Boozle33

I was planning to tick off a bucket list item in the coming months: ANA's business class 'the room' product.

I'm based in Hong Kong. I was planning a holiday to California in April. The perfect time to hop onto ANA's new 777 business class - HND-LAX. I was all ready to book HKG-HND-LAX and then, only a couple of days ago, ANA cancelled their HKG-HND flights (not surprising given the COVID situation here). So I can now only fly HKG-NRT-LAX and ANA do not have their new business class product on any of these flights (worse, it's a 767 HKG-NRT, and a 787 NRT-LAX!).

So, FlyerTalk hive mind, I was hoping you could help answer the following:

1. I was considering flying JAL HKG-HND and then switching on to the ANA HND-LAX, but the layover is only 2.5 hours and I don't believe JAL and ANA have any sort of luggage arrangement so I'd probably have to manually collect and re-check my luggage, right? Has anyone experienced this? Is it possible or too stressful to consider?

2. I could fly somewhere else in the region, and then into HND from there, but the options are slim given I'd really want to stay a few days in said destination - which rules out (because of COVID entry restrictions) Taipei, Seoul, mainland China. I don't really want to fly more than 4-5 hours so Singapore is a bit too far for me. Any suggestions?

Thanks for reading

MSPeconomist

I'd be shocked if ANA and JAL don't interline. If you can't buy the JAL segment on a ticket you would purchase on the ANA website, a good real live human travel agent should be able to put these flights together on a single ticket and reservation/itinerary/PNR. Then you would be able to check bags through as well as be protected if there are schedule changes/cancellations or IROPs. Two and a half hours should be fine at HND, but check whether JAL and ANA use the same terminal at HND; if not, you might not have much time to enjoy the lounge.

NewbieRunner

“The Room” is ANA’s new business class seat, not a lounge. ANA’s business lounge is fine but nothing to write home about,

bpe

The JAL flights have been moved to NRT through the end of schedule (May 31st) although of course that can change.

It's a strange schedule in April with 2x HND->HKG, 2x NRT->HKG, 2x HKG->NRT weekly, with the two other returns presumably cargo-only or empty.