Is Flying First Class Worth It? Why I Was Not Impressed With ANA The Suite

Many in Far East countries still frown on having tattoos even in this time and age! As you and your better halve both are showing these on your forearms it can explain the ‘odd’ behaviour you describe at check in desk and later during the flight … If these were not visible attitudes/service from staff could have been better. PS: In many public baths in Japan having tattoos guarantees you refusal of entry!!

I’m going to assume the tattoos and soccer jerseys threw off the flight attendant at the counter. Is that wrong yes, but I’m not really shocked. I would not have been dressed that way for first class.

I thoroughly enjoy your site & watch for it everyday!

Interesting perspective. We flew them First in May 2023 in the suite/room as well. I too had to call my flight crew for everything and I was the only person in first. I assumed they would check back and they never did. I assumed maybe Japanese custom to let you be while flying b/c on the way OUT with the American flight crew they constantly checked on me. Same product just different direction. I did love the huge private check in room at the airport and private security screening. I thought that was nice. I didn’t see pictures of it in your review but I assume you did that as well in Japan. I wasn’t impressed with the comfort of the seats – I found the new suite/room HARD and uncomfortable. Old product while less roomy was more comfortable to me.

I just realized we flew home from different airports. NRT is outstanding first class lounge and their welcome process with the private room and private screened security is super nice. So I THINK NRT is the way to fly home for a better airport experience if possible.

Ryan,
I may get flamed by this but it is meant with great sincerity. You are how you carry yourself. Countries have Dynasties out of which their culture evolves. In travel blogs there seems to have been more than usual comments about people traveling and picking fault by comparing it to their homeland. In a similar vein tipping is a hot subject. Tipping can be an insult in Japan.
We did 89 flights last year, 94% in First. May I proffer that a football shirt will not be well received by senior airline staff. In Japan, and this is their culture, tattoos are not well received and, in fact, illegal in many venues. We seek out cultures before we travel. HTH

How was the service afforded other customers? I perceive it was the same in some respects, but I wonder if the Japanese aversion to tattoos (traditionally, the only folks in Japan with tattoos were Yakuza (the mob)) played any part in the experience the reviewer had? Different cultures react differently to personal appearance. In the US this is strongly frowned upon. But in Japan?

When I fly to Tokyo from London and back for the Holidays (in First) I always choose JAL. I much prefer their culture to ANA and the cabin is less claustrophobic. Their service to HNL is now normally only Business Class, save for a couple of flights over New Year, but although the offering is not in the same league as their first, the interaction with JAL personnel is always a pleasure.

Flew from Sea-Tac to Dallas Ft.Worth on July 24th. I flew first class both ways and when I checked in at Sea-Tac the Gal charged me $30.00. I said I thought the first bag was free. She said that was only for the Elite. Coming home they didn’t charge me!

Is it possible that a cultural aversion to tattoos played a role? Traditionally, only the Yakuza (Japanese mob) had tattoos. And, classically, one couldn’t enter a Japanese public bath with tattoos. While that doesn’t excuse flight attendants for not doing their job, I wonder whether this unfortunately factored in here?

What is the best benefit for a Marriott Bonvoy card? I have heard all kinds of different stories. I.e., Marriott keeps changing their terms, Marriott isn’t worth it, Marriott Bonvoy is wonderful, and Marriott Bonvoy is great!
WHAT DO YOU THINK?

Hi, I’m trying to book ANA business tickets but they’re all showing up as waitlisted from multiple cities and I tried different dates. Were your tickets waitlisted as well? If so, how did you get around that? I’m trying to book Tokyo in business next year and all flights from LAX, SFO, SEA. ORD, etc are waitlisted.

Were your flights waitlisted when you booked them? If so, how were you able to get a successful flight? I’ve tried from different destinations to Japan and every flight shows waitlisted.

I have flown ANA Business Class and was throughly impressed with all the service. I lived in Tokyo for 2 years. They are a very polite culture but harsh on several issues of non-conformity. As mentioned in many of the comments, tattoos are a taboo. We as Americans do not have the same perspective. If you were to fly them again, I would recommend a more business-like outfit, less casual, and long sleeve. It would be interesting to see if your experience would be different.

I just came home last night from flying ANA business class. It was also underwhelming. I always had to hunt for a flight attendant. No one turned down my bed. While PJs are not free in business, I wasn’t even offered the chance to buy them. Which is supposed to be an option. Only one meal was offered and it was just before landing. This is a 12 hour flight to NYC. I could get a light meal anytime, but again I had to hunt down my FA. I couldn’t find the call button in my suite.
Lounges sucked too. I was in terminal 1 or 2 in Haneda even though my flight was international. Those lounges only had little snack packs. I arrived in 3, but to catch my next flight I had to get to 1. So no chance to try the main ANA lounge.
I’ve flown Emirates first and business. No comparison! So glad my next flights are Emirates.

Before you write of First Class in general, spend some time, and a few points, and try long haul F on:
1. AirFrance La Première (777-300)
2. Ethiad
3. Emirates

AirFrance, La Premiere, and especially the ground experience was… sublime. We flew in from Italy to Paris in AF business, first row, to connect to the La Première segment which was CDG-IAD. Our flight was about an hour late leaving Rome and the walking time between the terminals was going to be extremely tight as the flight crew told us it could easily take over an hour, and possibly as long as 90 minutes, and we had just under 2 hours till take off. As we pulled up to the gate, my wife and I gathered our carry-ons and stood ready to blow out the door as soon as it opened and start that agonizing walk over to the other terminal.

As soon as the door opened, an Air France stepped into the a320 and spoke briefly with the onboard crew and they pointed us out and motioned us forward. Camille, our ground rep introduced herself, asked if she could please take my wife’s carry-on, and asked us to please follow her.

We stepped off the plane, but instead of walking up the airbridge ramp toward the terminal as expected, she walked over to an elevator just a few steps out of the plane. We entered the elevator and she punched in the ground floor and in just a few seconds the door opened right out on to the tarmac. We stepped out and parked just under the jet bridge was a beautiful black BMW 7-series with another Air France rep, who introduced himself as Antoine, holding the rear door open for us. As we stepped in he took my carry-on, and after we were in the car he placed our carry-ons in the BMW boot, held the front door for Camille to sit in the front passenger seat, and he got in the drivers seat and started off.

Camille told us we would have time to spend ‘an hour- maybe a bit more’ in the La Premiere lounge and asked if we would like to go. That was a big YES!

After no more than 3-4 minutes we parked and were escorted out of the BMW, and into the private check-in lounge, and then into the absolutely beautiful La Première lounge. Camille seated us in a plush love seat, and asked for our passports and told us she would take care of our check in while we enjoyed a glass of champagne which was already being walked over to us before we could even hand Camille the passports.

There are numerous reviews of the La Première lounge so I wont go into any other detail here, but I’ll just just it was impeccable in every way. The lounge was very quiet, with perhaps just 5 or 6 other passengers, soft music, and the lounge staff. They were also impeccably dressed, exceedingly professional and polite, and provided us with world class service for food & drinks over the following 70 minutes of our stay. Champagne, warm Lobster with clarified butter, Foie Gras, incredible cheeses, bread, and of course some fabulous French Margaux red to finish off our last few minutes there.

Just as we finished up, Camille came over and asked if we were ready to leave to our flight, and she and another driver took our carry-ons and escorted us back outside, this time to a black Mercedes sedan.

I expected us to be taken to the departure terminal and then over to our gate for boarding, but instead, we drove straight to the beautiful 777-300 and parked just under the wing. Camille told us we would be boarding directly up and into the air bridge. As we were walking over to the door I stopped to admire the 777 and Camille asked if she could take a photo for us.

She got several amazing shots of us right there on the tarmac with that magnificent airship behind us- shots I never tire of looking at from time to time.

So up the airbridge and straight on board where Camille introduced us to the Chief Purser and our personal attendant Marie.

On the 777-300 there are only 4 seats in first. My wife and I had the middle two and there was no one else in the first class cabin.

Somehow, they knew we were celebrating our 25th wedding anniversary. We told the ticketing agent in Rome, but that’s it. She gushed over us, so I’m assuming she made some kind of note in our flight records. Within moments of being seated Marie was offering us a 2006 Piper-Heidsieck Rare which she opened with reserved professional grace as we settled into the amazing first class seats.

After no more than 5 or 6 minutes, Camille came over to us with a gentleman in uniform, who she introduced as Girard our Captain. He greeted us warmly, asked if we had flown AF before, told us he had been with them for 17 years, and that it was on honor to serve us on this special anniversary.

Wow. Just WOW.

After the captain left us to head back to the flight deck Camille said she was waiting for confirmation all of our checked luggage had transferred from the Rome flight and that she would check back as soon as the had that.

About 10 minutes after that she came back to our seats and profusely apologized for the inconvenience, but one of our 3 checked bags was not on the plane yet and that they were doing an urgent trace on it, and that she would not leave us until the bag was located and on the plane.

At this point we were only 15 minutes or so from the scheduled departure time of 1.55pm. At 2pm she returned and told us they had located the bag and it was being driven directly to the plane! At 2.05 she came back once again, all smiles and told us all of the bags were now in the hold, told us it was her pleasure to have served us today, and asked us to please consider La Premiere again whenever possible, and said farewell and happy anniversary again with a warm handshake for me an a hug and three kisses for my wife.

The remainder of our time on the flight was no less spectacular than the entire ground experience. After the stunning caviar service, followed by a world-class meal, Marie closed off the curtains on both sides and we had complete and total privacy – like a small elegant suite in the sky for a few hours sleep, until it was time for the pre-landing meal service.

So- it was not my original plan to go into such detail, but based on your experience with ANA, I thought you should know there is quite another side to the First class coin, and you should absolutely experience it before First Class is just a memory of days gone by (which may not be more than a few years off the way things are going these days).

My experiences on Emirates and Ethiad were also absolutely fantastic and I still encourage other to try them all, but the Air France experience was one for the history books.

Thanks for a great site and content.