All Nippon Airways got me dreaming about this flight for quite some time. Ever since its inaugural launch in late 2019, I’ve been craving a chance to try this experience. Ladies and gentlemen (drum roll plz)… this is ANA’s next-gen First Class called “The Suite”.
History
ANA holds a nostalgic place in my memories. Back in 2018, it was my 3 month old daughter’s very first flight! To appreciate how far ANA has come, here’s the original First Class.
Booking
For the final segment of this Hokkaido trip, I booked a one-way flight back to Los Angeles via San Francisco. This was an incredibly lucky redemption because ANA has been absurdly stingy with their award inventories. It’s like a wild goose chase while trying to find a needle in a haystack at the same time. Lo and behold…
After confirmation, Paul might have jumped up and did a happy dance. Mission success!
SUITE 1K
As soon as you step onto the plane, you immediately notice ANA’s quantum leap forward in time. The mega mic-drop star of “The Suite” is clearly the humongous 42″ inch T.V. (4K). This is by far the biggest T.V. of any First Class seat in the world.
This even beats the screen in the brand new Emirates “Game Changer” First Class. The entertainment in the Emirates private suite is “only” 32 inches wide. Emirates is known to be usually the biggest in everything too!
The T.V. is controlled by an intuitive touchscreen controller console. It almost reminds me of a mini-Nintendo Switch.
Press “B” on controller to start
The seat itself is ridiculously big too. Stretching over 38 inches wide, it feels like a throne made for royalty.
ANA is not done yet. Get ready for the biggest vanity mirror of any First Class seat in the world. Miki would lovvve this mirror.
Krug vs. Krug
It’s already a rare experience sipping free flowing Krug 40,000 ft. in the air. ANA wanted to double down & take the bubbles to the next level. For First Class passengers, they had the Krug Grande Cuvee and the limited Krug 2004 Vintage.
This is officially the first time ever having two different types of Krugs in one single flight! The first bottle retails close to $300 USD while the second bottle retails close to $700 USD respectively.
Which bottle do you and (your friend) want to try first?
as she amusingly looks at Chai Bear…
You guessed it… BOTH
not gonna lie though… I did drink the Krug Vintage 2004 a little more since it’s such an absurdly expensive champagne
Dining
One of the biggest downsides of a red-eye flight is the lack of “full” omakase service. Unlike Japan Airlines First Class, the selection was quite limited.
Understandably, most passengers are sleeping after take-off…
Movie night
It be a sin not to watch movies on this ridiculous screen. I’m not much of a movie guy, but this flight I decided to make an exception and watch three movies in one sitting.
“Your Name”
“Top Gun Maverick”
“Doraemon Nobita’s Sky Utopia”
Overall, ANA New First Class “The Suite” is one of the most comfortable ways to commercially fly in the sky. The over-the-top gizmos notably the industry leading 42″ entertainment 4K screen makes flying a true pleasure especially for cinema geeks. This is definitely up there in terms of novelty experiences like the double beds in Singapore Suites and/or showering in Emirates First Class.
Stepping off the plane from Tokyo, I only wish I booked a day-time flight so I can fully indulge myself in the omakase experience. Sumimasen… I’ll just imagine sipping the two bottles of Krug (again) š
Chai Bear World 