The ANA Boeing 787-9 offers a premium long-haul experience with a sophisticated staggered Business Class layout and spacious Economy seating. This guide reveals the best and worst seats across all cabins, helping you maximize comfort on your next ANA flight.
ANA's 787-9 features a staggered 40-seat Business Class with 74.5-inch bed length, Premium Economy, and standard 3-3-3 Economy. Choose odd-row window seats (1A, 3A, 5A, etc.) in Business for solo travelers or even-row center seats for couples. Avoid Row 1 for light sensitivity and the final Economy row for lavatory proximity.
ANA's Business Class on the 787-9 seats 40 passengers in a staggered layout, eliminating the middle seat and maximizing privacy. Each seat converts into a 74.5-inch lie-flat bed with 19.5-inch width, ideal for long-haul comfort. The staggered configuration means window seats are recessed, offering enhanced privacy without physical doors. Odd rows position window seats further back, creating an advantage for solo travelers seeking unobstructed views. Even rows feature center-aligned seats ideal for couples or those preferring aisle access.
Premium Economy provides a comfortable mid-cabin experience with enhanced legroom and amenities. Row 16 is considered the optimal Premium Economy selection, balancing cabin position with service convenience.
Economy follows a standard 3-3-3 configuration with efficient seating. Exit row 28 offers exceptional extra legroom for those willing to trade window views. Standard Economy seats provide adequate comfort for regional and continental flights, though specifications for pitch and width vary by route configuration.
Seat | Cabin | Why |
|---|---|---|
1A, 3A, 5A, 7A, 9A, 11A | Business | Odd-row window seats offer privacy, window access, and recessed positioning ideal for solo travelers |
Even-row center seats (2C, 4C, 6C, 8C, 10C) | Business | Perfect for couples seeking togetherness with direct aisle access |
Row 16 | Premium Economy | Optimal balance of cabin position, service access, and amenity convenience |
Row 28 (exit row) | Economy | Exceptional legroom for taller passengers; trade-off is lack of window seats in most configurations |
Seat | Cabin | Why |
|---|---|---|
Row 1 | Business | Exposed galley operations, door noise, and early morning light create disturbances for light-sensitive sleepers |
Even-row window seats | Business | Forward-positioned windows compromise the full window experience compared to odd-row alternatives |
Row 15 | Premium Economy | Located directly in front of bassinet bulkheads; increased infant crying and family activity |
Last row (rear-most) | Economy | Proximity to lavatories creates odor and noise; limited recline; galley congestion affects rest |
ANA operates a single standardized 787-9 Business Class product across all international routes, with no regional variants or seat generation splits - what you book is what you get. The aircraft are relatively new and consistently configured with the staggered 1-2-1 layout and modern IFE systems, so there's no version roulette to play. You can verify your specific airframe via SeatGuru or your booking confirmation, but switching flights for a "better" 787-9 is unnecessary; the experience is uniform across ANA's widebody fleet. Focus your routing strategy on connections and timing rather than aircraft variant hunting.
Against Japan Airlines' 787-9 Business Class on the same Japan-US routes, ANA edges ahead for solo travelers thanks to superior privacy in the staggered window seats and quieter cabin positioning away from galley traffic. For couples, JAL's direct-aisle access on both sides offers marginally better symmetry, but ANA's privacy win neutralizes that advantage. For tall passengers (6'3"+), both are functionally identical at 74.5 inches flat, though ANA's slightly wider pitch means fewer awkward knee bends during the recline. The honest call: ANA wins for sleep quality; JAL wins for social convenience - pick ANA if you're flying to reset your circadian rhythm, pick JAL if you're doing business in Tokyo and need seamless aisle access for late-night calls.
ANA's Tokyo Narita First Class Lounge (Terminal 1) and Haneda ANA Lounge offer shower spas, à la carte restaurants, and premium spa treatments - accessible to all Business Class passengers regardless of fare tier. Haneda's facility is newer and less congested, with a dedicated shower suite and professional massage services that genuinely merit 90 minutes of layover buffer time. If routing via Haneda adds minimal connection time and similar fares, the lounge experience alone justifies the hub choice; Narita is older and more crowded despite its prestige. For US-Japan routes, expect a Haneda connection to feel more restorative than rushing through a US carrier's lounge.
Book window seats in odd rows (1A, 3A, 5A, 7A, 9A) for maximum privacy and the recessed positioning that lets you sleep without the aisle-side disturbance of galley carts and crew movement. Skip the multi-course dinner service on evening departures; request a light snack instead and sleep immediately after pushback - the timing of 11+ hours eastbound means your sleep schedule matters more than meal timing. Bring a quality neck pillow (the amenity kit's is thin) and compression socks; the 74.5-inch bed is genuinely flat, so your main challenge is core support and circulation, not length. Arrive 2 hours before your connection gate closes, shower in the hub lounge immediately upon landing, and eat breakfast in the lounge rather than the gate area - this resets your digestion better than in-flight meal timing and gives you a mental reset before your onward flight.
No, the 787-9 Business Class uses a staggered layout without privacy doors. However, the offset positioning still provides substantial privacy for solo travelers in window seats.
Odd rows position window seats further back in the staggered pattern, ideal for solo travelers seeking window views. Even rows feature center seats aligned forward, better for couples or aisle preference.
Premium Economy offers meaningful legroom and service improvements over Economy, making it worthwhile for flights over 6 hours, especially if Row 16 is available.
Exit row seats provide 4-6 additional inches of legroom, significantly improving comfort for tall passengers on long flights, though you forfeit window seats.
While exact specifications vary by configuration, the 787-9 Economy typically offers standard international pitches. Check your specific booking for confirmed measurements.
