Last week, I wound up at Tokyo Haneda (HND) Airport for a short hop to Sapporo via New Chitose Airport (CTS) for a few days. Besides reveling at the fact that HND is a MUCH nicer airport than NRT and that their observation deck has a snack bar, I found this travesty at the gates.
Yes, it’s THAT jet…the ANA Pokemon Jet.
I shouldn’t have said anything because that jet became MY jet for the 1.5 hour flight to CTS. Here’s the obligatory close up of one of the most silliest liveries to grace a Boeing 747-400.
It shows that ANA has a sense of fun, since there is one other Pokemon jet in the fleet as well as a flying panda and a couple of Snoopy based jets as well. You want Kitty-Chan? You’ll have to fly EVA for that one!
Inside, the head rests were covered by Pokemon covers but otherwise, it was standard ANA in the rest of the cabin. No cabin attendants dressed up as Pikachu. Service was pretty good for a short hop. Apparently, the HND/NRT-CTS route is one of the busiest in the world and the loads are so high that they regularly fly jumbos on this route. They also fly itty bitty CRJs on this route as well, which was my return flight into NRT. There’s something not very nice about a plane where you can’t even stand up straight in the aisle!
This route is also hella expensive unless you get the mega discount 8 weeks ahead fare and then it’s close to 30000 yen. I got a round trip with two weeks advance for 22000 yen and got UA MP EQM for the flights on top of it. How? I purchased the ANA Skypass before I left the US. Info here (why should I type it when I can link it)?
Musings of a Food and Travel Addict
