- Review – Air Canada Maple Leaf Lounge – Vancouver
- Review – United First Class – Vancouver to San Francisco – 737-800
- Review – ANA Business Class – San Francisco to Tokyo Narita – 777-300ER
- Review – ANA Business Class Lounge – Haneda
- Review – ANA Business Class – Tokyo Haneda to Sydney – 787-9
- Review – Rydges Sydney Airport Hotel & SYD Plane Spotting
- Review – Air New Zealand International Business Class Lounge – Sydney
- ANA Maintenance Hangar Tour – Haneda
- Review – ANA Business Class – Tokyo (Haneda) to Vancouver – 787-8
The third and final leg of our outbound flights was from Tokyo Haneda to Sydney. At just over 8 hours, it’s not that long of a flight when it comes to long haul flights, but having been travelling for 24 hours already since we left Vancouver, we were already struggling to keep our eyes open at this point!
Tokyo Haneda (HND) -> Sydney (SYD)
Airline: All Nippon Airways
Flight No: NH879
Aircraft: Boeing 787-9
Date: Monday, September 19, 2017
Scheduled Departure: 10:10 PM
Scheduled Arrival: 8:30 AM
Duration: 8 hrs 20 mins
Class: Business
We boarded at gate 107A, which was a short walk from the ANA Lounge, where we freshened up prior to the flight.
ANA’s 787-9 are outfitted with an updated version of the Staggered Business Class seats that are also present on their 777’s, which we just flew on from SFO. The business seats are spread across two cabins in a 1-2-1 configuration, consisting of 13 rows. Every seat has direct aisle access.
Since we had already tried sitting by the windows on our way to Tokyo, we decided to get a pair of seats in the middle this time. We selected seats 6E and 6G, which is in the third last row in the forward business cabin.
On the seat was a pair of ANA slippers, an amenity kit, noise cancelling headphones, a pillow, a blanket as well as a mattress pad.
The side table was large and had a light wood finishing. In comparison, ANA’s 777 side tables have a more plastic-y blue material, and featured LED lighting, as well as a small storage compartment. I actually preferred the 777 version.
The IFE controller can be found beside the seat above the side table, as well as the power outlets, headphone jack, USB charger, and reading light.
The seat controls were straight forward to use, and can be found above the armrest on the side of the table.
Another difference between the 787-9 and 777 seat is the tray table. On the 787-9, it swivels out from beneath the side table instead of extending out from underneath the TV like the 777. I actually prefer the version on the 777, as you get so much more table space, and it’s easier to step out to the aisle even with the table extended.
The footrest provided plenty of legroom. There was also a good amount of storage below the footrest for shoes or bags. It was also a good place to store the large mattress cover when you’re not using it. The 18″ touch screen LCD TV is a great size and had a crisp display.
The amenity kit is created by Neal’s Yard Remedies, and consists of an eye mask, toothbrush set, earbuds, lip balm, facial mist and hand cream.
Hot towels were handed out as we got settled in our seats, as well as pre-departure beverages.
After departure, the meal service began. Because it was a late flight, the meal service was reduced, so everything was served on one tray. We didn’t mind this much, as we were both struggling to keep our eyes open from lack of sleep!
Full menu
Click on menu thumbnails to enlarge
I chose to have the Japanese “Washoku” meal, while Peterson had the International meal. I really enjoyed the grilled mackerel.
I ate my meal relatively quickly as I wanted to get some much needed sleep. The lack of sleep was really getting to me… I vision and balance were drifting side to side as if on a boat. I made my bed with the provided mattress pad and blanket, and immediately dozed off for four hours of a very comfortable, deep sleep.
ANA provides a seat guide for the staggered business seats, which explains all the seat features and how to set up the bed.
When I woke up, the cabin was still dark and most of the passengers were still sleeping. I got up to have a stretch and check out the galley. There weren’t any snacks available (except chocolates), which was totally acceptable as I could just order from the “Light Dishes Anytime” menu. There was a basket of amenities including eye masks, ear plugs, tissues & face and body sheets. I particularly loved the handwritten note; it’s such a personalized touch and something that you usually only find on Japanese airlines.
Back at my seat, I browsed through the IFE for a while. The selection was decent and identical to what was offered on our previous flight. However I noticed that the IFE system was a lot snappier and responsive on this 787-9 compared to the 777.
I took a look at the Anytime menu and ordered myself an Okonomiyaki (seafood pancake), a corn soup and a green tea. I liked the taste of the corn soup, but the pancake was just alright.
About two hours from Sydney, the cabin lights were gradually brightened to help passengers wake up. For some reason I was still a bit hungry, so I asked the flight attendant if there were any meals left. She told me she had to check, but asked if I would be okay with a breakfast bagel instead if there weren’t any, which I was okay with. Several minutes later, she came back with a tray containing the Japanese meal I had earlier!
I finished up the meal with a very frozen but still tasty Ben & Jerry’s ice cream & coffee.
The crew started to prep the cabin for arrival an hour before landing. We were offered candy or chocolates before the service ended.
After a very rough landing on runway 34R, we had a long taxi to our gate as we waited for lots of incoming arrivals on 34L before crossing. I had no complaints, as I enjoyed watching all the heavy traffic landing and taxiing by.
In Summary:
I had a great time flying with ANA again. The service and food were fantastic as usual, and the hard product is very comfortable and private for this 8 hour flight. With that said, having a direct comparison with the ANA 777 flight from SFO to NRT, I preferred that seat over the one on the Dreamliner.
If you’d like to see a video review of our experience on ANA’s Dreamliner to Sydney, you can check out our YouTube trip report here:
Have you flown in ANA’s dreamliner before? What did you think of it? Please comment below to share your experience with us! You can also let us know what you thought about this review. If you want more reviews and trip reports like this one, make sure to subscribe to our newsletter.
Alvin is an aviation geek, enthusiast photographer, and software developer with a goal of exploring the world. He uses mileage programs to redeem premium flight travel, and shares his experiences here on OneMoreWeekToGo.