While economy class seats get tighter and tighter, business class seats have gradually gotten more and more luxurious. Qatar Airways revolutionised the industry by introducing their QSuite back in 2017, and since then we’ve seen an increasing number of carriers introduce business class seats with doors.
ANA introduced their last-generation business class products in 2013. I’ve heard good things about their soft product, though honestly their hard product is somewhere near the middle of the pack lately. The seat colours are drab, and I’ve tried similarly configured products (such as EVA Air’s 787), which are nice but can’t compete with the latest and greatest out there.
ANA Boeing 777 Tokyo Haneda Airport
Well, that changed all of a sudden.
As of a couple of days ago, ANA has revealed their latest business class cabins, which will debut on their 777-300ERs early next month. Here’s a video of the new cabins:
ANA’s new 777 first class cabins
ANA’s old 777 first class cabins featured open suites. They were called “square” first class suites, so they were shaped in a way that seemed like they would have doors, but they didn’t. One major complaint about these suites was how the suite’s shell was configured, so it was hard to look out of the window or talk to a seatmate.
ANA’s new 777 first class suites are elegant, wide, and fix that major issue. They look large, much more tastefully designed than the old first class seats (which were marginally office building-like), and the middle seats feature a large privacy partition that can be lowered if you want to talk to your seatmate. They also feature doors, which weren’t in the last generation product.
ANA Boeing 777 New First Class
ANA’s new 777 business class cabins
While ANA’s new first class is an evolution over their old product, their business class seats are more of a revolution. ANA’s 777 business class seats all feature direct aisle access, and they’re actually fully enclosed suites, which mimics the privacy of the first class suites (they aren’t as spacious, though).
ANA Boeing 777 Business Class Cabin
These seats are somewhat staggered – the footwell of each seat goes under the storage area of the seat in front. So you will be sleeping diagonally in these seats.
ANA Boeing 777 Business Class Seat in Bed Mode
If you’re familiar with Singapore Airlines’ business class product, you’ll know the setup – it’s basically that, with a door. Pictured below is the bulkhead seat, though for all seats in rows behind, the footrest extends into the footwell of the seat in front. I’ve briefly tried the seat out (though never flown in it), and it’s not the most comfortable of products, though ANA’s version looks a little more spacious.
Singapore Airlines Airbus A380 Business Class Bed
I believe premium economy won’t receive an update, whereas economy will continue will be the 10-abreast configuration ANA currently offers.
Which routes will feature ANA’s new 777s?
ANA plans to deploy their new 777s from Tokyo Haneda to London Heathrow on odd-numbered days in August, and even-numbered days in September, before eventually switching to a daily service on these flights:
ANA 211 Tokyo Haneda to London Heathrow dep. 11:35 arr. 16:10
ANA 212 London Heathrow to Tokyo Haneda dep. 19:00 arr. 14:35
My thoughts/Bottom Line
On the plus side, these seats are a welcome addition from ANA’s current product. While I’ve never been on ANA, I’ve tried similar first and business class products, and these look like they’ll be a step up. I’m also very impressed that they’ll be rolling these seats out next month (compare that to Lufthansa, who released their new seats in 2017 and plan to deploy them in 2020).
That being said, the business class product seems a little more style-over-substance to me as of now. While it’s great that you’ll get the most shoulder width out of any seat out there, it does look like the business class seat will be a touch on the tight side for sleeping, especially since you’ll have to sleep diagonally. That’s long been a complaint for Singapore Airlines, and I don’t think ANA will be able to rectify the problem without hugely sacrificing cabin density. I don’t think this will be as comfortable as the QSuite, or British Airways’ new A350 business class product. First class looks great, however.
I can’t tell until I’ve tried it out. That said, I don’t have many miles with Star Alliance right now, and ANA’s fares are consistently sky-high – so it may be a while until I get to fly this product. I can’t wait to hear what other people have to say about it.
Are you planning to try ANA’s new first and/or business class products?
I’ll be flying their new first class in April (a while away) but will make sure to try out their business seat during the flight (LHR-HND). I suspect it won’t be as tight as singapore airlines’ but I’ll be able to say for sure in a few months.
@ Bruce – I’ve heard amazing things about both (particularly business)! Keep me updated on the footwell situation, as I’ve heard it’s much improved over Singapore.