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First Class : The Light Fantastic Finally, an airline that knows there’s no rule that you have to arrive stuffed. By: Jean TangMay/June 2007
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On most international carriers, first-class meal service comes with the expectations inherent at $15,000 a seat: the full monty of champagne, caviar, beef tenderloin, beurre blanc — and that bloated feeling that often goes Zantac-in-hand with eating a lot of rich, highly caloric food on little sleep at 40,000 feet. Leave it to Japan’s All Nippon Airways to find a better way. As part of its recent first-class revamp, the perennial Asian long-haul favorite introduced several amenities intended to lower the volume. Along with new private, cushy, 33-inch-wide sleeper seats, there’s now “knit cabinwear” (picture wearable, cashmere-soft blankets a thousand times more elegant than sweats), more hushed and attentive service and miraculous, spa-worthy cuisine. Courses are served kaiseki-style, Japan’s answer to dim sum. It starts with fresh, buttery sashimi. (There’s no sushi chef in the galley; it only seems like it.) Next comes an exquisite assortment of light and refreshing small plates, such as cherry-perfumed duck breast with grilled tilefish, lotus root and soy-cured squid; and translucent ice fish wrapped in tofu skin. For a main course, opt for local sea-bream stew or miso prawns with fresh bamboo shoots, accompanied by cabin-steamed rice and measured sips of top-shelf sake. With no hard-set mealtimes, your choices are made to order. And should you get hungry later? Just tap the attendant for a quick treat from the snack menu, featuring fish-flake ragu, yakitori free-range chicken skewers and udon noodles served al dente in duck broth — all naturally low in fat and sodium and devoid of butter, heavy sauces and even (save a finishing flourish of sesame) oil. Of course, for creatures of habit, there’s also a Western menu with the obligatory chilled beluga, braised Wagyu ribs and warm apple strudel. But don’t blame us if you’re cringing at your morning meeting.
The File
All Nippon Airways
Schedule from the U.S.:
Average Age of Planes in North American Fleet:
Cost: $16,210 For Reservations: 800-235-9262; fly-ana.com
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