On a recent journey back from Japan, I was excited to fly with All Nippon Airways (ANA) for the first time. Although I didn’t manage to try The Room, I was looking forward to experiencing ANA’s hospitality and particularly comparing it to my recent flight with JAL in the A350-1000. When I arrived at the gate, I found that my 787-9 had a special Star Wars livery, which made the trip extra special. Here’s a recap of my flight.
| Route | HND-FRA |
| Flight | NH223 |
| Cabin | Business |
| Equipment | Boeing 787-9 |
| Aircraft | JA-873A |
| Flight Time | 14h 20m |
How I Booked This Flight (EuroBonus)
Given that SAS announced a transition to SkyTeam and I had quite a bunch of EuroBonus points on my account, I wanted to secure some flights on Star Alliance airlines before it wasn’t possible anymore. I arrived in Japan without a return flight because none of the options convinced me. I set up a few alerts in AwardFares, and a few days later, I saw an email with space open on ANA’s flight to Frankfurt (then connecting to São Paulo with Lufthansa).
I went ahead and booked it applying an Amex 2-for-1 voucher for 2 passengers. The total price paid was 114,000 points + 2238 SEK in taxes.
Note: It’s no longer possible to book Star Alliance flights using EuroBonus points since September 1st. Check our EuroBonus Guide to learn how to use your pints on SkyTeam airlines.
Check-In
The flight was quite early, so I arrived at Haneda Terminal 2 around 7 am. I went straight to the check-in area, which was very large and spacious. Even though I used the Star Alliance Gold track, there were virtually no queues in the standard/Economy Class line either. At the entrance of the Gold track, a hostess greeted me and helped me check in using a self-service machine that printed my boarding pass. Then, she sent me to the baggage drop area.
The baggage drop machines were also self-service and quite interesting. The stations were fairly large, and the pods looked futuristic. Following the instructions on screen, it took under 5 minutes to get my luggage on the way.
Security and immigration were extremely efficient, so I cleared them within a couple of minutes.
Lounge
Once on the airside, I still had about 1.5 hours before boarding. I went straight to the ANA Lounge, which was almost empty then. The lounge is large, with plenty of seating and an extensive buffet. It also has phone booths, working desks, showers, and a smoking room.
As I had a busy morning commuting to the airport, I decided to try the showers before having breakfast. There was no one on the waitlist, so I could use them right away. The shower rooms were nice and felt premium, although not very big. They were well equipped, too.
After that, I had some coffee with pastries and was ready for boarding.
Boarding
My gate (72) was about 10 minutes’ walk from the lounge. Once I arrived, I looked out the window and realized that the 787-9 taking us to Frankfurt was the one with the Star Wars R2-D2 livery! As a Star Wars fan, this was an immense surprise 😊.
The boarding process started on time and was smooth and peaceful. I was able to board with Group 1 with no problems. As you enter the plane, you are welcomed by a big Yoda puppet sitting on a jumpseat at the entrance. On this jet, it’s all about the details. Like this welcome puppet, there are plenty of other small Star Wars-related touches, as you’ll see later.
Seat and Cabin
I had seat 13C, a window seat on the left side. Since I wasn’t flying ANA’s ‘The Room’ this time, it was the standard Business Class cabin configuration. The seat does not feel very private, but it is cozy and spacious.
The lie-flat seats are arranged in a 1-2-1 layout. They have quite large armrests, good tray tables, and storage space. The footrest is also decent. At the seat, there were the usual blanket and pillow, headphones, sleepers, and an amenity kit. Although the Business Class cabin is large and fits many passengers, it does not feel cramped like on US-based airlines.
Bathroom
The Business Class toilets are in the middle of the Business Class cabin and have the nice touch of being equipped with a window with a direct engine view!
Service and Details
One thing to highlight about Japanese airlines is their hospitality; this flight was no exception. ANA’s crew was extremely kind, caring, and helpful. Their service, particularly on premium cabins, is top-notch, and this flight was full of details that made it feel like a unique experience.
One example is that the crew hands out ANA’s cardigan sweaters in case you feel cold from the AC. Also, this plane’s napkins, aprons, cabin lights, and cabin announcements were Star Wars-themed.
IFE and WIFI
The IFE screen is decently sized and responsive, although it starts feeling a bit dated. I guess this does not happen when flying ANA’s most modern cabins, such as The Room. The OS is a bit hard to navigate, but there was a fairly large movie selection with plenty of languages to choose from. The noise-canceling headphones worked great; just remember that they don’t cover the entire ear.
Amenity Kit
The amenity kit, made by Ettinger (London), felt really premium and high-quality. Inside, it had a hand moisturizer, lip balm, a toothbrush, and a reusable bag.
Meal 1 (Lunch)
As soon as I took my seat, the stewardess came to introduce herself and offered a welcome drink, which could be champagne or water.
A few minutes later, they handed out the menu. As it’s usual on flights to/from Asia, there are multiple options, one of the more Western/International options and then the Asian option (in this case, Japanese).
I went for the International menu, which started with an amuse-bouche of mussels with a cheese and olive stick, with an Asahi Dry beer.
For the starter, I had shrimp and scallops with jellied mushrooms. Having cherry blossom-flavored bread was a nice touch.
For the main, I went for the beef fillet, which was surprisingly tender and tasty.
To round it up, I had coffee and a strawberry mousse.
After the meal, the crew hands out a wet napkin with a small bottle of water.
Sleep
Immediately after the first meal service, the cabin was dimmed and prepared to sleep. Since the flight was so long and I was tired, I tried to secure as much rest as possible.
Meal 2 (Mid-flight)
After about five good hours of sleep, the crew offered a second meal service (snack). I chose the salad with ramen noodles.
After that, another coffee. I worked for about 2h and then decided to watch a movie, finally ended up sleeping for another couple of hours.
Meal 3 (Pre-arrival)
Lastly, about 1.5 hours before arriving in Frankfurt, the crew served the last meal service, which also had Japanese or western options. I went for the Japanese option as a way of saying “until next time” to Japan.
Arrival
Arriving in Frankfurt was straightforward. We were at the gate 5 minutes after touching the ground, and there was an express lane (with extra security) for international connections. I had only 1 hour to get onto my next flight with Lufthansa (to São Paulo).
Summary
Overall, I had a fantastic flight with ANA. The crew and hospitality were outstanding, the attention to detail was extreme, and I loved all this aircraft’s Star Wars touches. I can imagine other magical trips on the Pokémon Jets, or even ANA’s The Room. The seats were ample and comfortable and good enough for sleeping on long flights like this one. Meals were tasty and abundant, with varied options, and there was a lot you could get on demand between the main meals.
It’s a solid option for traveling to Japan, and I wouldn’t hesitate to fly them again. The redemption was well worth it.