All Nippon Airways [ANA] Review – Seats, Amenities, Customer Service, Baggage Fees, and More

BY 

Erin Miller

- UPDATED: April 20, 2020

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All Nippon Airways (ANA) is Japan’s biggest airline. Although the service and standards are rivaled by its counterpart – Japan Airlines – it’s the only airline in Japan to hold Skytrax 5-star status.

With broad route coverage worldwide and another 12 new routes planned for 2020, the airline is set to continue growing, especially with the newly announced joint venture with Singapore Airlines.

Basic Info

Airline: ANA (All Nippon Airways)

Category: International airline

Frequent Flyer Program: ANA Mileage Club

Tagline: “Inspiration of Japan”

Number of Passengers Annually: 46.5 million

Fleet: 240

Main Hub: Tokyo-Haneda Airport (HND)

Destinations: 50 domestic and 25 international destinations

Hot Tip: If you’re considering flying with ANA, check out our article on ANA’s direct routes from the United States.

Frequent Flyer Programs

Passengers can join ANA’s loyalty program, ANA Mileage Club, to earn miles to redeem for lots of rewards. Members can earn miles on domestic and international flights with ANA and a variety of partner airlines.

Miles can be redeemed for reward flights and upgrade vouchers, as well as hotel stays, extra baggage allowance, and car rental.

ANA’s Premium Membership Services provide additional privileges and benefits to elite members at Bronze, Platinum, and Diamond levels.

Depending on the elite level, passengers can enjoy lounge access, upgrade rewards, priority check-in, and miles bonuses, among a whole host of other benefits.

Hot Tip: Find out the best ways to earn lots of ANA Mileage Club miles to start earning rewards and work your way up to elite status. 

Ticketing Options

ANA Baggage and Other Fees/Add-Ons

Baggage Fees

Carry-On Allowance

ANA allows all passengers to bring a personal item and 1 standard carry-on bag into the cabin. ANA does not disclose size or weight restrictions for the personal item, but the standard piece must not exceed 22 x 16 x 10 inches (55 x 40 x 25 cm) and no more than 22 pounds (10 kg).

Checked Allowance

Domestic Routes:

• Bags must not exceed maximum linear dimensions of 81.9 inches (208 cm)
• Weight allowance:
  • Economy passengers: 44 pounds (20 kg)
  • Premium passengers: 88 pounds (40 kg)

There is no limit to the number of pieces a passenger can bring, providing the combined weight does not exceed the allowance.

International Routes:

• Bags must not exceed maximum linear dimensions of 62 inches (158 cm)
• Baggage allowance:
  • Economy/Premium Economy: 2 x 50 pounds (23 kg) bags
  • Business Class: 2 x 70 pounds (32 kg) bags
  • First Class: 3 x 70 pounds (32 kg) bags

Additional/Excess Baggage Fees

Pre-paid luggage is between $50 and $200 depending on the route.

Hot Tip: For more information on baggage (including fees for excess luggage), see our dedicated article on ANA’s baggage policy.

Other Fees and Add-Ons

Change/Cancellation Fees

ANA’s change and cancellation fees are visible during the booking stage and are route and fare type dependent. Where a ticket allows changes or cancellations, the fees are up to $500 per passenger per one-way route.

Advanced Seat Selection

Flights between Japan and Europe, North America (except Honolulu), and Oceania

• Exit row seats: $55
• Other seats: $25

Flights between Japan and Cambodia, Honolulu, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam

• Exit row seats: $50
• Other seats: $20

Flights between Japan and East Asia

• Exit row seats: $45
• Other seats: $15

Other Fees

Unaccompanied Minor: Charged at an adult fare

Pet Transportation:

• Area 1: North America/Latin America/Hawaii
• Area 2: Europe/Africa/Middle East
• Area 3: Asia (including Japan)/Oceania

Fees per pet cage:

• Routes across 2 of the areas above: $400
• Routes within 1 of the areas above: $250
• Domestic routes: ¥5000 ($46)

Onboard Wi-Fi

• 30 minutes (15 MB): $4.95
• 1 hour (30 MB): $8.95
• Full flight (100 MB): $19.95

How to Avoid Paying Excess Fees and Travel Expenses

There are several rewards cards where charges on your statement can be paid for by using your points/miles balance. We like Capital One cards for this strategy and here are the cards we recommend:

ANA Lounges

Japan Locations

• Chubu Centrair International Airport (NGO)
• Osaka International Airport (ITM)
• Tokyo-Haneda Airport (HND)
• Tokyo-Narita International Airport (NRT)

U.S./Canada/Mexico/Hawaii Locations

Europe/Middle East/Africa

East Asia

Inflight Inclusions, Amenities, and Seat Specs

Economy

Amenities include: 

• Slim design seats with a 34-inch pitch and 6-way adjustable headrest (on selected aircraft)
• Personal touchscreen up to 13.3 inches with access to movies, sports, and music
• Wi-Fi (for a fee)
• Meals, snacks, and drinks, including alcoholic beverages
• Option to purchase meal upgrades
• Pillow and blanket
• Postcard and pen (selected routes)
• Lounge access (for a fee)

Premium Economy

Amenities include: 

• 19.3-inch seat with leg/footrest
• On-seat adjustable reading light
• Universal PC power port/USB port (selected routes)
• 10.6-15.6-inch touchscreen LCD monitor
• Wi-Fi (for a fee)
• Meals, snacks, and drinks, including alcoholic beverages
• Option to purchase meal upgrades
• Pillow and blanket
• Slippers and shoehorn (selected routes)
• Amenity kit with toothbrush, eye mask, earplugs, and pocket tissues
• Postcard and pen (selected routes)
• Lounge access (for a fee)

Business Class

Amenities include:

• Business class check-in
• Lounge access (if available)
• Priority boarding
• Lie-flat seat on selected aircraft and a private (uncovered) area on the B777-200ER; other aircraft have seats with a generous recline
• Meals crafted by top chefs and available to pre-order, snacks, and drinks including fine wines, Champagne, and sake
• 17-24-inch 4K touch monitor
• Sony noise-canceling headphones
• Universal PC power port and USB/HDMI ports
• Wi-Fi (for a fee)
• Nishikawa’s Air Cyclone® bed pad (selected flights), blanket, and pillow
• Globe-Trotter amenity kit with face wash, lotion, and cream
• Knitwear (selected routes)
• Pajamas (selected routes)
• Slippers and shoehorn
• ANA’s Original “Aroma Card”
• Postcard and pen (selected routes)
• Foot roller

Hot Tip: Considering flying ANA business class? Read about Stephen’s experience onboard the 777 from Los Angeles to Tokyo.

First Class

ANA has 3 fits for its first class offering – the new suites onboard some B777-300ERs, an older version (but still a self-contained shell seat) onboard the remaining B777s, and the A380 pod with a privacy door.

Amenities include: 

• ANA suite check-in (available at Tokyo-Narita)
• Lounge access (if available)
• Private (uncovered) self-contained suite with a lie-flat seat on all aircraft; some pods have a door for privacy
• Privacy partition for center seats that can be lowered for traveling companions
• Nishikawa AiR bed pad and comforter
• Eco-friendly knitted loungewear
• Amenity kit including face wash and moisturizer
• Slippers, shoehorn, and foot roller
• Personal jacket closet
• Charging points
• Postcard and pen (selected routes)
• 23-43-inch screen (4K onboard the newest fit) with inflight entertainment
• Noise-canceling headphones
• Free 100 MB Wi-Fi (cabin crew distribute a free access card onboard)

Hot Tip: Discover the best ways to book ANA first class using points with this step-by-step guide.

Seat Specs

ANA has a fleet of 240 aircraft ranging from the Boeing 777-200 for domestic flights to the double-decker A380 for long-haul routes. Below are the seat specs for some of ANA’s aircraft.

ANA Customer Satisfaction

ANA is highly rated on review sites and social media, supporting ANA’s 5-star status. Asian hospitality is often referred to as the best, and ANA’s cabin crew are proof of this, being widely praised for their warm nature, professionalism, and attentiveness.

Onboard dining is a firm favorite for passengers as the airline serves local specialties such as Japanese Arare rice crackers and sushi. There’s even an upgrade option for economy and premium economy passengers to purchase for an enhanced dining experience.

A common criticism that passengers have with the airline is the ANA website. Customers have described the user experience as clunky and old fashioned, so let’s hope that the airline soon invests in modernizing its website in line with its 5-star status.

Most Common Complaints

No official statistics can be found on Japan’s aviation authority website mlit.go.jp.

Consumer Rankings, Ratings, Etc

Skytrax Rating: 5 Star Airline (out of 5)

Skytrax Customer Rating: 8/10

Tripadvisor Airline Review Rating: 4.5/5 (average from 9,997 reviews)

Kayak Customer Rating: 8.3/10 (average from 4,552 reviews)

Safety and Performance

ANA has a 7/7 safety record according to AirlineRatings.com. This assesses whether an airline has an IATA Operational Safety Audit Certification, along with information from the World’s Aviation Governing Body, government, and crash data.

Final Thoughts

ANA is a first class airline when it comes to its soft product offerings, such as food and beverage and inflight service. Compared to business and first class seating on other 5-star airlines, ANA’s can look a little dated but is still comfortable and functional.

Although ANA and Singapore Airlines are currently connected via Star Alliance, their new joint venture would offer passengers joint fare products and greater alignment across their frequent flyer programs.