startpacking

Have been on ANA but only on intra Asia flights; never flown long haul flights with NH. I frequently fly TPAC and usually on CX, AA or JL. I'd like a change and NH or EVA look like the two best options. My final destination is HKG and I'd be flying in Y.

What are long haul flights like on ANA?

Is there any advantage/disadvantage to flying on a particular flight via a US gateway (ORD - NRT, IAD - NRT, EWR - NRT, LAX - NRT), etc.

Any suggestions or advice will be appreciated.

Thank you.

ORDnHKG

http://www.ana.co.jp/wws/us/e/asw_co...light/guide/y/

Long haul, short haul all the same when you are comparing Y, no difference other than CX, AA, or JL, except NH long haul Y first meal has miso soup and ice-cream for dessert. Also neither NH or JL have instant noodles for Y pax as mid-flight snack, those are only available for C pax. I know CX do have instant noodles for Y pax on long haul flights.


If you are *G, then it may has an advantage/disadvantage of the lounges you can use in those airports. IAD and LAX are better regarding to lounges as IAD you can use LH SEN lounge in B, LAX you can use star alliance lounge at TBIT. ORD you can only use UA club, which as a domestic club not much to offer, but ORD UA club at C where NH departs do have showers available. (the neat thing for UA club shower at C is they provide slippers, which you can take all the amenities that include slippers with you but not shower, and use that inflight ! It isn't like the C class slippers, just the paper thin ones, but I like to take off my shoes on long haul flights, as least something to wear inflight)

NH doesn't fly EWR-NRT, it is JFK-NRT.

drvannostren

The advantage of the US gateways would be aircraft type, people are very split on aircrafts here. I've flown the old 767 from YVR, it sucks, but I was happy with the service and price, I'm doing it again in Feb.

Service was very good imo. Very attentive. IFE sucked, in selection and in delivery. The system was good on their 777 and 787 but the selection still sucked.

startpacking

Thanks for the replies.

I'm a *A nobody, so no lounge access.

Made a mistake with EWR. Is this list of cities that NH flies to in the US and Canada complete:- YVR, LAX, JFK, ORD, IAD, IAH (which will start next month).

truncated

Nope you missed a few - SFO (77W), SEA (77W but going back to 788 in winter) and SJC (788). Also HNL if that counts as part of the US

The choice of gateway probably determines your aircraft configuration - JFK/ORD/IAD/IAH (usually but not always) get the 77Ws which are 2-4-3 in Y while the west coast 77W flights are more often on the high-density 3-4-3 configuration. The 787s are a pretty tight 3-3-3 in Y and LAX-HND is on a 772 with angle-flats in J and rather cramped seats in Y iirc.

Service even in Y is excellent; food is good but they seem to rotate the same sets of meals on all their flights ex-TYO so things can get boring after a while.

Unimatrix One

There is a BIG difference between JL and NH in Y.

All JL 77Ws have 9-abreast seating with relatively wide seats and generous legroom at 34 inches of pitch. The 787 to JFK also has a spacious Y product. (The 787s that fly to SAN and BOS, however, have less legroom although generous width with only 8 seats across.)

NH has 77Ws with 10-abreast seating. Some 77Ws have 9-abreast, but those planes have hard shell seats in Y which many people hate. Many of NH's 787s have cramped 9-abreast seating. (All JL 787s are 8-abreast.)

So there is no contest. JL Y > NH Y.

ORDnHKG

It is a moot point to talk about 787 as NH only fly 787 to SJC, not to mention OP's destination is HKG, and NH doesn't use 787 to HKG neither.

If you want to talk about 9-abreast or 10-abreast seating, don't forget to mention the 9 abreast seating on NH is 2-4-3 config, it is the only airline which use this kind of config, two seater on the side is always better than three. I wouldn't say many people hate the hard shell seats in Y for NH, if not all the newly delivered 77W would go back to the traditional reclining seat, I for one love it, no one recline into my space is always a bonus.

schoflyer

ORDnHKG... Best ever comment. So True!