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I’ve always heard that ANA (All Nippon Airways) had the same high-quality service as JAL (Japan Airlines), which has a well-deserved reputation in the aviation industry. So, when I came across a roundtrip ticket to Japan with ANA at a fair price in October, I jumped on it.

This was my first time flying with ANA so I was excited to see what they were all about. Once I booked my flight, I was able to see what movies would be playing and what drinks would be served on the plane. There was also an option to upgrade my meal for $25. The Hamburger Steak looked good and I considered ordering that but ultimately stayed with the regular meal that was being served on the plane.

Originally, I booked regular economy seats, but about a week before my flight to Japan, I received an email from ANA informing me of their new bidding upgrade program. I was eligible to submit a bid for Premium Economy.

I decided to give it a try and submitted a bid of 28,000 yen (~$199 USD) for each leg of the flight, which was the “fair” amount on the ANA scale. 48 hours before my flight, I received an email from ANA stating that my bid got accepted and I was upgraded to Premium Economy on my flight from Chicago to Narita.

I was pretty excited about this upgrade. My seat was automatically chosen for me at 26G which was the aisle seat located in the middle section of the cabin. While I had the option to change the seat if I wanted to, I was actually quite happy with their automatic seat selection.

I was not given any information regarding my bid from Narita to Chicago, so I assumed that I did not get the upgrade, but later found out while I was in Japan that my bid got accepted for that flight as well, so that was a pleasant suprise.

ORD > NRT

With the Premium Economy ticket, I was pleased to discover that I had access to the United Club lounge located at Chicago O'Hare Airport. I was able to enjoy the lounge for about an hour, where I indulged in some yogurt, cereal, and a fresh cup of coffee. I also decided to try a muffin, although I found it to be rather dry and not as satisfying as I had hoped.

United Club Lounge at Chicago O’Hare Airport

Coffee machine in club lounge — Nice coffee machine in the lounge

In addition to these lighter options, the lounge also offered a selection of hot foods, including classic breakfast items like sausage and scrambled eggs. The club lounge was right in front of the gate I was departing from at Gate B17 so it was in a convenient location.

When it came to boarding my flight with ANA, I learned that they organize passengers into groups. Groups 1 and 2 are called to line up first, followed by Groups 3, 4, and finally, Group 5.

Despite having Premium Economy seats, I found myself assigned to Group 5, which was the last group to board. The airline explained that this boarding procedure is based on seat locations throughout the aircraft, a practice that helps manage the boarding process effectively.

The aircraft flying from ORD to NRT was a Boeing B777-300. Compared to other international flights I have experienced with United and JAL, this particular plane seemed a bit more outdated in its amenities and overall appearance.

This plane was a 2-4-2 configuration and to my delight, the Premium Economy section appeared to be quite empty. I was fortunate that the two seats adjacent to me remained vacant, allowing me to stretch out and enjoy the extra space comfortably throughout the flight.

ANA Premium Economy seats do not come with an amenity kit like other airlines such as United. At the seat, there is a pillow, blanket, slippers, and headphones.

Empty seats in Premium Economy flight — So happy that the two seats were empty next to me on this flight

Once the plane ascends to cruising altitude, the flight attendants make their way down the aisle with a tray filled with options like eye masks, earplugs, toothbrushes, and other useful items that travelers can choose from.

I think this is a much better approach when providing extras, as it significantly reduces waste. While it is charming that other airlines present a little amenity kit in a convenient travel pouch, I personally find that I do not use around 90% of the items included in those kits.

Premium Economy Seats ANA — 2-4-2 seat configuration

Footrest on flight — The footrest was awesome

The seat I found myself in was quite nice and surprisingly spacious. It actually reclined back further than I expected, which added to my overall comfort during the flight. There is a footrest available in the front area as well as a foot recliner located underneath the seat, providing plenty of legroom for stretching out.

Although I didn't end up using the footrest, I utilized the foot recliner often, and it genuinely seemed to help me sleep better on the plane. As for convenience, the tray tables are conveniently stored underneath the armrest, making access easy when needed. Below the armrest, there was an outlet for plugging in electronics, which I took advantage of to charge my laptop.

The bathrooms were conveniently located just behind the Premium Economy seats. I noticed that the bathroom situated directly behind my seat was noticeably smaller in size compared to the bathroom found on the other side of the aisle, which appeared to offer a bit more space for passengers.

Outlets located beneath seats — Outlets located beneath the seat

Really small TV monitors on ANA flight — Small monitors for Premium Economy seats

I was quite surprised to find that the TV monitors were very outdated and not at all in line with what I expected for Premium Economy seats. They were relatively small monitors, particularly disappointing given the class of service, and the screen quality was not clear at all. In fact, it seemed like a monitor from at least 10 years ago or more, which felt rather out of place.

The monitors were equipped with touchscreen capabilities, but I found that the functionality did not work well, leading me to primarily rely on the remote control that was located at the seat.

Small monitors on ANA — Old monitors could not handle the volume difference between the in-flight entertainment and passenger announcements

As for the movie selections, they were okay overall. If you enjoy Japanese and Korean movies or shows, you will find that there are a substantial number of options to choose from. I personally love anime, so I watched a couple of anime movies.

One thing I found annoying while watching a movie was when there was an announcement made, the volume level would spike significantly and become excruciatingly loud. This meant I had to repeatedly take out my earphones every time the public address system was used, which proved to be quite disruptive.

ANA exclusive drink with Japanese crackers

Before the first meal, the flight attendants give you wet tissue (wet wipes) and start their drink service. I tried the ANA exclusive drink that was a citrus type drink with honey and it was pretty tasty. Along with the drink comes yummy Japanese crackers.

For the first meal, there was a choice between Grilled Chicken or Sautéed Beef. I decided to go with the grilled chicken, which was served on a bed of rice, but I immediately regretted this decision as soon as I took the first bite. The chicken turned out to be quite dry, while the accompanying rice was far too mushy, with little flavor to enhance the dish.

Meal choices on ANA flight — First meal was a choice between chicken and beef

Unfortunately, I found myself unable to eat the meal at all. Instead, I opted to enjoy the side dishes, which included salads and noodles. After the main meal, we were treated to Häagen-Dazs vanilla ice cream, along with a choice of either green tea or coffee, accompanied by a biscuit.

Fortunately, a few hours into the flight, the flight attendant informed me that the Premium Economy seats came with a selection of special wines; however, if I preferred, I could also choose to have soup instead. Since I never drink alcohol on international flights, I was pleased to have the option of soup and readily asked for that.

The soup served was a flavorful mushroom pasta cream soup from Japan, and it was absolutely delicious. I enjoyed it so much that I decided to purchase more of it once I arrived in Japan.

Ice cream, biscuit, and green tea for dessert

Breakfast choices on ANA flight — Breakfast choices

For breakfast, a couple of hours before landing, we had a choice of Orange-Flavored Chicken and Beef & Pork Meatballs. Both options did not sound particularly appetizing to me, so I ultimately decided not to get anything to eat.

The total duration of this flight was approximately 13 hours, but it zipped on by rather quickly for me.

NRT > ORD

48 hours before my scheduled flight from Narita to Chicago, I received an email notification from ANA that my bid for the Premium Economy seats on this flight had been accepted. I was absolutely thrilled because I had completely thought that my bid would not get accepted, and I had mentally prepared myself to fly in the standard economy seats instead. Once again, my seat was chosen for me at 26G.

I arrived at Narita airport more than three hours before my scheduled flight, and to my relief, I was still able to check in my luggage without any issues. Narita airport had implemented an efficient automated system, where passengers check in at a user-friendly kiosk and then simply place their luggage onto the conveyor belt for processing.

I’m particularly glad I double-checked to ensure my luggage was not overweight, because if it exceeds the limit, the automated system will refuse to accept it, which has unfortunately happened to me once before.

ANA automated luggage check-in — Automated luggage check-in

Face Express enabled for security checkpoint

I had initially thought that purchasing a Premium Economy ticket would grant me a higher weight allowance, but it turned out to be the standard limit of 50 lbs (22.5 kg) per piece of luggage, which was somewhat disappointing.

After my luggage was checked in, I had the option to utilize the Face Express service if I accepted, which meant that I could conveniently go through the security checkpoint without the need to show my passport. That was certainly a nice convenience that made my travel experience smoother and more efficient.

The experience traveling from Narita to Chicago was significantly better and totally different from what I had expected. First of all, the ANA Lounge access that comes with the Premium Economy seat was absolutely top notch. This was seriously the best airport club lounge I’ve ever experienced.

In addition to the extensive buffet, which offered an array of delicious options, I was able to order freshly prepared food as well, such as udon, ramen, or curry. I decided to take full advantage of this offering and ordered a bowl of Tonkotsu ramen.

The portion size of the ramen was just perfect for me, a mini size that allowed me to satisfy my cravings while still leaving room to sample some other enticing dishes at the buffet, as I was genuinely excited about the variety available. To my delight, the ramen turned out to be surprisingly good. At the buffet, I also tried their chicken, which was delicious and flavorful.

Alongside my meal, I enjoyed some coffee and a selection of tasty snacks. I wished I could have tried even more options, like the mini sandwiches, but I had reached my limit and simply could not eat any more.

Snacks and condiments in the ANA Lounge — Snacks and condiments

For those who enjoy beer, they even have draft beer machines, which I found to be a unique and impressive feature that I’ve never encountered before in any other lounge. Additionally, there was a variety of wine and liquor available, adding to the overall luxurious experience.

The boarding process was the same as the last flight. I was in Group 5 and I boarded last. The overall boarding experience felt somewhat chaotic, especially due to the confined space that made it difficult for everyone to stay orderly. Many passengers tried to cut in line in an attempt to board first, which only added to the confusion.

I was one of the last ones to board so by the time I arrived at my seat, most of the overhead bin space was taken by earlier boarders. I was still able to find space for my luggage but I found it a little annoying that everyone managed to get on board before me for some reason.

This aircraft was significantly better than the one that originally flew from Chicago, but it was still the same model, the B777-300. Everything was Pokemon themed, which made it all the more adorable. I personally don’t watch Pokemon, but my niece absolutely adores it, and I have a soft spot for anything related to anime in general. Ultimately, I just have a fondness for things that are entertainingly cute.

Cute Pokemon themed ANA flight — Cute *Pokemon* themed ANA flight

The TV monitors available on this aircraft were significantly improved, being both much better in quality and much larger in size, enhancing the overall entertainment experience during the flight.

Additionally, I appreciated that this particular aircraft was equipped with cupholders conveniently located between the seats, which proved to be very useful for keeping beverages within easy reach.

As for the remainder of the flight experience, everything else was notably similar in terms of the amenities offered, the amount of legroom provided, and the overall service from the flight attendants, maintaining a consistent standard.

The bathrooms were again conveniently located right behind the Premium Economy section, and this time, the bathroom situated directly behind my seat in my aisle was significantly larger than the one I had experienced on my last flight.

I purchased WiFi this time and there were three options to choose from: 30 minutes for $6.95, 3 hours for $16.95, or the full flight for $21.95. I chose to get the full flight plan and the WiFi worked really well the entire time.

Spacious bathroom on ANA flight — Spacious bathroom

How to connect to ANA WiFi — Purchasing Wifi

For our first meal, we had a choice between Chicken and Beef Stew. This time, I decided to go with the Beef Stew, and it was definitely an improvement compared to the chicken I had on my last flight. However, I still found that it was not that great of a meal overall.

For the second meal, we were presented with a choice between Fish or Pasta, but I ultimately chose not to eat either option. Instead, I opted to enjoy the Japanese pastries and snacks I had brought onboard with me, which were far more satisfying.

Right before we landed in Chicago, we were given a cute Pokemon envelope with charming souvenirs which I thought was a nice touch.

The total flight time was about 10.5 hours and just like the last flight, the time zipped on by. I watched one movie, surfed the net, and slept.

Watching some movies with a cute pokemon cup — Watching some movies with my cute pokemon cup

ANA Pokemon souvenirs — Pokemon souvenirs

Overall, I truly enjoyed my flight experience with ANA and can easily understand why so many people rave about it. If I have the opportunity to fly with them again in the future, I most certainly will take it, and I hope they have the bidding program available to upgrade seats next time as well.

Maybe I’ll take my chances and bid lower on a premium seat and see if I still get lucky with the upgrade. It will be interesting to see how it all turns out!