ANA (All Nippon Airways)

All Nippon Airways is Japan's largest carrier and the beating heart of the Tokyo aviation market -- it operates from both Narita and Haneda, though Haneda's more convenient location has become the primary hub. ANA's business model centres on connecting traffic through Tokyo to North America and Europe, plus extensive domestic feeder routes. The international reputation is well-deserved: the service culture is genuinely different from Western carriers, with visible attention to detail that comes from how Japanese companies train staff.

ANA was the launch customer for the 787 Dreamliner and still flies about 90 of them, including 44 787-9s, out of a mainline fleet of 289 aircraft (ANA fleet data, as at 31 March 2026). That makes it one of the largest 787 operators anywhere. THE Room, which is ANA's business class rather than its first class, is one of the standout products globally: every seat is a direct-aisle-access suite with a sliding door. The Star Alliance membership means connections to dozens of carriers worldwide, and the ANA Lounge at Haneda is legitimately one of the best lounges for premium cabins. The domestic network serves 47 destinations in Japan with modern aircraft, and the international network reaches 85 destinations across the Americas, Europe, Asia, and Australia.

Get the two names straight before you book, because they sound alike and cost very different money. THE Suite is ANA's first class; THE Room is its business class. Both arrived together in August 2019 on twelve retrofitted 777-300ERs flying Haneda to London, and each is an enclosed suite with a sliding door and direct aisle access, so what separates them is space, bedding and service rather than privacy. The 777-300ER is the aircraft to look for, and since the cabins came in through a retrofit, the map for your specific flight is the thing to check.

The 787 fleet does the mid-haul and long-haul work and is the biggest block in the airline, with the 787-9 the most numerous of the three variants. A newer version of the business suite, THE Room FX, has reached the 787-9, which ANA lists in a 206-seat configuration. The economy pitch is 31-32 inches depending on configuration, but ANA's economy cabins on the 787 feel more spacious because of the aircraft's lower cabin pressure equivalent (6,000 feet vs. the standard 8,000 feet). Domestic routes within Japan use the 787 alongside the 777-200 and 737-800, all with standard short-haul economy. The A350 doesn't appear in the ANA fleet yet, though future orders are possible.

THE Suite, ANA's first class on the 777-300ER, is Japan's answer to Middle Eastern luxury carriers. The suite is genuinely a private space -- it has a sliding door that closes entirely, a seat that converts to a full lie-flat bed, a desk, a mirror, and storage compartments. The bedding is by Simmons (a luxury mattress brand), with real duvets and high-thread-count linens. The meal service is kaiseki-style (multiple courses, plated, with sake pairings). The amenity kit is LOEWE-branded. Every passenger gets a ground transportation voucher worth up to 12,000 yen in Tokyo or wherever the flight originates.

Business class on the 787 is not one product. The newer 787-9s carry THE Room FX, a version of the suite from the 777s; the older cabins are a lie-flat with high privacy from panels that rise and partially enclose the space rather than a door, at 40 inches of pitch and a 6'6" sleeping length. The meal service is excellent -- they don't simplify for business, you get plated options with quality ingredients. Economy on the 787 is where ANA shows its domestic culture: there's visible crew attention to passenger comfort, hot towels appear on long flights, and the service speed is faster than international carriers. The aircraft's lower cabin pressure makes a real difference on overnight flights -- passengers consistently report less jet lag and better sleep.

In THE Suite, ANA's first class, all 8 seats are essentially equivalent because they all have direct aisle access and full privacy. The forward seats (rows 1-2) might have slightly less galley noise. The middle seats (rows 3-4) are quietest. The aft seats are farthest from the flight deck. Personal preference varies, but none are bad seats. In THE Room, the business cabin on the same 777-300ER, the centre pair boards last and deplanes in the middle, but it sits in the quietest part of the cabin.

On the 787, window seats are worth picking because the electrochromic dimming windows are genuinely excellent. Exit rows typically offer 35-38 inches and are worth the upgrade fee on 7+ hour flights. On domestic flights within Japan, the 787 cabin is less crowded than comparable competitors, and the crew's service culture makes even economy feel premium. Front cabin seats (rows 1-5) get boarded first by ANA, which means you have time to settle, and you deplane before the aisle becomes congested. On red-eye flights from U.S. to Tokyo on the 787, the rear quiet cabin (if available) is worth paying extra for.