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It's Finally Here: ANA Shows off Its Epic Flying Honu A380 Livery

Dec. 13, 2018
•
3 min read
ANA A380 Paint RollOut
It's Finally Here: ANA Shows off Its Epic Flying Honu A380 Livery
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One of the most anticipated aircraft deliveries is getting closer and closer to reality. Today, Airbus unveiled its ANA's first A380 complete with its special Flying Honu turtle livery.

After spending 21 days in Airbus' Hamburg paint shop, the aircraft manufacturer revealed what will become ANA's largest aircraft. The A380's livery is quite unlike ANA's traditional and more conservative color scheme and Airbus says its the most elaborate livery its every painted on the superjumbo. Airbus used 16 different shades of color to paint the A380's 3,600m2 surface.

The Flying Honu design was picked by the public and is supposed to resemble a Hawaiian green sea turtle. ANA will receive two other A380s over the next year with similar designs but with different color schemes featuring green and orange.

ANA will take delivery of the double-decker aircraft in March 2019 with the first flight scheduled to depart from Tokyo-Narita (NRT) to Honolulu (HNL) in May.

This A380, which sports four Rolls-Royce Trent 970 engines. will now undergo cabin installation and complete its final rounds of ground and flight tests before its handed over to the airline.

Featuring four cabins, the A380 will seat 520 people total with eight first-class seats, 56 in business, 73 in premium economy and 383 in economy. ANA's rolling out all the stops for its A380 service: Passengers will find rainbow mood-lighting (inspired by Hawaii, The Rainbow State), special amenity kits, food and drinks — this is all in addition to the A380 Honolulu lounge the airline is building.

Since ANA is a Star Alliance member, you can use United miles (Chase Ultimate Rewards transfer partner) or Avianca Lifemiles (Citi ThankYou and Amex Membership Rewards transfer partner) on the Honolulu - Tokyo route. It also partners with Virgin Atlantic (transfer partners will Citi, Chase and Amex), and the award rates are one of the best deals in the points and miles game — it would only cost 70,000 Virgin miles round-trip in business or 90,000 in first class.

United’s rates are bit higher: 27,500 miles for a one-way economy award, 45,000 miles for business class and 55,000 miles in first.

See the full reveal ceremony here:

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And to see how the Flying Honu was painted, watch here:

All images courtesy of ANA / Airbus.

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Apply for American Express® Gold Card
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Terms & restrictions apply. See rates & fees
Best for dining at restaurants

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TPG Editor‘s Rating
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  • Intro Offer

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  • Annual Fee

    $325

  • Recommended Credit

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Why We Chose It

There’s a lot to love about the Amex Gold. It’s a fan favorite thanks to its fantastic bonus-earning rates at restaurants worldwide and at U.S. supermarkets. If you’re hitting the skies soon, you’ll also earn bonus Membership Rewards points on travel. Paired with up to $120 in Uber Cash annually (for U.S. Uber rides or Uber Eats orders, card must be added to Uber app and you can redeem with any Amex card), up to $120 in annual dining statement credits to be used with eligible partners, an up to $84 Dunkin’ credit each year at U.S. Dunkin Donuts and an up to $100 Resy credit annually, there’s no reason that foodies shouldn’t add the Amex Gold to their wallet. These benefits alone are worth more than $400, which offsets the $325 annual fee on the Amex Gold card. Enrollment is required for select benefits. (Partner offer)

Pros

  • 4 points per dollar spent on dining at restaurants worldwide and U.S. supermarkets (on the first $50,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter and $25,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter, respectively)
  • 3 points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with the airline or with amextravel.com
  • Packed with credits foodies will enjoy
  • Solid welcome bonus

Cons

  • Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
  • Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
  • You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
  • Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
  • Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
  • Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
  • Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
  • Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
  • $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction. That’s up to $120 Uber Cash annually. Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership Rewards® points for Uber Eats purchases made with restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. Point caps and terms apply.
  • $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. Enrollment is required to receive this benefit.
  • $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
  • $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Enrollment required.
  • Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property.
  • No Foreign Transaction Fees.
  • Annual Fee is $325.
  • Terms Apply.