ANA First Class “The Suite”: LAX-HND B777-300ER

ANA released their latest First Class product, The Suite, back in July 2019. The COVID pandemic limited the possibilities of flying this product. It’s featured just on a few routes (SFO-HND, LHR-HND, JFK-HND) as only nine 777 planes feature the latest seats. The routes change based on the season, but JFK and LHR are available year-round. I previously flew on ANA in First Class in 2015 with their old seat and really enjoyed it. I knew I needed to find a way to fly their new seat. I had a trip planned to go skiing in Niseko, Japan in March 2023 so I set an alert in ExpertFlyer knowing it was highly unlikely an award seat would open up. One early morning at the end of January 2023, I received a SMS and email stating a seat opened up. I immediately booked it using United miles on my phone from bed. It was 121,000 United miles + $5.60 in taxes one-way in First Class. Not the cheapest way to book this ticket using miles (ANA and Virgin Atlantic are cheaper), but I knew availability wouldn’t last and I had enough miles already in my United account.

It was a redeye departure at 12:05AM so I arrived at LAX around 10PM. It wasn’t too busy. I checked in and then proceeded through security to the Star Alliance First Class Lounge. I was the only guest in the entire lounge. I had a quick bite to eat and drink, but wanted to save room for the flight. The lounge was spacious and features an extensive liquor selection. After an hour in the First Class Lounge, I proceeded to the Business Class Lounge to get some fresh air on the outdoor terrace. This is an awesome feature of the the Star Alliance Business Class Lounge @ LAX.

Boarding started a bit late at 11:50PM, but with most Asian carriers they can board an entire 777 in less than 15 minutes. Wheels up was at 12:35AM for our 11 hour flight to Tokyo Haneda. Settling into seat 1A, I was offered PJ’s and a welcome beverage of champagne. The seat is massive! It’s the widest first class seat and one of the largest first class seats in the world. 38 inches wide, 76 inches in pitch, and 76 inches long in bed mode. Previously Cathay Pacific’s 777-300ER First Class had the widest seat, but ANA now has them beat by 2 inches. The TV is the largest personal TV I’ve had on a plane at 43″ in 4K. There is plenty of storage at the seat with a closet for your clothes after changing into the provided PJ’s as well as a shoe storage area. An ANA Globe-Trotter amenity kit was provided along with Sony noise cancelling headphones. There was only 1 other guest in First Class so the crew ratio was 3:2 so I knew the service was going to be top notch.

After takeoff, I enjoyed some Live TV which features a soccer game along with some mixed nuts paired with Suntory Hibiki 17 Whisky. I was in heaven 🙂 An amuse bouche was served as well prior to the meal service which featured: Duck & Chicken Rillettes, Goat Cheese Pâté, Chicken Roll and Cheese Pepper Bar.

A light dinner service was served due to the 12:05AM departure time so you miss out on the caviar service. A slight disappointment, but I knew of this limited meal service prior to booking the flight. I opted for the Beef & Mushroom Curry with Steamed Rice as a my main dish. It was excellent and had the Japanese curry flavors. I had the fruit bowl dish, Wagashiya no Anmitsu (Matchamitsu), for dessert. It was the perfect amount of food before heading off to bed.

The flight attendants setup my bed in Seat 1D as it was not occupied. It was so nice to not have to convert my seat into a bed and just use another seat. The doors on the suite closed for additional privacy while sleeping. It was super comfortable and slept a solid 7 hours.

Satellite WiFi was available on this plane for $21.95 for unlimited usage, but a voucher was provided in First Class for complimentary service. The inflight WiFi wasn’t the fastest at 6Mbps down/2Mbps up, but plenty for my phone to surf the web and text.

Breakfast was served prior to landing into Tokyo. I selected the Western option which was scrambled eggs and veggies. After breakfast, the crew celebrated my birthday with a handmade treat along with an ice cream dessert. Such a special touch from the NH105 crew! One of the crew members handed me a list of recommendations to try during my time in Kyoto. I did end up trying Warabimochi at Tokuya which was well worth the wait.

Landing at Haneda (HND) instead of Narita (NRT) makes it a quick and easy transfer into Tokyo.

 

Conclusion: Wow! ANA stepped it up big time and is the best way to fly to Japan if you are able to secure the new First Class seats, The Suite. The service was amazing and the seat matched it. I couldn’t think of a better way to spend my birthday flight on my way to Japan. This is a must try!