Narita Airport- How early should I arrive?
 

I am flying from Narita Airport to London on a plane which departs just after 10am local time. I intend on spending the night beforehand in Tokyo.

The Lonely Planet Japan guide book recommends that for Narita Airport, one leaves at least 4 hours before the flight (which to me sounds like I should plan to arrive at the airport 4 hours before departure, rather than leaving my accommodation 4 hours beforehand).

Either way, this sounds so excessive that I'd appreciate hearing from those who have made a similar journey who may be able to give me a more realistic time frame in which to arrive at Narita Airport from Tokyo! In case it makes a difference, I will be checking-in online.

Thanks :)

45 minutes should be fine (I'd probably do 30). If you're checking a bag, you might want to allow 60 minutes.

For an economy class check-in, I aim to arrive at the airport 2 hours before scheduled departure time. Some people cut it finer than that.

30 minutes seems too tight to me - I think some airlines wouldn't even allow you to check in that late.

I usually aim for two hours. Check in and security at Narita are pretty efficient, after checking in, I usually enjoy one last meal of authentic Japanese food or perhaps buy some gifts for the people back home before going through security. It all depends on whether I have a small amount of yen left over (in which case I try to spend as much as possible) or a lot (in which case I change all of it back into dollars before going through security).

Agree with 2 hours.

For T1:
10min train platform up to check-in.
up to ~25min check-in.
5~25min security then passport
up to ~10min to gate

So I'd say minimum 80min before departure. Longer if you want to make certain you have overhead bin or if you don't want to rush. 2hr is comfortable and allows a bit of time for last-minute shopping.

Departure time from hotel depends on how you are getting to NRT. If using the Narita Express train, plan at least an hour in transit. For the limousine bus, a little more. If the hotel is not near a major station or isn't a pickup point for the bus, allow more time to get there. Then, 2 hours at the airport to find the right check-in counter, pass through the queue, check bags (if any,) do last minute shopping (if any,) clear security and make the way out to the gate early enough to meet airline minimums.

All of that could add up to close to 4 hours, so I suspect Lonely Planet was figuring the time from hotel check-out to arrival at the gate at least 45 minutes before flight time, which is what most international airlines require for economy passengers.

I usually try to arrive at the airport an hour before my flight. I think 1 1/2 hours is about the right time for most people (more if you're a worrier). Work you're way backward based on the train or bus schedule. You'll probably need to leave your hotel about 3 hours before your flight.

I once arrived at Narita an hour before my flight and got hit by a DHL truck as I was driving through the parking lot. Called the police, ambulance, insurance company, car dealer, and tow truck. Then waited for the tow truck to arrive. Still made my flight.

I agree with those saying 60-90 minutes before departure, perhaps two hours if you're flying during a long holiday.

30-45 minutes is cutting it too short for comfort, in my opinion -- and I usually have priority security and emigration access departing NRT so I wouldn't get caught up in the usual queues there. 30-45 minutes is especially tight if your flight is departing from the 40s gates, which take some time to get to.

That's poor advice, depending on the airline. For example, United has a 60-minute cutoff at NRT for both checked bags and check-in. And, that's being at the front of the line and being checked in with the bag tag printed by the computer by 60 minutes sharp before departure. You may be able to make that deadline if your train arrived 75 minutes before departure and there's no line at the check-in counter, but there's no margin for error.

I think targeting an airport arrival no later than 2 hours before departure is sensible. This strikes a balance between not having a lot of extra time at the airport yet still having time to deal with unexpected things that might happen (long line at check-in, delayed bus, or whatever).

The guide book probably factored in the transit time from Tokyo to Narita in the 4 hour figure.

I, too, aim to arrive at the airport 2 hours before the departure time. Less if you can OLCI and bypass the check-in queue. As an aside, what airlines operating in Narita support OLCI?

In the past, I have seen UA Y check in agents holding up signs with flight numbers that are close to departure time. If you are on one of those flights, the check in agent will lead you to the front of the queue.

I think so too. Actually 4 hours leaving Tokyo is probably playing it really safe. I think I left about 3.5 hours from the hotel, and when I got to the airport the check in counter was not even open!

I did also see line agent (different airline) holding up sign with flight number.

I usually like to arrive around 2 hours before an international flight (Haneda, Narita, Kansai, etc) not including the 1-2 hours it takes me to get to the airport. Which as mentioned is what the travel guide is also factoring in.

You must have been at the wrong airline counter. Airline counters tend to open 4 hours before flights at NRT, and sometimes they are open all day if there are multiple flights by that airline.

UA does. Actually, it supports not only OLCI, but mobile boarding pass on your smartphone. KIX does as well.

That's true, but I think it's poor form and discourteous to your fellow travelers to rely on this. What makes you so special that you shouldn't have to wait in whatever line is designated for your situation, and push all of the others in that line back a spot?

The OP did say he would have already checked in online, so there's no check-in constraint. I've found Japanese airports to have the most efficient check-in and security procedures of any country's airports and gate agents tend to be very tolerant of late arrivals. I've checked in at T-15 for domestic flights without any problems.

I recognize I'm more aggressive than most, but many posters have suggested two hours to have time to shop in the airport, relax, have a final meal, and exchange currency. I, and I suspect many others, don't want to do any of those things in the airport and would prefer to spend as little extra time in airports as possible, so a schedule built to allow time for those things isn't really relevant. And even when security is at the gate, I've never known any airline to require you to be at the gate anywhere near 45 minutes before departure. I've never understood how folks religiously adhere to suggestions to arrive two hours before a flight without noticing that they then spend 90 minutes just sitting around in the airport before each flight.