simpsonc510

I'll have 5 hours at NRT, on my way from HNL to BKK in late August. I have been looking into the option of exiting the airport for a visit to Narita City. I'm not real comfortable with leaving the scene, actually. Five hours isn't THAT much time... by the time I exit the plane, got through immigration, etc., not to mention having to be back at the airport early enough to go thru all the lines to get back to my boarding gate.

I looked at the NRT web site and was reading something about a "grand" opening of some sort, in their international terminal. I read that, if you exit the transit area after going through immigration, there are many shops that might be of interest. I don't mind spending some of my layover time looking in shops.

Has anyone seen this "new" area? Tell me about the shops just outside immigration.

Thanks.

Carol

emd

Hi Carol. I haven't been to the new terminal yet, but I went to a reception hosted by All Nippon Airlines this week in D.C. and they gave out glossy brochures on the new south wing in terminal 1. They really pumped this at the reception, saying it is a very nice area to shop and relax. The shopping area is called Narita Nakimase, described as "the largest collection of duty free shops, world famous brand outlets, and restaurants of any airport in Japan." The pictures in the borchure look good but I can't see the names of any of the outlets/stores in them (ecept Channel). Right across from the duty free shopping area is a food court called ANA Festa, and a place called ANA House Tokyo, which looks like another large shopping area, next to the Channel boutique.

My guess is (after doing a lot of shopping at the old terminal just a few wks ago) that this is probably pretty good shopping, but I too would be interested in exactly what shops are there over the ones that already existed in the old terminal area- esp. what these "outlets" are...

All of the Star Alliance airlines are now located in the new south wing of terminal 1, including Air Canada, ANA, ASiana, Austrian, Lufthansa, United, Scandinavia, Singapore Air, Swiss, and Thai. ANA has over 126 self service units for chekc in there, the largest # at any airport in the world. The brochure says that the new terminal is going to cut connection times significantly, from 110 min before the move for Internatl arrivals - Internatl departures, to 45 min after the move. The projections for domestic arrivals to internatl. departures (from 110 min to 60 min.)and internatl arrivals to domestic departures (130 min. to 75 min) are also significant.

Also, the Star Alliance Gold lounge is there, along w/ANA's lounges (which now include a separate sake bar, noodle corner w/hot food, shower rms, etc.)

The terminal looks great from this brochure. I hope they have made the passport/immigration and security/baggage check areas less CRAZY
than they were at the old terminal area!

kuranosuke

emd, good news that all sa are located in the same terminal. it was a real inconvenience to land at ana, and take the bus to ua.

am i to understand that all of these new shops and food court are within the secure area so we don't have to go through immigration and customs to access them?

emd

The map in the brochure shows that the shops and restaurants are on level 3F, which contains the departure terminals. You have to go through passport control to get to them. After you go through passport control, you will have a long stretch of Nareita Nakimase/Duty Free shopping to both your left and to your right. Foodcourt and ANA house Tokyo are to the left after passport control.

Arrivals come into level 2F, where there is arrival passport control, and then you decend down to the arrival lobby (I assume this is 1F although it is not labelled on my map) where baggage claim and customs area are. Train connections are on a level below 1F. From 1F level, you can access level 4F, where you go access security and check in for departure, then you go down to 3F for the departure passport control and the shops and restaurants. Level 3F, where you actually depart from for international flights, has Satellite 4 and Sattellite 5, two wings that have departure gates. (ANA has a lounge in both Satellites 4 and 5.)

It is a little confusing- I am glad I have this map to use for the first time I go there. My map has color coded arrows telling you where to go for domestic connections as well as international. I hope ANA will put this map up on the internet- it would help Carol and others.

simpsonc510

emd
Thanks for all that information. Looks like it will be pretty easy to spend my 5 hours being busy at NRT rather than leaving the airport. I'm a SA gold card holder so I will use that lounge or Red Carpet. Does the brochure say whether either of these lounges have free wireless internet? I always travel with my laptop.

Carol

emd

Carol, you are in luck! Here is what the "Lounges" section says:

"Exclusive Lounges have been provided in Satellites 4 and 5, boasting more than 3000m2 of floor space for you to relax in comfort until departure. Enjoy the massage chairs or take a shower, have some hot food at the Noodle Corner, or enjoy a moment of Japanese tradition at the Sake bar. If you require more privacy, private rooms are available and the whoel space comes w/the convenience of wireless internet access.
Exclusively for Star Alliance Gold members, and ANA first class and business class, and AMC Diamond Platinum and Super Flyers Card holders. First class ANA customers and AMC Daimond members are also invited to use our ANA First Class lounge.

There are also dedicated counters for Star Alliance Gold (as well as the ANA customerss and AMC members listed above) for both check in and baggage drop."

The pictures of the lounge look great, w/nice slatted partitions in between every second or third chair in the lounge (like little pod areas), so you have some privacy screening, unlike the wise open Star Alliance lounge I went to at Narita in April, which was very cramped and no privacy anywhere. This new terminal looks very nice.

Please come back and give us a report on it. I am really looking forward to having this new terminal area on my next trip. The randomness and insanity of departure at Narita has been an ordeal on both of my departures through there. I hope they have dealt w/the huge and totally confusing security lines and "herd of slow moving cattle" that they created at the passport control area of the old departure terminal area.

simpsonc510

emd and others:
I most certainly will report back after I've been through NRT. That report sounds great!
Carol