ANA Domestic redemption?

[travelmonkey]

I’ve got Tokyo flights booked for cherry blossom season next year (via BA 241) and, having taken the Shinkansen to other cities, am looking at an internal flight back to Tokyo a couple of days before the return flight. With about 34k Virgin points to my name and no plans for a redemption on Virgin leaving the UK, I’m considering using some points on ANA to fly two of us back to HND…

1) Does anyone have experience booking ANA internal – are there any tips?
2) Is it possible (and worth it) to book into the domestic premium cabin? There’s no entry for it in the pricing table: https://flywith.virginatlantic.com/gb/en/flying-club/airline-partners/all-nippon-airways.html

Any advise welcome…

[yonasl]

Don’t know about ANA but JAL business class is nothing to write home about.

The internal lounges only serve drinks and snacks (just crackers). On the flight you are served a beverage and that’s it. On JAL wide bodies used for internal flights the business passengers get PE seats. The first passengers get a larger more private seat but no real lie flat.

Check with ANA but it may be very similar. Most internal flights are ~1hr so there may not be a real incentive to spend too much.

(The real good thing of JAL using avios is that they are £0 so technically free to cancel).

[Alex G]

I don’t know anything about ANA redemptions either, but domestic Avios redemptions on JAL booked through BA are no longer good value.

For example, Osaka to Tokyo is 10,500 Avios. A cash ticket from JAL using the Explorer Pass fare is £51 (payable in GBP, so you can use Amex to pay).

[Olly]

Alex G wrote:

I don’t know anything about ANA redemptions either, but domestic Avios redemptions on JAL booked through BA are no longer good value.

For example, Osaka to Tokyo is 10,500 Avios. A cash ticket from JAL using the Explorer Pass fare is £51 (payable in GBP, so you can use Amex to pay).

That’s a lot more than the 6k Avios they used to cost, but I suppose still offer some value when the cash costs are high due to the £0 in taxes

[Alex G]

Olly wrote:

Alex G wrote:

I don’t know anything about ANA redemptions either, but domestic Avios redemptions on JAL booked through BA are no longer good value.

For example, Osaka to Tokyo is 10,500 Avios. A cash ticket from JAL using the Explorer Pass fare is £51 (payable in GBP, so you can use Amex to pay).

That’s a lot more than the 6k Avios they used to cost, but I suppose still offer some value when the cash costs are high due to the £0 in taxes

In my Osaka / Tokyo example, you are getting less than 0.5p value for your Avios. Probably the worst redemption you can make, unless you really need a flexible ticket.

[danstravel]

Just back from Japan where this is exactly what I did. BA 241 to Tokyo and NH Domestic Redemption from Tokyo to Osaka (Itami) booked using Virgin Points. Paid 15,000 Points + £7 for return Economy. Booking process was simple. Find your desired flights on United and then phone up Virgin saying you want to book a partner redemption – super easy.

What everyone said so far is right. In hindsight, I would probably suggest paying cash but I needed a way to use up my virgin points.

One major downside (as other poster had mentioned) is the domestic lounges that ANA operates out of both HND and ITM. Drinks only and no food options (only crackers) which I thought was strange and unexpected. I visited a PP lounge and it was exactly the same set-up, so I think this is just the way it is for Japan Domestic flights.

Having said that – there was IFE in Economy (they use the Big planes on this route); you get a free drink and the service (boarding etc) was super efficient (as you’d expect from Japan)

[travelmonkey]

Thanks for the replies!

As a taller person, a PE style seat is still an attraction, especially as a way of using Virgin points that cost me nothing and I otherwise have no plans for. (Maybe an internal flight on Delta in a few years time when we’re next in the USA?)

As such, value isn’t my primary goal. On HIJ-HND the 7000 points is a little worse that 1p given economy tickets are about £58 and we might just use cash. However premium is £240ish, so points might make more sense, but there’s no price given for that…

Either way, I have no intention of using Avios for this flight. They get saved for premium long haul travel.