I managed to upgrade!
I hadn’t really been paying attention until right before my business trip to the US, but when I was checking my flight on the ANA app to start getting ready, I noticed there was a First Class seat on the flight out. Since I had some upgrade points that I’d probably end up wasting anyway, I applied for an upgrade. And luckily, it went through!
In a cabin with only eight seats, I remember it being full the first time I experienced it, but this time there were only four of us. Maybe because of the pandemic, people haven’t been racking up miles or points, or maybe fewer people have the flight status from last year to apply for an upgrade.
The amenities are amazing
When you take your seat in First Class, the first thing they ask is if you’d like to change into “relax wear” (loungewear). This is my second time, so it was more of an “Oh, right” feeling, but I remember being quite surprised the first time I upgraded. It’s really the starting point of the customer journey where you immediately feel the difference from Business Class (haha). You change in the restroom, which is a bit more spacious than the ones in Business Class and even has a footrest for when you’re changing. Still, it’s a tight space, so changing is a bit of a workout.
There’s a Globe-Trotter amenity kit at the seat, but they also bring around a basket for you to take whatever else you need—like leg refresh sheets, face mist, or cards for the in-flight Wi-Fi. Another great thing is that the noise-canceling headphones are the Sony WH-1000XM4. They make the time onboard so much more comfortable. My wife sent me a LINE asking, “No way, do you get to keep those!?” which made me laugh. Obviously not!
A full-course Japanese meal
The menu offers a choice between a full-course Japanese or Western meal. This time, I went with Japanese. For my pre-meal drink, I was worried about feeling unwell if I drank alcohol, so I ordered the “Yamanashi Fruit Premium Grape Juice.” It tasted just like eating actual grapes—the rich aroma and deep sweetness were so good I ended up getting a refill.
Amuse-bouche: ANA original sticks, Tuna prosciutto with sake lees sauce, Squid and fennel wrapped in Brussels sprouts, Roast beef and butterbur with ravigote sauce.
Sakizuke: Pen shell and squid with tree bud miso.
Appetizer: Salmon cherry leaf sushi, grilled tiger prawn with celery, shiitake cheese monaka, braised duck breast with butterbur miso, bracken squid, cherry blossom rice flour dumplings, fried icefish, salted broad beans.
Soup: Wakatake-wan (young bamboo shoot soup).
Sashimi: Seared bonito and seared giant octopus.
Simmered dish: Tender simmered webfoot octopus.
Small bowl: Mugwort kudzu starch with cockle and sansho pepper.
Main dish: Grilled sea bream over scorched rice with a thick soup sauce.
Sides: Rice, miso soup, and pickles.
Sweets: Tanba Mikumari Ishishizuku.
Honestly, if you compare it to a high-end Japanese ryokan, you can definitely find even better food elsewhere, but being able to relax and enjoy a meal like this on a plane is the height of luxury. Thank goodness for upgrade points…
Relaxing on board
Since I left on a weekend, I didn’t have to jump straight into work after arriving, so I could just relax on the plane for the first time in a while. After lunch, I watched two movies and went to sleep. In First Class, since there isn’t really a place to store things like the pressure-relieving mattress or the comforter, the crew does a turndown service for you when you’re ready to sleep, setting it up like in the photo. It feels special, almost like a hotel.
Even though it’s a full-flat bed just like Business Class, the sleep quality is on a whole different level—probably thanks to the extra width, the loungewear, the proper comforter, and the pressure-relieving mattress with those comfortable nubs. Business Class is plenty comfortable, but this really reminds you that there’s always something even better.
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