ANA to fly twice daily between Sydney and Tokyo
Sydney will now see a total of 14 flights a week from the Star Alliance member.
By Chris Ashton, January 18 2023
Australia’s insatiable travel appetite for Japan shows no sign of slowing. With that in mind, ANA is giving even more opportunities to visit ‘the land of the rising sun’, boosting its Sydney-Tokyo schedule from 10-times weekly to double-daily as of March 26.
While the current daily flights run during the night in both directions, each leg of the new second service will largely take place during daylight hours.
The reveal coincides with the Virgin Australia partner teasing its long-awaited return to Perth. Although expected to begin in March, those Tokyo-Narita flights will now take off in the airline's Northern Winter schedule, which takes effect at the end of October.
From March 26, the twice-daily Sydney to Tokyo schedule will be:
- NH880 will see wheels up from Kingsford Smith Airport at 9:45pm, with touchdown at 5:25am.
- NH890 takes off at a cool 12:55pm, landing into Haneda Airport at 8:30pm.
The return leg offers a similar choice to suit your schedule:
- NH879 departs Tokyo at 10:20pm, and arrives in Sydney at 9:55am.
- NH889 jets off from Tokyo at 8:55am, touching down at 8:30pm.
ANA's Boeing 787 international business class.
All flights feature the airline’s workhorse Boeing 787, which offers a very comfortable lie-flat business class ahead of a small premium economy cabin. In true Japanese style, the onboard catering is an experience worth relishing.
Business class passengers bound for Sydney have access to the ANA Haneda Business Class Lounge. Located on level four of the airport, near Gate 110, the space is an excellent base to freshen up and tuck into some made-to-order noodles before the flight.
On the local front, Star Alliance member ANA says it’s keen to continue developing its Virgin Australia relationship, which it describes as having “the mutual goal of both airlines serving as the bridge between Australia and Japan with the highest levels of customer service.”
This is expected to include reciprocal status benefits from earning Velocity Points and status credits on selected ANA flights to redeeming Velocity Points on ANA flights, and well as status-based perks including priority check-in, boarding and baggage handling for Velocity Golds and Platinum members, and access to ANA’s business class airport lounges.
A likely launchpad for this will be the start of Virgin Australia’s new daily flights between Cairns and Tokyo from June 28.
05 Jan 2023
Total posts 2
Why is Melbourne so overlooked for direct flights to Japan? I was looking to book ANA flights in July but ended up booking Singapore because I didn't want to transit in Sydney.
16 Nov 2021
Total posts 9
Why is Melbourne SO obsessed with what happens in Sydney? I've flown other airlines so as not to transit in Melbourne...adds hours.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
06 Nov 2014
Total posts 358
Haha, what about BNE? We don't even have daily flight to Japan.
05 Jan 2023
Total posts 2
Fair point. I guess I wanted to make more of a comment on the sydney-centric nature of international flights in and out of the country.
24 Jun 2015
Total posts 12
Might have something do with Sydney having the most demand and therefore getting the most flights....
It's not a conspiracy. Airlines fly the routes with the most demand to generate the most profit, its a pretty simple concept.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
06 Oct 2016
Total posts 176
Considering how hard it is to even get a seat on a MEL direct flight I would suggest not. My flights in March and April (JL774/3), have no seats left in business from 32 (They are probably holding 4 back), and that isn't school holidays or anything. Even pre-pandemic QF79/80 was always full and QF and JL are only 2 class cabins. More likely MEL airport are hard to deal with with dearer or limited slots available
So the demand is a forced demand, from MEL it is usually cheaper because of availability to go via Sydney but 3-4 hours longer for MEL flyers. I once did Osaka with Cathay for this reason, not only cheaper again but 2 stops vs 3 (although QF use to do a seasonal to Osaka years ago)
UA
30 Jun 2015
Total posts 36
This now makes Syd-Yvr workable on ANA. A quick 1:45hr connect outbound and either 4 hour or an overnight layover on the return. Unlike Narita, Haneda has a pleasant hotel within the terminal.
Thai Airways International - Royal Orchid Plus
15 Jan 2013
Total posts 461
this is good news.I would rather from Adelaide use Virgin as far as Sydney then go Sydney to Osaka via Tokyo on ANA with a decent schedule.four hours in Sydney beats 10 using Singapore Airlines via Singapore plus the Customs/Immigration at Haneda then flying domestic for the final leg.coming home I get a full day for say a Disneyland visit before heading to the airport to get the flight back to Sydney which is overnight and whatever Virgin option exists onto Adelaide(I would assume there's a flight around lunchtime I can connect to or anything up to 3:30pm using Qantas if the option exists home if ANA list it on their site,the Singapore Airlines options means no last minute sightseeing and being at the airport at some ungodly hour to fly to Singapore and it's just over eight hours there before the flight onward to Adelaide.if the alternative to either is Jetstar through Cairns I would rather pay the difference for some comfort long haul.
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