very upset. Seth was nice enough to pay 60% of it but I don’t think something so far in advance should have to pay this kind of penalty.
Oh and they charge for infants to sit on your lap? What is that about?
I see so many great reviews on here but I will never use them again and I will just book my own flights. I am writing a letter of complaint and we shall see what happens.

After the Hell on Earth that was United Airlines on my way to Japan, I will say that ANA was truly the saving grace of the trip when it came to traveling back home. The polar opposite of United. Professional and punctual. The planes left on time and we actually got to our location early! That’s what I’m talking about.
Every seat has it’s own TV so you’ll have plenty to watch if you so choose. Sure the programs are censored, but it sure beats having to look at a shared TV with 50 other people. Also the food is pretty good for airplane food. It may not be gourmet, but it sure is eatable.
If you’re going to Japan, go ANA. Mark my words though, DO NOT go United. You’ll regret it for the rest of your life.

I just returned from Manila on ANA. I will agree with the previous reviewer’s observation about the negative reviews being suspect. In fact I am of the opinion that they are more than suspect. I think they may be fakes. There is no way this wonderful airline deserves a bad review. From the moment I left San Francisco (absolutely no delay in checking-​in) in January to the moment I returned yesterday this «budget» traveler was treated to a first class experience by flight attendants and customer service agents who were always cheerful, helpful and smiled all the time. The food choices were outstanding and they used real knifes and forks (not cheap plastic) on the trays. Wine was offered and that’s a plus in itself. When they had to change my seat, they asked my permission first and apologized profusely. When a problem in Manila caused significant flight delays, they were on the ball and met us at Narita to help us. When we arrived in San Franciso late (again Manila International’s fault) they had individual agents for each individual passenger group in transit to facilitate their passage through customs and on to their connecting flight. In fact each passenger in transit was contacted while still on the plane with an explanation of the problem.
I may have an advantage of being a seasoned traveller (first trip to Manila was in1949) and regularly travel to Asia. I do understand (unlike others) that stuff beyond their control happens and that not everyone in the world speaks perfectly unaccented English. I have flown SAS, NORTHWEST, PAN AM, PHILIPPINE AIRLINES, ALEGHENNY, DELTA, NATIONAL, etc. etc. etc. I have been threatened with arrest by customer service agents (who screwed up my ticket), been told «what do you expect me to do about it» by flight attendants when I had a problem, and been ignored. I even was aboard an aircraft that caught fire on the runway. Oh yes, one of the aforementioned airlines was actually founded by a relative of mine and I still have relations working for it. However I will still give superlatives to All Nippon Airlines.
All the positive remarks made by others are well-​deserved. However, the thing that really impressed me was the fact that despite the fact that the layover in Narita was reduced to barely 30 minutes after the Manila problems and my luggage tags had to be handwritten the luggage still arrived intact with me at San Francisco in good order. That sure beat the «it happens all the time» when my luggage arrived two days later the last time I transited Narita on one of the aforementioned airlines. I would travel ANA again in a heartbeat. Great fare, great service, on-​line seat selection and check-​in. ANA can’t be beat!

ANA is my favorite Japanese airline. Actually they’re my favorite airline overall. This time they were especially nice. I mistakenly packed a bottle of wine in my carry-​on luggage. When I went back to the counter to check my carry-​on, they offered to check the wine only in a special box, free of charge. Really amazing service.
The flight itself was packed but the flight attendants do their very best to make everyone comfortable. The food in coach isn’t spectacular, but it is higher quality and more nicely presented than other airlines. And the mindless movie entertainment is of course, free.
Thanks to ANA for getting me, and my wine, to Japan safely :)

Traveling to the Philippines around Christmas time can really break the bank if you don’t buy your tickets early enough or shop around. I was so happy when my husband and I managed to get a flight to Manila for a really good price on ANA. Of course, we had to buy our tickets in March for our December trip, but why wait if you can save a lot of money buying you tickets early. My father-​in-​law decided to go at the last minute and he ended up paying $ 800 more than we did!
I’m shaking my head at all these poor reviews of ANA because we had a great experience on all legs of our trip to Manila. Our value fare took us to a few places, from SFO to LAX (on United), LAX to Tokyo/​Haneda and Haneda to Manila. On our return flight, we went through Seattle instead of LA.
We had a 3 hour layover in Tokyo both ways which was just enough time to get off the plane, go through security, freshen up, eat a hot meal, and get that blood flowing again by walking around and shopping.
The service on and off board the plane was fantastic. The flight attendants were very friendly and always smiling. They served us two meals (better than most airline food) on the long haul flight and they give you a choice between Japanese and American food. I tried both and, not surprisingly, the Japanese meal was better. You can also choose from a variety of beverages – beers, wine, liquor, tea, coffee, sodas, etc. I really appreciated the water and juices attendants were constantly offering in between meals.
The entertainment system was good. They had a variety of movies and tv shows to pass the time. I slept most of the way to Manila, but I did take advantage of the movies on our way back to the States.
We would definitely fly ANA again. It’s up there with Singapore Airlines and Cathay Pacific.

Ana all Nippon airways. Great airline to fly to Japan. if you’re going to Tokyo the most convenient Airport is Haneda. It’s the real Tokyo international Airport. You can take the Monorail to connect to the jnr east. The Airlines is top notch.

ANA used to be my favorite airline.
Here is what changed;
1-​They only allow one bag to be checked in.
2– Their mileage program is a scam. They wont let you use your earned miles unless they cant fill a flight which means you can only use them on flights where they have to fill a seat .
You can purchase a seat but cant use your miles… WTF?
Tried to contact a supervisor through customer service but was refused.
E-​mail to ANA headquarters has gone un-​answered.
2.5– When you use your earned miles for a flight, they charge your a fuel tax! Around 500 dollars to Japan… WTF?
3– Their SFO to Japan flight has been taken over by people using it to transfer from Japan to India.
Flights are very crowded and noisy.
They stewardesses are run ragged by the multiple requests and people not sitting in their assigned seats.
I will be flying JAL or an American carrier from now on.

I like their attentive and thoughtful service.

This is a review of travel via ANA (All Nippon Airways) from Singapore to the US and back.
This was a Business Class flight.
The flight consisted of four legs:
Singapore to Tokyo
Tokyo to San Francisco
Los Angeles to Tokyo
Tokyo to Singapore
For the most part, the staff was very helpful. The process of checking in at both Changi and LAX went very smoothly. The staff was very good. It was quick and efficient.
On board the flights, all of the flight attendants were polite, professional, and effective. They check often to insure the flight is going well.
The flights between Tokyo and Singapore are standard Business Class with side by side seating. The seats are wide and comfortable. These seats do not recline flat. There are nice entertainment systems available.
The flights between Tokyo and the USA are newer isolated Business Class seats. These are compartmentalized to provide more privacy. They recline to a flat position. However, the «cubby hole» for extending your legs and feet into is very small. I found that even slight movements led to hitting my shins on the edge. I am tall (6 ft 4 in). One again, there are very good private entertainment systems with a wide range of media options (western and eastern).
(One note — For traveling alone, these seats are great. However, for traveling with someone, these seats do not really provide the ability to sit together and share the flight experience or conversation.)
There were two hiccups was with my layover in Tokyo.
The first was with my flight to San Francisco. There was only a one hour layover. We landed on time. There is a bus from the plane to the terminal. Once we arrived, we were led into a very small security area. There were only two security scanners and the line was extremely long. While there was an ANA staff member present, this process was in total disarray and none of us thought we would make our connecting flight. I did just barely make it though.
On my return flight from Tokyo to Singapore, there was a 45 minute to 1 hour delay in taking off. This time was not made up in the air. So, a very late arrival became an even later arrival into Singapore.
Food is always an important element of long flights. The food in Business Class was relatively good and we were fed often. For each meal, there is a Japanese offering and a Western cuisine option.
There were snacks available at all times. They also offered a wide range of beverages (alcoholic and non-​alcoholic).
These are links to photos of some of the entrées. I’ve also uploaded other miscellaneous food photos from these flights.
Both there and back, my luggage arrived safely.
Overall, ANA provided a fine flight experience with very good service. While they may fall a bit short of the excellence provided by Singapore Airlines, they are a great option for longer flights to and from numerous destinations in Asia. I would have no issue flying on ANA again.

Ni Hao! or Konichiwa!!! Finally back from vacation and to kick it off, I rode on one of the best International Airlines a gal can ask for =) Let me start off by saying the whole flight crew was so POLITE and Considerate.
The likes: Seats-​comfortable, recline & roomy
Mini tv screens infront of every seat– Up to date movies in English, Japanese, & Chinese.
The food: Menu-​consists of American or Asian & Free Alcohol!
Complimentary blanket & comfy slippers are provided to every patron
I flew from SFO to Shangai-​Beijing-​and to Japan! experience? AMAZING!

ANA GA DAISUKI!
You can read my earlier post about ANA and why I love it so much even to this day. I recently flew this magical Japanese flier round trip from Narita (Tokyo) to Changi Airport (Singapore) and had another great experience.
This time I flew on two different plane models for comparison. The later had an updated media set which was BOMB… interactive touch screen and introduction videos to the different media sets. Let me go with some of the things that blew my mind this time.
[AKB48 SPECIAL!]
ANA was offering a channel devoted to the top hits of AKB48! Sugii! Now you can jam to Heavy Rotation and Aitakatta during the entire flight as you hear them be interviewed in a language you probably don’t understand. Wait– you don’t know who AKB48 are?! Better get on it!
[MR. BRITISH CAPTAIN]
My captain during my second flight was definitely English– he had a strong accent. What blew me away with him was that during my return flight, he was the one that made the announcements in Japanese! His Nihongo was not bad at all! lol, although quite hilarious as well.
[DATE MOVIE CENTRAL]
This month of June, ANA offered so many dating films featuring Cameron Diaz, Ashton, and Julia Roberts… like, really. PS I Love You, What Happens In Vegas, You’ve Got Mail… and even My Best Friend’s Wedding?! Geez, throw me some chu-​hi and I’m set (which of course, are complimentary on the flight. Remember to get your boozing on)
[BENTOU-​ESQUE]
What other airliner would do their food in a way to make it seem like a bentou box? My small dish of «sides» was so nicely prepared that I didn’t even want to eat it. But alas, my stomach was calling and something needed to be done. Shiro wine, onegai shimasu.
[USB PLUG??]
On the newer flight models, even economy class has a USB plug next to the personal TV screens to that you can charge your iPod or other utilities that require USB. It’s not an outlet, but it’s a start.
Seriously, ANA is the best airliner you can do if you want to travel to and from Japan. Excellent service and staff, good food, plenty of booze for the tummy, and an entertainment system that rocks.
I’d fly ANA again in a heartbeat.

It was my first time traveling to a foreign country and I used All Nippon Air to go to Okinawa and Tokyo, Japan. I didn’t really do my research on airlines because I was so eager to book a flight. Luckily ANA turned out to be one of the nicer airlines.
I was traveling alone and the thought of sitting on a plane for 16 hours or was gut wrenching, but ANA made it such a pleasant experience. Time actually went by fast! The economy seats were comfy and clean. Each seat had it’s own TV with a wide selection of new released movies, music, and games. On top of that, there was a huge flat screen TV in front of each section that had a live camera showing where we were in the sky and all of the flight info.
The food was really good too and I walked off the plane stuffed. We had 2 meals, which included traditional Japanese appetizers, entrée, and dessert. Ice cream! In between meals, the flight attendants would walk around with beverages and snacks. I had lots of green tea and munched on fruit, Pringles, and cookies. They also offered free mini wine bottles and beer. I definitely felt pampered on my flight to Japan and was kind of sad when it was over.
My flight was a little over $ 1000. I could have found a cheaper flight with another airline, but the service and experience wouldn’t have been as good as ANA. I’ll be sure to use ANA for my future flights to Asia! The flight was smooth and was perfectly on time. Flight attendants were super nice, entertainment was good and food was great!