Flying All Nippon Airways (ANA) "The Suite" First Class is one of the most sought-after redemptions for award travelers. With fully enclosed suites, premium champagne, and Japan’s signature hospitality, it’s designed to be a top-tier experience.

I flew ANA First Class from San Francisco (SFO) to Tokyo Narita (NRT), a flight that typically costs $15,930 one-way or $24,738 round-trip. Thanks to Roame’s SkyView alerts and a 30% transfer bonus to Virgin Atlantic, I booked it for just 56,000 points + $249.80 in taxes—an incredible value for a long-haul first-class flight.

While ANA’s newest First Class is a massive improvement over the previous design, there were a couple of areas that didn’t quite meet my expectations.

How I Booked ANA First Class for 56,000 Points

ANA First Class is one of the best ways to fly in luxury using points, but finding award space can be tough.

The best way to book is through Virgin Atlantic Flying Club, which charges 72,500 miles one-way from the U.S. West Coast. Thanks to a 30% Amex transfer bonus, I only needed 56,000 Amex points—an incredible deal for a flight that retails for over $15,000 one-way.

While you can’t search for ANA awards directly on Virgin Atlantic’s website, you can check availability through United Airlines or Virgin Australia Velocity, as their results should match what Virgin Atlantic can book. You can also use Roame to search for these flights, which will help look for options more quickly across all the carriers with the right filters.

Once I found award space via my Roame alert, I called Virgin Atlantic to book. (One important note: ANA recently stopped releasing last-minute business class seats to Virgin Atlantic within 14 days of departure, but First Class seats are still available)

For those booking directly through ANA Mileage Club, keep in mind they require round-trip bookings for awards, making Virgin Atlantic a more flexible option. United MileagePlus also allows one-way bookings, but at a much higher cost (200,000+ miles one-way).

I used Roame’s SkyView tool to find award space quickly and set alerts to get notified the moment seats opened up, making it easy to snag this deal before it disappeared.

Want the full step-by-step guide? Read our in-depth ANA First Class booking guide.

United Polaris Lounge (SFO)
ANA First Class passengers departing from San Francisco get access to the United Polaris Lounge, one of the better premium lounges in the U.S.
The lounge itself is beautifully designed, with plenty of seating areas, a dedicated dining room, and showers. But here’s the problem: it was packed.

Finding a seat took 15 minutes, and the lounge was so crowded that I had to hover near someone packing up just to claim a spot. Since this was late in the evening, I’d expect crowding to be a common issue.

One major downside: the United Polaris Dining closes at 9 p.m., while ANA’s check-in doesn’t even open until 9:20 p.m. That means I wasn’t able to experience the made-to-order dining option, which is one of the best perks of Polaris Lounges.

That said, the buffet looked solid, with a variety of hot entrees, salads, and desserts. There are also plenty of premium drink options.

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ANA 777-300ER First Class Cabin & Seat – A Private and Spacious Suite
Boarding was incredibly smooth—classic Japanese efficiency. Despite a full first-class cabin (all 8 seats occupied), the crew was still quite attentive.

ANA’s new First Class product, called “The Suite,” is arranged in a 1-2-1 configuration across two rows. I was seated in 1K, a window suite on the right side.
Each suite has fully closing doors, a massive 42-inch 4K screen, and a fully lie-flat seat measuring 33 inches wide and 76 inches long.
The first class suites were designed by British designer, Acumen and styled by Japanese architect, Kengo Kuma.

While the suite is spacious and private, I found that it looked better in photos than in real life. The official press images show dark wood finishes, but in person, there was a lot of light gray plastic, which didn’t feel as premium.

That said, the suite itself was extremely spacious, with ample storage in the overhead bins, compartments within the suite, and the suite door had a personal closet!

ANA First Class Entertainment and Amenities

Once settled in, the crew handed out an ANA-branded cardigan & pajamas, slippers & socks, and a SENSAI amenity kit.

One of the highlights of ANA’s First Class suite is the 42-inch 4K display—one of the biggest in the sky. The screen is bright, crisp, and extremely responsive to the handheld touchscreen controller.

And before takeoff, everyone got to watch ANA’s adorable Pokémon-themed safety video.

ANA also provides Sony WH-1000XM3 noise-canceling headphones, which are some of the best airline-issued headphones you’ll find.

The WiFi onboard was surprisingly fast, clocking in at 20-22 Mbps, making it one of the better in-flight internet experiences for a long-haul flight.

The lavatories on the plane were nice. Both lavatories had bidets and were clean, though a little sparse. They did provide toothbrushes, mouthwash, face/body sheet, and cloth hand towels.

The ANA 777 First Class Dining: Not Quite Up To My Expectations

Shortly after takeoff, the crew began the first drink service, offering a pour of Champagne Krug Grande Cuvée, which typically retails for around $280. It’s a fantastic champagne and a highlight of ANA’s beverage selection, setting high expectations for the meal that followed.

For dinner, I selected the Japanese Washoku meal, excited for a premium Japanese dining experience.

The first course featured seared tuna, which was flavorful and well-prepared. But everything else was underwhelming.

The main course was grilled Spanish mackerel served with salted rice, and it was a disappointment to me. The fish had an overpowering fishy taste and did not seem fresh, making it difficult to enjoy. The rice was well-cooked, but the overall dish lacked the quality I expected from ANA.

I ultimately skipped dessert because the meal had already been underwhelming, and I wasn’t particularly eager to finish on another forgettable note.

If I were to fly ANA First Class again, I’d likely opt for the Western menu, which featured a U.S. prime beef fillet with red wine sauce. Given how impressive ANA’s First Class experience is in other areas, I was expecting something closer to Japan Airlines’ top-tier dining, but this meal didn’t quite hit that level.

Since it was a midnight flight, I tried sleeping most of the way through, so I woke up around 2 hours before landing and decided to skip breakfast.
Before landing, I made sure to buy one of the Hibiki 100th Anniversary Edition whiskey that they offer duty free. This was a really nice touch where ANA has 1 bottle for sale per first class passenger. These sell for $1,800/bottle in the US, so it was a great deal to order on the plane.
Sleep Experience – Not What I Was Looking For
After dinner, I changed into my ANA-branded pajamas and got ready for bed.
Unfortunately, this is where ANA First Class let me down the most.
The mattress pad was incredibly thin, barely adding any cushioning. It felt like sleeping on a wooden bench with a sheet over it. I tossed and turned most of the night, trying to get comfortable.
From reading other reviews, some ANA First Class passengers have been offered a choice of a “soft” or “firm” mattress pad, but I wasn’t given any option.
Their new fully enclosed suite with doors was great and made the suite feel private and the cabin temperature was thankfully cool, which helped a little. But the overall sleep quality was not good for me.
Final Thoughts: Is ANA First Class Worth It? – 8/10
Overall, ANA’s The Suite First Class is very good but slightly underwhelming due to my sky high expectations. The service was excellent, the suite was spacious, and the entertainment setup was fantastic—but the food and bedding were letdowns for me.
My rating breakdown:
  • Food Quality: 6/10
  • Drinks Quality: 9/10
  • Cleanliness: 9/10
  • Cabin Design: 9/10
  • Seat: 8/10
  • Service: 9/10
The biggest win here is the ability to book ANA First Class for just 57,500–85,000 points one-way using Virgin Atlantic, making it one of the best first-class redemptions available.
Would I fly ANA First Class again? Yes, but I’d manage my expectations. If you’re flying for the service, privacy, and great entertainment setup, you’ll love it. But if food and sleep quality are a priority, I enjoyed JAL First Class more.
With Roame’s award search and alerts you can track ANA First Class availability and jump on seats when they open up. If you’ve ever wanted to experience First Class to Japan, this is one of the best ways to do it.