ANA First Class Square 777-300ER Review
While ANA typically flies their 787s to/from Seattle, in busier months a 777-300ER is sometimes swapped in for additional capacity. I couldn't pass up the chance to see how their F product checked out, so booked the ticket and headed on. I had heard that it was getting "a bit old", especially with the likes of Cathay and Singapore upgrading their F products, but it remains an interesting seat design, and at the end of the day it is a suite, so how bad could it be?
Flight Overview
What's Awesome
First things first: there's a dedicated First Class check-in which segregates you from the rest of the passengers from the get go. Love. This is fairly common among top tier carriers these days, and it really is a nice touch, making the entire pre-flight process quieter and less hectic while providing that extra bit of exclusivity and luxury.
After check in and security there's of course the ANA Suites lounge (which you also get access to when flying Singapore Suites through Narita), but I'll save that for another post. The quick and dirty version of that review is it's a good but not great lounge, only because it's small. That said, the showers are great and so is the service at the lounge.
Upon boarding, I headed to my 1K seat, right up at the bulkhead. There's only 8 First Class seats on the ANA 777-300ER, laid out in a 1-2-1 config. The seats are rectangular and appear "blocky" but that does not detract from the quality or comfort. My particular open suite was as private as you can get, as even the lavatory is located on the left side of the cabin. In truth, all suites are extremely private, even without doors. It might be perhaps too private for couples traveling together in the center, because once you settle in the seat, you're totally cocooned off. At 33 inches wide, the seat is more like your lounger at home, with thick cushioning and a wide ottoman for your feet.
Around the seat are a number of storage places for various small items (including glasses). On the window "ledge", is a small table for drinks. The screen is a respectable 23", plenty big enough to enjoy the IFE offerings. The only downside of the suite design was that I had to lean very far forward to see out the window. Not a big deal considering the window shades are closed most of the flight, but every aviation geek loves to look out the window during taxi, takeoff, and landing...
Food was really excellent and they offer a Japanese and Western menu. I opted for the Western and was not disappointed. Throughout the flight, the flight attendants are present without being overwhelming. Once I was done wining and dining, I put on my PJs while the FAs took care of turndown service, which included the soft blanket and pillow. No mattress pad, but frankly these seats don't need it.
The Samsonite amenity kit was about what you'd expect in a first class offering, with extra soaps and lotions above and beyond the usual business class items. There were also plenty of spares in the lav in case the amenity kit isn't enough.
- The squares super private feeling even though they don't have a door
- Seat is spacious in bed mode
- Service is personal and functional
- Great lighting and connectivity
- Comfy bed and loads of leg room, as one might expect in a suite
- A quirk of the square design makes it difficult to see out the window
- Cabin was a little warm
- Fabric was looking a bit worn