This is a continuation of my Narita Airport vs KLIA2 review, the first part of which was published in May 2019. I have also done a comparison article review of KLIA2 vs. Bangkok Don Mueang.

My mission in conducting these airport reviews is to help raise awareness about the state of our airport services, which many travellers take for granted. By doing so, I hope to provide constructive feedback to the relevant parties without bias and prejudice.

Narita Airport Review

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 know, Tokyo Haneda was voted No.2 and 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 differ regarding aircraft handling, Narita is a full-service carrier airport. At the same time, KLIA2 is an LCCT; you may be surprised that Narita opens up slots for long-haul budget airlines at its Terminal 3.

As was reported in Part 1 of my article, Narita T3 was ranked the World’s No. 2 Best LCCT, which many still need to learn about.

Narita Airport Operating Hours

Narita Airport operates from 6 AM to 11 PM, with a special allowance of one hour for landing after 11 PM for delays and bad weather. I am sure you are as surprised as I am because it is an international airport; I had assumed it would operate 24 hours for flights landing worldwide.

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.

Narita Airport Passenger Flow Convenience 

Built 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 by 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 clear and precise signs are directing you up.

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, head 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.

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.

The counter staff maintained a pleasant face throughout my checking-in, even doing the traditional Japanese bowing after handing me my boarding pass.

I will always be impressed by the immaculate Japanese hospitality that has existed forever. I often wonder why other countries cannot emulate this kind of hospitality in my own country’s airports.

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.

I saw that the shopping and dining were located on the airport’s upper level (Level 4). This made it super easy for me to go up, explore, shop, and have a meal before returning to the departure gates.

The selection of shops here is interesting due to a simplified layout and also a special section 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, many larger stores employ two or more staff. When things are quiet, staff tend to talk to each other out of boredom, creating a very laid-back and unprofessional image.

Having fast food, a convenience store, and a proper restaurant in one area makes total sense for dining or quick meals at Narita Airport. If you have time, you can go straight to the restaurant for a solid sit-down meal.

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, KLIA2 is convenient, with too many choices. The problem is that because there are too many, they are spaced out everywhere. This means about ten restaurants and cafes are at the main departure terminal.

At KL Gateway Mall, another 20 restaurants, cafes, and fast food outlets are spread throughout the mall. This makes it difficult and quite a waste of time to walk around. If you look at these logistics, they contribute only 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 so far away, passengers will not have time to browse the duty-free areas, leaving these shops with less business.

How often have you experienced rushing to your gate only to bypass all the stores along the way?

Boarding Gate Areas at Narita Airport

Another thing I love about international airports is the journey to the boarding gate area, 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 must follow the large, conveniently placed signs. Every corner you take will have signage pointing you in the right direction.

At the start, you will enter the duty-free zone, where stores line both sides of the walkways. I found these to be narrower and lovely for two-way traffic flow. Travelators or moving walkways are conveniently placed at the end of the gates and are not too long.

The stores are close 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 way. Along my journey to the boarding gate, I found all kinds of high-quality shops, from souvenirs to apparel and cafes to coffee shops.

They usually don’t cost an arm and a leg; hence, this was for the passenger’s convenience so that they could 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.

Conclusion

As mentioned earlier in this article, I write 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. Thanks again for reading my Narita Airport vs KLIA2 review, and I hope you enjoyed it.

If you are interested in airports and aviation, I have also written 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 second-best LCCT by Skytrax. If you have any comments or feedback, I would love to hear them below.