‘It has the clinical ambience of a dental surgery’
This Japanese airline may not win any points for its decor but the fully flat bed and food make up for it.
All Nippon Airways (ANA) may not win any points for its colour scheme but the fully-flat seat and food make up for it.
Take a seat
There are 40 business class seats in a 1-2-1 configuration, all with direct aisle access. The staggered design allows flat-bed seats to slot Tetris-like into the console in front, but the downside is every alternate seat has less privacy, being adjacent to the aisle, so study the online cabin map before making your selection.
The seat is softened by a mattress pad, although I still find it a little firm for sleeping. At 189cm when extended, the length is slightly shorter than other airlines, but should be no issue for most.
An attractive Globetrotter brand amenities kit contains L’Occitane lip balm and body milk, sleeping mask, ear plugs and one of those “in-case-of-emergency” bonsai toothbrush and toothbrush sets.
The blue and white colour scheme has the clinical ambience of a dental surgery, but is soothing enough when the lights are dimmed. Slippers are provided (handy for toilet trips) but pyjamas are not.
Tech talk
The 45cm touchscreen monitor with retractable remote is noticeably dated but functional and intuitive.
The universal power point and USB-A port is conveniently positioned above the side console. I’m disappointed there are no external cameras on the plane, but you can access some (again, very dated) live flight tracking information.
Whenever a seatbelt announcement is made my monitor lights up with the luminosity of a thousand suns, wrenching me from sleep. Wi-fi comes at a cost, but sleep is more of a priority than internet connectivity on this overnight hop.
That’s entertainment
Movie and show selection is fairly limited, with a few new releases and some classics, including Rain Man minus the part where Dustin Hoffman’s character frets about planes crashing. But if you’re planning on sleeping you probably only have time for one movie anyway.
On the menu
Indecisive types rejoice, for there’s only one menu choice to be made on this flight: Japanese or international. I choose Japanese and enjoy a flavour-packed assortment of seared tuna salad with onion dressing, smoked duck with spinach, miso soup and Japanese pickles, with a main of marinated sea bream in a soy-based sauce with steamed rice.
The international selection on ANA airlines is an appetiser of dry-cured pork, prawn and roast chicken, with braised beef cheek in red wine over a bed of polenta for mains, and watermelon cake for dessert.
Snacks such as croissants, a plant-based ramen and a selection of cheeses are offered throughout the flight, but there’s no dedicated breakfast service.
The mostly French wine list is more than adequate, and I enjoy a glass of sake from Dewazakura Sake Brewery in Tendo City. A wide selection of Japanese teas is also available.
In the bag
Two pieces of checked luggage, maximum 32kg each, is ample allocation. Priority baggage tags means my luggage pops out first at baggage claim, and business class passengers also get priority boarding.
At your service
The Japanese cabin crew are unfailingly warm and attentive and do their best to answer any questions.
On the ground
Business class passengers can access the Air New Zealand International Lounge in Sydney, and the ANA lounge in Tokyo. There’s also a shower available in the arrival lobby at Haneda Airport.
Make your points
ANA is a Star Alliance member and flights can be booked using points from other partner airlines, including Virgin Australia (it’s about 80,000 Velocity points for business class one way), Air New Zealand and Singapore Airlines. Sign up to ANA Mileage Club for further rewards.
In the know
ANA operates twice daily to Tokyo (Haneda) from Sydney, and has recently relaunched direct flights from Perth to Tokyo (Narita) three days a week. A partnership with Virgin Australia means my connecting flight from Melbourne is on the same ticket.
The bottom line
From ¥456,680 ($4653) one way based on an airline website search, departing two months from publication.
The verdict
The fully flat seat more than compensates for the dated in-flight entertainment system on this smartly scheduled overnight flight. With minimal time difference to deal with, you can put in a normal work day in Sydney then wake up in Tokyo refreshed for exploring the city or (in my case) continuing on to Hokkaido for skiing. Landing at the central Haneda Airport rather than far-flung Narita is a bonus.
Ricky French was a guest of Club Med Kiroro and was upgraded by ANA.
FOR MORE BUSINESS CLASS REVIEWS, CLICK HERE.
To join the conversation, please log in. Don't have an account? Register
Join the conversation, you are commenting as Logout