ANA vs. JAL: Which Offers the Best Domestic First Class in Japan?

Where the U.S. has a big 3, Japan has a big 2: All Nippon Airways (ANA) and Japan Airlines (JAL).

The fierce rivals compete mostly on the same routes, and each has its own low-cost subsidiary. Most excitingly for AvGeeks and frequent flyers, their flagship domestic aircraft are wide-bodies with premium cabins that sit somewhere between regular domestic first class and transcontinental products with lie-flat seats.

However, they take very different approaches. JAL’s Airbus A350-900 has 3 classes: Economy, Class J, and First Class, while ANA’s Boeing 787-10s have just 2: Economy and Premium. The fares for comparable cabins can differ significantly.

I was curious why one airline charges so much more than the other, so I tried both ANA’s Premium and JAL’s First Class to see which offers the best value.

Booking and Pricing

ANA

I spent a lot of time researching fares, and 90% of the time, ANA‘s Premium class was 2 or even 3 times as much as JAL‘s First Class fares on the same routes.

ANA was generally so expensive that it took me a while to find a fare that would make the experience possible. At around an hour long, the $176 one-way flight from Tokyo Haneda (HND) to Osaka (KIX) was a little shorter than the JAL flight from Haneda to Fukuoka (FUK).

I tried to add my Copa Airlines ConnectMiles number to my ANA booking, but it didn’t work. After the flight, I managed to credit the flight.

I paid using my U.K.-issued Platinum Card^® from American Express.

JAL

JAL doesn’t price its domestic fares as it does in the U.S. in the sense that the difference between its 3 fare classes can be as little at $10 to $20. Sometimes, if the lowest fare class of a particular cabin has sold out, it can be cheaper to fly in the next cabin up.

I eventually settled on a flight from Haneda to Fukuoka as my comparison flight. The one-way cost me $262, more than a nonstop first-class flight from Sapporo to Fukuoka would have. Alas, I wanted to compare the entire experience like-for-like with ANA, so I booked an early flight from Sapporo (CTS) to Haneda to build in enough time for the layover to experience JAL’s First Class check-in and lounge.

As I’m trying to earn as many British Airways Avios as possible for a couple of bucket list flights, I credited this flight to my BA Club account.

Winner: JAL. Its First Class fares are consistently much cheaper than ANA’s on the same routes.

Check in at Tokyo Haneda Airport

JAL

One of the things I love about flying in Japan is that ANA and JAL are completely separate at airports. In some cases, they even have their own dedicated terminals, like at Haneda.

Get this for an extra layer of organization: JAL’s domestic terminal at Haneda is split into 2 wings: North to check in for flights heading north, and South for flights heading, you guessed it, south.

I didn’t immediately see any signs for JAL’s First Class check-in. I’ve found signage for Premium check-in areas to be nonexistent on my travels around Japan. After walking for a couple of minutes, I spotted the red sign with the golden F, denoting the First Class check-in.

Service was fast and efficient in the small private room, where 3 staff members were on hand. I expect it was busier than normal, as the North Wing was closed for renovations at the time. In less than 5 minutes, a JAL First Class tag was attached to the handle of my 30-kilogram (66-pound) suitcase and I had my boarding pass in hand.

ANA

ANA’s setup is different. Its Premium check-in area is in the open terminal, rather than behind a private set of doors. Once you’ve dropped your bag, you then proceed through a private security checkpoint next to the navy blue wall in the image below.

This time, my 30-kilogram bag caused me an issue. The check-in agent told me I was limited to 23 kilograms (around 51 pounds) and would have to pay a surcharge. When I asked if she was sure, she smiled and said yes. After a failed attempt to communicate in English, I typed “I thought Premium had a higher weight limit” into Google Translate. She opened a binder of laminated sheets, paused, then said that I didn’t have to pay after all, and that she’d made a mistake. I’m not sure what caused the confusion or why she didn’t know that Premium passengers can check 30-kilogram bags.

Winner: It has to be JAL. ANA’s mess-up with the checked bag and the less than private check-in area was a far less premium-feeling experience.

Domestic Lounges at Tokyo Haneda

JAL

JAL’s regular business class and Oneworld status Sakura Lounges are, for lack of a better description, basic. I was hoping that the more premium Diamond Premier Lounge my First Class ticket afforded me would give me access to a significant upgrade. I quickly realized I should have set my expectations lower.

At least there was actual food here and not just a tray of popcorn and a savory snack mix. I’d saved my appetite thinking I’d have a decent meal, so I ate a few curry breads and bowls of vegetable soup.

Still, there’s a high chance even the most basic Admirals Club in the U.S. would have had a more nourishing food offering than this.

It was quite busy (and very warm) when I arrived at around 12:30 p.m. There were lots of different seating areas, so I still managed to find a spare seat on the high-top table.

The views from my seat over the apron and runway were a bonus.

ANA

I accessed the ANA Lounge, like JAL’s, directly after passing through the private security lane. Feeling rather peckish, I headed straight for the food section. There were 2 snacks, and no hot food. Self-service beer is a staple in most lounges in Japan, and the ANA Lounge was no exception.

Confused, as JAL had hot food in its equivalent, I eventually had to head out to find a convenience store to grab lunch.

The ANA Lounge was larger and more modern than JAL’s, but felt corporate and soulless.

Like JAL, ANA has a more premium lounge called the ANA Suite Lounge. Sadly, its Premium class passengers don’t get access; only passengers with ANA’s highest status or specific credit cards are eligible.

As I was heading to the gate around 4:20 p.m., I spotted a sign stating that rice balls and inari sushi would be served for precisely 2 1/2 hours starting at 4:30 p.m.

Winner: JAL, again. Even though I wasn’t particularly impressed by either lounge, JAL gave me access to its top-level domestic lounge, and its hot food offering wasn’t time-restricted.

Boarding

JAL

JAL’s First Class passengers board in group 1 alongside those with top status or JAL credit cards, but after those with priority needs.

Boarding a wide-body in Japan usually means 2 jet bridges. First Class passengers turn left, but so do any passengers sitting in F, G, H, J, or K seats, so it’s not an especially premium experience.

ANA

ANA’s boarding process mirrors its lounge eligibility: Group 1 boarding is reserved for passengers with Diamond status or certain ANA credit cards.

ANA uses the same dual jet bridge, wide-body boarding system as JAL.

Winner: JAL, simply because its First Class passengers board in group 1.

Seat and Cabin

JAL

The First Class cabins on JAL’s A350-900s have 12 seats in a staggered 2-2-2 configuration. The seats are equivalent to very good long-haul premium economy class.

There’s a partition between each seat, which improves privacy slightly. For storing small personal items, there’s a cubby in the middle console, where the universal and USB-A outlets also are. These planes must have been ordered just before USB-C came out.

The bifold tray table comfortably fit my 13-inch MacBook Pro with enough space for Champagne. The table was also very sturdy, as it rested on the opposite armrest when extended.

ANA

ANA’s Boeing 787-10s have 14 more seats than JAL’s Airbus A350s, making the cabin feel distinctly less premium.

I found the seat to be very comfy, and it had way more legroom than JAL’s A350.

The privacy partition wasn’t very effective, and the fixed-hinge nature of the wobbly tray table restricted seat egress when extended.

Winner: ANA’s legroom was impressive, and I preferred its fabric seats to JAL’s leather equivalents. However, the adjustable privacy partitions, well-positioned tray table, extra storage, and the cabin’s overall more exclusive and luxurious feel gave JAL the edge.

Food and Drink Service

JAL

The meal was a 3-course affair, including warm bread. The main dish was a mixture of Western and Japanese ingredients, including 3 large pieces of pasta Bolognese. Despite the randomness, I enjoyed every bite, especially the fresh salmon salad starter. I wasn’t a fan of the cheese manju dessert. We were also offered a snack basket before landing.

I was impressed with the variety of drinks available on such a short flight. Among the classic soft drinks and wine selection, Joseph Perrier Cuvée Royal Brut was the Champagne. Being served an entire miniature bottle rather than a glass is always a plus. Japanese sake and premium shōchū were also on offer. When I realized the shōchū was from Fukuoka, where I was headed, I took it as a sign to try it.

ANA

I was really hoping ANA would pull it out of the bag with the meal service. I was happy to be served a traditional Japanese bento box rather than a Western meal. However, the cardboard box and cheap plastic tray felt less premium than JAL’s meals.

Each of the 6 miniature dishes was really tasty. I didn’t know what I’d be eating until it arrived, though, as the menu came with the meal.

ANA had a strong list of drinks, though it offered the French sparkling wine Duc de Breux rather than Champagne. It was also served in a paper cup.

Winner: JAL. Even though the presentation and flavors of ANA’s Japanese dining experience were truly the highlight of the flight, ANA let itself down in the finer details. Elements such as serving alcohol in paper cups and inferior flimsy paper menus cheapened the experience.

Amenities

JAL

Fluffy slippers, a back support or pillow (I couldn’t figure it out), and proper noise-canceling headphones by Audio-Technica were waiting at my seat. The slippers even came with a shoehorn — another flying experience unique to Japan to add to my list.

Additionally, a crewmember walked through the cabin offering blankets before takeoff.

ANA

I’ve discovered that Japan is the land of amenities, particularly for the feet. Slippers are everywhere in Japan, including in the seat pocket of the short flight from Haneda to Osaka Itami (ITM).

Next to them were a set of Panasonic-branded headphones. They were better than a wired headset but weren’t noise-canceling.

Winner: This was close, but JAL went the extra mile with better quality headphones and the entirely unnecessary shoehorn, which was the cherry on top.

Service

JAL

I was nervous about taking pics in the cabin when I boarded, as there are lots of rules and regulations in Japan. However, it didn’t faze the crew at all, and they even asked if I wanted my picture taken in my seat.

Crew was constantly in the cabin throughout the flight, clearing tray tables or topping up drinks.

ANA

ANA’s crew was friendly and personable and also asked if I’d like a photo at my seat when I was getting shots for the review.

However, ANA’s crew were less present in the cabin and didn’t ask if I’d like a second drink.

Winner: ANA’s flight was around 30 minutes shorter, but even accounting for that, JAL still delivered better service.

Final Thoughts

Sitting in the ANA Lounge, having had to buy my own snacks from an airport 7-Eleven, I felt like I’d been cheated. From start to finish, my experience as a Premium passenger with ANA lagged far behind that as a First Class passenger with JAL.

While ANA’s inflight experience certainly didn’t disappoint and I loved the bento and miles of legroom, JAL was just better in every other way. Highlights included a more exclusive cabin and finer details like menu quality, proper glassware for drinks, and proper Champagne.

Even if I were a Star Alliance elite, I think I’d be inclined to fly JAL’s First Class over ANA’s Premium class. It’s truly not worth the money.