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.
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.
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.
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!
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.
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.
- Food Quality: 6/10
- Drinks Quality: 9/10
- Cleanliness: 9/10
- Cabin Design: 9/10
- Seat: 8/10
- Service: 9/10
