This flight with All Nippon Airways (ANA) is part of my series of articles related to my trip to Thailand.
You can use Aeroplan points to book this flight. Since All Nippon Airways is a Star Alliance partner of Air Canada, the points fare is fixed and will depend on the distance flown.
This flight from Tokyo (HND) to New York (JFK) covers a distance of 6,772 miles. Thus, according to the North America – Pacific reward chart, this flight costs:
However, a few months before this flight, I came across a very competitive price from Jakarta (Indonesia) to New York via Tokyo: US$ 760. This same combination of flights would have cost 87,500 Aeroplan points.
The easiest way to earn Aeroplan Points is to apply for one of these Aeroplan credit cards. Not only will you earn Aeroplan Points as a welcome bonus, but you will also earn Aeroplan Points on all purchases charged to your Aeroplan credit card.
The most popular Aeroplan credit card is the TD® Aeroplan® Visa Infinite* Card, whose current welcome offer is as follows:
You can also earn Aeroplan Points through the American Express Membership Rewards program. You can transfer your American Express Membership Rewards points to Aeroplan Points at a 1:1 ratio. So 10,000 Membership Rewards points = 10,000 Aeroplan points. Many Membership Rewards credit cards are available in Canada.
One of the best Membership Rewards credit cards from American Express is the American Express Cobalt® Card. With this credit card, you get 5 points per dollar for grocery purchases, convenience stores and spending at restaurants and bars. Also, consider the gift card trick where you can get 5 Points per dollar for many stores like Amazon, SAQ, Ikea, Netflix, etc.
Here is the welcome offer currently available for this card:
Japanese airlines are used to starting boarding on time. This is also the case for this NH110 flight to New York JFK.
Travelling in business class, I was among the first to board. Even though there were 2 doors to separate the First Class from the other cabins, a flight attendant asked us to board through the first door.
So I could visit the First Class, called The Suite (which is on my Bucket List for an upcoming trip). Surprisingly, the seats in First Class The Suite are arranged 1-2-1… just like the business class The Room.
The difference is mainly in the length of the living space (for example, you have three windows instead of two in business class). And the screen size: 42 inches in 4K format instead of 24!
Before settling into my seat in ANA The Room business class, I took the opportunity to take a look at the Premium Eco cabin) organized in 2-4-2 on three rows of seats installed just behind the business class:
Then the economy class, occupying the last third of the aircraft, arranged in a high density 3-4-3 format.
Return to ANA Business Class The Room, splitted into a main cabin and a mini-cabin with seats arranged in a 1-2-1 configuration:
For this flight, I had chosen a window seat, in the mini-cabin located at the height of the plane’s wings.
Immediately, when you sit down in a The Room seat, you realize how much individual space you have. Everything is over-screened: it’s like being in First Class.
Another person could easily sit in the same seat during the flight.
What is particularly appreciable when the seat is positioned in bed mode is the shoulder room. This makes it possible to feel really comfortable.
On the right, a large space allows you to put your objects. A small closet is available in which you could store things. There is also a mirror and this is where you will find a power outlet (with a USB plug) and the HDMI plug.
Below this space, you will find a detachable remote control as well as all the controls to manage your living space (lights, seats, etc.).
On the left side of the seat, you will find a USB port as well as the connection for the headphones.
Underneath the footrest, you will find a large space for your shoes, for example.
The headphones provided in business class ANA The Room are made by Sony and are well made: the ambient noise reduction function works well.
The screen available in ANA The Room business class is 24 inches and high resolution. You can see the size of this screen compared to the Milesopedia coaster:
I particularly appreciated the HDMI connection allowing me to work efficiently with two screens.
As you can see above, the table is big, leaving plenty of room on the right and left for my 16-inch Macbook Pro. And it can be folded in half, making it a little easier to get out of your seat.
The welcome kit provided in ANA The Room business class consists of a green leatherette Globe Trotter box and the usual contents (toothbrush, night mask, earplugs and a shoehorn).
The boarding took about 40 minutes. We take off on time under a radiant sun.
Once at cruising altitude, I head to the bathroom to put on the pyjamas provided.
On Japanese airlines like ANA, the toilets are bidet type. You will also notice the cleanliness of this one and the presence of a large changing table for baby.
This is a view of the main cabin of ANA The Room business class. This is where I spent the night (a baby was unfortunately screaming quite a bit near my initial seat).
Here is my position once I was settled in bed mode in the ANA The Room business class seat. Just before I went to bed, the flight attendants had installed a mattress topper and a comforter.
In the ANA The Room business class, you have a double door for privacy. However, a few centimeters gap allows daylight to pass. It’s not as intimate as Emirates’ new First Class. But it is appreciated, especially in business class!
If you are installed on the window side, you have an electric curtain.
To give you an idea of timing, I was able to go to bed about 2 hours and 20 minutes after takeoff, and once the service was over. There was still 9 hours of flight time left:
On this flight (which left Japan in the morning), I had to force myself to sleep in order not to arrive too tired in New York (I was able to sleep about 4 hours).
However, even though the ANA The Room business class seat is very spacious, causing no discomfort to either feet or shoulders, it is rather on the hard side. Don’t hesitate to ask for a second mattress topper if, like me, you prefer a little more softness!
Here is the menu served in ANA The Suite business class between Tokyo and New York:
During the flight, I chose to taste Castelnau Champagne and Max Reserva red wine (Chile).
I chose to go for Japanese cuisine:
Then I finished with an assortment of cheeses.
After waking up, during the flight, I asked for one of the specialties: a bowl of Ramen “Pla-ton” IPPUDO. A delight!
After 12 hours and 40 minutes of flight, we arrived in New York (JFK) ahead of schedule.
In conclusion, I can say that the ANA The Room business class is undoubtedly one of the best business classes I have ever tried. However, I found the level of service and seat quality offered by ANA The Room to be one level below what Qatar Airways offers with its Qsuite (these two products are regularly compared).
Either way, if you find availability on Aeroplan to travel on ANA The Room, or are lucky enough to get a competitive fare like I was, you won’t be disappointed with the experience when travelling between Japan and North America or Europe.
Savings are here:
