Eventually, we figured things out, after some more standing around and at the ANA counter, plus finally had a chance to eat a regular meal hours later. This was a far planned out vacation and to miss one city was very disappointing. Still do not know what happened to our flight. Maybe not full enough?

My question is, does and why does ANA in Japan handle non weather related cancelled flights the way they do? Do they handle non weather related cancelled domestic flights differently than their international flights?

I was on a cancelled United international flight a few years ago, which lost over a 1/2 day for everyone. But at least United immediately sprung into action, though after delaying the flight a few times before outright cancelling it. They sent everyone to the counters to redo their flights. Sent us to a nearby hotel to rest and freshen up, plus fed us at the buffet. I was just glad I wasn’t the solo traveler who had to pick up all their luggage AND figure out the connecting flights. Maybe I should have asked for upgrades or extra points, but didn’t. I have talked to others about their own similar experiences since then, who are better at this than I am. We did lose a day which we could have spent being tourists, which was disappointing. The cancellation was due to mechanical issues with the plane, which was still stuck in another country.

With the recent ANA domestic cancellation, I had to ask about getting a hotel room and what to do next. We had no where to go that night, especially if we were to take a flight the next morning. Our hotel room in the destination city would be a loss. We were tourists and it was high season. The hotel rooms were scarce and any available were sure to cost a small fortune. And they were, when I tried searching for a room online. I am puzzled why I had to ask about getting a room? No immediate assistance was given. Maybe because it was a domestic and not an international flight? It was a stressful situation, having to worry that we could be stranded at the airport for the night. No worry about where to get food, as anyone who has been to Japan knows, but just where to sleep and freshen up during the high travel season.

I hope ANA realizes that they will most likely have more foreign travelers flying their domestic routes in the future. The flights were inexpensive and I wanted to save some time, plus experience domestic flights, rather than take a train for that route. Next time, no more domestic Japan flights, if the Shinkansen is available for the route! We rely on the airline for guidance or help in case of flight cancellations, because we don’t live there. I really appreciate the help we did receive, though. The employees were patient and came through in the end. I have always thought of ANA as having great service, but this was a very odd experience for me. I know things are very by the book in Japan, and this may be a case of that. But, I think there needs to be some more flexibility, especially in situations like this. Good customer service versus following the rules, whatever they may be.

We did take a different domestic flight prior to that one and it was fine, so was the one after the cancelled one. Just out of personal preference, we will probably avoid the domestic flights if possible or during the winter, typhoon season, etc. on future trips to Japan. We took the Shinkansen throughout the trip and had the time to do so. The train travel was more relaxing and less restrictive for our schedule, also.

I guess we got the chance to experience firsthand the downside of Japanese efficiency. Rules created for everything to make it run properly, as expected to, except when...

I sent emails to ANA Japan about my specific situation, but not sure if they will pass it on. Most likely not. I will look into other channels though.

Good point about JR. At least for the shinkansen, with a JR Rail Pass, tourists can exchange tickets easily.

Unfortunately, no one at ANA ever mentioned this or directed me to these procedures at any time.
I looked online and found this myself, after booking our unfortunate hotel room for the night of the cancelled flight.

They can give you cash back, but only in Japanese Yen.

Not so much that ANA took care of me. I contacted them and followed up to make sure that they would take care of things for me. No extra perks or anything, but methodically handled down to the last cent, or yen. Cannot say that I am thrilled, especially with the stress from a cancelled flight and no accommodation during high season situation I had experienced during vacation. The rest of Japan made up for it.

The airline really needs to work on how to handle flight cancellations and assist people who may end up stranded, as in my case. As I understand it, both ANA and JAL have low fare programs for foreign travelers within Japan. That is why I was puzzled about how my situation was handled or not. Even with flight delays or cancellations, some of the less popular airlines in the world manage to round the displaced passengers up and put them somewhere.

If they REALLY had taken good care of me, I would have a $10,000 (in USD, not JPY) ANA voucher on hand. 😉😏😄