A Little Back Story
“Sana Pikachu jet masakyan natin.” (I hope we’d ride the Pikachu jet) Aya-chan told me weeks prior.
We booked our flights in advance, as early as August 2024. We were lucky enough buy ourselves seats to the prestigious All Nippon Airways bound for New Chitose International (CTS) in Hokkaido via Tokyo Haneda (HND) for a cheaper deal. Normally, ANA’s flights from Manila would cost from PHP 40,000 for a round trip fare. But we were lucky enough to get ours for PHP 18,000 for two legs of flights round trip.
Now came the day of our flight. I was monitoring the whereabouts of ANA’s Pikachu Jet (JA894A) for the past couple of days and it came to my realization that it hasn’t landed in Manila International (MNL) for the past ten days. “Mukhang may chance.” (Looks like we have a chance), I teasingly told Aya-chan. It has been in Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, New Delhi, Jakarta, Bangkok, and other Asian cities, but not in Manila. On the day of our flight, I was surprised to see that NH819 from HND to MNL assigned JA894A on the day of our flight.
“Mimi!” I screamed.
“Ano!?” She responded.
I immediately showed her my phone, which showed NH869’s track and the aircraft assigned. She was happy to see ANA’s Pikachu jet on my phone’s screen.
“Legit?” She asked.
“Of course! There’s no way we’re going to use another aircraft. ANA only flies twice daily to Manila. One from Haneda and one from Narita. JA894A never lands at Narita! I’m 100% absolute!” I responded.
“OMG. Looks like everything is going according to plan. Thank you, Lord!” She screamed.
The Flight
Our flight is scheduled to depart at 2:50 PM. Check-in counters open exactly three hours before. However, they open an hour earlier to accommodate a smoother check-in for priority passengers. The check-in process itself was a breeze. For our flight, we were allowed to check-in two pieces of 23kg each. The process took less than half an hour from the queue to the counters.
Our journey forward also took less time than expected. Passing through immigration and final security check, we found our way towards the boarding gate.
After about an hour of waiting, we were able to board our flight. It took just about 20 minutes to get everyone aboard.
Food and Beverages
The food served during our flight met the expectations associated with a full-service airline. During the 4-hour journey, we enjoyed a thoughtfully prepared meal that featured cold soba, a fresh salad, fruit, and ice cream. I opted for the curry katsu as my main course, and I found the overall quality of the food to be very commendable.
Souvenirs
Lastly, let’s discuss the souvenirs we received on our flight. Just a few minutes before our scheduled landing, the cabin crew, who were wearing aprons inspired by Pokémon in vibrant shades of pink and blue, came around to distribute special tokens to all the passengers. Each envelope contained a Boarding Certificate, which served as a unique memento of our flight, along with a colorful commemorative sticker. Additionally, we received a kifuda, a beautifully crafted Japanese wooden tag engraved with an adorable image of Pikachu, making it a delightful keepsake to remember our time with ANA’s Pikachu Jet.
Other Currently Active Pokémon-Livery Jets
ANA’s Boeing 787-9, known as the Pikachu Jet, operates flights to various cities in Asia and Australia, including Manila, Kuala Lumpur, Singapore, Bangkok, Ho Chi Minh City, Perth, and more. In addition to the 787, ANA also has a Boeing 777 featuring Pokémon livery, called the Eevee Jet. This jet services destinations in America, such as Chicago, Honolulu, and Los Angeles, as well as flights to London.
In addition to ANA, several other airlines have Pokémon Air Adventures livery. These include Japan’s Solaseed Air, AirDo, Skymark Airlines, Singapore’s Scoot, Taiwan’s China Airlines, and South Korea’s T’Way Airlines.
Now that we’ve experienced one, let’s make it a bucket list to fly on these Pokémon-themed jets, shall we?