ANA is the last new airline to take delivery of the A380 before the program winds down until 2021.The order is a holdover from their purchase of SkyMark Airlines a few years back. ANA intended to use the A380 on their Hawaii flights, with specially designed amenities and new interiors. I expect the flight to be successful, especially considering the ANA A380 Hawaii service will be so tailored to make the experience special.

 

ANA A380 First Class

The airline will be debuting a new first class product on their flagship A380. This will be their first First Class fully-enclosed suite. The airline has revamped their usual first class to make it the most private first class in Japan. ANA will also revamp their inflight soft product. The airline will offer new amenity kits, designed by Globe-Trotter, and stocked with THE GINZA products. You can also expect a Hawaiian themed menu throughout all cabins, but in First Class you can find the most elaborate Hawaiian meals. Their usual bedding an excellent service will be provided, too.

ANA A380 Business Class

In terms of innovation, ANA A380 will retain their usual business class seat. They are staggered business class seats, and offer the most privacy in the seats closest to windows. Although the seat does not change, some amenities have been specially selected for their Hawaii service. New amenity kits by Fred Segal will be offered exclusively on flights to/from Honolulu on the A380. These will include a reusable, recyclable bag with the A380’s design. You can also expect PJs and the usual bedding amenities provided in long haul business class. Dining will also be improved, with Hawaiian inspired meals.

ANA A380 Premium Economy

Premium Economy on the A380 will be the least modified service on the entire aircraft. The airline will provide their usual seat, with their expected excellent service. The only improvement is that each passenger will get a reusable bag with the Flying Honu design.

ANA A380 Economy

The main economy cabin will not be modified much. You will get a special meal selection during the first week of flying, but besides that, you should expect the usual ANA experience while flying on their A380. However, there will be a new section in the economy cabin, called ANA Couchii. This version of Air New Zealand’s SkyCouch will a first of its kind in Japan. It is what I would call the cheaper lie flat seat. The seats have leg rests that raise in order to make the seat wider, and feel more like an actual bed. I have not flown on ANZ, so I do not know how comfortable they really are. Passengers in the ANA Couchii will receive a special pillow, blanket and mattress pad.

Available to All

There will also be some products available to all passengers flying on the A380. For starters, ANA will debut a new blue drink, exclusievly on their Hawaii flights. I suspect it will be non-alcoholic, but details are still not known. Two of the coolest things they will have on the flight is the sale of their A380 in a 1:500 scale model. The second thing I look forward to is the sale of the A380’s theme animal, the Turtle! It will be as a plush toy, aimed for kids, but I would 100% buy one for myself. For children, they will have a reusable cloth bag, that will have the ANA logo and the Hawaii theme. Finally, they will offer kids an inflatable A380 model for them to play with on the airplane, and once they get to the beach.

Wifi

The aircraft will also offer Wifi. I suspect it will be priced the same as on their other flights. Hopefully, the airline will reconsider their wifi prices; in my last flight with ANA, wifi was very expensive and a bit slow.

 

Landing Thoughts

I personally believe that the ANA A380 will be a game changer in the Japanese aviation market. The aircraft offers so many enhancements, such an improved First Class experience, and an overall passenger experience tailored to the route. I suspect that JAL will try to counter with their new A350s, but personally, there is nothing more fun than flying on the A380. It makes me sad that ANA is the last new airline to get the aircraft. I wonder if they will keep them flying to Honolulu only, or if they will expand them to their other routes. Stay tuned for another article explaining my reasoning.

 

What do you think? Are you excited to try out the new ANA A380 Hawaii Service? Have you flown on other A380s? How was your experience? Let us know!

 

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All images from ANA or Airbus Press Release.