As of writing this review, Japan continues to be closed off to the world due to COVID. I haven’t visited Japan since 2018 and was itching to get a taste of my experience before when I flew Japan Airlines First Class back in September 2018.

With a beautiful refresh of their first-class cabin dubbed “The Suite”, I wanted to know how it compared to my experience with Japan Airlines back in August 2018. Carefully watching availability open up just weeks prior, I snapped a seat using my Aeroplan points.

My itinerary, was part of a larger one, consisted of the following:

  • YYZ-LAX: Air Canada Business
  • LAX-NRT: ANA First Class (The Suite)
  • NRT-KUL: ANA’s [old] Business Class

The lounges in LAX were not notable to document so we’ll jump right into my review of ANA’s new first-class cabin dubbed “The Suite”.

If you’re looking for my biggest tips before flying ANA’s “The Suite”, then jump to the end to see my tips I learned from my trip! If you want to know how to book this flight for yourself using frequent flier points, check out ways to book ANA first class!

ANA (NH) Flight 5

  • Date of Travel: May 5, 2022
  • Route: LAX > NRT
  • Seat: 1K
  • Type of Plane: Boeing 777-300ER
  • Cost of Booking: 110k Aeroplan points and under $100 USD in taxes

Pre-Departure

View of the suite from the seat

Immediately upon boarding I was escorted to my seat. I sat in seat 1K, with the cabin having three other occupants.

Cabin location. Seat map provided by ANA

In every first class experience I’ve had in the past, there would be at least one feature that would pop out and make me go “wow”. In the case of this flight, it would be the massive 4K Ultra HD screen in the first-class cabin.

ANA has one of the largest, if not the largest, screens in first class
Look at those beautiful flowers!

At a massive 43-inch size with impressive color gamut, you’ll be hard pressed to not be able to ignore it. I let out an audible “holy shit” as I walked into the cabin when I saw the screens.

Upon seating, I was immediately served a Duval-Leroy Brut Reserve Champagne. I took it with glee, but my real aim was with the Hibiki Whisky that was onboard.

Duval-Leroy Brut Reserve Champagne served in pre departure

Amenities

After spending a few minutes admiring the suite, a flight attendant came around and started offering a basket of amenities. These amenities include items such as socks, masks, toothbrushes, earplugs, and cleansing wipes.

ANA first class amenity basket
Who can say no to free items?

All these items could be found either in the amenity kit or in the lavatories. The one item in exception was the Shiseido Lip Balm. I grabbed only one but thinking back, I should’ve grabbed more. Shiseido products are top of their class.

All items in the basket, laid out

Also – there’s something about ANA’s simplistic design and use of blue on their products. I don’t know if it’s just me, but they’re designed so well! I went ahead and grabbed everything as shown below:

I immediately received my WiFi voucher for the flight and asked for an extra, in the event I needed it.

ANA first class WiFi voucher
Back and front of the WiFi voucher

At the corner of my eye was the cutest amenity kit I’ve seen in all my years of flying various business and first-class cabins.

For flight segments heading toward Japan, you’ll most likely receive a light-blue colored Globe-trotter amenity kit.

ANA Globe-trotter amenity kit in first class
The cutest amenity kit ever!

For those leaving Japan to other destinations, you’ll most likely receive a black-colored Globe-trotter amenity kit. I honestly think the light-blue version is better, what do you think?

The black variant of the Globe-trotter amenity kit
For flights leaving Japan

The amenity kit contained the exact same items as in the basket (eye mask, ear plugs, toothbrush) with the exception of one item: a small “The Ginza” box of goodies.

The Ginza box found inside the amenity kit

The Ginza is a high-end brand of beauty products and the products within could easily cost over $100 USD.

Inside was a face lotion, cleansing cream, and a facial cleanser.

The Ginza has three items inside it worth over $100 USD
These alone are valued over $100 USD!

Just like outside the kit, even the inside had a beautiful design. I was already planning to use this kit in my future travels as I opened it!

The Globe-trotter is one of the cutest amenity kits found in any business or first class cabin
Beautiful interior design of the kit

Next is an included organic blanket from Tenerita. Tenerita is a high-end home goods brand in Japan (notice a pattern with all the brands so far? All high end). This is probably the most comfortable blanket I’ve ever felt on a flight.

ANA first class also provides a blanket from Tenerita. It is organic.

I found myself inappropriately touching the blanket throughout the flight due to how smooth it felt on my hands.

Finally, you’re also given slippers with sleepwear. While you can bring the sleepwear home, the included cardigan sweater had to be left onboard. They felt rather standard and short.

ANA first class comes with loungewear, slippers, and a cardigan sweater which you are not allowed to take off board.
A little too short for me (I am 5 ft 11 inches or 180 cm)

The Suite

During my whole pre-departure experience, the massive 43-inch inflight entertainment system (IFES) was staring me in my face. Even more, the 4K ULTRA HD setting was staring me in the face, reminding me how this screen is even better than the monitors that I use at home.

The 4K ULTRA HD is prominently displayed the moment you turn it on

The suite had a beautiful wooden finish with some of the most spacious real estate space you’ll have on a plane.

A walkthrough of the cabin to the seat
The seat and space is huge
I felt rather small when compared to the suite
The light blue colors ANA use match the cabin perfectly.
The light blue colors matched perfectly

The seats are the following:

  • 38 inches (96.5 cm) wide
  • 76 inches (193 cm) pitch
  • 76 inches (193 cm) bed length

There was one thing that was immediately apparent: the massive width of the seat. When I flew Cathay Pacific first class back in 2018, I was completely mesmerized by the massive seat width of 36 inches. It could easily fit two relatively skinny individuals’ side by side!

ANA’s “The Suite” now currently has the largest seat width in the market of 38 inches and let me tell you – it is WIDE! Being able to spread your legs and arms is a massive luxury in aviation in general.

The seat material felt luxurious and rather new when compared to other first-class experiences like Etihad Airways. On the other hand, Oman Air’s first-class cabin seat material was superior to this.

There are several storage compartments throughout the suite. First, we have one near the tray rest area by the screen.

There is a storage compartment at the front of the seat

Under the IFES you’ll find the area to rest your legs as well as a large area at the bottom to store several items like your shoes.

The area under the screen has a lot of storage space

What I really like about this bottom area is the rather short wall stopper that ensures items are secure at the bottom. Upon liftoff, my shoes would’ve gone flying if not for this wall.

There is another storage compartment on the wall opposite to the door. I stored my amenities here as pictured.

There is two storage compartments to the side of your seat

Finally, beside your seat is another storage compartment. This area houses all the outlets including an HDMI port, USB, earphone jack, and power outlet.

One of the side storage compartments houses all the port outlets
An HDMI port is included in the seat
Don’t forget to bring an HDMI cable!

The seat controls are rather straightforward.

The seat controls are rather simple

What’s interesting is that there are two ways to control the windows. Each window has its own button to control itself or there is a “master” button that controls all three nearby the seat controls.

You can control the windows with two different buttons

To the side of your seat where the door is, you’ll find an odd spot for storing papers. Opening it reviews a mirror!

There is a side panel that can store same papers
Closed
Opening the side panel also reviews a useful mirror
Open – very handy!

Each seat has its own personal clothes rack storage enough to fit a single shirt. While it is extremely small, you can always ask the flight attendants to store your clothes elsewhere in the cabin (they have proper sized lockers).

Finally, the bathrooms had Japan’s signature bidet. If you haven’t experienced bidets, I highly recommend you give them a try – it will change your toilet experience.

A bidet can be found in the lavatory

Food & Drink

I’ve been informed several times prior that ANA’s first class actually has a superior Western menu as opposed to a Japanese menu which sounds odd given, they’re a Japanese airline.

My goal was to compare the culinary experience of the Japanese food on ANA first class to Japan Airlines first class to see which was better.

I chose the Japanese menu and asked to also be served a caviar plate from the Western menu. You can find the PDFs of the menus online directly on ANA’s website. Simply choose “Dining/Drinks” from the tabs and scroll down to search for the menu.

These menu served onboard in first class
The main meals for both Japanese and International cuisines
Light dishes served anytime during the flight
The light food menu
Liquor and other alcoholic drinks found on board
Some of the drinks served onboard
Special sake for ANA first class
Sake drink list

Unfortunately, my goal of trying out the Hibiki 21 had failed as this specific route only carried the Hibiki 17. If you’re looking for the Hibiki 21, ensure you’re flying a New York, Frankfurt, or London route.

However, one plus was the Hibiki 17 was served in a cute glass container you can keep as a souvenir. I was able to have multiple throughout my flight, so they made for nice souvenirs.

The Hibiki 17 comes in a small unique glass onboard
The Hibiki 17 small glass is a unique feature of this flight

First was the amuse.

Japanese menu amuse starter

I also received the caviar as requested. I was hoping they’d keep it in the tin so I would know which brand it was from but alas, I was happy to have caviar.

Caviar from the western menu

I was given my sakizuke (starter) alongside the zensai, a selection of morsels.

Starters and a selection of morsels on the Japanese menu

My favorite of the bunch would be the starter, the sansho leaf miso elevated the squid and clam (the dish on top).

I gave myself a try at the Talisker 18 as well as the John Walker & Sons King George V. They weren’t bad but I definitely preferred the Hibiki 17.

The talisker 18 whisker is served onboard
John Walker & Sons King George V was served in place of Johnny Walker Blue

Finally, the remainder of the items came out. I love the presentation of how the dishes were placed on the plate. They took care in beautifully placing each ingredient on each of my plates.

The final dish before the main course, salmon with soy sauce
Salmon with soy sauce
The main course is plated beautifully
Main course … beautifully plated

For dessert, I had the matcha adzuki bean jelly.

ANA first class serves matcha adzuki bean jelly for dessert

Afterwards, I asked for a few more items to try out the menu, as much as my stomach could hold.

First was the Owan – steamed sea bream with cherry leaf. This soup was refreshing given how light it was.

The Japanese Owan soup was refreshing with sea bream
Refreshing “Owan” soup

I had the IPPUDO rich-tasting miso DAICHI Ramen. This was pretty standard.

The IPPUDO ramen is also served in business class
Also served in business class

For dessert, I asked for the strawberry crumble tart with vanilla ice cream on the western menu.

Strawberry crumble from the western menu

To balance the sweetness, I asked for the ITO Matcha. It was essentially raw matcha and if that was too bitter, you could chew on the light sweets included.

ITO raw matcha served onboard

After my nap, for the final meal before landing, I asked for a few more Japanese items.

First is the simmered white konjac noodles & spicy cod roe with grilled gold striped amberjack with sakiyo miso.

ANA first class serves white konjac noodles with gold striped amberjack anytime during the flight

To finish off my final meal for the flight, I got ANA’s signature curry with rice and some fruits.

The ANA curry is also served in business class
Also served in business class
Fruit platter as the final meal of my flight

Sleep

After my meal, I asked to have my bed setup. As my neighboring seat, 1G, was empty, the flight attendant setup my bed there as I freshened up in the lavatory.

A feature in business and first-class cabins that not many people talk about is flight attendants are more than happy to let you have another seat to sleep in, providing there are any available.

For traveling couples, there’s a division between the middle seats. While not as intimate as Qatar Airways QSuites or Singapore Airlines Suites, the 38-inch pitch seats ensure you’ll be comfortable regardless.

The middle two suites are comfortable for traveling companions
The middle seats work for travelling companions

At approximately 5 feet 11 inches (180 cm), my feet could barely reach the end of the seat. The tray table made it rather comfortable if you wanted to watch shows on your tablet or laptop while lying down.

The suite can easily fit those over six fee
My legs can’t reach the end!
With the doors closed, ANA's "The Suite" is extremely private and comfortable
Your own private suite – complete bliss

The bedding included a Nishikawa bed pad with two included pillows. While extremely comfortable, it could not compare to Cathay’s First-Class superior Bamford’s thick mattress and pillows.

Unfortunately, I did not have an HDMI cable to take advantage of the big screen.

Landing

Prior to landing, the purser confirmed my immediate connection to Kuala Lumpur and not to rush as the team on the ground was well aware of my progress.

As a final gift, I received a cute handwritten note labeled as a boarding certificate, to commemorate my trip. I thought it was a cute touch and definitely a great souvenir to keep.

Flight attendants provide a boarding certificate at the end of your flight
This boarding certificate just screams “cute!”

Overall Experience

My overall review of ANA’s first class in “The Suite”? Just wow.

After seeing pictures of ANA’s old first class and experiencing their new “The Suite”, I walked away completely impressed.

The hard product, from cabin finish to insanely large seat width, made the journey much more comforting. While I admit nothing was revolutionary, ANA went ahead and made upgrades in every possible way, improving the seats, the suite, and WiFi. These all add up to a superior experience.

The soft product: the flight attendants were extremely pleasant, and I had one that was extremely strong in English – making for great conversation.

The food was absolutely amazing and the Hibiki whisky never fails to deliver. They took great care in carefully preparing the food and presenting them in a beautiful manner.

If I were to compare ANA first class to Japan Airlines first class:

  • Hard Product: Hands down ANA is the winner as Japan Airlines hard product is rather dated
  • Soft Product: Tied – both have excellent flight attendants providing you excellent Japanese hospitality. They’re the best in the industry without question.
  • Food & Drinks: I can only speak to the Japanese food in particular and not western foods – Japan Airlines is the winner. ANA, while their food was absolutely amazing, Japan Airlines Japanese culinary dishes continue to hold my spot as the best inflight meal I’ve ever had to experience.

How I Booked

There are two ways I recommend booking ANA first class: either with Air Canada’s Aeroplan or Virgin Atlantic Flying Club.

I booked with Aeroplan as I needed to connect down to Southeast Asia. Virgin Atlantic does not allow more than a single flight on your itinerary without increasing the point cost if you want to connect.

If you are fine with just booking a single flight, Virgin Atlantic would the superior option as its single handily the best sweet spot in the whole frequent flier miles community.

For my flight, I flew from LAX to NRT. The pricing (in miles) would be the following for a one-way trip:

  • Air Canada Aeroplan: 110k miles plus less than $80 in taxes
  • Virgin Atlantic Flying Club: 55k miles plus less than $200 in taxes

Tips to Maximize your Flight Experience

After trying out ANA’s “The Suite”, there were a few things I wish I knew beforehand to maximize my experience. I hope these become of value to you when you try them out:

  • Hibiki 21 is only served on New York, Frankfurt and London routes: this whisky is near impossible to procure for the average person, so ANA first class is one of the only ways to try out this amazing drink
  • The Japanese menu is better on routes leaving Japan: the menu onboard included dishes on the opposite direction of my flight. I noted that the Japanese dishes were much more expansive on the flight leaving NRT
  • Don’t be afraid to ask for more: if you want extra amenities, the team onboard is more than happy to provide you with them
  • Bring an HDMI cable: if you’re looking to watch something on the massive 43-inch screen, bring an HDMI cable to connect to your device
  • Be strategic with your stomach: if your objective is to eat as much as you can, then doing some research beforehand on which dishes and drinks are on board can help you maximize your consumption of the things you want. I would’ve avoided dishes that were also available to the business cabin, like the ANA curry with rice