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Full schedule for ANA’s brand new cabin products to New York

Picking up ANA's latest seat products on the New York route isn't as simple as it sounds. Here are the dates it's flying.

First Class 2

One of the most exciting new Business Class cabin products to hit the market recently is ANA’s “The Room” on its latest brand new Boeing 777-300ER aircraft. The product, which will also be retrofitted to some of the airline’s existing jets, features an extra wide seat with closing privacy doors, direct aisle access, and an alternating forwards / backwards-facing layout; a true Qsuite contender.

Business Class 2.jpg
ANA’s new “The Room” Business Class cabin. (Image: ANA)

There’s also a luxurious First Class cabin, similar in style to that found on ANA’s (unwanted) Airbus A380s, but it’s the Business Class section which steals the show in our opinion.

First Class 2
First Class, or “The Suite”. (Image: ANA)

The new products started flying to London in August this year as NH211/212, originally on alternate days but quickly ramped up to a daily service, which remains effective.

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New routes

Last month ANA confirmed that the first US destination for the new seats would be New York’s JFK airport. The first flight departed yesterday, 8th November 2019. Services are operating from both of Tokyo’s main airports, Narita and Haneda.

Since the aircraft operating the Narita and Haneda routes “swap over” in New York halfway through their journeys, the launch schedule for flights with this new product is complicated to say the least.

It means the new products will fly a mixture of Narita and Haneda flights on different days of the month, which don’t follow a ‘day of the week’ pattern, until enough aircraft with the new products are in service to allow all flights on both routes to operate consistently with the latest fit.

Why is the schedule so weird?

ANA doesn’t do this just to be difficult or to try and confuse everyone.

The airline doesn’t actually have any Boeing 777-300ERs based at Narita in the high-density premium cabin configuration, which boast the most Business Class seats (68 in the older layout and 64 in this new layout), at the expense of the Economy section.

Since the airline wants to continue to use the premium-heavy configuration on all Tokyo – New York flights (i.e. to and from both airports), the Haneda-based aircraft has to swap duties in New York and return to Narita, then fly a mirror image of the same pattern until it makes it back to its base in Haneda.

Each ANA aircraft flying the Tokyo – New York route actually operates HND-JFK-NRT-JFK-HND, taking 2.5 days to complete the ‘rotation’ each time.

A new aircraft sets off every morning on this routing, to provide daily service on all sectors, but it means that with only one refitted aircraft currently flying this pattern, each flight only sees the new cabin products every third day.

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The schedule

These are the daily timings on the Tokyo – New York route:

Flight From / To Aircraft
NH110 HND1020 – JFK0900 77W
NH109 JFK1655 – HND2110* 77W
NH10 NRT1640 – JFK1510 77W
NH9 JFK1045 – NRT1500* 77W

* Next day

Business Class.jpg
The new products don’t fly to or from New York on consistent days of the week yet. (Image: ANA)

Without a specific ‘day of the week’ pattern to the flying programme for these new seats, the only way we can show it is by date.

The following tables highlight operation of the new aircraft by flight number and departure date from the origin city. Do note that arrival date is one day later for NH9 and NH109 services.

November 2019

Date Haneda Narita
NH110
HND
→JFK
NH109
JFK
HND
NH10
NRT
JFK
NH9
JFK
→NRT
Seats Seats Seats Seats
8 Nov New Old Old New
9 Nov Old New New Old
10 Nov Old Old Old Old
11 Nov New Old Old New
12 Nov Old New New Old
13 Nov Old Old Old Old
14 Nov New Old Old New
15 Nov Old New New Old
16 Nov Old Old Old Old
17 Nov New Old Old New
18 Nov Old New New Old
19 Nov Old Old Old Old
20 Nov New Old Old New
21 Nov Old New New Old
22 Nov Old Old Old Old
23 Nov New Old Old New
24 Nov Old New New Old
25 Nov Old Old Old Old
26 Nov New Old Old New
27 Nov Old New New Old
28 Nov Old Old Old Old
29 Nov New Old Old New
30 Nov Old New New Old

From 13th December 2019 (departing Haneda) a second aircraft with the new cabin products joins the route, allowing operation on two out of every three days.

This pattern then continues to the end of the winter 2019/20 season in late March, with no indication of the route receiving the new cabins on a daily basis at this stage.

Again since an old configuration every third day does not follow a consistent ‘day of the week’ pattern, our only way to show you the dates with the new products is the list them by individual date through the end of March 2020.

December 2019

Date Haneda Narita
NH110
HND
→JFK
NH109
JFK
HND
NH10
NRT
JFK
NH9
JFK
→NRT
Seats Seats Seats Seats
1 Dec New Old Old New
2 Dec New New New New
3 Dec Old New New Old
4 Dec Old Old Old Old
5 Dec New Old Old New
6 Dec Old New New Old
7 Dec Old Old Old Old
8 Dec New Old Old New
9 Dec Old New New Old
10 Dec Old Old Old Old
11 Dec New Old Old New
12 Dec Old New New Old
13 Dec New Old Old New
14 Dec New New New New
15 Dec Old New New Old
16 Dec New Old Old New
17 Dec New New New New
18 Dec Old New New Old
19 Dec New Old Old New
20 Dec New New New New
21 Dec Old New New Old
22 Dec New Old Old New
23 Dec New New New New
24 Dec Old New New Old
25 Dec New Old Old New
26 Dec New New New New
27 Dec Old New New Old
28 Dec New Old Old New
29 Dec New New New New
30 Dec Old New New Old
31 Dec New Old Old New
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January 2020

Date Haneda Narita
NH110
HND
→JFK
NH109
JFK
HND
NH10
NRT
JFK
NH9
JFK
→NRT
Seats Seats Seats Seats
1 Jan New New New New
2 Jan Old New New Old
3 Jan New Old Old New
4 Jan New New New New
5 Jan Old New New Old
6 Jan New Old Old New
7 Jan New New New New
8 Jan Old New New Old
9 Jan New Old Old New
10 Jan New New New New
11 Jan Old New New Old
12 Jan New Old Old New
13 Jan New New New New
14 Jan Old New New Old
15 Jan New Old Old New
16 Jan New New New New
17 Jan Old New New Old
18 Jan New Old Old New
19 Jan New New New New
20 Jan Old New New Old
21 Jan New Old Old New
22 Jan New New New New
23 Jan Old New New Old
24 Jan New Old Old New
25 Jan New New New New
26 Jan Old New New Old
27 Jan New Old Old New
28 Jan New New New New
29 Jan Old New New Old
30 Jan New Old Old New
31 Jan New New New New

February 2020

Date Haneda Narita
NH110
HND
→JFK
NH109
JFK
HND
NH10
NRT
JFK
NH9
JFK
→NRT
Seats Seats Seats Seats
1 Feb Old New New Old
2 Feb New Old Old New
3 Feb New New New New
4 Feb Old New New Old
5 Feb New Old Old New
6 Feb New New New New
7 Feb Old New New Old
8 Feb New Old Old New
9 Feb New New New New
10 Feb Old New New Old
11 Feb New Old Old New
12 Feb New New New New
13 Feb Old New New Old
14 Feb New Old Old New
15 Feb New New New New
16 Feb Old New New Old
17 Feb New Old Old New
18 Feb New New New New
19 Feb Old New New Old
20 Feb New Old Old New
21 Feb New New New New
22 Feb Old New New Old
23 Feb New Old Old New
24 Feb New New New New
25 Feb Old New New Old
26 Feb New Old Old New
27 Feb New New New New
28 Feb Old New New Old
29 Feb New Old Old New

March 2020

Date Haneda Narita
NH110
HND
→JFK
NH109
JFK
HND
NH10
NRT
JFK
NH9
JFK
→NRT
Seats Seats Seats Seats
1 Mar New New New New
2 Mar Old New New Old
3 Mar New Old Old New
4 Mar New New New New
5 Mar Old New New Old
6 Mar New Old Old New
7 Mar New New New New
8 Mar Old New New Old
9 Mar New Old Old New
10 Mar New New New New
11 Mar Old New New Old
12 Mar New Old Old New
13 Mar New New New New
14 Mar Old New New Old
15 Mar New Old Old New
16 Mar New New New New
17 Mar Old New New Old
18 Mar New Old Old New
19 Mar New New New New
20 Mar Old New New Old
21 Mar New Old Old New
22 Mar New New New New
23 Mar Old New New Old
24 Mar New Old Old New
25 Mar New New New New
26 Mar Old New New Old
27 Mar New Old Old New
28 Mar New New New New

At the time of writing, ANA has not loaded the new Boeing 777-300ER cabin configurations on flights in the summer 2020 season (from 29th March 2020 onwards), even for the London route. Schedules are likely to be updated in due course.

How to be sure

ANA operates four different variants of the 777-300ER:

  • 264 seats (8F / 52J / 24W / 180Y)
  • 250 seats (8F / 52J / 24W / 166Y)
  • 212 seats (8F / 68J / 24W / 112Y)
  • New 212 seats (8F / 64J / 24W / 116Y)

It’s the “New 212 seats” configuration which has the latest cabin products.

To tell if you have it, you can check the Business Class seat map for your flight on the ANA website, or a third-party tool like ExpertFlyer.

The Business Class cabin on the aircraft with the new cabin products ends at row 20.

New FJ Seat Map (ANA).jpg
New 212 seats configuration seat map (click to enlarge)

If the seat map for your ANA Boeing 777-300ER ends at row 17 or row 21, unfortunately you still have the older seats.

Here’s an example from ExpertFlyer, with the subtle difference between the new configuration with 20 rows (left) and one of the older ones with 21 rows (right).

New vs Old EF.jpg
The Business Class seat map on the left represents an aircraft with the new seats (click to enlarge)

Notice also how ExpertFlyer reflects the amended seat letter assignment for the rear-facing couple middle pairs (E/F) and forward-facing aisle seats (D/G) in the middle section, which is different from the older variants.

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Redemption rates

As we mentioned in our article last month, you’ll probably want to avoid using KrisFlyer miles to redeem these new products given the steep rates for Japan – USA flights for partner redemptions.

If you’re flush with more miles than you know what to do with though, or don’t hold any balances in other programmes, here’s how much it will set you back.

KFtrans

Star Alliance 3.png

KrisFlyer Star Alliance Redemption Tokyo ⇄ New York
Saver
Economy 56,000
Business 115,000
First 140,000

The better value proposition is to use miles in another Star Alliance frequent flyer programme.

ANtrans.png

ANA does not permit one-way award redemptions outside Japan, so you must redeem a round-trip ticket using their miles.

The airline also prices award flights on its own aircraft by season, with low season dates being the cheapest followed by regular season and high season.

ANA Mileage Club Redemption Tokyo ⇄ New York (return)
Economy Premium Business First
Low 40,000 62,000 75,000 150,000
Regular 50,000 72,000 85,000 150,000
High 55,000 77,000 90,000 165,000

Remember these are return award prices, not one-way like the ones quoted for other programmes, so the value is actually quite good. If you can find a return Business Class award available on your preferred dates in low season, it’s the equivalent of paying just 37,500 miles each way.

Other FFP redemption rates Tokyo ⇄ New York
Economy Business First
TKtrans.png 45,000 67,500 100,000
MMtrans.png 40,000 71,000 111,000
LMtrans.png 35,000 75,000 90,000
MBtrans.png 50,000 75,000 100,000
UAtrans.png 35,000 80,000 110,000
EVtrans.png 52,500 87,500 105,000

You can transfer into Turkish Miles&Smiles from Citi, for example. Miles & More and MileagePlus can be earned via Standard Chartered, while for some others like Lifemiles and Aegean Miles+Bonus there are often ‘buy miles’ promotions through the year.

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Frankfurt is next

An additional Boeing 777-300ER delivery with these cabin products will allow the airline to also start flying them to Frankfurt from Q1 2020.

Start dates for this service switching across have not yet been announced (ANA tends to only give a week or two’s notice of these changes).

There are two daily ANA Tokyo Haneda to Frankfurt flights, and it’s likely to be the premium-heavy configuration NH203/204 services that see these new products early next year, initially on alternate days (NH223/224 uses an aircraft with a lower Business Class seat count).

NH New 77W 3 (GSTP).jpg
Frankfurt will be the next route to get ANA’s latest seat designs. (Photo: God Save The Points)

Once we know the schedules for the Frankfurt route, we’ll be sure to update you.

Summary

A slightly complicated launch schedule for these latest cabins on ANA’s New York route, largely because of the way they operate it to make best use of their fleet.

Though it has kicked off operating only once every three days, this will increase to two out of three days in mid-December 2019.

First Class
First Class on the new ANA Boeing 777-300ERs. (Image: ANA)

Frankfurt will be the next destination for the latest seats in early 2020, and like the London route we expect this to initially operate on alternate days until more aircraft with the new seats arrive.

Finally if you’re redeeming the (still rather elusive) award seats in First and Business Class, either to London or New York, it’s not KrisFlyer where you’ll achieve the best value but in fact some other FFPs like ANA Mileage Plan (for return itineraries), Turkish, Lufthansa and Lifemiles.

(Cover Photo: Kentaro Iemoto)

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5 comments

  1. Hello Sir
    Last time I looked the ANA Rewards Chart was only applicable to RETURN Flights only
    So the 165000 ANA Miles requirement you have exampled against the Other Rewards Programmes represents Return Flights
    Would assume the other Examples represent One Way Flights only. Would seem that you have painted ANA in an unfavourable position based on your Error

  2. Any idea of when the new configuration will be flying to JFK again this year? Seems I can only find the old configuration on any dates i select until December 2020, and we are hoping to fly MNL NRT JFK sometime JUly August and September 2020.

    1. It looks like these aircraft have been removed from the JFK schedule until the start of the northern winter season on 25th October 2020.

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