With legendary onboard hospitality, the finest Japanese Whisky, flatbed seats and exceptional cuisine, ANA (All Nippon Airways) offers a five-star flying experience as James Wilkinson discovers.
The Business Class cabin on ANA (All Nippon Airways) has won many awards over the years and for good reason because what you get from a seat, entertainment, meal and hospitality experience is very good.
Once you step onboard the Boeing 787, Boeing 777 and Airbus A380 fleet that feature the international Business Class cabin, the first thing you’ll notice is the spacious, 1-2-1 configuration.
Each seat has direct access to the aisle, a spacious side table with a personal light, a large table that’s ideal for working and dining, storage space under the ottoman for a large item, plus a universal PC power port, USB port and an 18-inch touch-panel LCD wide-screen monitor with a fantastic selection of movies, TV shows and games.
Flights offer ANA’s WiFi service, which will soon become free for all travellers in the Business Class cabin, plus an expansive duty-free offering including premium Japanese Whisky and luxury goods.
Where ANA’s Business Class stands out is food, drinks and hospitality on offer. On the dining front, there is a choice of a western or Japanese meal set and the quality and taste is so impressive, you’ll already feel like you are dining in a top Tokyo restaurant while you’re in the air.
If you go for the Japanese option, you can expect some Zensai (including sushi and morsels), Kobachi (a salmon salad and simmered icefish) and Shusai (simmered beef in wild vegetables), alongside steamed rice, Miso soup and Japanese pickles.
On the Western front, there will be a selection of small appetisers (like citrus marinated shrimps and scallops), followed by a main dish (beef fillet steak with Madiera sauce or steamed golden bream).
Both meal options come with a delightful dessert offering, including strawberry mousse, cheese and fruits.
On the wine front, expect a fantastic selection of top drops from across the globe, spanning France to Australia, New Zealand, Spain and Argentina, alongside a tasty selection of Sake and Shochu.
When it comes to an after-dinner tipple, incredibly, ANA offers the Hibiki Blender’s Choice from the House of Suntory of Japan (a $400 retail whisky) and it’s very, very hard to go past a dram of that.
The service on board ANA is well known as being called ‘five-star’ but that genuinely is what you can expect in the air and the hospitality is one of the many highlights onboard this impressive Business Class cabin that’s nothing short of five stars.
Lounging around
Before you depart from Tokyo’s Haneda Airport, stop by the ANA Lounge where you’ll find views over the airfield, seats for working and relaxing, plus a noodle bar, buffet (don’t skip past a Japanese curry), self-service drinks station (offering sake, shochu and other alcoholic beverages like beers from automated pourers) and a dining area.
For the best prices, book your tickets at https://www.ana.co.jp/