All Nippon Airways (ANA) has committed to restarting non-stop flights between Perth and Tokyo (Narita) from 29 October 2023. The relaunch comes more than three years after the route was suspended due to COVID-19.
The Japanese Star Alliance member will use Boeing 787-9s on the Perth-Tokyo route with Economy, Premium Economy and Business Class available. Flights went on sale today and will run three times per week.
From September 2019 until March 2020, ANA operated daily Boeing 787-8 flights between Perth and Narita. That had been the first time direct flights were available between the two cities since Qantas abandoned its Perth-Narita flights back in 2011.
The overnight flight NH882 from Perth to Tokyo will take 9 hours and 35 minutes, departing the West Australian capital at 9.55pm for an 8.30am touchdown at Narita Airport. The return flight, NH881, will leave Tokyo at 11.20am, arriving in Perth at 8.30pm.
As well as a more convenient way to reach Japan, the flight offers Perth travellers new one-stop connections to Europe and North America with All Nippon Airways.
ANA already operates twice-daily flights from Sydney to Tokyo.
ANA will soon partner with Virgin Australia
Perth-Tokyo will become ANA’s second route to Australia as the carrier finalises its new partnership with Virgin Australia. The two airlines have said they’ll start a frequent flyer partnership later this year, which would enable Velocity members to earn and redeem points for ANA flights.
Virgin Australia will start its own Cairns-Tokyo flights later this month using Boeing 737s.
Meanwhile, Qantas will go to 4x daily to Tokyo from November with double-daily Sydney-Haneda flights and daily services from Melbourne and Brisbane to Narita.
Use points to book a seat on ANA’s Perth-Tokyo flight
Once the partnership between Velocity Frequent Flyer and All Nippon Airways gets up and running, you should be able to redeem Velocity points on the Perth-Tokyo route.
In the meantime, you can already redeem points with any Star Alliance airline to book ANA flights between Perth and Tokyo. ANA seems to have released one Business Class and two Economy award seats on some flights. You could even transfer Velocity points to Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer, and then use KrisFlyer miles to book a seat.
Award seat pricing and availability varies by frequent flyer program.
Using the Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer program, for example, it would cost 208,000 KrisFlyer miles and around $799 in taxes and fuel surcharges for a return Business Class ticket from Perth to Tokyo.
But United Airlines only charges 105,000 MileagePlus miles and $146 in taxes for the same round-trip Business Class flights from Perth to Tokyo. (United MileagePlus does not pass on any fuel surcharges).
You could also redeem Virgin Atlantic Flying Club points for ANA flights.
