We can’t say that the ANA lounge in Terminal 2 at Tokyo Haneda airport is unpleasant or even ugly, but it is impersonal, lacking in conviviality, and the food and drink on offer is fairly average for the company’s standing.
Just arrived from Munich and with a flight to Sydney leaving just over two hours later, I had a comfortable connection time to kill in Haneda: long enough to enjoy it a little, short enough not to get bored. So I had all the time I needed to try out this lounge.
I’ll also be passing through on my return flight, so this post is a bit of a condensation of my two visits, to spare you a second article that wouldn’t tell you anything more.
You’ll find a summary of articles about this trip to Australia at the bottom of the page.
Location of the lounge
It’s on the top floor of the terminal, three levels above the gates. You’ve got the lounge at the very top, the floor below with the security checks for the connecting flight (and another Priority Pass lounge), the floor below with the duty free area, and again below with the boarding gates.
Arriving from the connecting circuit, all I had to do was turn right, climb the stairs and I was in the lounge. I’ve never been more than 10 minutes from my gate.
Access to the lounge
It is available to passengers travelling in business or first class on ANA and Star Alliance member airlines, members of the ANA frequent flyer program with Platinum or Diamond status, passengers with Star Alliance Gold status, ANA Superflyer credit card holders and holders of the Lounge Access Card in the ANA Million Miler program.
Diamond members, First Class passengers and Lounge Access Card holders of the ANA Million Miler program also have access to the adjacent ANA Suite Lounge.
Both lounges share a common reception area.
Lounge design and layout
Each time, I was lucky enough to arrive on one of the first flights of the morning, allowing me to explore the lounge when it was almost empty.
Once past reception, I enter the lounge and find a large open space with sofas.
Rather pretty. This is also where you’ll find showers, toilets, telephone booths and smoking rooms.
Then I turn my head and I don’t know whether what I see impresses or frightens me.
Quite pretty and functional, but you can clearly see that it’s designed to cram in as many people as possible, and I’m thinking that it must be unbearable at peak times.
On the other side, towards the buffet, several rows of counters with stools.
Then an area more dedicated to dining.
I do a few more meters and there’s another lounging area that spreads out endlessly.
Ditto on the other side.
High tables and chairs are lined up along the bay window.
It’s all in one huge open space with no dividers, and the impression is a little bizarre: impressive but not really appealing at the same time.
The map gives you an idea of the layout.
Having been able to visit the lounge while empty, I was able to make a really worthwhile video to give you a true picture of the place.
Catering
Of course, the lounge also features a buffet. Having visited it in the morning, I don’t know if the offer changes throughout the day.
Here you’ll find sushi and other local specialties.
Pastries.
Fruit, milk, cornflakes.
Vegetables for salads.
Let’s move on to the hot dishes.
You can find vegetables…
Pasta.
Sausages.
Scrambled eggs.
Rice.
And finally a chicken curry, which seems to be the lounge’s signature dish for some reason that I don’t understand.
As far as drinks are concerned, there’s a soft drinks fountain.
Tea and coffee machines…
A decent range of spirits, but nothing more.
There’s also a beer fountain.
Beer by a fountain? What a sacrilege! Beer should be served by the bottle or on draught. But I wanted to give it a try out of curiosity.
Glasses are stored in a refrigerated compartment just next to it. I take one, place it on the machine and press the button, expecting a mediocre result.
Well, no, it’s just magic, as this video shows.
There’s also a noodle bar and a counter dedicated to traditional Japanese alcoholic beverages.
I’ll settle in with a beer and chicken curry. Not bad at all, especially at 6am.
Well, I have to tell you that I wasn’t at all thrilled with this buffet, apart from the curry (decent but not exceptional) and the beer-serving machine.
The offer is narrow, very basic, of average quality and not particularly well presented. In all honesty, I expected better from an airline of ANA’s standing.
Lounge facilities
The lounge features toilets, a smoking room, telephone booths and multiple stations with showers.
There are also work and rest areas.
Atmosphere
Very quiet at the opening, then the lounge quickly filled up. It wasn’t as noisy as I’d expected, but the lounge’s configuration meant that you quickly got the impression of being surrounded by a crowd without much space to yourself.
Bottom line
A very impersonal lounge designed to cram people in, with a catering offer beyond expectation. Its aesthetic appeal and multiple amenities are not enough to save the day.
The articles about this trip to Australia
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