Review of ANA flight Tokyo → Chicago in First

Airline ANA
Flight NH12
Class First
Seat 1K
Aircraft Boeing 777-300ER
Flight time 12:40
Take-off 11 Nov 14, 10:45
Arrival at 12 Nov 14, 08:25
NH 208 reviews
socalnow
By 5415
Published on 15th July 2015
Greetings Flight Report Community. Thanks for stopping by and having a look at this report. This is part 6 in the itinerary described below.

For this report I will be sharing an adventure that took place in November 2014. I've gone through my photos and determined there is enough to document the experience adequately. It's a pleasure for me to arrange the pictures into a report to relive the excitement of the trip. The reports will be broken down as follows:

LAX Delta Skyclub and Delta LAX-SEA (First)http://flight-report.com/en/report-10695.html
Delta SEA Skyclub and Delta SEA-ICN (Business)http://flight-report.com/en/report-10721.html
Asiana ICN Business Class Lounge and Asiana ICN-SIN (Business)http://flight-report.com/en/report-10729.html
Singapore Airlines The Private Room and Singapore Airlines SIN-HKG (First)http://flight-report.com/en/report-10764.html
United Club Hong Kong and ANA HKG-NRT (Business)http://flight-report.com/en/report-10830.html
ANA Suite Lounge NRT and ANA NRT-ORD (First) (This Report)

I experienced several firsts on this adventure:

First time in SQ The Private Room (TPR) and SQ First
First time on ANA in any class

I spent the night at the Crown Plaza ANA Narita. I normally make the trip into town when I overnight at Narita but this time I was too tired and short on time. It really is a charming little village and strolling the Narita Omotesando on the way down to the Narita-san Shinsho-ji Temple is a treat. The Marond bakery over by the Narita JR station is excellent too.

A hotel contracted shuttle bus delivered me to the South Wing of Terminal 1 at Narita International Airport. Through reading previous flight reports I knew to make my way to the dedicated ANA Suites check in area.

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It's an elegant space with partitioned work stations for checking in the customers. An o-shibori was provided during the check-in.

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A quick trip through security and immigration and I was off to my home from home, the observation deck.

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The VN Livery is very striking.

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It was a quiet hour at Narita so I left the observation deck for the ANA Suite Lounge. On the journey to the lounge I managed a couple of shots of the airplane that would be performing NH12 to ORD today.

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Lounge entrance.

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A typical warm and gracious greeting was received at the door. My boarding pass was scanned and I was admitted. Once inside I was greeted by a lounge staff and asked if I was familiar with the lounge and if I'd like some thing to drink. I requested a sparkling water and was given a tour.

I decided on a seat and my water arrived with menu and o-shibori.

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I chose a spot with good tarmac views.

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Here's a look around the lounge as it's configured at 9am.

Noodle bar.

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Buffet items.



Some fruits for me.

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Followed by soba.

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I was very excited to be on board so I went down to the gate to queue and be among the first on board. After a few minutes boarding started and First class was called.

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I had selected seat 1K. My initial observations of the cabin were favorable. For a not fully enclosed suite it offers a lot of privacy. The blocking of the window on the outboard side of the seat is unfortunate for folks like me who are glued to the window.

Seat 2K.

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I will note that he Japanese gentleman seated in 2K was of great import to ANA. He was brought on board by airline staff in suits and I lost count of the deep and numerous bows in his direction.

Seat 1K.

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PJs, sweater, and slippers.

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NCH and the Rimowa kit.

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This is all I could see of the windows.

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The seat is thoughtfully designed with lots of small storage compartments.

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Seat controls.

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Sony NCH.

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I was welcomed by various crew members and offered a beverage and o-shibori. I chose the champagne.

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Boarding was completed and First went out 8/8. A taxi down to 34L and we were off.

Service started promptly at 10000' and drink orders were taken. More champagne was requested.

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The 1996 Charles Heidsieck Blanc Des Millenaires was a rich and unctuous wine but I found the bubble to be flat. Perhaps this was the intention of the winemaker but it was unlike any Champagne I have experienced.

The amuse was also delivered with the champagne. Here is how the menu listed them.

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They were as beautiful to the eye as they were to the palate.

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My glass was topped and the FA inquired as to how I found the elegant treats course. As a point of comparison I requested a glass of the Krug Grande Cuvee to enjoy beside the Heidsieck. I preferred the Krug.

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The pace of the service was perfect for me and the table was set for lunch.

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I opted for the western menu as I wasn't in the right mindset to experiment with the Kaiseki. Everything on the western side was appealing and easy. Maybe it was all the travel in a short time and fatigue got the better of me but I took the lazy western road.

The starter of caviar and tuna crudo. This was very tasty but I would prefer to take my caviar in the more traditional way with assorted garnishes.

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I asked if they had any of the other starter for me to try and I was delivered this lovely foie gras presentation.

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Next course was a rather sad salad. I can't remember is there was a soup on offer or not. I'm not sure what the point of this plate of lettuce.

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I selected the beef entree. I can't remember if this was advertised as a wagyu or not but it was the most rich and marbled steak I have ever encountered. It was absolutely spectacular in flavor and texture. It was so rich I could only manage a few bites. The flight attendant was concerned and I had to reassure her that it was a lovely plate but just too much.

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This beautiful South African Bordeaux style Cuvee was a perfect match and came on the recommendation of the flight attendant.

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I opted for some cheese prior to the dessert course. The presentation and quality were both top notch.

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This artistic dessert was a more visual then palatable.

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A port to put a bow on a beautiful dining experience.

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Time to head to the lav and slip on the pajamas. Some unique features on the Japanese carrier.



When I returned form the lav, per my request, the bed was made and I was ready for a sleep. It was a very comfortable cocoon and I managed 6 hours of sleep.

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For breakfast I requested the Ippudo ramen and some green tea. I'm a big fan of Ippudo and this airplane version is quite good considering the conditions under which it is reconstituted.

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We landed on time at ORD with carry on luggage and Global Entry I made a quick transfer to the UA departure terminal. For a point of comparison here is the lunch that was served on the 737-900 that took me to LAX.

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See more

Verdict

ANA

9.1/10
Cabin9.0
Cabin crew9.0
Entertainment/wifi9.0
Meal/catering9.5

ANA Suite Lounge Satellite No. 4

8.1/10
Comfort8.0
Meal/catering8.0
Entertainment/wifi8.5
Services8.0

Tokyo - NRT

8.8/10
Efficiency8.0
Access9.0
Services9.0
Cleanliness9.0

Chicago - ORD

5.0/10
Efficiency5.0
Access5.0
Services5.0
Cleanliness5.0

Conclusion

Thank you for reading my report. After the lackluster ANA flight from HKG-NRT I was skeptical about ANA and their stellar reputation for quality and service. Well, they delivered the exemplary product that I was expecting on the NRT-ORD sector. Personal, gracious, professional service combined with excellent food and wine and a comfortable lounge and bed space. I hope to someday fly with them again. Happy flying everyone.

Information on the route Tokyo (NRT) → Chicago (ORD)

The contributors of Flight-Report published 9 reviews of 3 airlines on the route Tokyo (NRT) → Chicago (ORD).

Useful

The airline with the best average rating is Japan Airlines with 8.1/10.

The average flight time is 11 hours and 38 minutes.

  More information

11 Comments

If you liked this review or if you have any questions, don’t hesitate to post a comment below !
  • Comment 141782 by
    nico83et13 — GOLD 2163 Comments

    Thanks for the FR.

    It's the best perfection fly.
    The catering is beautiful.
    The Seat is Big and confortable
    The lounge ANA is perfect.
    The Krug is the best.

    Thanks.

  • Comment 141785 by
    KévinDC — TEAM GOLD 5960 Comments

    Great Report as always! Definitely a big difference in the experience from Regional to International Long-haul, but then again that's the case everywhere. Nice to have an empty lounge, but it seems a bit disappointing for a First class lounge. Service on board seems great and the good Champagnes are nice to have. Thanks for sharing!

    • Comment 321218 by
      socalnow — AUTHOR 978 Comments

      Hello KevinDC and thank you for reading and leaving comment.

      Nice to have an empty lounge, but it seems a bit disappointing for a First class lounge.
      -This impression could also be blamed on me as I did not document all of the food offerings or amenities available.

      Happy flying!

  • Comment 141795 by
    byromania — 38 Comments

    Wow! I really enjoyed your report, but what a STARK contrast between ANA and UA. When I saw what was served as a meal on United, it was shocking. The United sandwich looked a like an ill camel's mouth. Thank you for sharing this TR, and ANA seems to offer stellar service. Unfortunately though, this report does not bode well for UA.

    • Comment 321222 by
      socalnow — AUTHOR 978 Comments

      Hello there Byromania and thank you for reading and commenting.

      Wow! I really enjoyed your report, but what a STARK contrast between ANA and UA.
      -To be fair I wasn't attempting to compare ANA International First Class to United Domestic First Class. I was just showing how different the experience is, which is to be expected.

      The United sandwich looked a like an ill camel's mouth.
      -Excellent, thanks for the laugh!

      Happy flying!

  • Comment 141800 by
    airtraveladdict — 119 Comments

    What a wonderful review.
    While ANA's First class lounge does not have a sushi bar like Japan Airlines, the noodle bar is a good addition, but they should improve the presentation of the noodle bar, right now it looks a bit like a small take away restaurant. For first class, it should look more CX's new noodle bar in Manila airport.
    Aside from that, the on board product is very impressive! I am impressed at ANA.
    But I think the caviar should be served separately with blinis and cream etc, not on top a tuna crudo. They are probably trying to balance the flavors, So I dunno :) I didn't taste it.
    The seats look great, roomy and with enough privacy, even if its not fully enclosed suite.
    And I love the Rimowa amenity kit! I only have 1, its from EVA :(
    It is strange to serve champagne that is not bubbly lol I have to admit, I haven't had flat champagne either.
    Anyway the most impressive thing from your review, is my impression of ANA's food presentation, WOW, that is restaurant quality. Hopefully it tasted as good as it looked!
    Some airlines, like Cathay, you eat at the lounge before getting on board because the food is not as good, but looks like ANA its reverse, you don't want to fill up at the lounge, because the on board food looks so good!
    But the salad is ... yeah, just lettuce. lol

    • Comment 321224 by
      socalnow — AUTHOR 978 Comments

      Greetings Airtraveladdict and thanks for the comments.

      Hopefully it tasted as good as it looked!
      - Everything I sampled (except the sad lettuce bowl) was outstanding.

      Some airlines, like Cathay, you eat at the lounge before getting on board because the food is not as good...
      - Interesting, thanks for the tip.

      Thanks and happy flying!

  • Comment 141845 by
    SKYTEAMCHC — GOLD 9185 Comments

    Thanks for sharing this report with us.
    I must say that I am also quite impressed by the presentation of the meals that look perfect and according to your rating tasted as good as they looked.
    As for the seat I share your feeling about the choice to hide a window as the outside view is the best IFE ever !.
    The PJs look good and I would feel comfortable and not ridiculous to wear them around the cabin.
    An overall very good impression of ANA with you report.

    • Comment 321225 by
      socalnow — AUTHOR 978 Comments

      Greetings Skyteamchc and thank you for reading and commenting.

      As for the seat I share your feeling about the choice to hide a window as the outside view is the best IFE ever !
      - Yes indeed. It's the same story in J with some of the seats as I learned this month on a SIN-NRT flight. You really have to loosen the seat belt and stretch to see out the window.

      Thanks and happy flying!

  • Comment 150102 by
    757Fan — 616 Comments

    Wow, ANA looks incredible! The food looks delicious, and what a comparison to show your meal on United in F to LAX. How sad that looks compared to ANA.

    Love the 777. I need to get on a flight with one soon!

    Thanks for sharing this report.

    All best!

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