Review of ANA flight from Tokyo to Sydney in Economy

Introduction.

Welcome to my Melbourne trip, which will consist of three flights. Melbourne is my favorite city in Australia, and with Tokyo's summer heat being unbearable, I figured it was the perfect time to visit, especially since it's winter in Melbourne.

As mentioned, this trip will feature 3 Flight Reports, this report being the first of the three.

Although I’m aware there are direct flights from Tokyo to Melbourne (which I took on my return), I couldn’t make that flight due to my busy schedule on the day of departure. Instead, I opted to fly with ANA from Haneda to Sydney, which actually worked out better, as it departs late and Haneda is more conveniently located closer to the city.

At the Airport.

It only took me about 30 minutes to get to Haneda Airport, which was a huge time saver compared to the nearly hour and a half it would have taken to reach Narita.

As I mentioned in my previous flight report on this same route, ANA has shifted many of its international flights to Terminal 2 at Haneda. There’s a newly built section specifically for international travelers on the right side of Terminal 2, while the remainder of the terminal continues to serve domestic flights. However some flights still depart from terminal 3 (the main international terminal), so be careful when boarding an international flight with ANA from Haneda.

I arrived at the airport approximately two and a half hours prior to my scheduled departure time, which is plenty of time. Remember, this particular terminal is exclusively designated for ANA’s international flights, which means it tends to be far less crowded compared to terminal 3.

The area feels quite modern and new, with a sleek design that adds to the overall atmosphere. There are plenty of self-service kiosks available for check-in, in addition to the more traditional check-in counters. I opted to use one of the kiosks, and the process was very fast and easy.

After completing all the formalities, I decided to skip heading straight to security and instead visited the observation decks, accessible from the landside of the terminal. One of the great features of Haneda Airport is its large observation decks, offering views of the runway and tarmac.

Although it was quite cloudy and foggy, the views from the observation deck were still impressive. I spent around 30 minutes enjoying the scenery until a sudden downpour of heavy rain forced me to head back inside. At that point, I decided it was the perfect time to go through security and immigration.

There were barely any queues at security, and I was airside in under 3 minutes.

The airside area is quite spacious, offering a variety of shops, including duty-free options, along with a few lounges for passengers to relax in. Before heading to my gate, I decided to take some time to visit the Power Lounge.

The lounge is spacious, offering a variety of seating options, and was notably empty during my visit.

There isn't a buffet, but there was a selection of drinks, including both alcoholic and non-alcoholic options.

Although there was no buffet, there was a selection of made-to-order dishes that looked delicious, but since I wasn’t very hungry, I decided to pass

I stayed in the lounge for about 30 minutes before it was time to head to the gate. I'm not sure if it's always the case, but flights to Sydney typically depart from a bus gate rather than a jetbridge.

That being said, the gate was around a 4 minute walk from the lounge.

I arrived at the gate about 15 minutes before boarding.

Remember when I mentioned the sudden downpour of rain earlier? Well, it turned into a full-blown thunderstorm, which ended up delaying our flight by about 30 minutes.

Boarding eventually began, and it was well-organized by groups boarding, split into 5 groups. Group 1 being those who need special assistance, status members and business class passes and then all the other classes.

Here is our plane for today!

Aircraft Information

Aircraft - Boeing 787-9
Reg - JA888A
Age - 7.9 years

As I stepped into the plane, the crew welcomed me onboard and I made my way to my seat.

Cabin and Seat.

ANA's international 787-9's have 2 different configurations. One with 215 seats and one with 246 seats.

This aircraft is configured with 246 seats across three classes: 40 in business class, 14 in premium economy, and 192 in economy. The economy cabin follows a standard 3-3-3 layout, offering 17.3-inch wide seats and a spacious 34 inches of pitch.

The seat is equipped with a generously sized personal TV screen, accompanied by a coat hook. Below the screen, you'll find a remote control for the entertainment system, along with a foldable tray table. The seat also features a well-organized pocket with multiple compartments, offering ample storage for devices, and other travel essentials. Moreover, the cabin itself was exceptionally clean, creating a comfortable and pleasant environment throughout the flight.

One standout feature of this seat is the footrest, which significantly enhances comfort during the flight.

The Flight.

There was a pillow, blanket and a pair of headphones waiting at my seat.

I was in the last boarding group, so boarding wrapped up not so long after settling down at my seat. The door was closed and the safety video started to play on the screens.

As I mentioned earlier, our flight was delayed due to a storm, and as we began taxiing, the weather worsened. We eventually had to stop on the taxiway to wait it out. During this time, many passengers stood up, and the crew wisely took the opportunity to distribute the immigration cards. Almost every passenger around me, including myself, started filling it out.
We ended up waiting for about 20 minutes until the weather improved. Once conditions were safe, we took off shortly after, and the flight proceeded smoothly from there.

Once in the air, I decided to check the inflight Wi-Fi.

The prices were on the higher side, aligning with what you’d find with most airlines. I chose not to purchase Wi-Fi however.

The inflight service started around an hour after takeoff.

We were first served a wet towel.

The first meal service began about 30 minutes after takeoff. However, since I was seated toward the back of the aircraft, I ended up being one of the last passengers to be served.

There were 2 different options for dinner on this flight:
 - Deep Fried Chicken in  Sweet Vinegar with Tarter Sauce over Steamed Rice (Chicken Nanban)
 - Creamy Seafood Rice Gratin

I originally planned to have the chicken, but by the time the meal cart reached my row, it had run out. As a result, I opted for the seafood rice gratin instead, which turned out to be a satisfying alternative.

The portion size was really generous, with several side dishes accompanying the main meal. Alongside the seafood rice gratin, there was a snack mix, salad, potato salad, pickled vegetables, crackers and cheese, and a bread roll. It also came with a bottle of water and a drink of choice, making for a well-rounded and filling meal.

For my drink of choice, I went with a Pepsi. The presentation of the meal was absolutely phenomenal, with everything neatly arranged on the tray. The vibrant colors and varied portion sizes of the different dishes made it visually appealing. This was an absolutely delicious meal.

For dessert, we were served a cup of Cookies & Cream Häagen-Dazs ice cream, which was absolutely delicious and a perfect way to end the meal. However, the only downside was that it was served just two minutes after I was served my main course.

After finishing dinner, I decided to explore the in-flight entertainment system. The content selection was decent, but the UI could've been better. It looked quite basic, and you had to click on each movie title individually to view the movie cover. Personally, I find it easier to recognize movies by their covers rather than their titles, so this layout made browsing less convenient for me.

Shortly after, the cabin lights were dimmed, creating a calm and relaxing environment.

I decided to get some rest, and with the pillow, blanket, footrest, and decent seat recline, it was quite comfortable for sleeping.

I managed to get a solid three and a half hours of sleep and woke up just as we were passing over Cairns, in the far north of Australia, which happens to be my hometown.

We were soon served our second meal, which was rather disappointing.

For breakfast, we were served a bacon and lettuce croissant, accompanied by yogurt, fruit, and a KitKat. I’ve mentioned this in a previous review, but the presentation and portion size of this meal fell short compared to the phenomenal dinner service. It felt more like the typical second meal service offered by US and European airlines.

Around an hour later, the cabin prepared for landing.

Arrival and Disembarkation.

The landing was smooth, but unfortunately, our gate was still occupied by another aircraft. This resulted in a brief 15-minute wait on the tarmac until the gate was available.

Since I was seated toward the back of the aircraft, I was among the last to disembark. Fortunately, there were hardly any queues at security and immigration at Sydney Airport.

It was refreshing to arrive in cool Sydney, escaping the intense heat and humidity of Tokyo.

Thats going to conclude this FR. Thanks for reading!