TokyoTomo Travel Guide

All Nippon Airways (ANA) will start launching its new products and services under the new brand concept “Inspiration of Japan,” starting from February 2010. With the mottos “Innovative,” “Unique” and “Modern Japan,” the airline endeavors to renew its products and services such as new passenger seats, in-flight services including meals, check-in facilities and airport lounges. Starting from February 20, 2010 on the Narita/New York route, ANA will introduce the new products and services on its long-haul routes, North America and Europe, operated by new model aircraft of Boeing B777-300ER. Investing 15 billion to 17 billion yen on the refurbishing of six new aircraft and another six existing aircraft, the airline aims to increase the turnover by 5 billion yen each year. Shinichiro Ito, ANA’s president and CEO, said that the airline considers the product strategy as one of the pillars of its growth strategy for the imminent drastic changes in the airline industry. He added that ANA is going to provide its well-established value-added services in the world airline market, indicating the company’s strong eagerness to improve the competitiveness.

ANA will refurbish passenger seats in all four classes, First, Business, Premier Economy and Economy, to enhance the respective passenger comfort. The airline will also start new in-flight meal services, for instance, in Business class, which can be ordered at any time during the flight according to a passenger’s choice of menu. The menu under the supervision of Harumi Kurihara, a popular chef and also with the cooperation of popular restaurants will be provided and, from April 2010, passengers can even order in-fight meals and drinks from a touch-screen on their personal TV monitor during the flight. On-board sleeping amenities including a pillow will feature Aqua Titan material exclusively developed by Pheiten Co., Ltd.

In addition, ANA will start content service in its official website, providing information on how to make the most of the time at an airport and during a flight. In February 2010, its First Class lounge at Narita International Airport will be refurbished and by autumn in the same year the airline is scheduled to inaugurate the check-in space dedicated exclusively to its First class customers and the ANA Diamond Service members.

The introduction of these new products and services, other than on the Narita/New York route, is slated for the Narita/Frankfurt and Narita/London routes during the fiscal year 2010. A total of six to seven routes will also see the introduction of the new products and services during FY2011. The same new brand concept will basically be introduced also on the middle- and short-haul routes, but the cabin facilities including a passenger seat will be subject to further considerations based on market needs on the routes.

Meanwhile, ANA decided to use Masahiro Motoki, an actor, for advertizing its new brand concept to be launched in newspapers and magazines early in the new year.

Source: Travel Vision

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