Airline review: No loud talking, please, on world’s most considerate airline
By Flip Byrnes
The flight
Flight NH204, Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner economy, Frankfurt to Haneda (Tokyo). The flight time is 12 hours 30 minutes and despite departing 30 minutes late we arrive on time.
ANA aims to have net zero emissions by 2050.Credit: iStock
Frequency
Daily.
The loyalty scheme
ANA Mileage Club. ANA is a member of the Star Alliance but they also have additional alliances with airlines such as Etihad and Virgin Atlantic.
Checking in
After a hectic series of German train delays, I’m relieved to be greeted by an entirely empty check-in a tight 1 hour and 45-minutes pre-flight. The final destination being the powder capital of Hokkaido, my snowboard bag unexpectedly raises some eyebrows. This is my first ANA experience and I’m unaware space needs to be reserved for oversize items. The attendant explains I’m lucky as it isn’t a full flight and so sends it through.
The seat
30A. I’m on a window with a spare seat next to me. The cabin is in a 3-3-3 configuration with a seat pitch of 34 inches (86 centimetres) and width of 17.5 inches (44.5 centimetres). ANA board A to E seats via one plane door and F to K via another, making for seamless, considered boarding. Being short, I appreciate the footrest.
Baggage
Economy has an allowance of 23 kilograms with a length of 158 centimetres (fortuitously my snowboard bag is exactly 158 centimetres, confirmed by careful staff measuring). Buried in the website is the information to contact ANA to confirm space on your aircraft for sports equipment (especially if switching to a smaller domestic aircraft).
Passengers on board ANA are asked not to talk too loudly.Credit: iStock
Entertainment
The entertainment is fair and I watch a new release, explore HBO series Succession and get in the mood with a Japanese documentary on ‘Seasons in Hokkaido’ (with sometimes creative English subtitles). The entertainment is not handily grouped by genres or alphabetically but involves scrolling through all 146 options one by one.
Service
There are four cabin staff for economy, all unfailingly polite. The greeting announcement laying down the ground rules that passengers not talk loudly or consume excessive alcohol makes me feel like I’m already in thoughtful, considerate Japan.
Food
This is the only disappointing factor. Japan is a gastronomic powerhouse and when the lunch menu is presented (handily on a picture card with A – chicken ratatouille and B – beef curry and steamed rice), I request B. The beef is fatty and the sauce is slimy. I take two bites and instead hold out for the Japanese bounty awaiting in Haneda airport.
Carbon emissions
On their website ANA issues annual updates on their 2030 targets to reduce CO2 emissions in both aircraft and non-aircraft operations, some of which are already close to target. The airline aims to have net zero emissions by 2050.
One more thing
For snow-hungry skiers headed to Hokkaido, you’ll need to switch terminals in Haneda after arriving internationally at Terminal 3, but can handily re-check your ski or snowboard bags before catching the train to Terminal 1. For actually hungry passengers, there’s a range of cheap, delicious noodle houses in the airport for an instant, flavourful Japan meal hit.
The price
On this route, from $2145 economy class one way. ANA also flies from Sydney to Haneda from $1236 economy, one way.*
Verdict
With the bowing staff and positive behaviour mandates, could this be the world’s most considerate airline? It feels like a zen-filled Japanese bubble in the sky. Add in a BYO bento box (like the ekiben station bento boxes sold for rail journeys) or insert-any-incredible-Japanese-cuisine-here and you’d have an airline that would be hard to beat for a no-stress journey.
Our rating out of five
★★★★
The writer travelled as a guest of Club Med Tomamu.
*Fares are based on those available for travel three months from the time of publication and subject to change.
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