ANA's 'The Room' Business Class on the 777-300ER: An Honest Review
ANA's flagship business class suite is roughly 38 inches wide with a sliding door, putting it closer to first class than most rivals' business product. Here's what's actually worth the fuss and what isn't.
ANA's flagship business class on the Boeing 777-300ER goes by an unsexy name: The Room. The product has flown the carrier's US-Japan flagship routes since 2019, and at roughly 38 inches wide with a full sliding door, it still bench-tests larger than most rivals' first class. I quoted ANA transpacific business fares from a consolidator desk for years, so I know the gap between sticker price and what flyers actually pay.
What The Room actually is
ANA refreshed the 777-300ER cabin in 2019 with a 1-2-1 reverse-staggered layout. Window seats face outward, center pairs angle toward each other, and every suite has a sliding door that closes the seat off from the aisle. The fare buckets you'll see on a ticket are J, C, D, Z, or P. Same physical seat regardless.
Two things make the product unusual:
- The seat is wider than industry standard. Most business class seats run 20 to 22 inches between the armrests. The Room is roughly 38 inches at the seat pan, closer to a domestic first class footprint than to a Polaris or Delta One shell.
- The bed is 78 inches long. A six-foot-three flyer can stretch out without diagonal contortions, which on a 12-hour overnight matters more than any other single spec.
ANA flies The Room on most US-Japan widebody rotations: HND or NRT to JFK, ORD, LAX, SEA, IAH, plus HND-SFO. The exception is older 777-300ERs that still wear the previous "Staggered" business cabin. The aircraft swaps occasionally, especially out of NRT, so check the seat map at booking and again 24 hours out.
How it stacks up against rivals
I've sat in most of the transpacific business products over the last few years. Here is how The Room compares on the things that actually matter for a 10-hour overnight, not the marketing brochure.
| Carrier | Product | Layout | Seat width | Bed length | Sliding door | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ANA | The Room (777-300ER) | 1-2-1 reverse staggered | ~38" | 78" | Yes | Widest in business; thin mattress pad |
| Japan Airlines | Sky Suite III (777-300ER) | 2-3-2 / 2-2-2 | ~25" | 74" | No | Older config; comfortable but tight |
| Delta | Delta One Suites (A350) | 1-2-1 reverse herringbone | ~22" | 80" | Yes | Better bedding; narrower seat |
| Cathay Pacific | Aria Suite (777-300ER refresh) | 1-2-1 reverse herringbone | ~22" | 78" | Yes | New shell, lighter catering |
| United | Polaris (777-300ER) | 1-2-1 staggered | ~23" | 78" | No | Solid hard product, no door |
The headline is the seat width. The Room is the only mainstream business class where a couple can actually sit side by side and share a meal at the ottoman without one person hovering. That's not a small thing on a date or a parent-and-teen trip.
The catering, which is the actual differentiator
Hard product specs converge across carriers. Catering doesn't, and ANA still treats food like part of the brand rather than a cost line.
The Japanese kaiseki menu is the move. It's a multi-course set built around seasonal ingredients, served on real ceramic, and served in pacing that respects sleep. The Western menu is fine but unremarkable. If you're traveling with someone, order one of each and split.
A few practical notes from the consolidator side:
- ANA refreshed the wine list in 2024 with a focus on Japanese sake and lower-volume French producers. Champagne service is Drappier in business, not the showy houses.
- Anytime dining is real. You can ask for the soba or the sandwich at any point in the flight, not just on the formal meal pass.
- The Hello Kitty plates show up on selected promotional flights only. Don't book the flight for the plates.
For the airline's own current menu rotation, see the official ANA inflight dining page, which is updated quarterly.
How to book The Room without paying $9,000
Paid business class fares from the US to Japan in The Room run roughly $5,800 to $9,200 round-trip in peak season, $4,200 to $5,400 in shoulder months. Real bookings happen well below the screenshot price if you know the channels.
The options, in rough order of value:
- Star Alliance award space. ANA releases two business class award seats per flight at schedule load and frequently a third closer in. Bookable through United MileagePlus, Air Canada Aeroplan, Avianca LifeMiles, or Singapore KrisFlyer. Aeroplan tends to price the cleanest at 75,000 to 87,500 miles one-way US-Japan, with no fuel surcharge on ANA metal.
- ANA Mileage Club round-trip. ANA's own program prices a round-trip US-Japan in business at 75,000 to 90,000 miles depending on season. Cheap, but you have to book round-trip and ANA charges the YQ.
- Consolidator paid fares. Travel agents with ANA contracts routinely beat the public site by $400 to $1,200 round-trip on business fares originating in the US. The booking class is real, the seat is real, the miles credit at 100 percent on most fare buckets. This is the lane I worked. Nothing magic about it, just contracted inventory.
- Mistake-fare alerting. ANA has thrown the occasional sub-$1,800 round-trip business fare from secondary US gateways. They honor more often than they don't, but don't book non-refundable hotels for 72 hours after ticketing.
When you're shopping a paid premium ticket, comparing across the premium cabin flights index helps you see whether ANA, JAL, or a Star partner is currently the cheapest into your dates. The carrier-by-carrier price spread on the same date is sometimes $1,800 wide.
What's actually wrong with The Room
The seat is wide, not perfect. A few honest gripes:
- The mattress pad is thin. Bring a hoodie or ask for a second blanket; the seat foam underneath gets noticeable on a long sleep.
- The IFE screen is mounted slightly low for the seat geometry. Watching a movie in the lounging position is fine, but in full upright with the tray out, the angle is off.
- Overhead bin access on window seats is not great. Center pairs win on storage.
- Ground experience at NRT in business is solid. At HND, the ANA business lounge gets crowded in peak windows. Try the Suite Lounge (status only) or eat at the lounge in Terminal 3 before the rush at 22:00.
None of this is dealbreaker territory. It's just not the literal best seat on earth, despite what the breathless reviews suggest. For a comparison that includes ANA, Cathay, JAL, and Singapore on the same tradeoffs, The Points Guy's transpacific business class roundup lines them up cleanly.
Routing tips most reviewers skip
If your final destination is in Asia beyond Japan, ANA can connect you onward through HND or NRT on the same ticket. The HND connection is faster (45 minutes minimum legal connection) but tight. NRT gives you a 90-minute buffer and a quieter terminal. For onward connections to Bangkok, Singapore, Manila, or Jakarta, the longer connection at NRT usually nets you a more reliable bag transfer.
For flyers building a Japan trip into a wider itinerary, the flights to Asia region page groups carrier options by US gateway, which is useful when you don't care whether you fly ANA, JAL, or a Star partner and just want the cheapest cabin product on your dates. Same for one-way construction: a one-way US-Japan ticket plus a separate return on a different carrier sometimes beats the round-trip when award space is uneven.
Should you book it?
Yes, if you want the widest hard product flying transpacific and you value Japanese catering. No, if you're choosing strictly on bedding and lie-flat angle. Yes, if you can find it on Star Alliance miles. No, if the only paid fare available is sticker price and you'd be just as happy in Polaris or Delta One for $1,500 less. The Room earns the hype on width and meals, not on sleep quality.
If you want a quote that beats the public site on a paid ANA business ticket, request a callback and we'll call you back within 30 minutes.
Frequently asked questions
Does The Room fly on every ANA US route?
Not quite. Most US-Japan widebody rotations now use the refreshed 777-300ER, but a handful of older 777s with the previous staggered business cabin still appear, and 787-9s on some routes have a different (narrower) business product. Check the seat map at booking and 24 hours out.
Can I book The Room one-way with US miles?
Yes. United MileagePlus prices US-Japan business one-way at 88,000 to 110,000 miles depending on dynamic pricing; Aeroplan at 75,000 to 87,500. Both pull from the same Star Alliance bucket, but Aeroplan typically waives ANA's fuel surcharge while United does not.
Is The Room better than Cathay Pacific's Aria Suite?
Depends on what you weigh. The Room is wider and the catering is stronger. Aria Suite has a slightly newer overall cabin feel and a marginally better bed. On the same fare, I take The Room for a daytime flight and Aria for a redeye, every time.
Does ANA charge fuel surcharges on award tickets?
ANA itself does on Mileage Club redemptions. Booked through Aeroplan or Singapore KrisFlyer, no fuel surcharge applies on ANA metal, which can save you $300 to $600 round-trip versus booking through ANA Mileage Club directly.
What's the catch with consolidator fares on ANA?
Usually none on the seat itself. The trade is changeability and refund rules: consolidator fares are typically nonrefundable and changes carry a higher fee than ANA's published flexible fare. If you need flexibility, pay the published price. If your dates are firm, save the money.