ANA's app is the smoothest official Japanese-carrier booking experience on Android, with 2D barcode boarding, mobile check-in, in-flight Wi-Fi handoff, and baggage tracking on international itineraries. The trade-off is the published fare. Even with ANA Mileage Club, Tokyo-Sapporo or Tokyo-Fukuoka prices on flexible dates often sit well above Peach, Jetstar Japan, or AIR DO on the same route, and ANA's app doesn't show those LCC fares for comparison. International tickets to North America and Europe carry the carrier premium too. These ANA alternatives target the same job, whether the goal is a cheaper carrier, a wider comparison, or a different way to book.
We compared seven travel apps that compete with ANA on Android. The mix covers Japan's other flag carrier (JAL), the dominant LCC for Japan routes (Jetstar), the multi-carrier aggregator that includes LCCs ANA's app hides (skyticket), pure flight metasearch (Skyscanner), Asia-Pacific OTA depth (Trip.com), bundles (Expedia), and price prediction (Hopper).
Quick comparison
| App | Best for | Loyalty | Type | Standout |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Japan Airlines | Network carrier with JMB miles | JAL Mileage Bank | Airline | oneworld redemptions and JAL Card stack |
| Jetstar | LCC fares on Japan-Asia routes | Club Jetstar | Airline | Bundles, seat picks, and bag add-ons |
| skyticket | Multi-carrier domestic comparison | None | Aggregator | All Japan LCCs and legacy carriers side by side |
| Skyscanner | Global flight metasearch | None | Metasearch | Everywhere search across hundreds of carriers |
| Trip.com | Asia-Pacific flights and rail | Trip Coins | OTA | Flight + shinkansen in one cart |
| Expedia | Flight + hotel bundles | One Key Cash | OTA | Bundle savings across One Key apps |
| Hopper | Predicting fare drops | Carrot Cash | Predictor | Buy or wait calls with tracked accuracy |
Why people leave ANA
The patterns are consistent. The fare premium is real: travelers comparing the ANA-direct quote against the same route on skyticket or Skyscanner regularly see 20-40% gaps to the LCC option, sometimes more on Sapporo and Naha. The app hides competitor pricing: ANA shows the ANA fare, not the best fare for the trip, which is fine for loyalists but slow for the cheapest-route shopper. Mileage Club has narrowed: award seat availability on premium-cabin redemptions has tightened, and Star Alliance partner inventory has thinned on popular routes. International customer service queues stretch during disruption windows, particularly around the December and Golden Week peaks.
A fifth thread: travelers who used to fly ANA reflexively for the points have started splitting bookings between ANA on premium-cabin legs and an LCC or OTA on the routine domestic hops where points don't justify the gap.
Which ANA alternative should you pick
- Japan Airlines for a network-carrier app with comparable amenities and oneworld points.
- Jetstar for routine Japan-Asia LCC fares with bundle add-ons.
- skyticket for side-by-side LCC and legacy carrier comparison.
- Skyscanner for international routes ANA can't price competitively.
- Trip.com for Asia trips that combine flights with regional rail.
- Expedia for bundles where the flight and hotel book together.
- Hopper for international itineraries that flex by weeks.
Stay on ANA when the trip is on a premium cabin, Mileage Club status matters to the household, or the route benefits from ANA's domestic operational reliability and Star Alliance lounge access.
1. Japan Airlines, network carrier with JMB miles
JAL covers the same domestic and international network as ANA on most major routes, with a recently rebuilt app that handles online check-in, mobile boarding passes, JAL Mileage Bank tracking, and in-flight Wi-Fi setup. JAL sits in oneworld, so American Airlines and Qatar redemptions open up the partner award space that Star Alliance has tightened on ANA. JAL Card holders accelerate JMB earning rates on most purchases.
ANA vs JAL: nearly identical network-carrier service, different loyalty alliance. ANA leans Star Alliance, JAL leans oneworld. The choice between them usually comes down to which alliance fits the household's existing miles.
Where it falls short: JAL's domestic LCC layer (Jetstar Japan, ZIPAIR) is smaller than ANA's Peach umbrella. Some smaller airports get worse JAL coverage.
Pricing:
- Free to install. Fares vary by route and class.
- JMB miles earn on flights and JAL Card spend.
Migrating from ANA: install JAL, register the JMB number, and compare the same route on both apps. JAL often wins on transpacific routes; ANA often wins on European routes.
Bottom line: the right pick for travelers who want a network-carrier experience but lean oneworld rather than Star Alliance.
2. Jetstar, LCC fares on Japan-Asia routes
Jetstar covers Tokyo-Sapporo, Osaka-Fukuoka, and a wide intra-Asia map at fares that consistently sit 30-50% below ANA on the same dates. The app handles seat selection, bundle upgrades, baggage add-ons, and Club Jetstar member discounts. Fare classes are stripped down by design, so the price comparison is honest rather than a teaser.
ANA vs Jetstar: premium service with status perks against bare-bones service at half the fare. The right choice depends on whether the routine domestic hop justifies ANA's premium that day.
Where it falls short: baggage, seat selection, and meal add-ons stack on the headline fare. Schedule changes on cancelled LCC flights move slower than legacy carriers.
Pricing:
- Free to install. Base fares set per route.
- Starter bundle adds checked bag and seat selection at a tiered price.
Migrating from ANA: install Jetstar for routine domestic and intra-Asia routes. Compare the all-in price (fare plus bag plus seat) against ANA before booking.
Bottom line: the right pick for routine domestic and intra-Asia trips where service amenities don't justify the ANA premium.
3. skyticket, side-by-side LCC and legacy carrier comparison
skyticket lists ANA, JAL, Skymark, Peach, Jetstar Japan, AIR DO, Solaseed, Star Flyer, and Fuji Dream Airlines in one screen on the same Tokyo-Sapporo or Osaka-Naha search. The app strips out the operator-only view ANA's own app gives and shows what every Japanese carrier charges for the same date.
ANA vs skyticket: ANA shows the ANA price. skyticket shows the marketplace, which is essential for the household that buys whichever Japan carrier wins the day on price.
Where it falls short: international inventory is shallow. Confirmation isn't instant on every plan, and refunds during disruption have stretched to multi-week queues.
Pricing:
- Free to install. Fares set by carriers.
- Some itineraries route through a call-center confirmation rather than instant ticketing.
Migrating from ANA: use skyticket to find the cheapest carrier on a domestic route, then either book through skyticket or jump back to the airline's own app if Mileage Club tier qualification matters that month.
Bottom line: the right pick for travelers who want to see every Japanese carrier's price for the same route on one screen.
4. Skyscanner, global flight metasearch
Skyscanner indexes hundreds of airlines and OTAs and surfaces the cheapest combinations on every major route. Everywhere search reveals the cheapest months for flexible travel. Price alerts watch a saved route for weeks. The Japan layer covers ANA, JAL, and the LCCs alongside global carriers on transpacific and European routes.
ANA vs Skyscanner: ANA shows the ANA quote, possibly with a Star Alliance partner. Skyscanner expands the comparison to the whole world's carriers, which matters most on international tickets where the carrier premium adds up.
Where it falls short: checkout completes on the partner site, so the booking experience varies. No proprietary loyalty currency.
Pricing:
- Free to install and search.
- Price alerts and multi-city search are free.
Migrating from ANA: install Skyscanner, search the same international route, and set a price alert. Book through the cheapest partner or jump back to ANA when the points calculus wins.
Bottom line: the right pick for international trips where the goal is the widest carrier comparison.
5. Trip.com, Asia trips that combine flights with regional rail
Trip.com runs the deepest Asia-Pacific carrier and rail catalog of any global OTA. A Tokyo-Seoul flight and the connecting KTX from Incheon book through the same cart, and Trip Coins earn on both. ANA's app stops at the flight. Trip.com handles the surface transit that often matters more than the airline on intra-Asia trips.
ANA vs Trip.com: ANA covers the flight in premium service. Trip.com covers the whole intra-Asia trip including ground transport in a single workflow.
Where it falls short: the homepage is promotionally heavy. Customer service routes through APAC time zones.
Pricing:
- Free to install. Carrier and rail rates set by suppliers.
- Trip Coins earn at varying rates per booking.
Migrating from ANA: install Trip.com for any Asia trip that combines a flight with regional rail or a connecting hotel. Pair it with ANA on the premium-cabin leg.
Bottom line: the right pick for intra-Asia trips that combine a flight with regional rail or a hotel.
6. Expedia, bundles where the flight and hotel book together
Expedia bundles flights with hotels, often pulling ANA, JAL, or partner carriers into the flight slot at the same fare ANA charges direct, then dropping the hotel rate to make the bundle math work. One Key Cash earns across Expedia, Hotels.com, and Vrbo, which sits next to the airline's own miles on the reward stack.
ANA vs Expedia: ANA sells the ticket. Expedia sells the trip, which includes the same ticket plus a rate-adjusted hotel and a loyalty currency separate from Mileage Club.
Where it falls short: bundle savings compare against inflated baselines. Customer service queues stretch during disruptions.
Pricing:
- Free to install. Flight rates set by carriers, hotel rates by properties.
- One Key Cash redeems at one cent per point.
Migrating from ANA: install Expedia for trips where the hotel and flight book together, then compare the bundle total against the line items on ANA plus a hotel app.
Bottom line: the right pick for travelers who book the flight and hotel together and want One Key on top of Mileage Club.
7. Hopper, predicting fare drops
Hopper predicts whether a fare will rise or fall and publishes a confidence rate. Buy now or Wait calls swing decisions on transpacific flights, where a two-week delay can drop the ticket by hundreds of dollars. Price Freeze locks a fare for a small fee, which helps when planning across multiple stakeholders.
ANA vs Hopper: ANA shows today's price. Hopper times the booking around predicted drops, which often beats the direct-purchase price by a wide margin on international tickets.
Where it falls short: Japan-domestic LCC inventory is incomplete. The interface assumes the booking can wait.
Pricing:
- Free to install and search.
- Price Freeze fees vary by route and freeze duration.
Migrating from ANA: install Hopper for international trips with flexible dates, save the route, and book when the recommendation reads Buy now. Keep ANA for the points-driven premium legs.
Bottom line: the right pick for international trips where dates flex by weeks and the goal is the lowest fare across the booking window.
