ANA from the Philippines 2026: All Nippon Airways MNL to NRT/HND, Star Alliance, JR Pass

ANA All Nippon Airways from the Philippines: MNL to Tokyo, Star Alliance, and the JR Pass tie-in

For the Filipino leisure traveller chasing cherry blossom and Tokyo Disneyland, the business commuter on the Manila-Tokyo executive corridor, the increasing flow of Filipino students at Japanese universities under MEXT scholarships, and the growing OFW Japan community working in Aichi automotive plants and Osaka manufacturing, All Nippon Airways (ANA) is one of the most-flown carriers connecting the Philippines to Japan. ANA is Japan’s largest airline by revenue and a founding member of Star Alliance, with daily MNL service into both Narita (NRT) and Haneda (HND) and onward connectivity to North America, Europe, and across Asia. This guide is for Filipino flyers planning sakura week, Universal Studios Japan family trips, business-class commuter routes, and the long-haul Manila-to-North-America itinerary via Tokyo.

Quick summary: ANA (IATA: NH, ICAO: ANA) operates daily MNL-NRT and MNL-HND. Star Alliance member. ANA Mileage Club loyalty programme. Fleet on Philippine routes: Boeing 787-9, Boeing 787-8, Boeing 777-300ER. A380 reserved for Tokyo-Honolulu only (Flying Honu sea-turtle livery). Cherry blossom peak surge first two weeks of April. JR Pass exchange-order sales bundled with Manila ticket office. Operates one of the world’s largest 787 fleets.

Want to estimate Manila-Tokyo delay compensation? Try our flight compensation calculator using Japan MLIT framework, or jump to live ANA fares on MNL-NRT and MNL-HND.

In this guide

• ANA at a glance for Filipino flyers
• Routes from the Philippines
• Fleet on Philippine sectors
• Narita versus Haneda from Manila
• ANA Mileage Club loyalty programme
• Cherry blossom seasonal surge
• JR Pass tie-in for Manila ticket holders
• Onward Star Alliance connections via Tokyo
• Filipino-flyer buying tips
• FAQ

ANA at a glance for Filipino flyers {#overview}

All Nippon Airways was founded in 1952 as Japan Helicopter and Aeroplane Transports, growing through deregulation to become Japan’s largest carrier by revenue (overtaking Japan Airlines after JAL’s 2010 restructuring). ANA joined the Star Alliance in 1999, alongside founder members United, Lufthansa, Air Canada, Thai, and Scandinavian.

For Filipino flyers, the relevant facts: ANA has held daily Manila service for decades, with Narita as the long-standing hub and Haneda added when Japan opened HND to more international slots after the 2010 fourth runway opened. The dual-hub model — MNL-NRT in the morning, MNL-HND in the afternoon — gives Manila flyers flexibility between Narita’s broader long-haul connectivity and Haneda’s central-Tokyo convenience.

ANA’s brand identity rests on Japanese hospitality (omotenashi), high on-time performance (consistently in the global top 10), cabin cleanliness, and the famous Boeing 787 Dreamliner humidified cabin which reduces jet-lag complaints on the four-hour Manila-Tokyo sector. The airline operates one of the world’s largest 787 fleets, with both 787-8 and 787-9 variants in service.

Routes from the Philippines {#routes}

MNL-NRT typically departs Manila late morning, arriving Narita mid-afternoon — useful for evening connections to Tokyo Station via Narita Express, or onward Star Alliance trans-Pacific banks (United, Air Canada) departing NRT late afternoon and evening. Return MNL departure is typically late evening from Narita, arriving Manila past midnight.

MNL-HND typically departs Manila evening, arriving Haneda before midnight or just after — this hits the “red-eye” pattern preferred by business travellers. Return is typically morning or early afternoon Haneda departure. The Haneda night-arrival means you check into your central Tokyo hotel after midnight; some Filipino travellers prefer the Narita daytime arrival to start sightseeing the same afternoon.

Fleet on Philippine sectors {#fleet}

ANA’s overall fleet exceeds 220 aircraft. On Philippine routes you will see:

• Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner — the workhorse on MNL-NRT. Three-class layout (Business Staggered, Premium Economy, Economy). The Dreamliner’s humidified cabin and lower cabin altitude reduce arrival fatigue. Business class uses the staggered-aisle “Business Staggered” seat with direct aisle access.
• Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner — slightly smaller variant, frequent on MNL-HND. Two-class (Business + Economy) configuration.
• Boeing 777-300ER — used on MNL-HND when demand is high (holiday seasons, sakura week). Two-class layout with the “ANA THE Room” enclosed business-class suite available on some 777s.

The Airbus A380 “Flying Honu” — ANA’s three superjumbos painted in distinctive sea-turtle livery (blue, green, orange) — operates exclusively the Tokyo Narita to Honolulu service. They do not serve Manila. Filipino flyers wanting the Flying Honu experience must position to Tokyo on a standard ANA widebody first, then board the A380 onward to Honolulu.

Narita versus Haneda from Manila {#nrt-vs-hnd}

The Narita-versus-Haneda question is one of the most common Filipino-flyer dilemmas for Tokyo trips. Quick comparison:

For most first-time Filipino leisure travellers, Haneda is the more convenient arrival. The 30-45 minute monorail transit beats Narita’s 60-80 minute train ride, and the central Tokyo hotel check-in is faster. For travellers using a 7-day JR Pass, Narita arrival activates the pass on the NEX from day one — extracting maximum value.

ANA Mileage Club loyalty programme {#amc}

ANA Mileage Club (AMC) is ANA’s frequent flyer programme and integrates with Star Alliance. Filipino flyers enrol free at ana.co.jp. Miles earn on:

• ANA operated flights (full mileage by booking class)
• Star Alliance partner flights including Singapore Airlines, Thai, United, Lufthansa, Air Canada, Air China, EVA Air, and others
• Co-branded credit cards available through select Philippine bank partners
• Hotel and rail partners listed on the AMC site

Award tickets from Manila:

• MNL-NRT or MNL-HND one-way economy: from approximately 17,000 AMC miles off-peak
• MNL-NRT round-trip economy: from approximately 30,000 to 35,000 miles
• MNL-LAX or MNL-SFO via NRT one-way economy: from approximately 50,000 miles
• MNL-NRT one-way business class: from approximately 40,000 to 50,000 miles off-peak — one of the strongest sweet spots in the global award chart

Status tiers: Bronze → Platinum → Diamond → Million Miler. Platinum equals Star Alliance Gold, which gives lounge access at MNL T3 via partner lounges (PAGSS, MIASCOR), priority boarding, extra checked baggage, and Star Gold reciprocal benefits when flying United, Lufthansa, or Singapore Airlines.

Caveat: AMC mile expiry is 36 months from earning. The programme has historically been one of the better global frequent-flyer programmes for sweet-spot redemptions but expiry is strict.

Cherry blossom seasonal surge {#sakura}

Cherry blossom (sakura) season is the single largest seasonal demand surge on Filipino-Japan routes. Japan Meteorological Agency publishes the sakura forecast in February each year, with peak bloom (mankai) typically:

• Kyushu (Fukuoka, Kumamoto): mid to late March
• Tokyo and Osaka: late March to early April (peak first week of April)
• Hokkaido (Sapporo): late April to early May

ANA capacity from Manila during sakura peak runs heavy with leisure family travel, school-break travel for Filipino students, and corporate incentive groups. Booking timeline:

• November of the prior year: peak-season fares emerge, sub-PHP 30,000 returns possible
• January to February: prices climb as bloom forecasts firm up
• March (within month of travel): peak fares PHP 35,000 to PHP 50,000 economy return

Lower-fare windows on ANA: late February (after Lunar New Year, before sakura forecast firms up), late May to mid-June (between Golden Week and summer holiday), late November (between autumn-leaves peak and Christmas).

JR Pass tie-in for Manila ticket holders {#jr-pass}

The Japan Rail Pass — the iconic 7, 14, or 21-day unlimited-ride pass on JR Group trains including most shinkansen — is one of the best leisure-travel deals worldwide. For Filipino travellers:

• ANA Manila ticket office (Ayala Triangle, Makati) and select Philippine travel agencies sell JR Pass exchange orders alongside ANA flights.
• Exchange-order cost (June 2026 rates): 7-day Ordinary approximately PHP 18,000 to PHP 20,000; 7-day Green (first-class equivalent) approximately PHP 26,000.
• Redemption: present the exchange order plus your passport at a JR exchange counter in Japan (Tokyo Station, Narita, Haneda, Kansai, Shin-Osaka, and other major JR stations) within three months of purchase. The pass activates from the date you choose.

Strategy for Filipino flyers: if your Tokyo trip extends to Kyoto, Osaka, Hiroshima, or Hakata-Fukuoka, the 7-day JR Pass pays for itself with just one Tokyo-Osaka return on the Nozomi or Hikari shinkansen. Stack it with the ANA Manila ticket and you have flights plus most ground transport handled before leaving home.

Onward Star Alliance connections via Tokyo {#connections}

ANA’s Tokyo hubs give Filipino flyers Star Alliance access to:

• North America via NRT: Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Jose, Seattle, Vancouver, Chicago, Houston, New York JFK
• North America via HND: Los Angeles, San Francisco, New York JFK, Chicago, Houston, Vancouver (Haneda’s slot pairing gradually expanded)
• Europe via NRT or HND: Frankfurt, Munich, London Heathrow, Paris, Brussels, Vienna, Istanbul
• Star Alliance Asian partners: Singapore Airlines, Thai, EVA Air, Asiana (separate operator), Air China, Air India

For the trans-Pacific business commuter based in Manila, the ANA combination of MNL-HND evening + HND-LAX next morning (or MNL-NRT morning + NRT-LAX same day) is among the smoother routings.

Filipino-flyer buying tips {#buying}

• Book 4-6 months ahead for sakura. Sub-PHP 25,000 economy returns disappear by January for April travel.
• Use Haneda for short business trips. The 30-minute monorail saves 1.5 hours each direction versus Narita.
• Stack JR Pass with the ANA Manila ticket purchase. Saves a Tokyo-airport exchange queue.
• ANA sale fares typically appear three times a year — March, June, and September. Subscribe to the AMC newsletter.
• Star Alliance reciprocal credit-card transfer partners (Marriott Bonvoy to AMC, select bank loyalty to AMC) sometimes offer mile-transfer bonuses to AMC. Watch Filipino travel-hacker forums for active campaigns.
• Avoid Narita arrival on the same day as a domestic transfer — the NEX-to-domestic-Japan add-on adds 90 minutes minimum.

Cabin product on Philippine sectors

A short word on the cabin experience for Filipino flyers new to ANA. Economy class on the 787-9 uses a 2-4-2 layout (one of the more spacious Dreamliner configurations — many carriers use 3-3-3 in 787 economy), 34-inch pitch, personal IFE screens with substantial Japanese and English-language content, USB-A and USB-C charging, and a Japanese-influenced meal service that typically includes a choice between a Japanese tray (rice, miso, pickles, fish or chicken protein) and a Western option. The 787-8 economy uses a similar 2-4-2 configuration. On the 777-300ER economy is 3-4-3.

Premium Economy on the 787-9 is configured 2-3-2 with 38-inch pitch and a wider seat — a comfortable upgrade for the four-hour Manila-Tokyo sector if combined with onward long-haul trans-Pacific connection. Many Filipino flyers use Premium Economy on MNL-NRT-onward to North America when the cash differential is reasonable.

Business class (“Business Staggered” on the 787-9) is a 1-2-1 staggered configuration with lie-flat bed, direct aisle access, and the famous ANA omotenashi service standard — quietly attentive, precisely paced, exceptionally cleanly presented. The 777-300ER “ANA THE Room” enclosed business suite (where assigned) is widely considered one of the world’s best business products. On Manila-Tokyo the four-hour sector is too short to fully appreciate ANA THE Room, but combined with onward trans-Pacific connection on the same aircraft type, it makes the full 16-hour total bearable.

Cabin crew language ability: ANA’s Philippine sectors typically include Tagalog-speaking cabin crew. Announcements are in Japanese, English, and Tagalog on most MNL flights.

ANA safety and operational record

ANA holds an exceptionally strong global safety record, with no passenger fatalities on a scheduled passenger flight in the airline’s modern history. The airline maintains IATA Operational Safety Audit (IOSA) registration and is consistently ranked in the global top 10 by Skytrax and similar industry rating bodies. The Japan Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT) Civil Aviation Bureau publishes annual safety statistics and oversight reports.

The 2024 Boeing 787 fleet groundings affecting some 787-9 airframes (related to manufacturer quality issues at Boeing’s Charleston facility) prompted close MLIT monitoring of all Japanese 787 operators; ANA worked through the affected airframes with no service disruption to Philippine flyers and the issue has been progressively resolved through Boeing field actions. Filipino flyers concerned about specific aircraft can verify the operating registration via the ANA mobile app or by asking at check-in.

FAQ {#faq}

See the structured FAQ above for the seven most common ANA-from-Philippines questions, covering route choice (Narita vs Haneda), fleet (no A380 to MNL), AMC loyalty, JR Pass tie-in, sakura peak, and Filipino business-traveller use case.

This guide is informational and based on ANA corporate disclosures, Japan Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT) Civil Aviation Bureau, Narita International Airport Corporation, Tokyo International Air Terminal Corporation (Haneda), Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO), and the Philippine Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB) as of June 2026. Fares, schedules, JR Pass yen-PHP rates, and aircraft assignments change without notice. Verify directly with ANA or your travel platform at time of booking. Affiliate links to flight-search and booking partners are disclosed on our affiliate disclosure page.