oneworld82

"Carpe diem quam minimum credula postero". That's what Horace brilliantly sentenced about two millennia ago. Who am I to contradict the great Roman poet?

Just one week ago, while I was randomly checking award availability on Star Alliance to try something new, I came across japan-guide.com which suggested that sakuras (cherry trees, for which Japan is justly famous the World over) were blossoming in central and south Japan, at least one or two weeks ahead of forecasts. Then, I came across a first class seat on the new ANA 773 product (the "First Square"). Logically, I booked my flight to and from Tokyo and within one hour I was Japan-bound for the long Easter weekend (with the added bonus of enough layover in NYC en route to Dallas to have Easter brunch with some friends).

This report is the chronicle of this epic journey (3 days in total, if you believe it) and of the unfair battle between American Airlines old, tired Boeing 777-200 First Class and the mightly, sleek First Class Square (such an appropriate name!) on ANA's Boeing 777-300.

Here are the links to my complete reports with lots of pictures:

Introduction
Part 1 - DFW-NRT on AA (old) First
Part 2 - Hanami in Taito and random pictures of Narita City
Part 3 - NRT-JFK on ANA First (Square)
Appendix - Notes on EWR-DFW on UA First

I hope you will enjoy the report!



Introduction

FlyerTalkers are crazy. At least, some of them are. But this statement is true for almost any category of people. Take politicians for instance: some are well-heeled and act for the greater good of the country… others are simply selfish, arrogant, and cleptocratic a**holes. Being Italian I know a thing or two about that…

Anyways.

Some crazy folks who really love airlines would just burn a bunch of miles to go to Tokyo for a long weekend. Some crazier ones would add New York City to a short visit to Japan; and – why not – throw one or two first classes here and there.

According to many of my friends and acquaintances, I belong to that group of people that love:
1. airlines
2. mileage runs
3. premium cabins

Well – you would reasonably object – that’s something common to many people. True, I would respond. Yet, I would argue that not many people would commit a weekend and (lots) of miles to cross the mighty Pacific Ocean to do some hinami (sakura watching) in Tokyo on a Saturday and then Easter lunch in New York City on Sunday. God bless the International Date Line!

How did all start? Well, about one week ago (and shortly after United ran its awesome 40% discount on miles purchases), I was randomly checking for award availability when I spotted something that an airline fanatic could hardly pass on: First Class award availability on ANA’s new Boeing Triple-Seven Three-Hundred (I hope that spelling it out helps understanding the importance of this event). Being based in the DFW area, F availability on a NRT-JFK flight isn’t particularly attractive. Yet, this is going to be Easter weekend, and many people don’t travel that day. So – just one week out – I was able to secure a EWR-DFW segment in domestic First on United as well, with enough time in New York City to let me catch up with some friends and get home in time for work on Monday. This wasn’t an immediate decision, of course. After all, 67.5k United miles are precious! What precipitated my decision was the discovery that sakuras (cherry trees) started blossoming on the very day I was looking for award availability! Hanami in Tokyo… seriously??! This seemed simply too good to be true (having been to Japan extensively before I still had to do hanami – something high on my “to-do” list). It was hence a no-brainer booking the ticket on ANA/United as well as an AA First Class direct flight from DFW to NRT. Wjat better way to try two first classes in a weekend? Granted, the comparison wouldn’t be fair (after all, I am comparing AA “old” Flagship service to ANA World-renewed “new” First Class), yet it would be a great chance to see where AA is heading and what is ANA doing to deserve all the accolades it’s getting. And so Friday morning arrived, and I headed to DFW Airport, Terminal D…

oneworld82

I generally don't fly US carriers long haul. I strongly believe I can get better bang for my bucks (and miles) by flying certain European, Middle Eastern, or Asian carriers. Yet, I was eager to fly AA (soon-to-be) old First class to eventually compare it with the company's new product. As the report will show you, overhauling of the First Class cabin was long overdue and the rollout of the new product (and the removal of the first class on the 772's) couldn't come fast enough. I was going to compare AA and ANA... but that would be too unfair. AA First Class is likely inferior to even ANA's new Business Class. It's not a bad product. It's just old. And here I will tell you why...


AA Flight 175, Boeing 777-200

First Class, Seat 2G

10:40a-2:05p+1

I arrived at the airport about 15 minutes prior to the forecasted boarding time, afraid of being late and still damning myself for having woken up so early on a Friday morning off! To add injury to insult, the plane was having technical problems (oh no, October 2012 all over!) and the equipment was being substituted. One hour would be the announced delay. Mind you: this wasn’t trivial, as I was planning to go (almost) straight away to central Tokyo to do some hinami as soon as I landed. I opted to indulge in some Dunkin’ Donuts coffee – one of the things I miss the most of the North-East – while reading my chosen book of this trip, “In Spite of the Gods”, an enlightening book by British journalist and writer Edward Luce that casts some shadows away on India’s raise as the next global superpower. I highly recommend this reading to anyone even remotely interested in understanding how the World’s biggest democracy works and where it is headed.

At around 11am, boarding started and I took my assigned seat (2G). This was my very first time on AA First class and my impression was, well, not great. Really, those “suites” look old! Really old! And not private at all. Good ol’ Bob Crandall must have been pretty ill-advised when he decided to equip AA brand new 772s with 16 (!) First Class seats. The result was a cramped, over-crowded cabin that took off that exclusivity you came to expect at this level.



“Old” First Class indeed

As Lucky of One Mile at a Time pointed out, while the new Business Class on the 773s isn’t World Class (contrarily to the superb new business class) it’s at least a big improvement on today’s cabin and it puts AA up there, if not at the top at least in the middle of the pack (I agree with his assessment on the new business class: it’s simply the best product you can find while flying across the Atlantic, together with BA’s Club World). I was well aware of the shortcomings of AA’s hard product though: I was definitely more interested to try the company’s “Flagship” service (after the mostly good impression I had on AA’s 767 to/from Santiago de Chile in January).

Shortly after taking my seat, a member of the crew came by offering pajamas and a pre-departure drink. Now, as you might recall, I was underwhelmed by the service on my flight to/from SCL: it was efficient but very cold. I think that a Scandinavian would have seemed very warm compared to the flight attendant that was taking care of my aisle on those flights). On this flight, instead, the crew was a winner (with some caveats). Seasoned indeed, but smiling, attentive, and efficient. Right like it should be. The crew was ever present yet unobtrusive, and they addressed me by name most of the time. Things like these makes for a great experience.

I appreciated AA’s new First Class amenity kit: while the content is the same (Dermatologica products), everything comes now inside a new bag which doubles as an AA-branded iPad case! Brilliant.

Right after taking off, the crew started preparing meals and beverages. The purser came by to introduce herself and asked me whether I wanted some warm nuts, water and anything else to drink. I got some champagne (Gosset Brut Excelence, a $40 wine that while is not Krug does the job just fine). Meal orders were taken while still on the tarmac.

As I noted on my SCL trip report, AA has upgraded its meal service: new chinas, new menus, upgraded food. I was pretty excited to try the First Class food. I liked the selection (even though I think that – to a Japan-bound flight – more Japanese options are a must if the company is to win Japanese customers), and the food I tried was definitely good – although there is not that much of a difference between Business and First Class in my opinion. Being for the homeland of Michelangelo I definitely appreciated the new “make your own pasta” option: as always, selection is a key differentiator for the well-traveled.

While I was eating my nuts (no pun intended) I started watching Ang Lee’s latest masterpiece, “Life of Pi”. I hadn’t realized how; let me put it right here – AWESOME this movie was! The story itself is ingeniously crafted, and the underlying insights into God and religion are simply brilliant. Kudos to this great, often under-rated (at least in the West) director.



Gosset Brut Excellence and warm nuts

About one hour into the flight, the meal service started. Here’s the menu for the day:


Starters

Smoked salmon with spring pea blinis and cream cheese

or

Thai chicken with grilled five-spice pineapple, watermelon and Asian-style mint dressing

Soup

Corn chowder

Salad

Seasonal greens with fresh vegetables, feta cheese and pepperoncini

Creamy pickled ginger dressing

or

Premium extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar

Entrees

Grilled Fillet of Beef

Char Siu Pork

Crisp Crusted Halibut

Brie and Leek Ravioli Pasta

Take note fellas: AA serves now an amuse bouche in First Class!! Mine was a sort of potato-frittata with a shrimp on top. Absolutely brilliant. Here a photo.

That was followed by my choice of appetizer. I opted for the Thai Chicken, as I believe I tried the salmon on my way from SCL already. I would say it was mediocre – the combination of flavors was present but the fact that it was served chilled put me off.

The corn chowder followed and let me tell you this: it was delicious! Really, it was! Thick, creamy but not overpowering, rightly spiced… Oh man, what’s happening?! AA is getting its catering right!

For the entrée, I went for the crusted halibut with caper sauce and haricot verts. To be honest, I was expecting something very creamy and buttery… Red Lobster style (for those of you unfamiliar with Red Lobster, it’s a seafood chain owned by Orlando, Florida-based Darden Restaurants; its food is famous for being buttery, creamy and – overall – not so good). Instead, I was handed a nice piece of baked fish that wasn’t neither dry nor buttery, with nicely-steamed vegetables. I am not sure if it was because I had set my expectations low, but this meal exceeded my expectations, albeit – like I have already mentioned – I feel that there is not too much difference between the offerings of Business and First Class.


Crusted halibut

After the plates were cleared, I was handed a dessert meanu, featuring dessert wines, umeshu and sake. Wow! I was feeling really full at this point, so I opted for some fruit salad with lemon sorbet, accompanied by some Port wine. Again, a good dessert that, while it won’t win any accolade for creativity, did its job nicely.

One of the features of American Airlines’ First Class is its “rotating” seat. It means that the seat literally rotates 90 degrees; the side table can be extended; at voila’, you have your personal desk in the sky. I had always thought this feature was ugly and unnecessary… Yet – as I am using it right now to write this trip report – I can say it’s a pretty sweet feature. I still think it’s aesthetically ugly, but it is very functional indeed.



The negatives of this cabin rest mostly – seat aside – on the worn-out look, the small, low definition TV, and the uninspiring restrooms.


Is this really First Class??


How classy…

I believe there is no difference between AA First and Business Class lavatories and Economy ones. The new premium cabin, indeed, features an ample restroom that feels premium. At least the company learnt something from the competition!

I settled in my seat to watch some movies – I went for a Japanese movie, “Beautiful World”, a yakuza-centered story that didn’t fail to move me. Unfortunately, the flight attendant didn’t offered any turndown service (neither to me nor to the other customers). As this is a highly publicized service on American Airlines First Class, it was a bit disappointing. Also, during the meal I wasn’t offered any wine tasting, even though this is supposedly one of the new features of AA’s menu.


Relax mode

The seat is more comfortable than I thought, thanks in part to the nice, big pillow AA hands out. I fell asleep at some point for a hour or two. Fellow passengers seemed to be fairly relaxed as well.

Around 7 hours into the flight, the FA came about asking me whether I wanted a snack. Choices included an Edo-style Mini Bento Box, Sesame-Chicken, Dessert, and Fresh Fruit. I opted for the Bento Box, which was surprisingly elegantly presented. The food was good as well.


Edo-style mini Bento Box

I started watching “Argo“, which I didn’t particularly enjoy. About 2 hours out of Tokyo, the light meal service started. It consisted of a salad with “Asian” sesame dressing (why even bother specifying that it was Asian? What does it even mean?!), a choice of Tahitian Crabmeat Soup or Uno’s Spinach and Garlic Pizza (again, how classy naming the brand of the pizza served…), Dessert, and cookies. I opted for the pizza, which was satisfying.


Light pre-arrival meal

Right before landing, the FA came thanking me for my business and offering me a couple of delicious chocolate candies. A nice touch indeed.


Very tasty!

We landed about 90 minutes late due to the late departure and rather strong headwinds, but I was able to clear immigration and customs pretty quickly and to start my short Japanese adventure in no time.

So, how was AA First? Well, hard to say. It’s hard to judge AA on its long-haul Pre-Historic product. It’s just so old looking, old feeling… I know AA has a new premium product, but before it will be rolled out fleet wide other airlines might have come up with even more innovative products…

The service was very good – I like that I was addressed by name all the flight long. Still, the wine flight/tasting wasn’t offered and turndown service was completely absent. How AA thinks of competing with BA, LH, JL, NH, CX etc. is beyond my comprehension.

Overall, though, it was a good flight. I am just not sure that the rather minimal difference between J and F justifies the extra cost/miles needed (angle-flat seat in business aside, of course). While I would likely fly AA old product again if a good bargain comes out, it certainly wouldn’t be my first choice. I am sure that 95% of flyers out there think the same.

oneworld82

So, I finally made it Japan. The last time I visited this beautiful country was in 2009, when I embarked on a 10 days trip from Tokyo to Himeji via Kyoto, Nara, and Osaka (that was my second visit to the country). As I mentioned earlier, I decided to embark on this trek across the Pacific specifically to take a look at the famed cherry blossoms that are one of the most recognizable symbols of Japan. I was lucky enough to find everything I was looking for. Perhaps, I only regret not having spent enough daytime to catch a glimpse of sakuras during sunlight hours; yet, I am very satisfied indeed.

As soon as I cleared immigration I proceeded to the bus bays, where I spotted the hotel shuttle. I had to stay around Narita as all hotels were incredibly booked in Tokyo <em>and</em> Yokohama, and so I opted for one of the few options still available, the Hotel Mercure Narita, part of the French Accor Hotels chain; think Holiday Inn with a French flavor (godo breakfasts). I picked this hotel because of its location next to the JR and Kaisei train stations, allowing me to easily get into Tokyo and to explore town a bit.

The room was small (in pure Japanese fashion) but clean and with almost all the amenities you need (only iron and board were missing). Unfortunately, my room had a rather unpleasant smell as well, that I feel came from a dirty vacuum cleaner filter. the staff was very polite.

After taking a quick shower I jumped onto the Kaisei line, all the way to Uenokaisei station. The total journey would take approximately 1h15m, during which I started reading a new book ("<em>Cry, The Beloved Country</em>") in preparation to my early-June trip to South Africa.

I love Japanese trains. They are so clean and efficient. Plus, they offer a great insight into the life of many local people, as taking the train is well oiled routine for a country where space is precious and parking spots as scarce as water in the Sahara Desert. You can see any sort of character on a Japanese commuter train, from junior high school students to white-collar professionals. Most interesting indeed.

I arrived at Ueno Park that it was already dark. I was counting on the fact that - as in Texas by 6:30pm this time of the year it's still wide clear outside - I would have some time to take some daylight pictures; but unfortunately time zones differ from each other, and Tokyo is in one that gets light very early in the morning (5:30am) but that gets dark pretty early in return (around 6pm). Oh well, no big deal, as I knew that Ueno Park was going to be lighted up for the blossoms...

What I wasn't expecting were the myriad traditional lanterns lighting up the entire park. It was dreamlike; it felt like watching a romantic Japanese movie featuring one of those scene where a happy couple walk holding each other in the chill breeze of an early Spring evening. It was impossible, and magical.

I won't bother you with too many words. I will let my pictures speak to it. But I want to mention that this is a very improtant time of the year in Japan, and people flock at night to the park(s) to eat and drink together with friends and families; food stalls dot the tree-lined pedestrian ways, and .I couldn't resist having some delicious takoyaki while walking around. But enough said.





The shear number of people walking about this beautiful park (one of the most important in Tokyo) only added (and not subtracted) to the perfect atmosphere of the place. This was something that will stick to my memory forever.





After leaving the park, I wondered around Taito (where Ueno is located) as I had never really been here. Shopping arcades - a oh-so-wonderful feature of Japan - dot the area around the train station, and made for some good pictures.



A lot of people were walking around and enjoying their saturday dinner in one of the many eateries around. That made me think that life could be much worse for those lucky enough to be living in Tokyo.



After a bit - exhausted and jet-lagged - I made my way back to the Kaisei station, where I caught a train back to Narita. The train was much quieter now, and I happily fell asleep for part of the trip. Once at the hotel, I crashed... only to wake up at 4am.

After taking a quick shower, I started watching a rather puzzling cooking show on a local TV station, before getting ready to catch the sunrise sun. Unfortunately, it looked like clouds were covering the sky this morning, but I decided to go out to check the Naritasan Temple anyways.

Walking the mile-or-so from the hotel to the temple brings you through Narita's city centre. Traditional Japanese architecture - from modern buildings to old wooden houses - gives a good glimpse of the Japan outside of its megalopolis.

While walking I stopped by one of the many, fantastic vending machines scattered all over the country and I got a can of coffee. I was expecting some ice coffee, but to my delight... the can (and the coffee inside) was actually warm!

Unfortunately, it started drizzling and right before reaching the temple it actually started pouring. Bummer. That didn't hinder me from wandering around the temple and taking some pictures, observing monks and people rushing to the main hall for the 6am ceremony. Naritasan is a Buddhist temple, rather vast, with a big part behind it that - because of the rain - I was not able to explore.



A Seiko clock advised that it was almost 6 o'clock, time for me to get back to the hotel as my shuttle to the airport would leave at 7am...
It's been a short trip, but it's been totally worth it. <em>Au revoir</em> Japan. I am sure I'll see you very soon again.

oneworld82

Ok. I am disappointed. I wasn’t able to secure a window seat for my flight. Darn it… Oh well, I won’t complain too much, since flying the new ANA First Class is exciting enough. I do not even know how I found availability just one week out, but I did, and now I here I am inside ANA Suite Lounge at Narita Airport Terminal 1, writing the third part of my report after having had a wonderful Japanese breakfast.

I arrived quite early at the airport since the hotel shuttle left at 7am. Unfortunately, I got off at Terminal 2 (I really thought ANA used Terminal 2, sigh) and it took around 20 minutes to get to Terminal 1. You gotta love Narita: the bus docks are so well sign-posted that it’s impossible not taking the right bus.

Anyways, I was delightfully surprised to see a MUJI at the airport, so I stocked up in Umeboshi (salted dried plums) since MUJI’s are by far my favorite. They come seedless now, which is a bummer since I love cracking the seeds open to eat the bitter inside. Oh well, I’ll survive.

ANA has a dedicated section for First Class check-in. It’s a stylish lounge where 4 attendants wait to check-in customers flying First on ANA, Lufthansa, or Swiss Air. It was a bit intimidating to go in and have four young, beautiful attendants take care of me, from handing out hot towels to taking pictures. I wish I took more photos, but I felt quite… awkward. The lounge is very nice, soothing almost, with armchairs set against the longer wall for waiting customers (I doubt there is ever a line though for first class check-in…). The first impression of ANA’s staff was great indeed.


First Class check-in Lounge



The First Class boarding pass gave me access to the priority security line – security check took 3 minutes overall. Again, you gotta love Japanese efficiency and politeness.

After clearing immigration I made my way into the ANA Suite Lounge. The entrance was definitely promising. I was promptly let in… et voila’, I was inside this beautiful lounge. It was big enough to comfortably fit all the passengers that need be fit and the details (as the pictures show) are modern and elegant, yet not overbearing. After seating I was offered a hot towel (#2 of the day) and the attendant hung my jacket for me. I was asked whether I wanted something to drink but I said I would help myself. I like that she had nothing to object to it.

The view from the lounge is spectacular: right over the tarmac, overlooking ANA and other Star Alliance planes. The B773 that would take me home was right below my seat. Here it is in all its splendor!

I had in mind to have a small breakfast to save my appetite for the plane… but that didn’t happen (not that I ate less on board, of course). When you can choose among delicious amuse bouche, steamed salmon, three varieties of onigiri (including the amazing cured bonito eggs one), miso, Japanese omelettes, soba/udon bar, how can you resist?

The food selection wasn’t huge, but the quality – oh man – was great! I had a Japanese breakfast of onigiri, omelette, rice, miso, salmon, bean curd roll, and kitsame udon. I really believe that was the most delicious food I have ever tasted in any airline lounge worldwide (besides Qantas Business Class lounge’s in Melbourne, of course). As simple as that. Seriously, I could have been at a Ritz-Carlton or at a Park Hyatt and I wouldn’t have noticed the difference. Really impressive. I liked the bean curd amuse bouche as well – it caused a delicate explosion (hope you noted the oxymoron here) of flavors inside my mouth. The steamed salmon was as fresh and tasty as it could possibly come, and the udon broth was simply divine. Oh man, why do I even bother eating Japanese food outside of Japan? I should know better by now…

Here’s the proof:


The steamed salmon was otherwordly!

Like I mentioned earlier, the quality of the food was outstanding. I mean that not to say “outstanding” by lounge standards, I mean it in absolute terms. I was impressed by the salmon, which was tasteful and delicate at the same time. But even the machine-made coffee tasted good. Perhaps the glamour of the lounge got me!

I appreciated the style of the lounge and its elegant, understated wooden panels. The clothes hangers – scattered around the lounge – are a welcomed addition. The restrooms were nice (I love Toto’s toilets!) even though (and I am being picky here) only paper towels were offered next to the basins. I didn’t check out the showers since I had already had two morning showers and it was only 10am…

It’s funny (but incredibly nice) how the staff bows every time a guest leaves. Once I approached the monitors to check my flight status, the entire staff bowed at me and remained puzzled at the discovery that I wasn’t actually leaving the room. When I indeed left a few minutes later, I got another bow (of course).

After some quick shopping for mocha and tea, I proceeded to my gate (52).


Flight NH10, NRT-JFK
Boeing 777-300
First Class, Seat 1D

I was among the last passengers to board. Once I stepped inside the plane, I was showed my suite (1D) by a smiling flight attendant. Now, my bad for not remembering the name of the purser and of the wonderful flight attendant who took such a great care of me. She was genuinely nice and she really went out of her way to make my trip memorable. She told me her name (of course), but I tend to forget names very quickly – I know, that is something I have to work on…

Once I settled in, I started exploring my awesome suite. The new First Square is really a little wonder. I believe ANA utilized the available space in a great way. There is enough storage space for a carry-on in front of you, under the ottoman. A small closet to hang clothes on is situated on the external part of the suite (and, of course, flight attendants are always happy to hang everything you need elsewhere near the galley). My awesome flight attendant explained to me all the functionalities of the seat, from the extra storage space to the location of lights and headphones. The screen is a huge 23” panel (touch screen that comes with the usual remote control as well), whose visual quality is excellent. The most clever feature of the suite is the main tray though: this is stored right under the TV, and a light pull makes it come out with an extendable arm. No awkward side storage any more. Simply brilliant, especially because when the tray is stowed you can’t really notice it.


The seat is very comfortable and wide. I would rate it on par with CX’s

One of the best features of ANA Suite is the presence of little storage compartments for one’s little things, so that they are always within reach. I counted three of them, and this is a good example:

Seat controls are easy to use and very intuitive – no need to speak English to understand them:

ANA uses SONY noise canceling headphones. No matter what the fuss is about BOSE, I couldn’t really notice any significant difference between these and the ones handed out on AA just a couple of days earlier.

The suite is indeed very private. Standing up, I couldn’t really see inside other suites; you definitely cannot see the person sitting next to you neither while you are seating. Great stuff.

Last but not least, the TV: it’s not only huge (23″) but also very good definition. The best TV I have yet encountered on a plane.


Huge, 23″ high-definition TV

The purser handed me a hot towel (#3 of the day) and offered me a glass of champagne. The menu was offered shortly after.

Now, the menu was actually various pages long, hence I will not bother typing it here. You can find it on ANA’s website though, and I strongly encourage you to check it out. It is different for each route, tailoring to local tastes.


Let the feast begin!

We started taxiing right on time, and the captain announced a flight time of about 11 hours that would make us land in New York at around 9.40am. After a powerful take off, the service began promptly. I opted for a glass of Krug Champagne to kick the celebrations off. After drinking more than 2 bottles of it on my JFK-HKG on Cathay Pacific First last year, I grew fond of this wine; gentle and smooth as only the classiest champagnes can be. Yet, this is ANA, and the quality and variety of sake/shochu on board was simply too good to be passed on.

The first drink came with a small snack platter. So much for US carriers’ warm nuts! This was an elegant mixture of Prosciutto, plums stuffed with liver mousse and chicken jelly, cheese sticks… I mean, Michelin star-worthy stuff! Here’s a picture.


Delightful

I started watching a Japanese movie, “G’mor Evian”, a romantic comedy that was as entertaining as instructive on the struggles facing single mothers in Japan. Man, I love Japanese cinema. Not only are the actors really good (generally speaking), but the scripts are more deep and well written. Even comedies have a meaning and are able to teach something. This is often overlooked by Hollywood and under-appreciated by Western watchers. Sad.

After a little while, the purser came by to take my lunch order. I went for the caviar, and she seemed a bit disappointed that I was going for Western options… But when I told her that – caviar aside – I would have gone for the Kaiseki lunch, she brightened up, stated that “this food is really good” with a certain solemnity and then left. Boy, was she right!

My caviar appeared shortly after. I was offered more Krug by my wonderful FA, but I asked instead to switch to sake. Another winner (she looked very pleased). She offered some sparkling sake, a new variety of light-bodied rice wine that is new to the Japanese scene (sparkling and sake traditionally don’t go well together).



After the caviar, the Kaiseki lunch started. For the ones of you who don’t know, kaiseki is the haut cuisine of Japan: a unique, refined blend of seasonal ingredients, delicate flavors, and elaborate presentation that stimulates one’s palate. Dishes are usually small in size and big in quantity, and (usually) revolve around seafood.

The first dish of this incredible meal was a “Zensai” composed by:

- Sea urchin, simmered burdock root rolled with duck

- Simmered abalone, simmered small sweetfish with sansho pepper flavor

- Sweet egg cake and apricot jelly sandwich

- Trout and lily bulb ball, simmered broad bean, simmered prawn



The food was delightful, aesthetically pleasing and tastefully satisfying. That was followed by a seafood stock with various seasonal ingredients. Delicate, aromatic, exquisite.

It’s worth noting that my FA took care of pairing my dishes with the various sakes offered onboard: I started with Rokkasen Junmai Hitotoki, a new brew of sparkling sake only recently developed in the Land of the Rising Sun. That was followed by Iwakikotobuki Junmai and Ishizuchi Junmaiginjo Green Label (my favorite), which perfectly complemented this delicious, high-class meal. My FA was superlative in suggesting different pairings with different dishes. What a catch she was!

Sashimi was next, and the offering of the month was flounder. Take a look at this:


Flounder sashimi

Needless to say that the fish was of the freshest, tastiest quality. I still do not understand how do they do it, but I enjoy it so much each and every time!

The main course consisted of steamed Spanish mackerel which – I promise you – was one of the most delicious pieces of fish I have ever tasted. I come from the shores of the Mediterranean Sea, and I believe that my people know one thing or two about seafood. But the Japanese… well, they are just masters in this! This mackerel was tender, delicate, yet delightful. It came with full accompaniments of steamed rice, pickles, and miso soup, plus a small dish of squid (the most tender and tasty squid I have ever tried). It was an apotheosis of taste in my mouth! All this came with simmered conger eel rolled with soft seaweed and daikon radish, simmered tender bean curd crepe, onboard-steamed rice (Ryu no hitomi), miso soup (oh my, so tasty!) and assorted Japanese pickles. Here are some photos. Please note the presentation.


Main course composition

I couldn’t bring myself to finish the whole thing – I was starting to feel very full. My FA insisted that I try some dessert prepared in collaboration with Pierre Herme’ specifically for ANA. I asked for her recommendation and – not surprisingly – she wasn’t really a fan of any of them (I think that Western desserts tend to be too sweet for Japanese palates). I opted for the fruit compote with cream cheese, which was indeed flavorful and not too heavy. I accompanied it with an espresso (very decent as well for being on a plane) and a glass of Port wine.



Right after dessert, some pralines were offered.

After lunch I asked the FA whether she could make my bed while I was changing in the lavatory. She, of course, complied. The pajamas are comfortable, although I have to say that Cathay Pacific’s are better in terms of quality and style. The bed was great. She added a sort of mat to the seat to make it more comfortable, and the duvet was soft and warm: high quality stuff indeed. Also, two (!) pillows were provided, which added extra comfort to the lie-down position. I have also to mention that I am a fan of the deep blue color of the amenities (in line with ANA’s colors).


Turndown service

Before falling asleep I asked for a Suntory 21-year-old whiskey (premium Japanese stuff), which was served with some salty snacks. This whiskey lives up to its name: it was smooth, round, strong (I had it straight of course). No wonder that – after drinking it – I peacefully fell asleep for the next 4 hours…

When I woke up I felt like I had to try something more.

First, though, I asked for some shochu. Oh man, ANA serves premium stuff! I got the Murao, a smooth, silky, super-premium shochu from Kagoshima that went down like only excellent Russian vodka does! Have it on the rocks, trust me.


Shochu and fish cakes

With it, I had some fish cakes (so delicious), and my sweet/awesome FA also brought me another variety of fish cake wrapped in kelp and salt -cured mullet roes. So, this was my very first time eating kelp. Definitely different from seaweed, but as tasty. The smell and the taste is totally reminiscent of sea water. It’s quite amazing, really. It made my fishcake all the more worth it! To follow (and with my second glass of shochu) I asked for the cheese platter.

Now, you should know that I love, LOVE cheese. I grew up on cheese and hardly any day passes by without me having any Italian, French or Spanish (this is my order of preference) cheese. I loved how the cheese was presented: gorgonzola, Coulommiers and Petit Agour were served with different varieties of bread (most notably a cherry blossom-infused pink bread – I am not kidding. It was delicious) and honey plus some crudités. What I loved was that my FA had some honey on her tray, but didn’t immediately offered it to me. Instead, she stated that some people like eating these sharp cheeses with honey and she asked whether I wanted any. Terrific. Lesson for any flight attendant out there: don’t ever assume what a customer wants but be prepared to anticipate any possible need/want. Needless to say, I enjoyed my cheese very much. I started watching another Japanese movie (Tug of War, another light-hearted movie that I thoroughly enjoyed) before falling asleep once more.



I woke up about one hour prior to arrival, at which I went to the restroom to change my clothes. The purser came by and collected my pajamas, which was a bit disappointing (although I didn’t really have space in my carry-on). I, then, asked for some fruit and a cappuccino, just to fight jetlag and to feel a bit healthier. These were promptly served.


Cappuccino and fruit

Unfortunately, my flight was over all too early. What I want to mention – and this is the highlight of my flight – is what my awesome, amazing, wonderful FA did for me. She did three things that made this the best flight I have ever taken:

She wrote me a note wishing me good luck mid-flight and she stuck some apples stickers on there because we were going to NYC. This note had a Shinto spirit of Spring carved in it, and it doubled up as a bookmark. She did it for me as she noticed I was reading a book. Stunning;

She taught me tirelessly about every dish I was trying and about every sake/shochu I was tasting. To top it off, she prepared another hand-made note where she stiched the labels of all the sakes/shochus I tried on it, wrote the names in English, wrote another note of good luck, and stiched to it a hand-made origami. I was speechless;



She summoned me with only mildly-disguised excitement when she noticed that on one side of the plane you could see sunrise. She mentioned that she thought I might like it and she didn’t want me to miss it. Amazing.

My FA made this for me as well as a cute bookmark with the hand-carved image of a Shinto spirit of Spring! Speechless

Now perhaps you understand why I feel so bad for not having got her name. I mean, she deserves to be remembered by name, but I am so shy I couldn’t force myself to ask her name again. Go figure human nature. I hope that – if she will ever come across this trip report – she will have the good heart to forgive me.

In any case, I was finally in New York, where I would meet a couple of friends for Easter brunch before heading back home on United.

I want to leave you guys with some thoughts on ANA First Class. First of all, the hard product. I found it amazing. In a way, more private than Cathay Pacific’s. The movie selection was great, the storage space ample, the tray handy, the bed comfortable. The restrooms were well-stocked but not otherwordly (although Thann is a good brand, from today, April 1st, Shiseido products will be offered. Another upgrade!) and I appreciated a changing pad that could be lowered on the floor to allow passengers to switch clothes without having to step on the lavatory’s floor: brilliant. The TV was very good.


Samsonite amenity kit content

The food was unbelievable. It matched – and probably overcame – Cathay Pacific’s. And this comes from a staunch loyal oneworld customer. I will now have to fly JAL First Class and compare

The service was the best service I have ever received, not only on a plane but overall. I am still now speechless. It was simply mind-blowing, personal, caring and genuinely vested in making me have a great experience. I am grateful and I feel extremely lucky to have been able to experience such an amazing service. I would call the style unobtrusive. FAs would not ply the aisles every minute refilling your glass, but my glass was hardly empty at any time during the flight. If anything was needed, a simple touch on my remote control would alert the FAs, which would immediately come by. I felt like they were genuinely trying to make my experience unforgettable.

A good product starts from the ground though: the First Class check-in was incredible, and ANA’s Suite Lounge was absolutely nice (and the food excellent). Was I expecting all of this from ANA? To be honest with you, no. I had high expectations and I had Cathay Pacific First as reference. ANA was able to go above and beyond Cathay Pacific. Now I can understand why Skytrax awarded ANA the accolade of best trans-Pacific carrier and Five stars; totally deserved.

I haven’t mentioned the amenity kit: as many of you would probably know, ANA will start having Shiseido products starting April 1st. Well, my flight was on March 31st and I got the Samsonite bag with Thann products. Still, these were more than appropriate. Shiseido will only bring even more glamour to what must be one of the top 5 first classes out there (Singapore Airlines, Emirates, Cathay Pacific, and Etihad Airways being the others IMHO).

So, was it worth it to spend a long weekend in Tokyo and to try ANA First Square? Heck yes!

ORDnHKG

NH use T1 in NRT, that's what *A and skyteam use, either you are confused or you were flying JL instead of NH.

oneworld82

my bad... I switched terminals

Corrected.

quirrow

Thank you for the report! Seems like you had a wonderful experience as well. I was a oneworld flyer as well prior to my first NH F flight, and the experience on ANA wows me so much I am considering a switch to NH for my transpac flight!

It also seems that you enjoy the whole Kaiseki meal as well!

oneworld82

I am very jealous of your pictures

oneworld82

AA trip report now posted!

infamousdx

Very nice TR and pictures. The food looked amazing!

Askartus

Very nice tr.
But, sorry, I have one thing to correct ...

... itīs whisky! Not whiskEy! And a blend, to be precise.
The good thing is: I have a bottle standing behind me ...

When you are near Kyoto, try to visit the Yamazaki Distillery, not only for the "whisky library" ...

... but for the bar at the end of the tour where I enjoyed a 25yo Yamazaki.
That was ... amazing!

Almost as good as my dinner that night ...


\me is ending the "make as many people jealous as possible" port now ...

shogunate03

Nice TR! Thanks for sharing.

On my NH F flight, the FA was initially going to collect the PJs but I asked her if I could keep them. She happily obliged and even offered to provide a bag to store them in. Great service!

marcuslai

I believe it should be hanami, where hana means flower in Japanese.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hanami

And thank you for the TR on ANA. It sounds absolutely bombastic and although I am a CX fan, I must find a way to experience their long haul F. Thank you again for a lovely detailed TR !

oneworld82

Thanks! The food was indeed amazing - if you like Japanese food that is (this was no California rolls and westernized type of stuff). Having had a kaiseki dinner before (a few years ago in Kawanishi, near Osaka) I could attest to the high quality of the food served. Someone might disagree, but I enjoyed this food better than CX's.

oneworld82

Here's the link!