For my first trip to Japan, I flew All Nippon Airways, round trip between Guangzhou and Tokyo. I was excited to finally see Japan, and just as excited to fly one of the world’s most talked-about carriers. This post covers the return leg: Tokyo to Guangzhou in economy class on their Airbus A320.
About All Nippon Airways
ANA started in 1952 as Japan Helicopter and Aeroplane Transport, with a fleet of exactly two helicopters. It grew into Japan’s largest airline, ahead of JAL, and joined Star Alliance in 1999. SKYTRAX has given it a 5-star rating every year since 2013, one of the small handful of carriers in the world to hold it. I went in with high expectations because of that reputation, and I wanted to see if a short regional hop in economy would live up to it as much as their long-haul flights are known to.
Pre-Flight Experience
I flew out of Haneda’s Terminal 2. Getting there from the city was quick, the monorail drops you close to the entrance and the whole ride takes well under an hour. Check-in was self-service and painless, and at the gate I used the facial recognition express lane, which felt like a small glimpse of the future. No photo, no passport out, just walk through.
Terminal 2’s international side is compact. Don’t expect the shopping or restaurant options you’d get at Narita or even Haneda’s Terminal 3. There isn’t much to do once you’re through security. I spent my wait at the Plaza Premium lounge, which did the job: food, a quiet seat, decent Wi-Fi. The flight left on time, and we took a bus out to the aircraft instead of a jet bridge.
Cabin and In-Flight Service
The A320 in economy has a standard 3 seats either side of a single aisle, no middle section split. Seats are fine for a 4-hour flight, nothing special but nothing to complain about either. The one gap is the headrest. It’s flat and doesn’t wrap or adjust the way a lot of other economy seats do these days, so if you want to actually sleep, bring your own neck support. Legroom is average, not cramped, not generous.
Service on the 4-hour flight was solid. They came through with a full hot meal and a drinks service, standard for ANA on this kind of route. The meal was the same for everyone, no choice, unless you’d prebooked a special meal online before the flight. It came with a cold appetizer salad, a hot main of steamed white rice with parsley, beef stew, carrot wedges and broccoli, a soft bread roll with butter, and a small portion of cream cheese with Japanese crackers. I had a cup of orange juice with it.
Crew were efficient and polite, the way you’d expect from a 5-star carrier, without being over the top about it.
Entertainment System and Wi-Fi
Every seat has its own screen built into the seatback, which is still not a given on short-haul economy from a lot of carriers. There’s a decent range of international movies, cartoons, a flight map, and a few games. Wi-Fi was available too, and it worked well the entire time we were over Japanese airspace. The moment we crossed into Chinese airspace, it cut out completely and stayed dead for the rest of the flight. Worth knowing if you’re planning to work or stream anything on this exact route.
Conclusion
Overall, a good experience with ANA, even on a short regional economy flight. The 5-star reputation held up here in the details that matter: efficient boarding, attentive crew, a functioning entertainment system. I’d fly them again without hesitation, and I’m genuinely looking forward to trying one of their long-haul routes at some point.
