Join Date: Nov 2013
Location: NYC / TYO / Up in the Air
Programs: UA GS 1.7MM, AA 2.1MM, EK, BA, SQ, CX, Marriot LT, Accor P
Posts: 6,450
Consolidated Japan Customs & Immigation Discussion (was Extremely long wait times...)
All - just wanted to give you a heads up on some really unusual wait times at NRT and HND lately. I fly in and out of Tokyo (both airports) about 8 times per month - I arrived yesterday around 3pm and the lines were unlike anything I had ever seen. Although this is a holiday week in China and there were lots of tourists the lines were excessive - literally backed up back into the terminals! There were lines set up - just to get into the lines in the immigration lines!
I attached a pic to show you the conditions... Also, HND was just as bad this week - not sure what is going on - even the lines to get out of baggage claim were so backed up that you couldn't walk past the carousels. It seems they are being much more careful with immigration lately. Typically is takes me about 20 minutes from deplaning to leaving baggage claim - yesterday it took me almost two hours... In the last 6 six years of being here I have never seen it like this - never.
Hopefully it is just people on holiday - just wanted to give people a heads up...