ANA to increase flights between LAX and Tokyo

Japan’s All Nippon Airways (ANA) will be increasing the number of flights between Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) and Narita International (NRT) in metropolitan Tokyo.

Starting Sunday, Oct. 29, the carrier will add a second daily flight on the route connecting the two major airports. The new flight will depart LAX at 10:20 a.m., and arrive in Tokyo at 3:20 p.m. the following day. Return flights will leave NRT at 8:40 a.m., arriving in Los Angeles at 4 p.m.

The additional flight will offer an earlier departure from L.A., complementing the current flight, which leaves LAX at 1:10 p.m., and arrives in Tokyo at 4:25 p.m. the following day. Return flights on the existing route leave NRT at 5:05 p.m. and arrive in Los Angeles at 11:25 a.m.

ANA will operate a Boeing (NYSE:BA) 777-300ER on the new route. The plane will offer eight open suites in First Class, 52 flat-bed Business Class seats, 24 Premium Economy seats and 166 standard Economy Class seats.

According to SeatGuru.com, First Class seats are 33 inches wide and offer 76 inches of pitch while Business Class seats are 21 inches wide with 62 inches of pitch. Premium economy seats are 19.3 inches wide with 38 inches of pitch while standard economy seats are quite narrow. At 16.5 inches wide they are among the narrowest in the industry, but they do offer above-average legroom with 34 inches of pitch.

The increased service is a response to the strong demand for travel between the U.S. and Japan as well as between the U.S. and other Asian countries. The new flight will provide additional connectivity to other destinations, thus enhancing Narita's competitive strength as a transit hub between the Asian countries and North America.

Currently, ANA operates one flight per day between Los Angeles and NRT as well as one flight between LAX and Tokyo’s Haneda airport (HND).

The new flight schedule enables ANA to take advantage of the respective characteristics of each airport in accordance with the dual hub model for the Tokyo Metropolitan Area. The airlines will be able to expand the respective networks served by Haneda Airport, which principally functions as a transit hub linking international and domestic flights, and Narita Airport, which functions as an international transit hub, linking passengers on flights between the Asian countries and North America via Japan.

ANA is committed to actively expanding its international network, further improving convenience for its customers, and contributing to the stronger international competitiveness of Japan in the fields of business and tourism, the carrier said in a statement announcing the new route.

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