This article is reposted from the WeChat public account of one of our reader group members, Lazy 33 Eats, Drinks & Travel. Original article link. Some subheadings were added by editor ymlulu.
For the award-ticket booking strategy for these round-trip flights, see:
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Spring Break 2024: NH117 Business Class Lie-Flat Experience
NH117 moved back to a 5 pm departure this year, which is much better than last year’s 12:30 pm.
ANA business class has a dedicated check-in line. Check-in was slow, but there were no real issues. We still didn’t pay much attention to whether we could use the premium security lane, so we stuck with our usual CLEAR + TSA PreCheck.
ANA was still using The Club lounge, and PPS members could also enter. It was absolutely packed. The Club’s meatballs were still pretty decent. Other than that, there wasn’t much worth eating, so we boarded early.
Maybe because Easter had already passed, they didn’t hand out Easter eggs this year. No one invited us to preboard with the family group this time, so we boarded with the other business class passengers.
It was the same familiar, reliable 787 setup. This time we picked window seats in rows 4 and 5, plus the middle seat in row 4. In this 1-1-1 configuration, the middle seat has a ton of space. It’s the top pick for families traveling with kids.
Shortly after boarding, the flight attendants came by with orange juice and champagne.
My third trip to Japan within a year was officially underway—very exciting.
The menu hadn’t changed much either. We went with the Japanese meal again.
Our child still got the kids’ meal. The crew on this flight was better than on previous ones, and they even proactively made up the bed for our child.
The appetizer bites seemed to be the same as before too.
I didn’t like this special tea blend—it was very astringent.
The amenity kit was the same as last year, with an eye mask, earplugs, toothbrush, lip balm, and more.
The appetizer was as good as ever, but it was too cold, so I’d recommend letting it sit a bit before eating.
The fish main course was still just as bad as ever. It was especially bad departing from the U.S.—very fishy. But the appetizer was good, which made the choice difficult. Next time I may try the Western meal.
The kid’s meal was also basically the same as usual.
Our child also had chocolate and ice cream again.
After eating and drinking, we made up the bed and slept soundly for several hours. I got up at the end for breakfast. The breakfast fish was a bit better than the dinner fish, but next time I may still try the Western option.
Our child slept all the way until just before landing and didn’t have time for breakfast, so they had Ippudo ramen instead. The ramen was still as good as ever.
Just like in the U.S., in Japan you need to collect your luggage and clear customs at your first point of entry. Business class comes with priority baggage service, so by the time we got out after customs, our bags were already waiting for us.
Spring Break 2024: NH118 Business Class Lie-Flat Experience
Fast-forward to the return flight. The return departed at 9 pm, which is a great time. Our child slept the whole way after dinner.
The food in the ANA lounge at Haneda Airport Terminal 3 was still excellent. I was already full before boarding. My favorite was the sticky grated yam soba. My travel companion had ramen, and our child had udon.
The buffet area was just as impressive, especially compared with the U.S. Every dish was good.
The curry rice at the buffet was also very good. The rice was freshly made in an automatic rice machine and kept churning away; my travel companion accidentally served themself too much.
By the time we got to the gate, priority boarding had just started. Since we were traveling with a child, we boarded right away and were the first on the plane.
Seats were tighter on the return, so we got one window seat and one large middle seat; for the third seat, we had to settle for a smaller middle seat.
The amenity kit on the return suddenly changed in both packaging and contents. It was a collaboration with Aveda and only included a skincare set. If you need an eye mask or earplugs, you can ask the flight attendants. Personally, I think this is a good change and more eco-friendly.
The biggest difference on the return was the food. The return menu had changed too. The menu booklet was now only for Japan-origin flights, which was a nice change; otherwise it could be confusing to read.
Meals departing from Japan are usually better. Unfortunately, I forgot to take a photo of the menu. You could already tell the difference from the appetizer.
One flight attendant on the return was a bit arrogant, though the others were all very good. In-flight service really depends on your luck.
Our child’s meal was also very different.
The appetizer was on par with the outbound flight. But it was much worse than last year’s special Okuda meal. They’ve now switched back to ANA’s own chefs, and the sashimi is gone too.
The main course was still saikyo-yaki black cod. But it tasted better than the version departing from the U.S. I had eaten too much in the lounge and couldn’t finish it at all. The fatty beef had a sukiyaki-style flavor and was quite good.
My travel companion ordered dessert, but I was too full.
Our child can now make up the bed alone; after setting it up, they fell asleep while eating.
I got up early and had breakfast, but my travel companion and child overslept and missed it. Honestly, there were just too many fish dishes—across four meals, every main course was fish. If you’re not a fish person, I’d recommend choosing the Western meal.
The only complaint about the return flight was that it felt too short; our child still wasn’t awake when we landed.
Seattle airport was especially busy. Thanks to priority baggage, our luggage was already out by the time we finished Global Entry. The whole process was seamless.
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