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ANA uses A380 to tackle last frontier in competition with JAL
April 26th 2019
A380s dedicated for Honolulu market see ANA introduce new products JAL does not offer. Read More »
The rise of All Nippon Airways (ANA) is a phenomenon that still is striking to many. ANA has changed from underdog to market leader, surpassing Japan Airlines (JAL) in domestic Japan, Europe and the trans-Pacific. ANA on 23 April showcased the A380 it will put in service next month to take on JAL in the last frontier: Hawaii.
It may seem surprising for the US island state to receive such attention. Although it may not be heard about often, it is sizeable: Tokyo-Honolulu is the second largest long-haul O&D pair for the US after New York-London. Competition is formidable with JAL and its proposed JV partner, Hawaiian Airlines, holding 56% of seat capacity in April 2018 compared to ANA-United’s 19%.
Outside of airline figures, JAL’s influence in the Hawaii runs deep; it is the largest sponsor of the popular Honolulu marathon. ANA’s challenge as it more than doubles its Hawaii capacity is to break consumer association between JAL and Hawaii.
ANA’s marketing campaign prominently shows in large letters “ANA HAWAII” in blue, ANA’s corporate colour in contrast to JAL’s red. The colour differentiation may seem trivial but is important since Japan has often delineated aviation between ANA blue and JAL red. Tokyo Haneda’s domestic terminal has a blue arrow for ANA check-in and a red one for JAL.
ANA has outfitted the A380 to feature a Hawaiian theme as well as have product innovation for the Japan-Hawaii market. This is to stand out from and exceed JAL. “We want to change the game from typical resort travel,” ANA Cabin Products and LOPA Manager Katsunori Maki told Orient Aviation at Tokyo Narita this week.
Themes of course are popular in Japan, with trains sometimes having a special decoration inside and out. ANA’s “Flying Honu” turtle livery is prominently bold on the outside of the A380. Inside the Hawaiian touches are more subtle in the hard products, such as bulkhead walls showing Hawaiian images like beaches and the sky. Colourful ones are in economy while premium cabins see more toned-down, sophisticated images.
The route is almost entirely outbound Japanese leisure traffic. ANA has licensed Air New Zealand’s Skycouch in which an extra piece of an economy seat flips up to create a flat surface across three or four seats. ANA will only have this on the A380 for the Hawaiian route and brands the product “Couchii”.
“Some people aren’t happy with only economy,” Maki explained of why ANA offered Couchii. ANA has more than doubled premium economy seats on the A380.
Near the Couchii zone is a multi-purpose room like a lavatory but instead of a toilet is a bench for a mother to nurse or for a passenger to use while changing clothes.
ANA to Hawaii has used 787s without first class, but has selected first class for the A380. This will give Tokyo-Honolulu its first year-round first class offering. ANA’s business class on the 777 and 787 has staggered seats in the middle of the cabin to maximise privacy, but on the A380 will have centre seats so couples travelling together can be closer. Occupants of the centre seats can alternatively raise a large divider for privacy. In comparison, JAL’s business class does not allow such proximity to a travelling companion.
Soft products are also Hawaiian-themed, and ANA is seeking to be part of the Hawaii journey outside of the flight component. For example, passengers will receive a coupon for a free drink at Bills, a popular Honolulu restaurant, while some frequent flyer members have complimentary access to a tourist bus in Honolulu.
ANA commences A380 service to Honolulu next month and from July will have two A380s in service providing 10 weekly A380 flights. There will be supplementary 787 flights. A Tokyo-Honolulu rotation can be completed in well under 24 hours, meaning the A380 fleet will be under-utilised even when considering some schedule buffering.
ANA’s third and final A380 arrives in 2020. ANA has yet to determine the schedule or airport logistics since ANA’s three daily Honolulu flights are split between two at Narita and one at Haneda. Japan does not yet allow A380 movements at Haneda.
The sharp rise in capacity from using the 520-seat A380 has seen ANA be flexible with frequent flyer redemptions. Initially, any economy seat for revenue sale can be redeemed with miles. This earns good will, as passengers can easily use their miles, and reduces ANA’s mileage liability as accounting rules change.
