I want to visit my mom in the U.S. but all the flights have been packed. Last minute, I found a seat on ANA.
The first flight from Hong Kong to Tokyo is in Economy Class on their B787-8.
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There’s nothing wrong with flying economy class, but once you tried premium class, it is hard to sit back here….I made a mistake by forgetting to do online check-in and it was a full flight, so this time it was my turn to sit in the middle seat!
Admittingly, no one likes to be in the middle seat, but sometimes seating in Economy makes one appreciate their flight, appreciate the chance to be upgraded and fly in Premium class.
ANA used to have 2-4-2 (8 abreast) configuration on their B787 initially, but later it was changed to 3-3-3 (9 abreast) with an extra seat on each row, thus reducing the seat width.
I dozed off a bit during the takeoff. Flight attendants came back for full meal service, and they handed out a menu card with meal pictures for passengers to choose their choice of either ginger pork or chicken.
Wi-Fi onboard isn't free so I didn't test the speed.
We landed at Tokyo Haneda Airport on time in the evening and the terminal was very busy. I proceeded to the ANA lounge and it was crazy crowded. You can see it in my video.
Nevertheless, I enjoyed the food in the lounge.
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ANA B777-300/ER Tokyo Haneda - San Francisco
My next flight to San Francisco is on ANA B777-300/ER. This flight features their new Business Class Suite called “The Room” which is the widest Business Class seat out there.
Flight time from Tokyo to San Francisco was 9 hours, operated by JA793A, a 4-year-old B777-300/ER.
The bed is not quite long enough for my height so I settle with a diagonal position which I can stretch fully.
ANA provided some good amenities such as latex pillow and mattress for a good sleep in Business Class.
Since it was a red-eye flight, the food option was limited.
There was a light dish anytime menu and 2 choices (Japanese or Western) meal before arrival.
Summary
ANA is an efficiently run company. I noticed boarding only took 20 minutes. The preparation of the arrival process was very swift and crew only performed cabin checks about 20 minutes before landing which maximized the time for passengers to rest. Some airlines start to prepare the cabin 45-60 minutes before landing.
I had a good 7 hours sleep in "The Room" Business Class suite. However, my ANA flight experience wasn't perfect, it was overshadowed by the lack of meal choices in Business Class and the overly crowded lounge at Haneda Airport. I was surprised that Wi-Fi is not free, even in Business Class.