The Definitive Guide to ANA’s Direct Routes From the U.S. [Plane Types and Seats]

Traveling to Japan is at the top of many travelers’ bucket lists. Japan is home to numerous tourist attractions, and the country is also renowned for its amazing food, exceptional hospitality, and some of the cleanest facilities in the world. And those bullet trains? Incredible.

What better way to fly there than in one of All Nippon Airways’ premium cabins? All Nippon Airways, often abbreviated to ANA, is Japan’s largest airline.

While many of the carrier’s first- and business-class products are similar, there are also differences. To help you get a handle on the seats and aircraft the airline offers, keep reading through our definitive guide to ANA’s U.S. routes.

We’ll talk about the different aircraft utilized by ANA, along with the seats and cabins available on these planes, as well as the U.S. airports the airline serves.

Where Does ANA Fly in the U.S.?

All Nippon Airways, or ANA, serves 10 airports in North America. In addition to Vancouver (YVR) and Mexico City (MEX), the carrier serves 8 U.S. airports, the vast majority of its North American gateways.

ANA offers nonstop service to the following U.S. airports from its 2 hubs in Tokyo, according to the following frequencies:

Plane Types ANA Flies to the U.S.

ANA has a relatively young fleet, with an average age of roughly 6 1/2 years across its fleet of over 250 aircraft.

These are the types of planes you’ll see ANA using for passenger flights to and from the U.S.:

• Boeing 777-300ER
• Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner
• Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner
• Boeing 787-10 Dreamliner
• Airbus A380-800

ANA operates several variations of these aircraft (except for the A380, which only has 1 layout), which we’ll discuss below.

Seat Options by Aircraft Type

On the A380, ANA offers a Couchii product in rows 71 to 76 of economy. Here, the blocks of seats (3 seats by the windows or 4 seats in between the aisles) have just 32 inches of pitch, but the legrests can lift to form a sleeping surface if done across the seat block. There is an extra fee for choosing these seats.

Hot Tip:

ANA also has 2 versions of the Boeing 787-10 aircraft, although neither of these currently flies to the U.S. They’re only scheduled for domestic use.

Seats on ANA A380 Planes

ANA only offers 1 version of its Airbus A380, so the seating layout is always the same.

On this plane, you’ll find all of the economy seats on the lower deck. You’ll find a 3-4-3 layout in all rows.

On the upper deck, you’ll find first, business, and then premium economy as you move from front to back. First class features a 1-2-1 layout, while business class has a staggered 1-2-1 configuration that places seats in the odd rows closer together in the middle section (ideal for couples) and window seats further away from the aisle (suitable for solo travelers). Premium economy has a 2-3-2 layout at the rear.

Hot Tip:

Check out our review of first class on ANA’s inaugural A380 flight from Honolulu to Tokyo Narita.

Seats on ANA Boeing 777-300ER Planes

ANA operates 2 different layouts on its Boeing 777-300ER.

You can easily distinguish the 2 planes in a few ways. On the older layout, you’ll see a staggered setup in business class. You’ll also find a unique 2-4-3 layout in economy.

With the newer setup, you’ll find a 3-4-3 arrangement in economy and a more uniform arrangement in business class. You’ll also see arrows indicating seats that face backward in business class.

These rear-facing seats are part of the airline’s rollout of its new The Room FX product in business class. These sofa-style seats still have a lie-flat option but won’t recline — something similar to Finnair’s long-haul business class.

ANA plans to roll out these seats on long-haul aircraft in 2026, so the seat map is your key indicator to know if your plane has the newest setup.

Hot Tip:

To learn more about The Suite first class on ANA’s newer B777 planes, read our full The Suite review from Tokyo to San Francisco. You can also read why one of our writers loved it while another wasn’t impressed.

Comparing Seats on B777-300ER Models

Starting with economy, seats in the 2-4-3 (older) layout are 18 inches wide, while they’re only 16 to 17 inches wide in the new layout. The recline and pitch (space between rows) are generally the same, though. That extra width makes the older economy seats better.

In ANA’s first class and premium economy, you get generally the same amount of space on either plane. The key difference is the newness of the seat and its amenities.

ANA’s business class on these plane types couldn’t be more different.

Until The Room FX goes live, you may still find The Room, the airline’s already-great business class.

The older, staggered layout in business class looks very different. None of the middle seats (the 2 in the 1-2-1 layout) are truly together. Moreover, some of the window seats are more exposed to the aisle, but others are closer to the window, providing more privacy. For these private seats, choose window seats in odd-numbered rows on the left side (for example, 7A and 9A) or even-numbered rows on the right side (such as 8K and 10K).

C and H seats, although listed as window seats, have a divider between the seat and the window, allowing them to sit much closer to the aisle.

Hot Tip:

Read our review of ANA’s older seats on a Boeing 777 from Los Angeles to Tokyo and the new The Room seat from New York to Tokyo.

Seats on ANA Boeing 787-8 Planes

ANA has 3 different variations of seating on its Boeing 787-8 Dreamliners. It only offers seat maps for the 2 most common versions on its website, but we’ll discuss all of them here, since aircraft swaps can and do happen.

You’ll find a 3-3-3 layout in economy on every B787-8 plane in ANA’s fleet, and you won’t see first class on any of them. Moreover, you will find premium economy on one model.

On the first layout, you’ll find a 2-2-2 business class configuration and no premium economy section.

The second layout features a staggered business class, alternating between 1-2-1 and 1-1-1 configurations, as well as 2 rows of premium economy.

ANA also offers a variant with just 12 seats in business class, no premium economy, and a massive economy cabin, featuring 323 seats for only 3 lavatories.

Comparing Seats on B787-8 Models

The good news is that all of the economy seats, across all 4 layouts, offer the same width and generally the same pitch between rows. However, you get just 3 inches of recline on the model with 12 business seats and a massive economy cabin. You get 5 inches of recline on all the other B787-8 models.

If you’re looking to fly premium economy, it’s only available on a single variant.

Business class has 2 different setups: a 2-2-2 layout and a layout with a throne seat in the middle section, featuring an alternating 1-2-1 and 1-1-1 layout. In rows with a single seat in the middle section, you get the space normally allocated to 2 passengers — often referred to as a throne seat. These are the best seats possible for solo travelers.

Seats on ANA Boeing 787-9 Planes

ANA is currently operating 4 different seating layouts on its B787-9 planes, with a fifth on the way. That fifth model could mean some of the current options go away, and it will come with the introduction of The Room FX on the 787-9 model in 2026.

You’ll find a 3-3-3 layout in economy on all seating layouts for this plane, and you won’t find first class on any of these planes. Premium economy is available on 3 out of the 5 layouts we’ll discuss, and the number of seats in business class varies significantly.

The first model has 40 seats in business class, 14 in premium economy, and 192 in economy. This layout is easily recognized by the very small minicabin of business class after the central galley and entrance door.

The second variation has a bigger business class with 48 seats, 21 seats in premium economy, and 146 seats in economy. You can identify this plane because it has 3 rows of premium economy (instead of 2) and a large number of business class seats after the central galley.

The layouts above have a 1-2-1 business class arrangement, while the following have a 2-2-2 business class. You can identify them by their lack of premium economy and 2-2-2 cabin at the front.

The key difference is how many seats there are in business: 28 (above) or 18 (below).

ANA has a fifth layout for the Boeing 787-9 aircraft. This will start flying with The Room FX business class once it’s ready to take to the skies. You’ll easily recognize this aircraft by its alternating front- and rear-facing business class.

Comparing Seats on B787-9 Models

Aside from an additional 0.3 inches of seat width in the new (layout 5) arrangement for this aircraft, the economy seats generally have the same width and pitch. Pitch and recline vary greatly, though. You’ll find 34 inches of pitch and 5 inches of recline in layouts 1, 2, and 5. With layouts 3 and 4, though, you get just 31 inches of pitch and 3 inches of recline. You can feel the difference on a long flight.

In business class, the seat width varies between 20 and 22 inches, but the most crucial difference for most passengers is the 2-2-2 versus 1-2-1 layout, in which every passenger has direct aisle access.

How To Know Which Plane Type You’re Flying

If you already have a reservation, you can click on the button that says “My Booking” on ANA’s website. Within your reservation, you can view the plane type you’re on and select a seat.

You can also see information about the plane type on the first page of search results. To view this, click on Flight details and see the Aircraft type in the information that pops up. This example shows a 77W, which is the abbreviation for a Boeing 777-300ER.

Since there are multiple layouts possible for this aircraft, you need to advance through the reservation process until you see the option to choose a seat (assuming you aren’t booking basic economy).

If you’re booking this economy flight, you’ll be pleased to find a 2-4-3 layout, which offers an extra 1 to 2 inches of seat width.

Hot Tip:

Understand that airlines can and do swap aircraft. Whether it’s for maintenance, operational needs, or other factors, the plane type can change from the time you reserve until you actually fly. Tools like ExpertFlyer can inform you if the aircraft changes, allowing you to make adjustments to your reservation or seat choice if necessary.

Best Points To Earn To Fly All Nippon Airways

ANA is a Star Alliance member. This means you can use miles from partner airline programs, such as United MileagePlus, Air Canada Aeroplan, and Avianca Lifemiles. Additionally, you can use nonalliance partners like Virgin Atlantic Flying Club and Etihad Guest.

The biggest sweet spot for flying on ANA is using Virgin Points, even though the fees and award costs for these redemptions have increased in the past few years. Still, you can fly business or first class round-trip using the same number of Virgin Atlantic points as other programs charge for a one-way ticket.

With its numerous transfer partners, there’s no shortage of ways to earn Virgin Points. Partners include:

• American Express Membership Rewards
• Bilt Rewards
• Capital One Miles
• Chase Ultimate Rewards
• Citi ThankYou Rewards
• Marriott Bonvoy
• Rove Miles
• Wells Fargo Rewards

If you don’t like Virgin Atlantic, you can also use ANA Mileage Club, which partners with American Express Membership Rewards and Marriott. You get great business class redemption rates, especially when flying during the low season. You also have increased access to award availability from ANA — more seats than it shares with its partners, which is advantageous if you’re flying during peak dates.

Final Thoughts

ANA has an outstanding reputation in the aviation industry. With amazing first- and business-class products, the airline offers one of the best ways to fly to Japan.

With so many different layouts across its plane types, the amount of space — or modern amenities — you find at your seat can vary significantly. Armed with the information in this guide, you should have a good understanding of where ANA flies in the U.S., what planes it uses, and how to distinguish them from other airlines (and which seats are preferable).