Trip Reports - NRT-LHR on ANA in First Class (Wow!)

I had planned to use some of my saved miles for a First Class ticket from SFO to LHR but had to change plans at the last moment due to my boss rearranging my schedule.

New Plans: Fly on ANA from Tokyo to London round trip in First Class. I live in Tokyo and the previously planned trip would have required getting to SFO from NRT but I had a trip planned getting me there anyway so I was set. This new itinerary got me from NRT to LHR faster and with more playtime when I arrived.

Initially I was not very impressed by giving up the possibility to fly on a 777 and possibly in a sleeper seat. I looked into the ANA service and was pleased to find they offer a Full Flat seat to Europe and an extensive in flight service. What the heck. I had no choice so brave it and see how it goes was my attitude.

WOW!! What a great flight. Both ways were exemplary. I have new favorite for front of the plane service.

Details:

High Points:
1. Seats were bigger than the old First seats on United and reclined as usual or with the double click of a button went to Full Flat mode. Very easy to sleep in these.
2. Cabin had so much room that when seats were in Full Flat mode there was no problem waking between seats.
3. Lovely soft comforters when you recline are spread out for you. Choice of their pajamas if you desire.
4. A wine list that rivals if not flat out beats any other I have enjoyed in the front cabin these past several years.
5. A meal service that still includes caviar, real salt and pepper shakers, glass glasses in pre-flight service, a seven course menu (including a fair cheese board) that was delicious and well presented by staff who knew how to serve what was on the menu.
6. Not only In seat screen that had several movies, but also the choice of using the small portable Sony video players that UA used during the install of their own in seat players.
7. Delights menu that allows any combination of items from the a la carte menu at any time during the flight.
8. Friendly attractive flight attendants who seemed genuinely pleased to have you there.

Low Points:
1. No in seat power or phone.
2. Check in at both ends was a bit cheap feeling. Although the counter areas wre set apart slightly, the staff at the desks were very ordinary in their manners and I felt as though I was left to fend for myself.
3. Boring lounges at both Narita and Heathrow. I actually left the ANA lounge in Heathrow and went over to the UA First Class Lounge where I was quickly admitted on the strength of the ANA First Class Ticket. Much Nicer choice.
4. Limited duty free choices in-flight.
5. Too little attention to keeping a water glass full during the long flights.

All told, this was the best First Class service I have experienced to date. Next comes my BA/SQ comparison. I would quickly choose to fly ANA again even on routes that UA flies such as the Trans-Pac flights.

I recommend that you all give it a try if you have not yet done so.

Wow! This sounds terrific!

Thanks mjm, ANA is wonderful. My first experience with them was nearly 15 yrs ago on a domestic flight from NRT to Kyoto (love the views of Mt Fuji) and even this, though nothing like FC International was quite good! They have really put a squeeze on JAL (Just Arrived Late).

Are there any other lounges in NRT?

I'll be landing on an AA flight, and taking off on CO. Co uses ANA, but doubts thet they'll let ne in on either the strength of the first class ticket or my America West club card. I'm actually more interested in if AA has an arrivals lounge (like BA does at LHR) where I can shower. Any options?

NJD,

I do not think that there are arrivals facilities at all. There are however shower rooms available to the public. I do not know the exact location as I believe you will be in and out of Terminal 2 and I usually fly Terminal 1 (UA). The hotels in the area which all have buses to/from the airport mostly do “day stays”. You could use that as a fall back option. There are easy to use all-in-one hotel counters directly across the arrivals lobby from the door you will use to exit customs. The airport is sorely in need of better lounges for all airlines. The First Class Lounges for all of them are mediocre at best, and the newer business lounges (UA, NW, and others) are standard.

As I said above in my earlier posting, UA let me in on an ANA First ticket. Try schmoozing your way in at Narita. If that fails, try blustering. The Narita staff are a bit wishy-washy when confronted with a tired high-fare paying non-Japanese speaker.

Let me know if I can do any digging locally for you. I am off to Shanghai tomorrow, but I can perhaps still be of some assitance.

Mike

MJM:

Thanks. I dropped you an E-mail.

NJDavid, my NRT layover strategy is to take the Teisei line from NRT to Narita-shi (Narita city). 400 Yen each way, about 5 minutes, train station is now underneath the NRT terminal. Narita is big enough to be entertaining (restaurants, coffee shops, lounges, markets, etc.). Since NRT got rail service a few years ago, there are not as many foreigners visiting Narita-shi. (Don't take the JR Narita Express, the other rail line, if you only want to go to Narita-shi.)

True enough about Narita-shi. Worth a peek if you have not got much time between flights. The line is the Keisei Line however. Be sure to avoid the Skyliner at the same platform though. Just grab a local express train to get to Narita. The Keisei is a private line and the Narita Express is part of the conceived of as public JR (Japan Railways). They also have local express trains at their platform that will get you to Narita-shi. That is the platform where you will have to avoid the Narita Express that Eidetic mentions.

I have not received an e-mail so if you want to resend I am at:

mjm@twics.com

[This message has been edited by mjm (edited 11-14-1999).]

mjm, thanks for correcting the RR company name.

Sitting in the RCC at NRT with further info on arriving in NRT via AA:

The AA flights use Terminal 1, but the shower rooms are located by Gate 28 for departures or transfers. Unless you can wnagle a way back into this section, it may not be possible to grab a shower on arrival. Sorry.

CO leaves from Term.2.

About that ANA Lounge in NRT...

Before my return CO flight from NRT-IAH, my mother and I went to the ANA Lounge. I am a President's Club member. The staff at the lounge didn't want to admit my mother. They said guests were not allowed. The woman at the door called all of the other lounge staff over and after a few minutes of discussion with me, interspersed with dialogue between the staff in Japanese, they finally let us in.

I didn't think the lounge was too bad. I liked it better than the President's Clubs here, though it wasn't nearly as nice as other International clubs I've been in. I like the self-service bar.

AA Admiral club at NRT (on the same floor as Canadian) has two showers. They are on the left when you enter the club, just ask the attendants for the key to the shower!

Adddendum:

From AA's web site, the Admiral's Club is at Satellite One Terminal, after Immigration and Passport Control, one floor up from the American Airlines gates.

Admirals Club is available after Passport Control. AA First Class Lounge is available before Passport Control.