How I Booked ANA First Class for 110k Points

ANA First Class is considered one of the best first class products in the world. The food, the service, the suite — it’s legendary. And I booked it for just 110,000 Virgin Atlantic miles.

Here’s exactly how I did it.

Why Virgin Atlantic Miles?

ANA (All Nippon Airways) is a Star Alliance carrier with one of the most acclaimed first class products. Their own award chart charges 150,000 miles for First Class to Japan. But Virgin Atlantic, as a partner, only charges 110,000-120,000 miles for the same flight.

That’s a 25-40% discount for the exact same seat.

Why This Sweet Spot Exists

Virgin Atlantic and ANA have a unique partnership that lets you book ANA metal at a discount. This is one of the most valuable sweet spots in the points world — and consistently rated as one of the best uses of transferable points. See our complete Virgin Atlantic Flying Club guide for more redemption sweet spots.

Step 1: Earn Virgin Atlantic Miles

Virgin Atlantic is a transfer partner of:

Chase Ultimate Rewards (1:1)
Amex Membership Rewards (1:1)
Citi ThankYou (1:1)
Capital One (1:1)
Bilt Rewards (1:1)

I transferred 110,000 Chase points → Virgin Atlantic. For more on how transfer partners work, check our complete transfer partners guide.

Transfer Timing

Chase and Amex transfers to Virgin Atlantic are typically instant. Capital One can take 1-2 days. Always have your points ready before you find availability — award space can disappear quickly.

Step 2: Find ANA First Class Availability

This is the hard part. ANA releases First Class award space very sparingly.

Tools for Finding Space

Seats.aero — Alerts for F class on NH (ANA) routes
ANA website — Search as a guest, look for “O” fare class
ExpertFlyer — Set alerts for specific routes/dates

When ANA Releases Award Space

Pro tip: ANA releases more space ~355 days out and sometimes close-in (2-3 weeks before departure). Mid-week departures (Tuesday-Thursday) tend to have better availability.

Step 3: Call Virgin Atlantic

You cannot book ANA First Class online through Virgin Atlantic. You must call.

Virgin Atlantic Phone: 1-800-862-8621

What to Tell the Agent

“Hi, I’d like to book an ANA First Class award ticket. I found availability on [DATE] from [ORIGIN] to Tokyo Haneda, flight NH[XXX].”

Have backup dates ready. The agent will search and confirm availability. The call typically takes 15-20 minutes.

Step 4: Pay Taxes

The damage: $200-300 in taxes and fees for a one-way First Class ticket worth $15,000+.

My Route

JFK → Tokyo Haneda (HND)
Flight: NH110
Aircraft: 777-300ER with the new First Class suite
Cost: 110,000 Virgin Atlantic miles + $264

The Experience

I’ll save the full review for another post, but highlights:

Private suite with closing doors
Kaiseki multi-course Japanese meal
Krug champagne
Pajamas and amenity kit
Arrived refreshed after sleeping 8 hours flat

Can You Still Do This?

Absolutely. The sweet spot still works in 2026. The hardest part is finding availability — set those alerts and be flexible.

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Questions about booking ANA First? Drop them below and I’ll help you out.