Is Flying ANA Worth It?

I’ve been flying ANA for many years now and I’ve flown every class with them including Economy, Premium Economy, and Business Class! This is my honest and unsponsored All Nippon Airways (ANA) review and what to expect if you plan to book with them.

For the purposes of this review, I’ll show you both Economy and Business Class, because both offer something entirely different (obviously it comes at a super different cost!!), but I think it’s worth trying both once in your life!

All Nippon Airways (ANA) didn’t sponsor this review although that would be sweet! I am sharing my experience because I want to help you in deciding which airline to fly, especially for long haul flights like this one.

Flight Details for Tokyo to Vancouver (Economy)

Typical Layover: N/A as it is Nonstop
Average Travel Time: 8 hours and 50 mins
Carry-on Allowance: 1 carry-on piece up to 10 kg (22lbs) + 1 small personal item (like laptop bag, purse, backpack)
Checked Bag Allowance: 2 pieces up to 23 kg (50lbs) for Economy Class

*If you hold Star Alliance Gold status, you’re permitted one additional checked bag free of charge!

While the seats are a bit tight and confined, they’re not as compact as some other airlines where your knees touch the front seat. Honestly for Economy Class seats, I felt like these were quite comfortable.

They provide in-flight entertainment, a fold out meal table (which can also be brought down as a ‘half table’ just for snacks and small drinks), a clothes hanger (which we utilized for our jackets), and a USB port for charging your phone/tablet/laptop.

I love that their safety video is Pokemon related! So cute and it’s SOO Japanese 😆

The Food: Surprisingly Good for Economy

Now onto the food! Because that is one of the most important factors for choosing an airline amiright? 🙂

I love that ANA always gives you a menu to choose which entree you want! It has pictures and an English description so you’re not just basing your meal off “chicken or beef?”. 😅

I chose the Beef Sukiyaki over Steamed Rice and oh my gosh, what an amazing choice it was!

Can you see how YOLKY the egg is?! Only Japanese airlines can master the art of a runny yolk and serve that to you on a plane 35,000 ft in the air. Just…. bravo 👏

All the side dishes were also really good, and I like that they give you a bottle of water (instead of a cup) so you can hold on to it during the flight instead of having to gobble it all down during dinner.

Secret Tip: Ask for Kayanoya Vegetable Soup
It may sound a little weird to want vegetable soup while on a plane, but trust me when I say, their Kayanoya Vegetable Soup is fantastic and will soothe you from the inside out! It’s free and it feels like a literal hug in a bowl. It’s hot, savoury, and umami all at the same time.

Flight Details for Tokyo to Vancouver (Business)

Typical Layover: N/A as it is Nonstop
Average Travel Time: 8 hours and 50 mins
Carry-on Allowance: 1 carry-on piece up to 10 kg (22lbs) + 1 small personal item (like laptop bag, purse, backpack)
Checked Bag Allowance: 2 pieces up to 32 kg (70lbs) for Business Class

Business Class Seats & Cabin Comfort

Me sitting in the ANA Business Class seat

So if you’re flying direct from YVR to Tokyo (HND/NRT) or vice versa, chances are, you will be taking NH115, NH116, NH135, or NH136.

These routes unfortunately only use the older Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner aircrafts so it won’t be the beautiful NEW ANA Business Class called “The Room”. I once walked by these new Business Class pods and OH MY GOSH – each seat is HUGE!! Truly looks like you get a room to yourself (which is super fitting for the name).

Even though we Vancouverites don’t get “The Room”, our Business Class seats are not too shabby! You get to lie flat which is absolutely essential… and there honestly is a lot of space. My 6 ft tall husband can sleep quite comfortably in this seat when lying flat.

They give you these ANA sweaters to wear on the flight if you feel a bit chilly. You can’t keep them, but it’s a nice little touch.

The Food: Worth the Hefty Price Tag

The food served aboard ANA’s Business Class flight has got to be one of the main reasons why my husband and I keep booking it. 🙈 Their Japanese Washoku meals are the best when flying from Tokyo to Vancouver (because the catering in Japan is just on another level), but the Vancouver to Tokyo meals are also not bad.

The above photo is just the appetizer! You get an assortment of small, carefully curated seafood, sashimi, and salads, and for your choice of drink, you can get some really premium liquor like Hibiki Suntory Whiskey (Blender’s Choice).

For the entree, you get served delicious white rice along with steamed fish, a variety of side dishes like pickled Japanese vegetables, and miso soup. No matter what, if you book ANA Business Class, I would recommend getting their Japanese (Washoku) cuisine over the International cuisine.

Another thing you cannot miss is their “Anytime” snack menu!! I purposely stay up sometimes and don’t sleep because I want to make sure I take advantage of their any time snacks.

My favourite thing to get is their Ramen (yes! you heard that right!). They offer different flavours all the time, but no matter what flavour ramen it is, it’s absolutely delicious and it HITS when you’re on a long-haul flight and eating it in the air. I mean, eating Black Garlic Tonkotsu Japanese ramen while 35,000 ft in the sky is the epitome of luxury for me.

For my full food review of All Nippon Airways (ANA) Business Class, you can watch my Youtube videos here:

So that pretty much wraps up my experience. I hope it gave you a better idea of what there is for food and entertainment on the flight because I don’t know about you, but I care about those things the most when deciding on flights.

If you thought this ANA review was helpful, do follow me, @eatingwithkirby, on Instagram, TikTok or YouTube for more travel insights!

If you have any questions about All Nippon Airways (ANA), please comment below and I’ll answer!