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-   -   Record Time Exiting Narita (https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/japan/1473701-record-time-exiting-narita.html)

evergrn Jun 13, 2013 1:07 am


Originally Posted by 5khours (Post 20912518)
Door open 8:12am.

Gate to Immigration 6:53
Immigration 36 sec
Immigration to customs 15 sec
Customs 11 sec
Customs to curb 21 sec

15sec from immigration to customs? Just going downstairs to the baggage claim level alone is >10sec. Were you sprinting?!

We usually arrive in T1 and from gate 40's, it's:
Gate to passport control 7min
Passport control 5min (cut to front of line due to small kids)
Passport to carrousel 1-3min
Bags 10min
Customs 0.5-2min
Customs to ATM 2min
ATM 1min
ATM to train station 5min
Buy train tickets 2min
Down to platform 2min
TOTAL 35~40min

If I were on my own with no checked bags and no immigration wait, no ATM stop, I suppose I could do gate to train platform in 20min.

jib71 Jun 13, 2013 1:27 am


Originally Posted by evergrn (Post 20914104)
Were you sprinting?!

I've seen him to it. It's more parkour than sprint. Very entertaining.

gnaget Jun 13, 2013 1:34 am


Originally Posted by 5khours (Post 20912518)
Door open 8:12am.

From Gate 42 to curb..... 8 min 17 sec

Gate to Immigration 6:53
Immigration 36 sec
Immigration to customs 15 sec
Customs 11 sec
Customs to curb 21 sec

In theory, sub 3 minutes should be possible from gate 31/32.

Talk about OCD :rolleyes:

Ok, you're on. I'll see what I can do next week. However, it's uncharted territory for me arriving ANA at 15:00ish from MUC. Maybe I should change to LX so that I can get a head start from gate 35.

But I am guessing that you are a resident so that is faster. Their lousy machines can't read my fingerprints (no, I am not a longshoreman) so they try twice; eats up some time.

cardesigner2000 Jun 13, 2013 1:43 am


Originally Posted by Frederik123 (Post 20907748)
On my last flight I arrived at NRT at around 3PM at end of May and I ended up waiting more then 35 min.
To see how quick it can be on other times/dates makes me a bit jealous.

I'm jealous too. We were first off the plane on our MH flight arriving 7am at NRT and ran into long lines for Japanese and Foreigners, but only 10 or so pax in line for resident foreigners. Great we thought, but officer was painfully slow and it took well over 30 min at 3-5 minutes per person :( No need to wait for our luggage at least... There were still massive lines for foreigners. Maybe lots of SE Asia flights arriving at that time which might be handled differently than American or European flights.

5khours Jun 13, 2013 3:54 am


Originally Posted by evergrn (Post 20914104)
15sec from immigration to customs? Just going downstairs to the baggage claim level alone is >10sec. Were you sprinting?!

We usually arrive in T1 and from gate 40's, it's:
Gate to passport control 7min
Passport control 5min (cut to front of line due to small kids)
Passport to carrousel 1-3min
Bags 10min
Customs 0.5-2min
Customs to ATM 2min
ATM 1min
ATM to train station 5min
Buy train tickets 2min
Down to platform 2min
TOTAL 35~40min

If I were on my own with no checked bags and no immigration wait, no ATM stop, I suppose I could do gate to train platform in 20min.

Walking briskly. No checked bags. There was not a single pax in either immigration or the baggage/customs hall. Immigration to customs surprised me too, but the lap timer on the iPhone stopwatch doesn't lie and Customs is basically right at the bottom of the stairs. Also I was heading to the curb not the train station.

gnaget - Non-resident! You'll have a tough time at 3pm.... and no running.

armagebedar Jun 13, 2013 6:51 pm

I'm a resident and use the "automated" gates, but I find that it's just as slow as the regular line, especially if you get someone ahead of you who doesn't know how to use the system (or is not eligible and is just called by the immigration agent).

5khours Jun 13, 2013 10:45 pm


Originally Posted by armagebedar (Post 20919565)
I'm a resident and use the "automated" gates, but I find that it's just as slow as the regular line, especially if you get someone ahead of you who doesn't know how to use the system (or is not eligible and is just called by the immigration agent).

Used to be a resident and used the gates. Quicker going out. Slower coming in.

gnaget Jun 20, 2013 3:52 am


Originally Posted by 5khours (Post 20914470)
Walking briskly. No checked bags. There was not a single pax in either immigration or the baggage/customs hall. Immigration to customs surprised me too, but the lap timer on the iPhone stopwatch doesn't lie and Customs is basically right at the bottom of the stairs. Also I was heading to the curb not the train station.

gnaget - Non-resident! You'll have a tough time at 3pm.... and no running.

I didn't rush at all. I think that I walked down one escalator; the other was blocked by other people. I got a good gate with ANA: 52. So it was close to immigration.

It was 29 past (15:29) when I walked off the plane and I exited customs at 38, so 9 minutes. I had about 20 people in line at immigration. Then I made the NEX at 44 past. I couldn't get a SUICA-NEX again unless I wanted to wait 30 min. There were these painfully slow people at the manned counter, I think Chinese tourists, even though only 3 or 4 people in line for 2 agents.

5khours Jun 20, 2013 5:33 am


Originally Posted by gnaget (Post 20956596)
I didn't rush at all. I think that I walked down one escalator; the other was blocked by other people. I got a good gate with ANA: 52. So it was close to immigration.

It was 29 past (15:29) when I walked off the plane and I exited customs at 38, so 9 minutes. I had about 20 people in line at immigration. Then I made the NEX at 44 past. I couldn't get a SUICA-NEX again unless I wanted to wait 30 min. There were these painfully slow people at the manned counter, I think Chinese tourists, even though only 3 or 4 people in line for 2 agents.

Nice try. Sub 4 minutes from gate to curb is the target with no running.

5khours Jul 8, 2013 6:27 pm

4 minutes 8 seconds from aircraft to curb this morning.

ainternational Jul 8, 2013 11:08 pm


Originally Posted by 5khours (Post 21063604)
4 minutes 8 seconds from aircraft to curb this morning.

Impressive. F and what gate? No lines I take it... Which flight, or what time?

milepig Jul 8, 2013 11:41 pm


Originally Posted by milepig (Post 20884377)
I'd appreciate advice on my upcoming NRT passage.

I arrive at T1 at 4:00pm and Mrs. Milepig arrives at T2 at 4:40. (Using miles, enough said!)

We'll be checking at least one bag and it doesn't matter which one does so. We'll both be in premium cabins.

My basic plan is to:

I arrive at T1 and [collect bag if I've checked it]
I take the shuttle to T2
If enough before 4:40 I can get our N'EX/Suica tickets while I'm waiting for her, and hit up the Citibank for cash.
But - I won't know for sure which train to book on until I see her smiling face, so I'm thinking I should wait for her arrival to buy the tickets??

Realistically, how long will it take me to deplane, collect the bag and make my way to T2, and would it work out better - timing-wise - for Mrs. Milepig to check the bag?


Originally Posted by 5khours (Post 20884440)
Your plan is a good one. The amount of time depends primarily on immigration lines and whether you have priority tags. I think 35 to 40 minutes from plane to T2 would be pretty typical.

Closing the loop.

I was another "out of T1 in minutes" person. Landed, short taxi to gate, nice close in gate. No line at immigration, bag out in just a couple minutes, no line at customs. Waited maybe 2 minutes for a shuttle to T2.

At this point is was about 4:00pm, checked the monitor and Mrs. Milepig was arriving at 4:30. Found the Citibank ATM, and went to the travel center to buy the N'EX/Suica with a 5:19 departure, and also the Shinkansen tickets for Kyoto a couple days later. No line at the ticket office either. Back upstairs by 4:20 and the board said arriving. Great. Perfect. Score.

...Then I waited, and waited, and waited. Finally at 5:15 the board said "in customs" and Mrs. Milepig arrived at 5:20, missing the N'EX by minutes. Turns out they had what she described as a complete tour of the NRT taxiways for 30 minutes after landing.

Back the the Travel Center, where the line was now out the door, but I remembered the little ticket office next to the N'EX entrance. There I was pleased to find that they'd allow me to change the ticket to the 5:45ish at no charge, and we were good to go.

5khours Jul 9, 2013 8:10 am


Originally Posted by ainternational (Post 21064743)
Impressive. F and what gate? No lines I take it... Which flight, or what time?

Perfect conditions, F, closest gate (31), no checked bags, and the first flight in of the morning. No other pax whatsoever at either immigration or customs. I suspect 4 minutes is about the limit without running.

woodway Jul 15, 2013 2:03 pm


Originally Posted by 5khours (Post 21066446)
Perfect conditions, F, closest gate (31), no checked bags, and the first flight in of the morning. No other pax whatsoever at either immigration or customs. I suspect 4 minutes is about the limit without running.

I was the first one off my flight yesterday, T1 Gate 32, up and down the stairs, first person into immigration, no checked bags, quick passport check in customs and out the door. I did not time it specifically, but I had to be close to this mark. Quickest I've ever been through the process.

gnaget Jul 24, 2013 11:45 pm

Today. LH 714 from MUC. Gate 46 so as far from customs as possible. First clock showed 11:01. I was in F so had an escort, so didn't rush, stood on all the escalators. Immigration empty. Exited at 11:08 and took the 11:14 NEX. Even though NRT was desolate, somehow there was a line at JR, so I had to use the machine and not get Suica/NEX.

BTW, does JR have demand based pricing or something? Today it was 3310. Last time 2910. Sometimes 3110. Why does the price vary?

Also, is there actually a JR counter on level 1? I imagine that the queues would be even worse there than in the basement but maybe not today when the hall was empty.


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