Review: ANA First Class Airbus A380 (NRT-HNL)

For the return portion of our winter trip to Tokyo & Niseko, I flew All Nippon Airways’ Airbus A380 first class on the 6hr25min flight from Tokyo Narita (NRT) to Honolulu (HNL). This was without a doubt the flight of the trip that I was most looking forward to. The ANA A380 was the last remaining super jumbo that I haven’t flown, so I was happy to finally check that off my list.

ANA takes a unique approach to its A380s, as the airline has three of these, referred to as the “Flying Honu.” They exclusively fly between Narita and Honolulu (rather inefficiently), and each plane has a unique livery. The backstory of these planes is fascinating, and I can’t help but wonder how much longer they’ll stick around.

I have nothing but good things to say about the experience, as it was phenomenal. I love flying the A380, and the first class cabin on this jet is comfy, with friendly service, great food, and impressive amenities.

Actually, I do have one complaint. These flights are just way too short to enjoy the full experience, especially given that the eastbound flights operate as redeyes. So if you really want to maximize the ANA A380 experience, fly in the other direction, where it’s a daytime flight, and also a little bit longer.

How I booked my ANA first class ticket

I booked my ANA first class ticket using Virgin Atlantic Flying Club points. Specifically, I booked the following for 57,500 points (which I acquired with a 30% transfer bonus), and $199.41 in taxes & fees:

3/11 NH182 Tokyo to Honolulu departing 9:15PM arriving 9:05AM

You really can’t beat the value of redeeming Virgin Atlantic Flying Club points on ANA in premium cabins, assuming you can find availability. Admittedly availability is tough to come by, and it took a lot of monitoring, but the space opened up for me a few weeks before departure.

ANA first class lounge & boarding

In the previous installment, I reviewed the ANA Suite Lounge Narita, which is what first class passengers have access to. It’s not the most exciting first class lounge, but it does the trick. From the lounge, I had a great view of JA382A, the six-year-old A380 that would be flying me part way across the Pacific.

My flight was departing from gate 54, just a short walk from the lounge. I don’t know how full economy and business class were, but you could’ve fit all the people in the gate area onto a regional jet, so that’s quite a contrast to your typical A380 departure gate. Never mind that ANA operates two A380s to Honolulu less than an hour apart.

Boarding was scheduled for 8:30PM, 45 minutes before departure, and that’s exactly when it started. First class passengers were invited to board first. As y’all know, I always try to be first onboard to get good pictures, though go figure that I got pulled aside randomly (or just because I was first?) by the security agents for extra screening, so the other first class passengers walked right past me. Grrr!

ANA A380 first class cabin & seats

At the forward upper deck door, I was greeted by one of the friendly flight attendants, and escorted to my seat. ANA’s A380 first class cabin is at the front of the upper deck, and consists of eight seats, spread across two rows, in a 1-2-1 configuration. If you’ve flown ANA’s 777 first class, then this product should look familiar, as it’s quite similar (though not identical).

I assigned myself seat 2K, the window seat on the right side in the second row. It was a pretty light load in first class, with only four of the eight seats taken. The other three passengers were all in the first row, so I had the second row to myself.

Those traveling with a companion may prefer the “D” and “G” center seats, so that the flight can be enjoyed together. There’s a partition that can be fully raised or lowered, based on whether or not you’re traveling with the person seated across from you.

However, those traveling alone, or those who just prefer a window view, may want to select one of the “A” or “K” seats.

ANA’s A380 first class seat is spacious, so it’s easy to spread out and get comfortable.

Along the side of the seat, you’ll find a panel with all the seat controls, plus an entertainment controller, which can also be held in your hand. There’s also a “wheel” you can turn, which will either put your seat into the upright position, or recline it into a flat bed.

Underneath this area are the charging ports, which include an AC power outlet and two USB-A outlets. There are no USB-C outlets, unfortunately.

The seat also boasts a huge amount of storage. To the side of the seat are two compartments that are deep but narrow, where items can be placed during the flight.

Thanks to this being on the upper deck of the A380, there are also storage bins along the fuselage, which are quite a bit larger than the other storage options.

Each seat also has a wardrobe, should you have clothes to hang up.

The seat then features a large ottoman, which becomes part of the bed when reclined. This can also act as a buddy seat, should you want to hang out with a travel companion, face-to-face. There’s also space underneath the ottoman to store things during the flight.

The tray table is typically stored on top of the ottoman, but if you want to use it, you just pull it forward and flip it over. This is much easier to use than some of the other very heavy first class tray tables out there, which you have to lift up.

ANA’s A380 first class has automatic window shades and blinds, so you can raise or lower them with the push of a button.

While the seat as such has plenty of storage, the overhead bins in first class are quite small, and might struggle to fit generously packed carry-ons.