ANA's Economy Class Seats Gets "Good Design" Award

Above, ANA's Premium Economy seating display at the L.A. Travel and Adventure Show. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

When I saw this story on the All Nippon Airways (ANA) Economy Class seating getting a "Good Design Award" it reminded me of seeing their display at the Los Angeles Travel and Adventure Show in 2013.

At the show, ANA had on display their new seating for overseas travelers.

According to the article in Japan Today:

Tokyo - All Nippon Airways (ANA) and Toyota Boshoku Corp have received the prestigious Good Design Award from the Japan Institute of Design Promotion for its new Economy Class seats. Intended for ANA's domestic aircraft, the seats were created in collaboration with Japan's top automotive seat designer Toyota Boshoku to increase comfort and convenience for passengers. 

The cutting edge seats, which are being introduced on ANA's Boeing 777-200 and 787-8 aircraft, employ the latest ergonomic insights to make the seats as comfortable as possible. The revamped Economy Class seats for domestic flights are the latest in ANA's extensive efforts to improve seating across its entire fleet.

Of all the flights to (and from) Japan, I would have to put the Economy Class seating of Singapore Airlines Airbus A380 at the top of the list for being the most uncomfortable. The seats were small and there was little legroom. I had to get up several times an hour to stretch my legs.

As mentioned, these are on ANA's domestic flights. Some tourists in Japan do fly within the country. They may want to make note of these seats when choosing an airline.

To read more, go here.

Los Angeles Travel & Adventure Show Feb. 27 - 28

Above, the Japan display at the 2013 show. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

An email was received from Virtual Strategy magazine announcing next year's Los Angeles Travel and Adventure Show in Long Beach.

The notice included a link to their website, which stated:

The 11th Annual Los Angeles Travel & Adventure Show will take place February 27 and 28 at the Long Beach Convention Center. Ranked as one of Southern California’s “Top Ten” consumer events – the Los Angeles Travel & Adventure Show is where travel enthusiasts come for travel inspiration, expert information and to experience the tastes and sounds of cultures from around the world.

I attended the 2013 show and had a great time. I hope to attend next year's show.

For more, go here.

ANA's New Economy Class Seats For Domestic Flights

Above, trying out ANA's Economy Class seats for international flights.

All Nippon Airways (ANA) is introducing new seats for economy class passengers.

Back in 2013, I tried out ANA's Premium Economy seats at their display at the Los Angeles Travel & Adventure Show in Long Beach. I found the seats comfortable (but I liked their Business Class seats much more).

Now, it has been reported at News On Japan that ANA is introducing new economy seats beginning in June.

They wrote:

TOKYO —All Nippon Airways Co (ANA) and Toyota Boshoku Corp have teamed up to develop new economy class seats. The seats will appear on ANA’s domestic service beginning June. 

The collaboration marks the first time for Toyota Boshoku to be involved in the development and manufacturing of aircraft seats.

I noticed a lot of critical comments concerning ANA's seats. Several people posted that the seats cannot be reclined back and that the bottom section of the seats slide out. For an 11-hour flight to Japan from Los Angeles, these seats would be uncomfortable. Thankfully, these new seats will only be used on domestic flights.

To red more, go here. 

Latest Blog Post Pick-ups

The good folks at The Japan Daily have picked up several of yesterday's blog posts for sharing with their readers.

They include:

To read The Japan Daily, go here.

Los Angeles Travel & Adventure Show February 21 and 22

Above, the 2013 L.A. Travel & Adventure Show at the Long Beach Convention Center. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

If you are looking for ideas on where to go this year on vacation, be it Japan or anywhere else, the Los Angeles Travel and Adventure Show is coming up.

According to Examiner.com:

The 2015 Los Angeles Travel & Adventure Show will take place February 21 and 22 from 10 am to 5 pm at the Long Beach Convention Center, located at 300 E. Ocean Blvd., Long Beach, CA 90802. Tickets are available now online for $11 for one day or $17 for two days (use promo code: LAPR). Children 16 and under are free. At the door, tickets will be available, cash only, for $16 for one day and $25 for two days. For tickets and information please visit www.LATravelShow.com

I attended the 2013 show and thoroughly enjoyed it. It was there that All Nippon Airways (ANA) had quite an elaborate display of their Economy and Business Class seats. Attendees were encouraged to try them out. I couldn't resist, so I did.

There were several Japan-oriented booths at the show.

Above, the Taste of Travel Stage for culinary demonstrations. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Show features:

At the Los Angeles Travel & Adventure Show, attendees will find thousands of destination experts to help plan and customize vacations and give inside knowledge to help attendees travel like pros. Exhibitors will be available to give attendees details about travel and tours to destinations from around the world including Costa Rica, Europe, India, Mexico, Australia, Ireland, Japan, Hawaii, Africa, Turkey, Thailand, and Alaska – all offering exclusive specials and trip giveaways. 

Guests of all ages can enjoy a variety of interactive, family-friendly activities including a rock climbing wall, a scuba pool, the Taste of Travel Stage – a culinary demonstration stage – and the Global Beats Stage, featuring cultural performances from around the world.

To read more, go here. 

Condé Nast Traveler: "The World's Best Airlines For Business Travelers"

Above, yours truly trying out ANA's Business Class seating.

With the airlines making economy (or coach) seating even smaller in area size these days, it may be time to consider upgrading to business class. This is especially so for long international flights.

Condé Nast Traveler has their 2014 Readers' Choice Awards and they have posted their top ten list of "The World's Best Airlines For Business Travelers."

They begin their listing (in slideshow format) with:

Now more than ever, international airlines are battling for the loyalty of business travelers, rolling out new sleeper seats, transoceanic Wi-Fi access, and spacious work spaces (if you’re not distracted by all the in-flight entertainment, that is). Here’s how this year’s top ten business airlines, as chosen by Traveler readers, made the cut,

One of the airlines on the list is All Nippon Airways (ANA). I tried out their business class seats at the Los Angeles Travel and Adventure Show two years ago and I immediately noticed a big difference. It is a lot more comfortable than economy and each passenger has a lot more "personal space." I will likely upgrade to business class the next time I go to Japan.

To see who the other ten are, go here.

All Nippon Airways Back In The Black

Above, ANA's display of their Business Class seating at the L.A. Travel & Adventure Show. Photo by Armand Vaquer. 

Singapore's Channel NewsAsia reported that All Nippon Airways (ANA) had swung back into profitability this year.

They reported:

TOKYO: Japan's All Nippon Airways (ANA) said on Wednesday (July 30) it had swung back to profitability in the three months to June, thanks to an expansion at a Tokyo airport and a change to its pension plan. 

The carrier said net profit was 3.5 billion yen ($34 million) against a loss of 6.6 billion yen a year earlier, while quarterly sales rose 10.0 percent to 386.8 billion yen. It also logged an operating profit of 347 million yen, from an operating loss of 5.6 billion a year ago. 

The sharp improvement came as ANA expanded its international services, benefiting from a major expansion of Tokyo's downtown Haneda Airport, which helped offset a jump in operating expenses mainly due to higher fuel costs.

After my disappointing flights on United Airlines (once my favorite U.S. carrier) last February, I decided that my future trips will be on either Korean Air (I've flown with them several times and felt well taken care of and the food was good), Singapore Air (I had a good experience with them) or ANA. I am leaning towards ANA. I joined ANA's Mileage Club and am looking forward to trying them out. I was impressed by ANA's staff when I visited their displays at last year's Los Angeles Travel & Adventure Show in Long Beach.

To read the full article, go here.

All Nippon Airways Tops Japan Airlines In International Passenger Demand

Above, ANA's display of their Business Class seating at the L.A. Travel and Adventure Show in 2013. 

All Nippon Airways (ANA) has topped Japan Airlines (JAL) in international passenger demand for the first time.

The Wall Street Journal reported:

TOKYO—  All Nippon Airways Co. became Japan's largest international air carrier in terms of revenue passenger kilometers in May, beating  Japan Airlines Co. for the first time ever.  

Of Japan's two major airlines, the initially state-owned JAL has long been positioned as a step ahead of rival ANA in terms of international flights thanks to its status as the country's flag carrier. But ANA has been working to reorganize its international flight business to generate more profits and has gained a tailwind in recent years.  

ANA's revenue passenger kilometers—a measure of traffic calculated by multiplying the number of passengers aboard by the distance traveled—rose 25.4% on year in May to 2.953 billion kilometers, data released Tuesday by the airline showed. 

That was higher than Japan Airlines' 2.912 billion kilometers for the same period, marking the first time that ANA has taken the top spot since it began providing international flights in 1986. 

One of the reason that I am not surprised at ANA's showing is that they have been promoting their airline with elaborate displays at various travel shows. One such show was the 2013 Los Angeles Travel and Adventure Show in Long Beach. JAL had no displays anywhere near in comparison.

To read the full story, go here.

Boeing Boosted By ANA's 777X Order

Above, ANA's display of Premium Economy seats at the L.A. Travel & Adventure Show. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

They should be breaking out the champagne bottles at Boeing as All Nippon Airways ordered 20 Boeing 777X planes.

According to News On Japan:

ANA Holdings Inc (9202.T) restored Boeing Co's (BA.N) momentum in a Japanese market it has long dominated by ordering 20 new generation 777X wide-body jets after a stinging defection by Japan Airlines Co (9201.T) last year to rival Airbus Group NV (AIR.PA). 

Japan's largest carrier announced an order for 70 jets worth 1.7 trillion yen ($16.62 billion) at list prices and its biggest order ever, to replace aging planes while expanding its overseas fleet by 30 aircraft. Nearly half the list value was for the 20 777-9X wide-body jets.

This appears to be a part of the order of 70 planes by ANA (40 ordered from Boeing, 30 ordered from Airbus Industries).

To read the full article, go here.

The Los Angeles Travel and Adventure Show 2014

Above, the Long Beach Convention Center. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Speaking of the Los Angeles Travel and Adventure Show (see my last blog post on The Telegraph's review of All Nippon Airways's business class seats), the next show will be held February 8 and 9 at the Long Beach Convention Center.

Whether you are planning a trip to Japan or anywhere else in the world, the Los Angeles Travel and Adventure Show will give you a lot of great ideas on where you will want to take your next vacation trip. There's something for everybody with plenty of booths and displays to check out.

Here's some highlights for this year's show:

Now in its 9th year - the Los Angeles Travel & Adventure Show is the award-winning event where you'll discover authentic travel experiences, find exclusive travel deals, win trips and giveaways, and be emersed in an amazing travel extravaganza.  

You'll hear from an impressive speaker line-up ONLY in Long Beach. Including travel legends Rick Steves, Samantha Brown, Pauline Frommer, Patricia Schultz, Peter Greenberg, and Travel Channel's Don Wildman and Todd Carmichael and more. Experience zip-lining, climb a rock wall, and see cultural performances.

To access the official website for the show, go here.

The Telegraph Reviews ANA's Business Class Seats

Above, ANA's business class seating display at the Los Angeles Travel and Adventure Show.

Early last year, I attended the Los Angeles Travel and Adventure Show at the Long Beach Convention Center.

At the show, All Nippon Airways (ANA) had an elaborate display of their new seats. I stopped by and tried out their new business class and premium economy seats. They were quite comfortable. The business class seats were more like cubicles (Dilbert would feel right at home) than seats.

According to an article in the United Kingdom's The Telegraph, ANA introduced new bedding to their business class seats in September and The Telegraph posted a detailed review. The business class seats can unfold (if that's the correct word) out into a bed configuration. This wasn't available at the travel show.

To see the ANA business class seats (and beds) and read their review, go here.

ANA To Hike Domestic Fares 9%

Above, the All Nippon Airways booth at the Los Angeles Travel & Adventure Show.  Photo by Armand Vaquer.

The weaker Japanese yen benefits travelers from the U.S. as they are able to get around 104 yen per dollar exchanged.

But, the weaker yen can be a double-edged sword as it increases some costs to make up the difference.

According to The Japan Times:

All Nippon Airways Co. said Thursday it will raise fares for domestic flights by up to about 9 percent from March 7 to 29 due to rising fuel costs under the weaker yen.

Under the price hike, the cost of a Tokyo-Osaka one-way ticket aboard Japan's number one airline will rise from ¥24,600 to ¥26,800.

To read more, go here.

All Nippon Airways Likely To Stick With Boeing, According To Experts

Above, yours truly trying out ANA's Business Class seating at the Los Angeles Travel & Adventure Show.

The news this past week of Japan Airlines' purchase order of planes from Europe's Airbus Industries sent a big shock-wave to Boeing Commercial Airplanes of Chicago.

All is apparently not lost as it appears that Japan's number one airline, All Nippon Airways (ANA), will be sticking with Boeing.

According to News On Japan:

After the loss of a big Japan Airlines jet order to Airbus, rival ANA looks like a better bet to stick with Boeing. And at least for the near term, including 777X development, outsourcing of Boeing jet manufacturing to Japan will continue. 

Boeing Commercial Airplanes chief Ray Conner told an audience in Seattle a year ago that "there is not a relationship in the world like the one we have with Japan." 

That relationship was shaken this week when Japan Airlines (JAL) announced a blockbuster deal to buy A350 jets from Airbus. 

But the Boeing-Japan fortress isn't about to crumble quickly, say close observers. 

Near term, party politics in Japan gives Boeing an edge over Airbus for a pending big jet order by the second big Japanese airline, All Nippon Airways (ANA). 

To read the full article, go here.

ANA's Boeing 787s Return To Service

All Nippon Airways (ANA) has resumed service with Boeing 787 Dreamliners today.



The first flight was a domestic flight to Tokyo International Airport at Haneda from Chitose Airport near Sapporo in Hokkaido.

This marks the end of four months of grounding of the aircraft for the airline due to lithium ion battery problems of the Dreamliner. The time was needed to determine the cause of the problems and fix them.  During the time of the grounding, ANA was named 2013 "Airline of the Year" by Air Transport World (ATW), the leading monthly magazine covering the global airline industry.

Back in January, I tried out ANA's economy and business class seating at their display at the Los Angeles Travel & Adventure Show in Long Beach (below).

All Nippon Airways To Get "First Dibs" On Dreamliner Fix

Above, the ANA exhibit booth at the Los Angeles Travel and Adventure Show.  Photo by Armand Vaquer.

It appears that Boeing is making progress in fixing the lithium-ion battery problem that has grounded its 787 Dreamliner jets.  And, All Nippon Airways will get "first dibs" with the fix.

Travelpulse.com reported:

Reuters reports that All Nippon Airways (ANA) the Boeing 787 Dreamliner’s biggest buyer is training pilots with an eye to resuming 787 flights in June, according to unnamed industry sources. 

The first 787 flights that ANA will fly will be cargo flights, the news agency reports, in order to ease the public into a feeling of safety about the flights on the new aircraft that was taken out of service by regulators in January after a series of malfunctions with its lithium-ion batteries.

To read more, go here.

All Nippon Airways Named "Airline of the Year"

Above, ANA at the Los Angeles Travel & Adventure Show in  Long Beach.  Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Japan's All Nippon Airways (ANA) has garnered an award for "Best Airline of the Year" for 2013, according to an article in Japan Today.

They wrote:

TOKYO —ANA, Japan’s largest airline group, has been named 2013 Airline of the Year by Air Transport World (ATW), the leading monthly magazine covering the global airline industry. 

ATW Editor-in-Chief, Karen Walker, commended ANA for “its exceptional financial performance, fiscal management, customer service and technology leadership that set the bar for the entire global airline industry”. She also added that “when you put in the kind of financial reports that ANA consistently posted through 2012 and provide excellent customer service despite a challenging market, that’s the signature of a first-rate airline.”

While I have not flown to Japan on ANA (I did take a commuter flight with them from Osaka to Tokyo), I have to agree that they are a first-class operation.

Above, Armand trying out ANA's Business Class seats at the Long Beach Travel & Adventure Show.

I was very much impressed at the display they set up at the Los Angeles Travel & Adventure Show last month in Long Beach.  They went far beyond any other airline at the show with their exhibits of their new Business Class and Economy Class seating.  I tried them both out.

To read the full article, go here.

Cruise Ship "Celebrity Mercury"

Above, the "Celebrity Mercury" at anchor at Juneau, Alaska in 2000.  Photo by Armand Vaquer.

While perusing the collection of literature I picked up at the Los Angeles Travel & Adventure Show (yes, I do read the literature I pick up at shows), I was reading Celebrity Cruises's 2013/2014 Cruises and Cruisetours book.

Above, my mom and daughter enjoying the view of Alaska aboard the "Celebrity Mercury."  Photo
by Armand Vaquer.

Back in 2000, my mom, daughter Amber and I took a cruise aboard the Celebrity Mercury in Alaska. The book didn't list the ship for any of the company's cruises.

Above, my mom and daughter having lunch aboard the "Celebrity Mercury."  Photo by Armand Vaquer.

I then Googled Mercury and found in this article that the ship had been retired from Celebrity's fleet in February 2011.  It has been transferred to TUI Cruises and renamed Mein Schiff 2.  Now it sails the waters of Europe with destinations including Arabia, Dubai and Emirates, Eastern Caribbean, Eastern Mediterranean, Mediterranean, Transatlantic and Western Mediterranean.

At least the good ship is still sailing the seas somewhere.

Japan Anime Tourism Guide

Attending travel shows, one can gather up a lot of literature on resorts, attractions, hotels, transportation (airlines, cruises, rail, etc.) along with maps and guide books.

One such guide book I picked up at the Los Angeles Travel & Adventure Show last weekend in Long Beach was the Japan Anime Tourism Guide (I mentioned this guide in an earlier blog) published by the Japan Tourism Agency.

The guide's contributors included the Tokyo International Anime Fair Executive Committee, Takayoshi Yamamura of Hokkaido University and Toshimichi Kakizaki (Anime Tourist).

My first exposure to anime was the original Astro Boy cartoons of the 1960s when they aired in Los Angeles. 

The Japan Anime Tourism Guide contains information on anime and manga sites of interest to fans of the genre(s).

 

For example, in the Kanto area of Japan, the guide spotlights Niiza-shi, Saitama as "The Home of Astro Boy."  Osamu Tezuka, the father of Astro Boy (known in Japan as The Mighty Atom), a "robot with feelings."  Tezuka Productions, the studio which created the character, is located in Niiza City.  The city honored Astro Boy on year Astro was born, April 7, 2003 with a "special residential status."  The city also adorns street seals with the image of Astro and, also, hosts a stamp collection rally annually starting at Niiza and Shiki Stations.

Another example is in Niigata (a city I visited in December 2010) in the Hokuriku area.  The baseball manga of Shinji Mizushima has been turned into a bronze statues that is located at Managa Street.   The "charismatic" characters featured in Mizushima's work have been turned into bronze statues and placed at Niigata's Manga Street.

Above, inside a Niigata tourism loop bus.  Photo by Armand Vaquer.

While we're talking about Niigata, the guide also spotlights the "Dokaben" and "INUYASHA" characters that adorn the tourism loop buses (photo above) that run between the municipal history museum, municipal aquarium, municipal art museum and Nihonkai Tower.  I took a loop tour on these buses in 2010 and noticed the characters on them.

 

Along with these examples from the Kanto and Hokuriku areas of Japan, the guide contains anime and manga sites in Tohoku, Kansai, Chugoku, Shikoku and Kyushu areas.

If you are a manga or anime fan and plan on visiting Japan, this guide will get you to the places that celebrate the culture.

The Japan Anime Tourism Guide is available through the Japan National Tourism Organization at http://visitjapan.jp.

Travel Promoting

The Los Angeles Travel & Adventure Show (today's the last day) was fruitful for me as I was able to promote The Monster Movie Fan's Guide To Japan.  A lot of business cards were exchanged and several copies of the travel guide were provided.

One would think that with all the promoting I've done, people in the travel industry (especially those who are Japan travel-oriented) would already be aware of the guide.  Not so, from what I've found.  That is why anyone who has come up with a publication has to constantly promote and network so that the target audience can reached.

While at the travel show yesterday, the organizations I met with included:

Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO). 

All Japan Tours (AJT). 

H.I.S. (Japan travel specialist with over 300 offices worldwide). 

Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA). 

Okinawa Convention & Visitors Bureau.

With JNTO, we had a deep discussion about "niche" travel markets as the Japan Tourism Agency has published the "Japan Anime Tourism Guide," which is available in several languages.   I emphasized that for many in the baby-boomer generation, their first exposure to Japan and Japanese pop-culture began through watching Godzilla and Gamera movies and the super-hero television shows such as Ultraman.

With the travel/tour specialists, I emphasized the same as with JNTO (in regards Japanese pop-culture exposure) and pushed them to consider tailoring Japan tours to kaiju enthusiasts using The Monster Movie Fan's Guide To Japan and having it available for sale to their customers..

All in all, I thought the talks with these organizations were very useful and could lead into other things in the future.

I will be doing the same at next month's Los Angeles Times Travel Show (February 23-24).

Experiencing ANA's New Economy Class and Business Class Seating

Being comfortable during an eleven-hour flight from Los Angeles to Narita Airport in Japan can be a daunting task, especially if one is flying in Economy Class.

ANA (All Nippon Airways) has introduced new seats that will help alleviate this problem.

I have to confess, I've never flown to Japan on ANA.  But, since the introduction of these seats, I may just give them a try.

ANA had an elaborate display at this year's Los Angeles Travel and Adventure Show in Long Beach (Japan Airlines and Delta were also there, but had nothing elaborate as ANA).  While there, I talked to the representatives from ANA and tried out the new Economy Class seats and the new Business Class seats.

New Economy Class

The Economy Class seats feature a fixed-back shell seat that can slide forward within the shell.  The design of the seats provide more leg/foot room under the seat immediately in front so you're not squished in like a sardine.  Besides this, the seat will allow the passenger to elevate his/her legs with the three-level footrest.

Each seat will also have a touch panel 10.6" monitor with a wide selection of 160 programs.  And, every seat is equipped with universal laptop power port, iPod connector and USB port.

When I tried out the seat, I was impressed that it was unlike anything I've experienced when flying Economy Class.

New Business Class

After trying out the Economy Class seats, I went over to ANA's new Business Class display.  Here, ANA had several rows of their new Business Class seats that were more like individual cubicles.

Naturally, the seats are wider than the Economy Class seats.  The way the seats are configured on the plane will allow aisle access for each seat, which will allow getting in and out of your seat much easier.  Each full flat seat reclines 180 degrees and are capable of "fine adjustments to ensure sweet dreams."  I was quite comfortable in the seat when I tried it out (right).


Each seat is provided with a large side table, storage for shoes and hand baggage.  The front sliding table is 150% larger than previous versions.  A 17" touch panel screen comes with each seat and also has 160 channels of movies, television series, music and games on demand.

Like the Economy Class seats, Business Class seats also are equipped with universal laptop power port, iPod connector and USB port.

With all this available to play with, eleven hours from Los Angeles to Tokyo would seem to go by very fast.