Not only are European airlines continuously reducing their included services, but now even high-quality carriers from East Asia are not immune to cost-cutting measures.
Japanese airline All Nippon Airways (ANA) announced “additional international fare options” in early November, which unfortunately brought some downsides. Previously, even the cheapest economy fares included 2x 23 kg checked baggage on international flights. However, the new “Basic” fare lists baggage allowance as “0 to 2 pieces.”
From our checks, we didn’t find any routes that completely exclude free baggage, but the impact is noticeable. Flights from Europe to Japan now only include 1 x 23 kg of checked baggage, compared to the previous 2-piece allowance.
The new fares appear to have been in effect since November 1, 2024.
Same Prices, Less Baggage
In an email detailing the changes, ANA promises:
A new, more affordable fare option has been introduced, allowing 1 piece of checked baggage.
Email from ANA to newsletter subscribers
One might expect this new fare with 1 x 23 kg baggage to be cheaper than the previous “Super Value” fare with 2 pieces. However, that’s not the case. For instance, ANA’s website states that a nonstop flight from Frankfurt to Tokyo currently costs €920 round-trip. Google Flights’ price trends reveal that this price has remained steady for the past two months.
This means nothing has become cheaper. In fact, to check two bags as before, passengers now need to book the “Standard” fare, which costs €1,040—up from the previous €920.
Higher Baggage Allowance via Old Lufthansa Website
While ANA has already updated its fares, joint venture partner Lufthansa doesn’t seem to have implemented these changes yet on its old and outdated booking site. Booking the same ANA-operated flight through Lufthansa’s old website still offers 2x 23 kg of included baggage for the same price:
However, this is unlikely to last. Lufthansa already offers “Light” fares without any checked baggage on many routes and will probably follow ANA’s lead by reducing baggage allowances soon.
To access Lufthansa’s old booking site, feel free to use the following search form:
For now, flying with JAL (Japan Airlines) may be a better option. The Oneworld carrier offers much more comfortable seating (2-4-2 vs. 3-3-3 on ANA’s Dreamliner), includes 2x 23 kg of baggage, and is often also a bit cheaper — a clear advantage over ANA. This is, of course, subject to change.
Translated and edited by Ditmar
Cover Picture: Ditmar Lange