Review of ANA flight Seattle → Tokyo in Business

Welcome to another Aeroplan adventure!

Here’s the rundown:

AC541 YYZ-SEA 2/8/2016 - http://flight-report.com/en/report-13308.html
NH177 SEA-NRT 2/9/2016 - You are here
NH835 NRT-CGK 2/10/2016 - Coming soon
OZ762 CGK-ICN 2/11/2016 - Coming soon
OZ202 ICN-LAX 2/12/2016 - Coming soon
AC792 LAX-YYZ 2/12/2016 - Coming soon



We pick this up at the Radisson across the street from SeaTac, where I spent the night before this flight, which is pretty much the "main event" of this trip, as far as I'm concerned.

Despite staying up a bit longer, I'm up earlier than I'd like to be, and after puttering for a bit, I make the short walk over to the airport a little after 8:00.



It's quite a foggy morning, and quite cool.



Inside, Seattle has some visually interesting elements, including this biplane, and Rutan Voyageur, suspended from the ceiling.



I quickly find the solitary gate where things are starting to get ready for the ANA flight. An airport worker puts up signs for baggage limits, and signs to direct passengers towards regular and priority check-in lines. There are a few people already in line for economy, but I join the business class line at the head. After waiting for about 15 minutes, an ANA agent shows up, and says the counter won't be opening until 9:20, more than a half-hour away at this point. I quickly decide there's got to be something better to do, so I abandon the line and go for a walk.

It turns out I'm wrong. There are a few places to sit, and a few restaurants open, but nothing really grabs me, and I'm looking forward to checking out the Centurion Studio, which I have not visited before and should (if keeping in the spirit of the Centurion lounges) be a significant upgrade over the usual North American airline-operated lounge. So I wander for a little bit, and then pull up a seat to surf the Web for a bit, returning to the ANA counter closer to its opening time.

When I return, at about ten past nine, things are definitely more set up, and there are a few more people in the lineup for economy class. But Business Class is still empty.



Just a few seconds after I arrive in line, a sea of women in ANA grey and blue uniforms descend on the check-in area to set up shop. About five minutes ahead of the scheduled 9:20 opening time, they line up in front of the counter, announce they're open for business, and perform the group bow to those in line.

I step up and hand over my passport. The agent behind the counter punches at a few things, a frown starting across her face. She calls over a compatriot, and they look at things. More frowns. Finally, they call over a slightly older woman who I presume to be a supervisor. She asks me if I have the new ticket number for my itinerary. I respond that I do not, and that to the best of my knowledge, no changes were made to this itinerary after booking it. She says the system says a new ticket was issued to an involuntary change, but this is news to me. Finally, she asks if I can go over to the Air Canada desk, conveniently just across the hall, to get the new ticket number.

I head over there, and I'm helped by a UA agent, as United handles check-in for AC in Seattle. He says he only sees one ticket number, but prints out a rather long – two pages – record related to my flights, and joins me for the short walk over to NH's counters. I'd really like to get my hands on that record as a keepsake. But I don't think it's happening.

He passes me back to the NH supervisor, who seems to have much more luck this time around getting me checked in. She confirms that my seat choice – 1K – works for me, so I presume business class is not entirely full this morning. She then hands over my SEA-NRT boarding bass, and provides me information on how to get to the NH contract lounge, The Club at SEA. I ask if they're able to print out my boarding pass to Jakarta, and she says she doesn't think she'll be able to, but she'll try later, and if she can, she'll get it to me over in the lounge or at the gate for the flight.

So, problem solved, but as I walk away without my onwards boarding pass, I'm left wondering if I'll have the same ticket number problem at the transit desk at Narita. I check my wallet to make sure my concierge phone number card is still where it should be. Just in case.

I make my way over to security. The lineup is quite long for the main lineup, but despite NH not participating in TSA PreChek, it's not a very long wait for me, because the premium lane is basically empty.

Through security, it's a short walk to the beginning of the B gates, home of the American Express Centurion Studio. A quick check of my platinum card, boarding pass and photo ID, and I'm inside.



Like other Centurion lounges, this space is nicely decorated, with comfortable chairs and decent food offerings. It's significantly smaller than other Centurion Lounges I've been to in the past, which, I suppose, is why it gets the Studio label. The agent explains that if I'd like some champagne, or another alcoholic beverage, just to let the staff know, but otherwise, there are drinks and "light bites" available just beyond.



Just inside the door is the traditional "green wall" that's featured at every Centurion Lounge I've been to.



It's a small space, but well laid out, and as I arrive, the sun is starting to cut through the Seattle fog, so it's getting brighter by the minute.

There are a few variety of seating areas.



And this "den" style space



A look out the window in the bright, but foggy, morning.



Departures board over the buffet.



And of course, the buffet itself, which is rocking it's breakfast lineup. There are fruity, pastries, some egg stratus served cold, yogurt, and a few other things, as well as juices, coffees, and teas. Not a bad lineup.



I grab a breakfast of an almond orange roll, a bacon and egg strata, and a tomato and spinach pastry, along with some orange juice. all are very good, but especially the strata.



It's good enough that I decide to return for another one. This time, it's accompanied by a pretty good orange cranberry scone, and a veggie strata that's not quite as good as the bacon one, but still pretty good. I also make myself a cappuccino.



A lounge attendant pops by and asks if I'd like something from the bar, rhyming off a few options. Ultimately, I decide that a Bellini sounds like a good idea. And it is.



With my hunger sated, I sit back and enjoy the quiet of the lounge for a while. As expected, it's a cut above the average North American lounge in just about every measure. These lounges are definitely one of the best perks for the frequent-flying Platinum card holder.

About an hour before boarding, I decide to relocate to someplace closer to the gate from which we'll be departing, and also to take a moment or two to explore The Club at SEA, so I bid a fond adieu to the Centurion Studio, and make my way towards the train out to the S gates.

I'm fortunate enough to arrive just as the train arrives, and within a few minutes, I'm up the long escalators and loose on the S concourse. The first thing I see is our fellow TPAC 788, this one from Hainan.



A little further over, our ride to Tokyo awaits.



The Club at SEA is right next to the boarding gate, conveniently enough, so I make my way over there to check it out. I've only been at one other "The Club" that was used as a contract lounge by NH, and that was in SJC. And it was a mess prior to the NH flight, so my expectations in terms of space are pretty low.



My boarding pass is quickly scanned, a note made on their records, and I'm allowed inside. But I only get a few steps before the NH agent who's working the desk with an employee from The Club chases after me, handing me not only my NRT-CGK boarding pass, but my boarding pass for CKG-ICN the next day. So I'm feeling a bit better about that situation. The NH agent says she'll announce when boarding is ready, although if I'm true to form, I'll likely leave a few minutes before that in order to stretch my legs before the long(-ish) flight across the Pacific.

Inside, things aren't too busy yet. This is also a smallish club, with some decent seating and a great view of the apron. Fortunately, it's not very busy yet.



There's a small "First Class" section which is reserved for NH top-tier customers are this point in time.



The Hainan Dreamliner is clearly visible to the left of the lounge, while the ANA Dreamliner peaks out between jetways to the right.



Lots to see out on the apron, including plenty of Southwest action.



Food options out at The Club are pretty basic, with just packaged snacks and couple of soups, but I've eaten my fill at the Centurion Lounge, so I don't feel too bad about it.



There's also a small bar, although I do not partake at this particular point in time.



By the time I've settled in with my little bottle of water, the place is starting to get much more crowded. In the space of about ten minutes, it goes from virtually empty to pretty bustling, as the main flow of ANA passengers arrive. This is also Hainan's contract lounge, so I'd imagine there are some of their passengers in here too.

There's no lounge-specific WiFi, but the airport's WiFi is free and fast enough.

I spend the rest of the time until boarding is called doing some writing – both on this flight report and otherwise – and doing some e-mail.

True to form, boarding is called in the lounge at about quarter to noon, and I pack up my gear and make the short walk over to the gate, where there's a small queue already forming for the business class lineup.

Flight: NH177
From: Seattle (SEA)
To: Tokyo Narita (NRT)
Date: 2/9/2016
Aircraft: Boeing 787-8
Registration: JA806A
Seat: 1K
ATD (STD): 12:31 (12:20)
ATA (STA): 14:40+1 (15:40+1)

A few ANA Diamond members are shown aboard first, and then the very efficient boarding process begins. With two lineups taking boarding cards, I'm quickly aboard, and shown towards seat 1K, a nice and secluded window seat on the port side.



In this staggered configuration, there are window-side window seats on the odd aisles, and aisle-side window seats in the even aisles. The window-side seats, obviously, offer better privacy, and this bulkhead seat in particular, offers excellent privacy due to the closet on the aisle.



The seat comes pre-loaded with an amenity kit, slippers, headphones, a mattress pad, a pillow, and a blanket. Quite the haul.



Here's a look back through the first cabin of business class as loading continues. By North American standards, this is a bit of an odd configuration by NH, very premium heavy. With 42 staggered business class seats, the C-cabin takes up about half the room on the plane. Behind that, there are 21 premium economy seats, and just 102 economy seats. Clearly, NH has some "thin but long" routes with a lot of premium demand.



The seat itself is nice and wide, with armrests that rotate up (aisle side) and slide down (window side) to get out of the way in bed mode.

Legroom is excellent, although I'm interested to see how the how the space works in bed mode – the footwell does seem a little small from this perspective.



A look across the cabin – as mentioned, privacy is excellent, largely thanks to the positioning of the closet. There's a large shelf with ample storage space between the seat and the aisle.



The display is large, and is in a fixed position so you can watch immediately.



I glance through the options, and select Steve Jobs as my first film of the flight. The interface is easy to use, if simple, and the system is quite responsive.

Seat controls and a wired remote are located under the aisle-side armrest. All logical enough.



There this handy "do not disturb" light atop the seat, in case you really don't want to be bothered while you rest.



Other than headphone ports, which are on the wall above the side table, all ports are hidden under a little door beneath the screen. USB and power ports are available, as well as some sort of proprietary "iPod" port with which I am not familiar. '



The headphones are offered are okay, but nothing special. They'll be replaced by my Bose set as soon as the seatbelt signs are released.



The slippers offered are of decent quality, and show ANA's attention to detail. Sealed into the plastic bag along with fairly comfortable slippers are a shoehorn, and a little fabric bag that matches the slippers, for those who choose to take their slippers home.



Here's a look at the contents of the amenity kit, which contains L'Occitane-branded goodies.



Service on the ground begins with a choice of sparkling wine or orange juice. Sparkling wine, bien sur. I'm surprised by the plastic cup, though.



As boarding continues, here's a look back through those big beautiful windows at the magnificent 787 wing.



A combination of efficiency and a relatively small cabin for a widebody, and we're finished boarding in less than half an hour. We push back as the safety video plays. The ground agents wave on the way out – I thought that was just something that happens in Japan, but cute to see it here too.



Some highlights of the taxi. We go past this Delta A330.



And this Emirates 777.



And this Omni International 767-300.



Around the other side of the S-gates, there's a Korean 777 and the previously-pictured Hainan 787 waiting their flights home.



We continue taxiing through Alaska-land.



And eventually make a turn at the end of the runway and we're lined up.



Off into the sky we go, and it's a beautiful climb out of Seattle, very clear, but with some residual fog over the water.Just a lovely climb to watch through the big 787 windows.



Once we reach cruising altitude, I swap headphone, grab my iPad and my keyboard, and settle into a bit of a recline to relax and enjoy the film. Service begins with an oshibori.



Menus are offered. Here's a look at the drinks menu.



And the first service.



And in-flight a la carte dining and pre-arrival meal.



Orders are taken minutes later, and I go with the Japanese option, both because "when in Rome" and because it sounds the most interesting of the dishes offered. For a pre-meal drink, I go with champagne.

The table is set with a tablecloth, and a glass is brought by for the champagne, which is poured in front of me. It's a very good champagne, served nice and cold. Very nice.



Moments later, the amuse bouche is offered. All three are very good, but particularly the vegetables a la grecque, which comes as a bit of surprise. A very nice beginning to the meal.



A quick visit to the forward lav, immediately behind the cockpit on the port side. Nothing terribly remarkable, except for a few simple amenities. And some cute little origami cranes.



Oh, and of course there's a bidet because this is NH we're talking about.



The front cabin in business class is only maybe a hair over 50 per cent full for this flight, and a quick glance aft looks about the same in the second cabin. So it looks like they've got about the same number of business class passengers on this flight as a full AC 788 does – give or take 20. Just with twice as many seats. I'm not sure that bodes well long-term, but it makes for a pleasant in-flight experience for now.

Back at my seat, dinner begins with the assortment of Japanese appetizers. The flight attendant is kind enough to take a few moments to explain everything to me, guessing (correctly) that I'm not 100 per cent familiar with the presentation.



Everything is quite good, but the oysters and the grilled duck with apricot stand out as the highlights here.



Drinks are offered, and I request a glass of water, and some sake, the latter of which is poured at my seat. Always a nice touch.



When I'm done, the while tray is quickly taken away, and in its place about a couple of minutes later, the main course of a simple trout, presented with a couple of chunks of yam, is presented. It's tasty enough, and isn't overcooked as many times salmon and trout are on aircraft, but it's nothing terribly exciting.



It's presented with miso soup, Japanese pickles, and steamed rice. The pickles, in particular, are quite enjoyable.



With dinner winding down, I dim my windows – unlike the AC 787, the two windows next to my seat here are not connected, so they can each my dimmed or brightened independently. I'm not sure if that's a plus or a minus, just a reflection on a difference in programming.



The dessert trolley comes around shortly, and I opt for a cheese course, and the coffee cake. It's not the best cheese plate I've ever had, but it will do nicely.



The dessert also is nothing terribly eventful. It's funny… I associated "coffee cake" with a type of crumbly cake that's called that but and often served with coffee. This is "coffee cake" as in "cake that tastes like coffee," much like a chocolate cake tastes like chocolate, and usually isn't served alongside chocolate.



The movie ends with Steve unveiling the iMac (sorry for the spoiler, and I check on Airshow. Yep, we're making progress towards Japan alright.



Up next is The Walk, a dramatization of the story of Philippe Petit, who made it his dream and ambition to wire walk between the two World Trade Center buildings in New York. I've seen a documentary on him before. It's okay, but it's weird hearing Josephy Gordon Levitt trying to pull off a whole movie in a French accent. Tea or coffee is offered, and I take a cup of green tea that really hits the spot.



With dinner now more formally over, I put my seat into more of a recline, sit back, and enjoy the movie. Shortly, a flight attendant comes by with cognac, Bailey's, and other digestifs. I decline, but I do request to sample the 17-year-old Hibiki whiskey. Both because I enjoy a good whiskey, and because I've been waiting a long time to be able to say…



"For relaxing times…. make it Suntory time." (What can I say, I've seen Lost in Translation just a few times. In fact, it's one of my "go-to" films when it's available on a flight.) It's presented in a very attractive little bottle of nice thick glass with some substantial weight to it. And it's a very nice drink, too. I'm very glad to have had the experience.

After it's presented, with tablecloths and dishes having been cleared, another oshibori is offered, and the flight attendant explains that items off the a la carte menu can be requested any time until about 1:00 am.



Finally, a little bottle of water is offered, and shortly, the lights turn from clear to a distinctly pink/orange tinge, and we're slipping into night mode, despite the fact that it's 3:00 pm Pacific time – which I guess makes it quite the right time of day for it to get dark for me, being used to Eastern time. A very odd time, though, for it to get dark based on the fact that it's 8:05 at our destination in Tokyo.



I pause the movie and head to the lav by door R2. It's pretty much the same as the forward lav, with one notable difference – loo with a view! and it provides a lovely view of the starboard engine and wing.



Back at my seat, I set my seat up in bed mode. While doing so, I'm asked by a flight attendant if I need help. Nope, I've got this.



Another quick look back at that big engine and that beautiful wing before I darken the Windows back up for chill out time.



When the movie's over, I decide it's time to try to take a nap, We're coming up on the international date line, so still a few hours left before we arrive in Tokyo.



I think I managed to doze a little bit, but ultimately, I wasn't very tired, surprisingly. I did find it quite comfortable – a nice wide bed, decently soft. I do find ANA keeps its cabin a little hot for my taste, although at least the provided blanket is lighter.

Just past the IDL, and with about 4:15 to Tokyo, I decide to sit back up and try out another movie. This time, I choose Freeheld from the new releases menu. I'm not really familiar with it, but it stars Julianne Moore and Ellen Page, so the acting has to be good, right?

A look across the cabin in the darkness. The person in the aisle seat opposite me has her reading light on, but from my seat, it's barely noticeable. Again – really good privacy on these window-side seats.



Because of the staggered configuration of the seats, there's a "throne" seat much like on AC's high-density 77Ws, except instead of being on the outsides, it's in the center, where every second row is 1-1-1, with the middle "1" having large storage spaces on either side.

About three and a half hours out of Narita, I decide I'm getting a bit peckish, and after perusing the on-demand menu, I decide the ramen looks like a good option. I flag down the in-charge on her next pass through – the crew really does a good job of keeping an eye on the cabin with regular passes through – and request it, with an Asahi to accompany it.



The beer arrives in a few minutes, and the ramen about a minute afterwards. I'm not ramen expert, but this is some seriously good ramen, that really hits the spot. It's accompanied by a little bit of hot paste, and a pat of butter. I presume that's more of the "there's a butter already on the tray" concept… or are you really supposed to butter your soup?



It's a great snack, delicious, and pleasantly filling, but I still feel like I'll be ready for the pre-arrival meal when it's presented in a couple of hours. The beer is pretty good, too.



All three of the hot towels I've been presented thus far have had a very nice scent to them. Is it ginger? If it's not, it's something similar. Very pleasant.

With snack time over, I recline my seat back into lounging mode, and watch the end of the movie. When it ends, I choose the movie Ashby next. Again, I'm unfamiliar with it, but it sounds somewhat interesting, and Mickey Rourke can be a hell of an actor. I put the bed down and relax for a few minutes, at which point I notice the house lights are coming up ever so slowly. About 2:15 out of Narita, they're on full, and I'm presented with yet another oshibori. I guess the pre-arrival meal service is starting now.



I lighten the windowshades, and it's still uniformly cloudy far below.



The pre-arrival meal – I'm not really sure what to call it, I guess by Tokyo standards it's sorta-kinda lunch – comes altogether on one tray, and is accompanied by some green tea.



The kuchidori starts it off, sharing a box with the he simple dessert of fruit. Highlight here were the chicken and the algae.



The main course of sablefish was pretty good – perfectly prepared although I had to be careful to avoid the tiny bones throughout. This sablefish wasn't quite as good as the sablefish AC's been featuring in recent months, but still pretty good.



The accompanying rice is, well, rice. And the miso soup is pretty good – quite a different miso than the one served with the post-departure meal.



When I wrap it up, my table is quickly cleared, and I'm offered another cup of green tea.

I sit back and watch the rest of the movie. By the time it's over, we're approaching the shore of Japan. I take this opportunity to pack up most of my possessions, as I expect the seat belt sign will be on soon. And indeed, it is.



Below us, we're still over the sea, but the nonstop cloud cover is somewhat broken up.



As we begin our approach in earnest, we see land below – an encouraging sign when one is coming in for a landing.



After a bit of jigging and jagging, we're lined up for the approach to Narita, coming in parallel with a Delta 767-300. Unfortunately, it looks tiny in any pic I try to get.

From there, it's a straight line onto the runway, as our shadow gets larger and closer second by second.



We land very smoothly, and decelerate quickly to a manageable pace, before we begin taxiing right past the terminals. It feels like we're headed for a remote gate. And, indeed, we are. We pull in next to our twin in this stylish special livery, and this long journey with ANA is over.



I gather my belongings, and am motioned by a flight attendant towards door 1L. The captain cautions us over the PA that it's quite windy outside, so we should be careful. And he's right, it is quite breezy outside, but it's a pleasant nine Celsius, and it feels good to be out of the plane, however nice a plane it may be.

One last look at our ride before I head onto the bus.



The bus loads to capacity, and in a few minutes, we're on our way for our little tour around Narita. First, we pass this cargo area.



Then this Delta 763 in Skyteam colors.



AeroMexico is also rocking a 788 here at Narita.



Then, just past this Delta 777, we turn towards the terminal, and end up returning the same way we were coming out on the apron.



So it's past Delta again.



And then AeroMexico before we arrive at our destination at the terminal.



From the entrance, it's up the stairs, and transit security is right there, with a Star Alliance Gold fast track to boot.

I'm quickly through the security re-check, and into the wilds of airside at Narita. Which is where we'll pick things up with the the next flight report.

Thanks for reading!