This is a continuation of my Narita Airport vs KLIA2 review, where the first part was published in May 2019. And I have also done a comparison article review of KLIA2 vs Bangkok Don Mueang.
My mission in doing these airport reviews is to help raise awareness about the state of our airport services, which many travellers take for granted. And by doing so, I hope to provide constructive feedback to the relevant parties - without bias and prejudice.
Narita Airport Review
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| Narita Airport Terminal 2 is simple and functional. |
Narita Airport is the main international airport for Japan, and if you are flying in from around the world into Japan, this is where you will arrive in Tokyo.
Once known as New Tokyo International Airport, it was renamed Narita International Airport to avoid confusion with Haneda International Airport, also known as the Tokyo airport.
If you did not already know, Tokyo Haneda was voted No 2 and was just behind Changi International, which won the world's best airport from Skytrax 2019. View the World's Top 100 Airports of 2019.
While both airports are not the same in terms of aircraft handling, i.e. Narita is a full-service carrier airport while KLIA2 is an LCCT, you may be surprised to know that Narita does, in fact, open up slots for long-haul budget airlines at its Terminal 3.
As was reported in Part 1 of my article, Narita T3 was ranked World's No 2 Best LCCT, which many still need to learn about.
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| The walkway to Terminal 2 and 3 of Narita Airport |
Narita Airport Operating Hours
Narita Airport operates from 6.00 AM till 11.00 PM, with a special allowance of one hour for landing after 11.00 PM for delays and bad weather.
I am sure you are surprised as I am because it is an international airport; I had assumed it would operate 24 hours for flights landing from all over the world.
The main reason for banning flights from 11.00 PM to 6.00 AM is the noise concerns of aircraft flying in and out around the town of Narita.
Considerations have been made numerous times, as the country's international airport should run 24 hours daily.
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| The wide check-in counter area of Terminal 2 |
Narita Airport Passenger Flow Convenience
Built just like any other airport, the passenger flow is perfect and easy to navigate, even if it is your first time there. The main entrance to the check-in counters is very near when you arrive via train, bus or taxi.
For train arrivals to T2 of Narita, you will need to make your way up to level three, where the main departure hall is located, and there are clear and precise signs directing you all the way up.
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| Signages are one of the most important things at airports. |
Honestly, I could not ask for more accessible directions as there was no need to look lost and confused. This is something that the Japanese are very particular about - directions, and they are seen at eye level anywhere you are in the terminal.
Once you have checked in at the counter in Narita, your next move would be to do some last-minute shopping.
After eating and shopping, simply head back down, and you will arrive at the main international departure entrance. It's simple math, where you check in, explore, indulge and go for your flight.
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| Checking in at the Narita Airport |
Checking in At Narita Airport
Whenever I check in at airports out of Kuala Lumpur, I always find the counter staff very helpful and always with a smile, and most importantly, professional in what they do.
Well, on the many times I have flown AirAsia, the counter staff is some of the best around when it comes to checking in. I have heard of complaints, but so far, so good.
Over in Narita, nothing was compromised, as their professional customer service ethics paid in full, and I could not fault them in any way.
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| Shopping at Muji to Go at Narita Airport |
The counter staff maintained a pleasant face throughout my checking-in, even doing the traditional Japanese bowing after handing me my boarding pass.
This will always impress me - the immaculate Japanese hospitality that has been around forever.
I often wonder why this kind of hospitality cannot be emulated by other countries in my own country's airports.
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| Narita Airport Mall at Terminal 2 |
Shopping at the Airport Mall in Narita
When you stand in the middle of terminal two, at the main information counter, you can see everything in one glance, which is very convenient for foreign travellers.
And for me, I saw that the shopping and dining were located on the upper level (Level 4) of the airport.
This made it super easy for me to go up, explore, shop, and have a meal before heading back down to the departure gates.
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| The simple and straightforward shopping area at terminal two |
The selection of shops here, I found it interesting due to a simplified layout and also a special section where it was dedicated to purely Japanese arts and crafts, which appeals to most tourists before leaving Japan.
The concept of having smaller stores or kiosks meant that they only needed minimal manpower to manage and operate.
Unlike KLIA2, there are many larger stores where two or more staff are employed. And when things are quiet, staff being staff, tend to talk to each other out of boredom, creating a very laid back and unprofessional image.
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| How can one go wrong at any Japanese 7-11 store? |
For dining or quick meals at Narita Airport, having fast food, a convenience store, and a proper restaurant in one area makes total sense. You can go straight to the restaurant for a solid sit-down meal if you have time.
And if you are on the go, you can either get some fast food or visit the convenience store to grab some bites and drinks. I never looked deeper at the food and beverage layout, but seeing how the Japanese simplified it, made total sense.
However, at KLIA2, it is convenient, with too many choices. And the problem is that because there are too many, they are spaced out everywhere. This means there are about ten restaurants and cafes at the main departures terminal.
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| An example of a practical pharmacy is at Narita Airport. |
And over at KL Gateway Mall, another 20 restaurants, cafes, and fast food spread all over the mall. This makes it difficult and quite a waste of time to walk around.
If you look at these logistics, it only contributes a little to the food and beverage retailers inside the airport boarding areas.
Why? Because passengers have spent time walking around the mall, leaving only enough time to rush to the boarding gate.
Also, because some of the gates are located so far away, passengers will not have time to browse around the duty-free areas, leaving these shops with less business.
Honestly, how often have you experienced rushing to your gate only to bypass all the stores along the way?
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| The shops along the boarding gate area of Narita. |
Boarding Gate Areas at Narita Airport
Another thing I love about international airports is the journey to the boarding gates area; this is where you can spend all your remaining foreign currencies.
This means that most airports I have visited have a wide boarding area walkway.
The journey to the boarding gates is a breeze; you just need to follow the large, conveniently placed signs. Every corner you take, you will surely see signages that point you in the right direction.
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| The duty-free shops along the way to your boarding gate |
At the start, you will enter the duty-free zone, where stores line both sides of the walkways, which I found to be narrower and lovely for two-way traffic flow.
Travelators or moving walkways are conveniently placed all the way to the end of the gates and are not too long.
The stores are found all the way to the gates, making the walk not tiring as the human eye would be glancing to see if there is something of interest along the walk.
Along my journey to the boarding gate, I found all kinds of shops, from souvenirs to apparel and cafes to coffee shops, which are all high quality.
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| One of the attractive duty-free shops on route to the boarding area |
They usually don't cost an arm and a leg; hence, this was for the passenger's convenience to quickly shop and move along.
Sadly at KLIA2 in Malaysia, they tried to adapt this concept, but the overall boarding gate area was too narrow.
When you get further, there are no more shops, as they are all concentrated at the beginning of the gate areas, with low-quality stores, making the airport look bad.
Again, over at KLIA2, if you have already walked around the KL Gateway Mall, you would have limited time to explore the duty-free area.
The only thing on your mind is to reach the boarding gate area, so you will not miss your flight. This is a common occurrence among many travellers at KLIA2.
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| Just take a look at the KLIA2 walkways. It feels very empty and cold. |
Final thoughts on Part 2 of my Narita Airport vs KLIA2 Review
As mentioned earlier in this article, what I write here is my own views based on my experience flying in and out of KLIA2. They are without bias and prejudice and hopefully will be noticed by the respective authorities.
If you are interested in airports and aviation, I have also done many other airport articles and reviews from Malaysia and Asia.
If you are interested in airports and aviation, I have also done many other airport articles and reviews from Malaysia and Asia.
In this series's next and final part, I will discuss Narita T3, rated the World's 2nd Best LCCT by Skytrax. If you have any comments or feedback, I would love to hear them below.