Welcome to my trip report on ANA's domestic flight!
This is ANA's Boeing 787-8, the aircraft that I was suppose to fly on.
The aircraft was changed to the Boeing 787-10 (Below) and I received the notification a day before the departure.
Do note: The GE powered 787-10 aircraft only operates on domestic routes (JA981A to JA986A) and more aircraft to be delivered.
The Roll Royce powered 787-10 aircraft operates on regional routes (JA900A to JA902A), only 3 units in operation.
(September 2025 update)
When I did the planning of this trip, I know I had to do a domestic flight. I could have taken the Shinkasen (bullet train) to Kyoto and onwards to Osaka by train and then catch the domestic flight to Tokyo airport. However, I would like to depart from Tokyo Haneda Airport so instead I decided to fly out of Tokyo Haneda towards Osaka instead and ANA was my first choice. For the flight, I would have love to fly on the airline's Boeing 777-200 or -300 but the -300 was not available on this route and the -200 was departing at a less favourable timing so I had to settle for the 1300 hrs flight which was operated by the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner. I have previously flown with the airline's Boeing 787-8 but with the international configuration so it will be interesting to try out the domestic version.
Once I settled on which airline to fly on, I booked the tickets about a couple of months before the date of departure. I was fortunate to be able to purchase the special discounted fare. So I recommend you to book them in advance. To get from Tokyo to Osaka, you can choose to either take the Shinkasen or domestic flight. You can't go wrong with either option. For me, I booked this flight is to experience how is it like to fly into Osaka Itami Airport as I haven't done so at this point.
About flight NH25's flight history, the Boeing 787-8 was only operating for a period of time (5-6 weeks) during the peak period in Japan. Currently the Boeing 737-800 operates on this flight and on some occasion, other aircraft types such as the Boeing 787 and Boeing 777 may turn up at the gate.
Anyway without further ado, let's begin this trip report!
Route: HND-ITM
My seat: 20A (Photo: Aerolopa.com)
Universal socket is available (no photo) below the armrest area.
My flight summary
Welcome to Osaka Itami Airport!
Personally if I am there for vacation and have a bit of time, my first choice be air travel and my preference is to depart in the morning, depends on how long the route is and where I am heading to. Certain locations may not have airport, for example, Kyoto so to get there, you have to take the Shinkansen. Otherwise if I travel to other cities especially on train rides more than 4 hours, flying would be a better option. Anyway for Tokyo to Osaka, I am glad I to have done this flight as I always wanted to fly into Osaka Itami Airport. However if I am travelling in a group and have a good number of luggages to take care of, I may opted for the Shinkansen . For train rides below 3 hours, maybe taking the shinkansen may be a better idea especially if the train goes directly to the centre of the city like for this example, Shin-Osaka Station in the heart of Osaka. From there, it would be closer to get to your accommodation especially if you are staying not too far from this station. There are definitely pros and cons about travelling either by flight or train. More on this in my Shinkansen train report, coming up next.
My Booking Experience
I used the airline's mobile app to do the booking and was able to navigate the pages without any problem.
Since I booked this about a few months before the departure, I was able to take advantge of the discounted airfares. For Japanese domestic flights, the earlier you book, the cheaper the airfare is. Each fare tier consists of a limited number of tickets (ranging from the cheapest to the most expensive) so once these tickets are snapped up, the airfare increases. (For Example: Discount for 70 days, Discount for 35 days, Discount for 20 days) so on and so forth until to the day of departure. The airfares increases after each tier is sold out.
I did the normal check-in about 24 hours before the departure time. At this time, there was no change in the aircraft type.
Later that evening, I received an email from ANA about a seat change.
This is the original itinerary.
From seat 17A, B and C, we were moved to seat 20A, B and C. Fortunately, we were not split apart and more important it was not a windowless seat (Thanks to Aerolopa.com for the quick check).
I was excited to find out I would be flying on the high density configured Boeing 787-10.
The airline provides important information about your flight on the mobile app.
Overall I find the app to be user-friendly and the most important thing is providing us with the necessary information so that we don't have to search high and low for them. I give the mobile app a rating of 4 out of 5.
Thanks to Flighty, I know which aircraft was taking me to Osaka Itami Airport.
Random photos in Tokyo
This is the famous Shibuya crossing.
Are you a fan of Harry Potter?
Tokyo is definitely a shopping paradise.
This is Shinjuku area.
There are many train lines connected to Shinjuku station.
Shinjuku area
On the day of departure
This is Edogawa City
We took the train from Koiwa Station and travelled to Asakusabashi Station and from there we had to change line by walking 5 minutes to the Asakusa line where we take the train all the way to Tokyo Haneda Airport Terminal 1.2 station. If you are new in Japan, you will get confused on how to get around by train but once you get used to it, it should be ok. I recommend using the goggle map for direction as it has been 100% accurate for me so far.
This is Terminal 2 of Tokyo Haneda Airport.
The departure hall (land side) was filled with travellers looking to get to their destinations during the peak period in Japan (August 2025).
I made my way to the self check-in counter to pick up our boarding passes.
After that, I went to check in our luggages at the self check-in kiosk. (shown below).
It took me a short while to figure how it works. English version is available.
This machine has everything needed to process the check in.
There is the boarding pass!
Once I add the airport tag onto the luggage, I checked in the luggage successfully. A big thank you to the passengers behind me for waiting patiently.
There is even a notification to inform us of the change of aircraft type. (Shown below)
This is our flight NH25, I am glad I booked this flight.
We were given some important information while printing of our boarding passes was in progress.
One last look at the departure hall.
After spending about 15 minutes at the security check, we were at the airside.
While my mum and aunt went to grab some bite, I walked to the other side of the air side to do some plane spotting.
This was the gate of my flight.
I was given this packet of sushi to enjoy before the flight. Thanks Aunt!
Here it is, my ride - JA983A!
This would be my first ANA's GE powered Boeing 787 ride.
This Boeing 787-10 is deployed exclusively on the domestic routes.
The location of my ride, thanks to Flightradar24.
Group 3 was my assigned group while my aunt and mum were placed in group 4 and 5 despite being in the same booking, that's strange. Whatever it is, we board the aircraft together in group 3, the staff had no issues with it.
Off we go!
Welcome on board JA983A!
My ride: JA983A (Photo: Tokyo Spotter)
Boeing 787-10 Dreamliner
Configuration: C28 Y401
Engines: 2 X GEnx-1B67
Delivered in March 2024
First Flight: February 2024
Age: 1+ Years old (September 2025)
Built in Charleston (CHS)
Miles: 251
Average Flight Time: 45 minutes
My seat: 20A (Photo: Aerolopa.com)
Date of departure: 10th August 2025
Airlines: All Nippon Airways
Flight: NH25
Aircraft: Boeing 787-10 Dreamliner
Registration: JA983A
Seat: 17A Changed to 20A
Departure Terminal: 2
Gate: 65
Load: 100% in Y Class
Flight Time: 44 minutes
Actual Flight Time: 54 minutes
Schedule Departure: 1300
Boarding: 1243
Pushed Back: 1310
Take Off: 1342
Schedule Arrival: 1405
Actual Arrival: 1436
Departure Runway: 16R
Departure Weather: Rainy
Arrival Runway: 32L
Arrival Weather: Cloudy
My Experience on board ANA's Boeing 787-10 (78K) Domestic configuration aircraft
Boarding was according to group and it was done in a fast and efficient manner. The passengers on this flight were mostly local and everyone were already queuing up according to groups. As this was a 400 over seater aircraft, the ground crew knew exactly what to do to ensure a quick boarding.
Once on board, I was greeted by the lovely crew and made my way to my assigned seat. The first cabin was Premium class and it was economy class for the rest of the cabin. For the economy class, it is arranged in a standard 3-3-3 configuration. The seats look similar to the international configured Boeing 787-10 and even though this aircraft only operates on domestic routes, the Inflight entertainment individual screens were installed on this aircraft, making it one of the best domestic configured aircraft in the world.
I was amazed with the quality of the screen as we sat down and got ready for the flight. The seat legroom was not bad at all and as you know 3-3-3 configuration on the 787 can be a bit tight, personally to me, it is still tolerable. Announcement was made in both Japanese and English but for the announcement from the Captain, he only announced in Japanese so for us we had no idea what was going on. From my guess, he probably updated us on our late departure due to bad weather along the way. The weather forecast on that day was raining and it was overcast weather on the route to Osaka and I was expecting some turbulence along the way.
We took off in rainy condition but there was hardly any turbulence. After reaching 10,000 feet, the cabin crew were released from their seats and quickly came around to serve us beverages. Not only does this aircraft has Inflight Entertainment, complimentary WiFi was also available and I was able to track my flight throughout the journey and also surf the web. Our flight time took about 10 minutes later than the average flight time of 45 minutes but I am not complaining a bit because the flight turned out to be enjoyable with my mind fixed on the internet and also experience the Japanese hospitality on board this flight. In addition, the flight ended up to be quite a smooth one and I did a check on flightradar24, we deviated a bit. Kudos to the flight crew for avoiding the Cumulonimbus cloud which can give a good amount of turbulence when flying through it.
Although we landed late, we made up a bit of time later by taking the shorter route to our accommodation. As for the aircraft, it flew back to Tokyo Haneda on flight NH30. Because of the late arrival, the aircraft took off about 1 hour and 20 minutes behind schedule for the 1 hour and 5 minutes back.
For those wondering which is more convenient? Travelling from Tokyo to Osaka by flight or by the bullet train, it all depends. In the city area, you can travel to one of the Shinkansen stations, Tokyo Station (for example), you can take the train from there which the journey will take around 2 and a half hours to Shin-Osaka Station (Osaka). This station is closer to the city area compared to flying into Osaka Itami or Kansai Airport. If you travel by flight, you have to go through security and all that and sometimes it might take around the same time to get to your destination and for air travel, it depends also on the traffic and weather. If the weather is bad, flight might get delayed. However if you are flying in to the airport from other countries, it would be more convenient to connect to a domestic flight from the airport rather than traveling down to the nearest station and connect to the Shinkansen train to Osaka or other cities. On the other hand, if you are going to Kyoto, Shinkansen would be a better option as the nearest airport is in the city of Osaka.
In my next trip report, I will share with you my Shinkansen experience and I give you a comparison between flying and taking the bullet train.
Premium Class
There are 28 Safran Z600 arranged in a 2-2-2 configuration.
- 50 inches of legroom space
- 22 inches of seat width
- 15.6 inches HD Touchscreen
- Universal and USB-A Sockets are available
Photo: Traicy
You can check out more information of this airline's Boeing 787-10 (78K) Domestic configured cabin over here.
The seat map of the cabin
The crew's workspace
The Economy Class cabin
There are 401 Toyota Boshoku slimline seats configurated in a 3-3-3 arrangement.
- 31 inches of legrom space
- 17.1 inches of seat width
- 13.1 inches of HD Touchscreen except for front row (10.1 inch retractable touchscreen screen)
- Universal AC and USB-A sockets are available
These seats do not have headrest but they are comfortable enough for short haul flights.
The view from my seat
These seats comes with different pattern (below).
It definitely have a Japanese feel with these seats.
Seat pitch is 31 inches.
You certainly won't get bored on board this aircraft.
You can easily tell what aircraft is this by the windows. I can't imagine the Boeing 787 cabin with the old conventional window shades.
The rear view of the cabin.
The front view of the cabin.
The flight was full and there were a good number of kids on board.
One last look at the cabin.
Photo: Traicy (Below)
Seat map of the 429-seater economy class (Photo: Aerolopa.com)
More photos of the economy class seat
This is my seat 20A.
I find it to be quite comfortable.
A closer look at the seat fabric pattern of the seats.
The IFE Screen quality is certainly top notch.
Legroom space is adequate for me.
The standard foldable tray table.
Inflight Entertainment
IFE Screen when it is turned off.
The person sitting beside me is my mum, just in case anyone is wondering.
There is also option for kids.
There are about 100 titles in the video library and that includes the movie section.
There are some movies which I haven't caught yet but for a 45 minutes flight, I won't have enough time to watch the whole flim.
The safety video
Psyduck in action (Pokemon)
This pokemon theme safety video is pretty cool!
The inflight map
One of the most controversial movies, due to the leading actress. (I have nothing against her) so I decided to see what the fuss is all about. As I had not enough time to complete the movie, I skipped forward the movie a few times.
This IFE system has the picture in picture function.
Do note that exterior cameras are not available on this entertainment system.
Inflight Wifi
Click on the ANA-WIFI-Service.
You will be connected to this home page and click on the complimentary wifi and the internet world is yours to use.
The WiFi connectivity is powered by Panasonic Avionics.
Online shopping of the airline's store is available.
The inflight map
You can also watch the IFE programmes on your mobile devices.
The recent released hollywood movies are available.
Japanese movies selection
Once you click on the connect button with the agreement to the terms of services, you are online.
My Flighty app notification came through.
I was able to keep track of my flight on my favourite app, Flightradar24.
Always a pleasure to track my flight and the route it takes.
Sometimes the pilots have to alter the route plan to avoid bad weather along the way. The pilots will work together with the Airport Traffic Controller to find the best solution to ensure the passengers on board will not suffer from the bad turbulence when possible.
On final approach into Osaka Itami Airport.
All credits go to the pilots for making this flight a comfortable one even though our flight time was increased by 10 minutes.
What's provided for each passenger?
Safety Card
Disposal Bag
A pair of earphones
I had a cup of apple juice as my choice of beverage.
ANA in my opinion is one of the best airlines in the world.
Window view photo (Take off and Landing)
Pushing back in this dreadful weather.
Passing by a few ANA aircraft.
ANA's Airbus A321neo. The airline operates a mixed fleet of Airbus A320 and Boeing 737.
Nice to see you again Air Do's Pokemon aircraft!
The wing view of the Air Do's Boeing 767.
Solaseed Air, another airline I flew on recently.
The taxi ride to the active runway took about 10 minutes.
Skymark is also another familiar airline to me.
Off we go!
We were rolling down the runway.
We lifted off in this dreadful weather.
Despite the weather, our take off was smooth.
We made a turn to our assigned heading.
The weather improved while we climbed to our assigned flight level.
Despite the cloudy condition, our ride was smooth.
At this point, we started our descent.
Almost there.
We were on final approach into Osaka Itami Airport.
We touched down smoothly and the reverse thrust was deployed to slow down the aircraft.
Welcome to Osaka Itami Airport!
This is one of the flights I didn't mind staying longer on board.
ANA's A321 pushing back.
We parked besides ANA's Boeing 737-800.
This has to be one of the fastest 50 minutes flight in my years of flying.
My flight summary
Advantages by Flight
- Shorter travelling time
- A lot of flights to choose from (Low Cost and Full Service Airlines)
- Earning miles with the frequent flyer program (Star Alliance with ANA and Oneworld with JAL)
- If you arrive at one of the international airports, connecting to a domestic flight would be cheaper and faster getting to your destination (with airports).
- Travelling to destinations as far as from Tokyo to Sapporo, flight would be faster.
- Airfare can be cheaper especially in non peak season
I will list down the advantages of travelling by Shinkansen in my next trip report.
Welcome to Osaka Itami Airport!
Thanks for the ride, JA983A!
Walking through the aerobridge.
The walk towards the main concourse took about 10 minutes.
This is the departure hall, gate area.
We have to walk a fair bit before reaching the luggage claim area.
So do note that even after arrival at the airport, you have to do a bit of walking too and this takes time.
Checking where to collect our luggage, it would be Carousel number 4.
This is the arrival hall (landside).
Plenty of shops to check out.
For us we have to make our way out to the monorail station.
With that, my short visit at Osaka Itami Airport has come to an end. You can check out more photos of this airport in 2012 over here.
From the terminal, there is signboard leading you to the station.
This is Osaka Itami Airport train station.
The view outside the terminal
The entrance to the train station.
The map of the airport line.
Welcome to Osaka! We headed to our accommodation near Namba station and I would be doing a hotel review on this, stay tuned for it.
That's all folks!
For my previous trip report (Air Japan Boeing 787-8 SIN-NRT), click here
For ANA's international configured Boeing 787-10 trip report (SIN-NRT), click here
My rating
Airline Website/Mobile App: 4/5
Airport Experience (HND Terminal 2): 4/5
Inflight Service: 5/5
Seat Comfort: 5/5
Inflight Entertainment: 5/5
Cabin Ambiance: 5/5
Seat Condition: 5/5
Cleanliness: 5/5
InFlight Meal/Beverage: 5/5
Punctuality: 3/5 (Late due to bad weather)
Overall Rating: 46/50
Percentage: 92%
Conclusion
Personally if I am there for vacation and have a bit of time, my first choice be air travel and my preference is to depart in the morning, depends on how long the route is and where I am heading to. Certain locations may not have airport, for example, Kyoto so to get there, you have to take the Shinkansen. Otherwise if I travel to other cities especially on train rides more than 4 hours, flying would be a better option. Anyway for Tokyo to Osaka, I am glad I to have done this flight as I always wanted to fly into Osaka Itami Airport. However if I am travelling in a group and have a good number of luggages to take care of, I may opted for the Shinkansen . For train rides below 3 hours, maybe taking the shinkansen may be a better idea especially if the train goes directly to the centre of the city like for this example, Shin-Osaka Station in the heart of Osaka. From there, it would be closer to get to your accommodation especially if you are staying not too far from this station. There are definitely pros and cons about travelling either by flight or train. More on this in my Shinkansen train report, coming up next.
Anyway about this flight, it was another excellent ANA experience on my first domestic flight with the airline. The surprise last minute aircraft change to the Boeing 787-10 certainly made my day and not only I can add this to my flight logbook, I can also share with you my experience on this GE-powered 787-10.
Even on such a short journey, my experience on this aircraft was certainly top notch. The comfortable seat comes with IFE Screen and complimentary WiFi, not to mention a free beverage on this 45 minutes flight, you can't get any better. Japan Airlines A350-900 also offers very good domestic flight experience and with these 2 airlines and their subsidiaries giving each other strong competition, you can expect top notch service.
Osaka Itami Airport is the secondary airport in Osaka and the flights at this airport only fly on domestic routes. It is connected to the monorail station and along with other mode of transport, you can easily get to anywhere. So for me, we had to change to another line to get to our accommodation which the trip took us about slightly less than hour to do so. Would I recommend this airport? Yes if you are flying on domestic route. For international flights into Osaka, you have to fly into Osaka Kansai Airport.
Hope you enjoyed this trip report!
Have a good one!
Charles
Next blog post: My First Shinkansen (Bullet Train) Experience (Kyoto to Tokyo)
For my Japan Airlines Domestic Flight Experience (A350-900) trip report, click here
(If you are happy with my work, feel free to contribute by donating any amount over here. Greatly appreciated!)
No comments:
Post a Comment