After a pair of forgettable flights on EgyptAir, I was greatly looking forward to boarding my ANA 777-300ER flight from London to Tokyo, which featured ANA’s latest business class product called “The Room.” My expectations were high but somehow they were still exceeded and I stepped off the flight smiling from ear to ear.
ANA “The Room” – It Beat My Lofty Expectations
Unlike Lufthansa, which has teased a new business class seat for five years, ANA announced a new business class product…and debuted it onboard less than a month later. Its new product, dubbed “The Room” and currently offered onboard select 777-300ER aircraft, gives Qatar Airways’ QSuite a run for the money and represents an incredibly spacious and comfortable seat.
But it goes so far beyond that. Service was spectacular, food was delicious, IFE well-done, and there are even bidets in the lavatory.
Of course you’d expect great service on ANA, but each flight attendant was gracious and attentive, addressed me by surname, and went out of their way to make my flight comfortable (for example, by proactively offering to make my bed after dinner).
Speaking of dinner, the food onboard was very delicious. I ordered off the western menu from London (relax folks, I pre-ordered the Japanese meal for the Haneda -Bangkok segment) and was elated to see little touches like a menu, amuse-bouche, proper appetizer, and cheese tray to complement a filet mignon main course that by itself was very tasty.
No COVID-19 hygiene theatre here. Real glasses. Real napkins. Large portions. Other than the masks and the covered entrees, you would never know that a pandemic continues.
I slept like a baby and was elated just to pull up into Tokyo International Airport once again…it has been more than two years since I was last there and I greatly missed it.
Bottom line: ANA’s latest business class seat is one of the best (and arguably the best) business class products in the sky.
Ahead: a 20 hour layover in HND – and no lounge access for most of it…
They have the same screensaver as when I flew them 2 years ago, maybe it’s the same every fall?
Nice to see some standards held
Not sure what Haneda is like to spend copious amounts of time in airside? Shame you don’t get to visit the landside observation deck but hope you have fun nonetheless!
Real glassware, cloth napkins, and food not sealed in plastic? It sounds like dangerous extremists set ANA’s Covid protocols.
Did you feel comfortable eating under these unsafe conditions?
Did you think they were not washed?
Of course they come in plastic. The stewardes takes them out and fix your table. That’s service!
The sarcasm sailed over your head……
The first time it was arguably funny, the 100th time, it comes across as old and tired, like those hair highlights.
Oh, snap. In triple and Z formation.
Because of the catering quality, I would bet money that it was intentional you did the Japanese menu departing from Tokyo and not flying into it.
Indeed. I’m not usually one who enjoys Japanese food, but I figured if I was going to try it – I’d do it from Japan.
ANA tends to have good food regardless of origin, and regardless of whether you are ordering from their Japanese or Western menu.
This could be a thread on its own. I prefer Japanese food out of Japan, but each departure point is different. I’ve found Sydney to be good and Hong Kong to be quite poor, no matter the carrier
I find Honk Kong catering to be quite good, actually. Shanghai tends be a bit meh, actually. But, to each their own…
I’ve no idea where ‘Honk Kong’ is Aaron.
You know what I meant, but for the obtuse reading this, Hong Kong.
Wonderful review and pictures! Whilst I have never traveled ANA I have heard that their bedding is hard- was this true in the new seats too?
Based on the pictures the rooms seem even more spacious than the Q-suites, and that’s saying a lot!
I did not find the bedding hard, though I do have a firm mattress at home.
What are the quarantine protocols in Japan right now
What’s the alchi selection though? C’mon, that ought to be the crux of the review here.
This is more of a first impression / live take on my trip. Next week, I’ll be publishing a very detailed review of this flight including a breakdown of the menu (breakfast too) plus info on Wi-Fi, amenity kits, IFE, and other aspects of the flight I did not mention. I’ll also have a lot more detail on the seats–how the doors close, how they are controlled, and what it is like to fly in such a spacious seat.
A wonderful review! I am only flying for very important business now (down from essentials and emergencies only) but this type of review is a feast for the brain and therefore very important travel. Thank you, Matthew.
This ANA product or EVA’s Royal Laurel to cross the Pacific? I’ve tried the previous ANA business product and EVA and generally regard them as a tie, but would be curious if this pushes ANA ahead.
I love them both. I’d choose ANA, but you cannot go wrong with EVA.
ANA. Overall my favorite business class product. The food and service are superb.
flew Qsuites twice on diff aircraft and flew ANA’s new J The Room and new F The Suite last month and while they were both fantastic, Qsuites is the clear winner as “Best J in the world” due to both the hard and soft product. i simply could not move while laying flat in The Room which was a dealbreaker for me
Interesting. I’d call the hard product a draw, catering better on Qatar, but service better on ANA.
I’d say ANA wins on the seat (so much more spacious than Qatar’s) and service, while Qatar has the better IFE system. Food I’d rate the same.
Were you not able to enter the country due to Covid?
Correct. US citizens (unless dual citizens, permanent residents, or holding a visa) are not allowed to enter Japan. Indeed, I could not even transit NRT…had to be HND.
huh?
You landed at NRT, what do you mean you could not transit there?
Surely there are only 3 possible outcomes;
Enter Japan
Transit to 3rd country
Return to origin
I landed in Haneda and continued to Bangkok.
Whoa… we can’t transit at NRT?
I just booked a flight through there on JAL.
When I called the airline a month ago there was no mention of this.
You can transit, but your connection at NRT must be same-day. Overnight connections are not permitted unless you can legally enter Japan.
Great review! How’s the leg room in those seats? I am 6’4″ and have had trouble fitting into many business class seats on airlines based in Japan. Thanks!
I’m 6’1″ and found the seat plenty long enough for me. The seat pitch is 53 inches upright and the bed is 72 inches long.
I thought you usually dress up a little bit – e.g. collared shirt and nice shoes – when you fly premium cabins. Is that no longer the case? No judgement here. Just curious.
Correct, no more dressing up. I guess that era has passed. Maybe I’ll do a post on it.
(But this was a J Crew sweater, not a t-shirt)
Oh, was the t-shirt because you were in the middle of the whirlwind mega-trip that you described? Again, no judgement; I’m just genuinely curious as to your thoughts of dressing up for flying
Yep, this was after a flight from LAX-IAD, an overnight at IAD, daytime flight to CAI, 3:40am arrival, five hour layover in Cairo, five hour flight to London, then seven hour layover in London.
Ah, that is a sweater. Clearly I didn’t look closely enough, sorry!
And I only remembered that this was part of the whirlwind trip after leaving my previous comment, or I wouldn’t have said anything…my bad. (Again, no judgement from me even if it were a t-shirt.)
I love the kabosu juice on ANA flights. It’s a wonderful citrus drink using kabosu, a type of lime in Japan. Yum!