STTP Quick Hit: ANA "The Room", Up To 5 People
For the last couple of years, it's been tough to find ANA business class award space. While that's still the case broadly speaking, ANA has started to release a lot of space close to departure.
Since many of you have both requested that I share some award space close to departure and even more of you have requested ANA "The Room", this seemed like a good time to flag space for up to 5 people.
Welcome to those who learned about STTP via the founder of Going (formerly Scott's Cheap Flights), Scott Keyes, in his Reddit AMA earlier today.
Fun fact: Scott is an STTP Premium member.
Make sure you fill out your new Member Profile with your travel preferences. Your responses help guide my search efforts for both award space and business class fare deals.
Now, let's get into the details!
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Straight To The Points:
Routes:
- With new cabin ("The Room"): JFK/LAX/ORD-HND
- With older cabin: AD/IAH/LAX/SFO-HND/NRT
Operating airline: ANA (All Nippon Airways)
Class of service: Business class
Dates: January 2023
Seats available: 2+ (Up to 5)
Cabin layout: 1-2-1
Book with (nonstop, per person, one-way):
- *Air Canada Aeroplan: 75,000 points
- ANA Mileage Club: 75,000 miles (round-trip only)
- Asiana Club: 60,000 miles
- *Avianca LifeMiles: 90,000 miles
- EVA Infinity MileageLands: 87,500 miles
- Miles & More: 71,000 miles
- Singapore KrisFlyer: 129,500 miles
- Turkish Miles&Smiles: 67,500 miles
- *United MileagePlus: 92,000 miles
- Virgin Atlantic Flying Club:
- West Coast: 45,000 points
- East Coast/Central US: 47,500 points
Aeroplan and LifeMiles have a partner booking fee.
*No Surcharges
Taxes/fees (per person):
- From US: $5.60
- From HND: ~$47
- Including surcharges:
- From US: ~$361
- From HND: ~$453
- Round-trip: ~$763
Bank transfer partners:
- Air Canada: Amex, Bilt, Chase, Capital One, Marriott
- ANA Mileage Club: Amex, Marriott
- Asiana Club: Marriott
- LifeMiles: Amex, Capital One, Citi, Marriott
- EVA: Capital One, Citi
- Singapore: Amex, Capital One, Chase, Citi, Marriott
- Turkish: Citi, Bilt, Capital One, Marriott
- United: Bilt, Chase, Marriott
- Virgin: Amex, Bilt, Capital One, Chase, Citi, Marriott
Let me know if you book and how you did it!
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Flight Experience
ANA's new business class (AKA "The Room") is widely considered to be one of the best business class seats in the sky. Throw in the amazing cabin crew service and you're really in for a treat.
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Available Dates
Flights with The Room:
ORD-HND
January: 14-24, 26, 29, 31
February: 1
HND-ORD
January: 14, 18, 19, 22-27, 31
February: 1, 2
JFK-HND
January: 15-17, 22-25, 30 , 31
HND-JFK
January: 26
LAX-HND
January: 20-22, 25, 26, 29-31
HND-LAX
January: 19-22, 24-28, 31
February: 1, 2
Flights with the older business class product:
LAX-HND
January: 14-26, 29-31
HND-LAX:
January: 18-22, 24, 26, 27, 31
February: 1, 2
IAH-HND
January: 15, 18, 19, 22, 26, 29
February: 1, 2
HND-IAH
January: 14, 16, 20, 27, 28, 31
IAD-HND
January: 16, 17, 23, 24, 30, 31
HND-IAD
January: 18, 19, 25, 26
February: 1, 2
SFO-HND
January: 21, 23-26, 30, 31
February: 1, 2
HND-SFO
January: 20, 24-27, 31
February: 1, 2
SFO-NRT
January: 20, 21, 24-26, 30, 31
February: 1
NRT-SFO
January: 17, 24-28
February: 1, 2
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Best Ways To Book
Since Japan is allowing steep surcharges, the total taxes/fees on award tickets can be pretty rough if you book with a program that passes them onto you. With the total taxes/fees with surcharges over $300/400 on a one-way and $700+ on a round-trip, you'll want to consider whether you prefer to save points or cash.
ANA Mileage Club: Amazing Low Season Award Rate, Steep Surcharges
If you have Amex points, ANA Mileage Club can't be beat at 75,000 miles round-trip. However, you can only book a round-trip award which means you have to have $700+ taxes/fees. If you include a connection on a partner, the rate will jump to 95,000 miles.
Amex transfers typically take 2-3 days.
Virgin Flying Club: Best One-Way Award Rate, Steep Surcharges
At 45,000 points from the west coast and 47,500 points from the east coast/central US, Virgin requires the fewest points of your one-way options. Plus it has the advantage of being a transfer partner of Amex, Bilt, Capital One, Chase, and Citi. Again, you'll be on the hook for the surcharges.
Air Canada Aeroplan: Best Award Rate Without Surcharges
At 75,000 points one-way, Aeroplan is your best bet if you want to avoid the surcharges. It's a big jump from 75,000 ANA miles round-trip so you'll want to consider whether saving 75,000 points or $650+ is right for you.
Similarly, the difference between 75,000 Aeroplan points and 45,000 (or 47,500) points is pretty big if you're considering a Virgin Flying Club booking.
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How To Book
If you don't know the exact dates you want to fly, keep things simple and use United's calendar search option.
- From United's homepage, select Advanced search
- Choose to show price in miles
- Select Roundtrip or One-way
- Enter the origin & destination
- Select Nonstop only (if you don't need a connection)
- Select the number of passengers
- Select your dates or choose Flexible dates and choose a month
- Select Business
- Run the search
- If booking with another Star Alliance partner, confirm space by searching with that program
- Transfer points (if necessary)
- Log into your account
- Run the search again
- Complete the booking
Once you know the exact dates you want, you can run the search with the program you'll be using to book. As always, I recommend confirming the program you're using sees the award space before you transfer points.
To book with Virgin points, you can call Virgin Atlantic Flying Club at 800-365-9500. You can put award space on hold while you transfer points, if you prefer.
If you want to use Turkish miles, you can call 800-874-8875 to put space on hold then pay the taxes/fees.
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Bottom Line
Japan continues to be the most requested destinations by STTP Premium members and for good reason. Even in the winter, there's plenty to do.
The big question for you is whether you prefer to use fewer points and more cash or more points and less cash. I'll let you make that call!
Happy booking!
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