s0ssos

I'm never flying into KIX again. Last time they gave me grief about my accomodation (full address,etc) and actually checked my bag. I've flown through Tokyo a dozen times in the past and never had issues (and you can write whatever on accomodation, like "cousin's place". They don't care).

I talked to my friend who also frequently goes to Japan.

I see no reason to fly to KIX. Worse international flights, horrible immigration/customs, bad connection to the city (might as well take shinkansen from Tokyo to Kyoto)

abmj-jr

I love arriving/departing at KIX. Fast, easy to navigate. Never had any problems at all.

I guess we all have our opinions.

s0ssos

How is it fast? Less passengers than Tokyo's airports and less efficient, so when there are many flights departure it is as slow as can be.

abmj-jr

That has simply not been my experience. Perhaps you arrived on a bad day.

BH62

Agree. IME, entry/exit at KIX has been fine.

Beltway2A

That seems like an overreaction to me. A destination in Kansai seems like a perfectly good reason to fly to KIX. The only reasons I can imagine to fly to Tokyo and take the train would be award availability, or wanting F on the 77W.

WorldLux

You do realize that is exactly what they are for: Check arriving passengers. I'm not going into the merits as I don't know how they behaved and if you did something wrong (e.g. filling out the form improperly).

I've been giving a hard time by immigration officers and customs officers. If I stopped traveling to those countries, I wouldn't be traveling much these days.

Maybe you just looked guilty. A family member manages to get stopped every single time by customs. Maybe you were just the 1 in X00 that gets selected for more thorough screening. Maybe the IO just had a bad day. Knowing the Japanese, I doubt that any of this happened on purpose.

mapleg

Well, you are actually supposed to write down the address of your accommodations, not just scribble XX hotel. And yes, they can check your bag. Coincidentally, for me also it has been at KIX that I got a more thorough going over.

But I do agree with you on one thing...immigration at KIX can be very slow at certain times of the day (with multiple planes arriving from China, for example)

beep88

I've had bags searched at FUK, KIX. Never in NRT/HND.

Single male, arriving from certain countries/territories = more likely to be searched

I always wrote down only the hotel name, no address. Been through FUK, KIX, NGO, HND, NRT.

s0ssos

Ah, so there is corroboration that they search bags in KIX whereas they don't in HND/NRT. So definitely not flying into KIX again.

And I don't see a reason to fly out, especially if you want lounge access.
KIX is also not close to Osaka or Kyoto. Nor is there cheap public transit to/from there.

evergrn

I've not had the nagative experiences at KIX that you describe. However, the issue of long immigration queues from time to time at KIX has been well-documented especially over the past couple of years. I'm surprised that they made you write out hotel addresses. I don't think I've ever done that, whether KIX or TYO. On the other hand, if you're staying at a family/friend's place, you do need to write out the address.

You're wrong on the public transport bit. It's only ~1500yen by Nankai Rapid express to Nanba, a bit more by Haruka to ShinOsaka... both take <1hour. Limo Bus from KIX to Umeda is cheaper and faster than the one from NRT to most places in Tokyo.

How can you say you're not using KIX again ever, just cuz they searched your bags and made your write out the hotel address? If you don't like bag searches, are you going to boycott US airports? If you're going to Osaka and see similar prices for flights to TYO and KIX, are you seriously going to choose TYO? I doubt it. All things considered, there's no major difference between NRT and KIX... high level of staff professionalism at both airports. I think you're just being emotional here. I've dealt with 2hrs of total chaos at Joburg's immigration, with people cutting lines, rude unprofessional officers. Even then, I'm never gonna say I'm not flying through there again.

s0ssos

At Tokyo I wrote out "cousin's place". So no, I do not need to do that in Tokyo.

Narita has the cheap shuttle busses, 1,000 yen to Tokyo station (or Ginza). Haneda has monorail.

You don't have options for Jo'burg. You do have options for Tokyo or KIX. Just like flying into California you have options, SFO (and now SJC) or LAX. And SFO and LAX are more equal, KIX is definitely inferior in terms of amenities at the airport compared to the Tokyo ones. And I would definitely choose to fly into SFO before vs LAX, and then do a domestic leg if I were going to southern California, because LAX was horrendous. But LAX is improving, and I have Global Entry, so it isn't too bad anymore.

And I'm never going to Osaka. I'm either going to Kyoto or Tokyo. Cause I don't go to Japan for business.

Aventine

For me, it's the incoming arrivals and security check departing lines that are both horrible.

mapleg

Huh? A couple of people said they got bags searched at KIX and that's your conclusion? They have looked through by bag at NRT as well.


KIX to Namba-Nankai Airport Express-920 yen.

None of my trips to Japan are for business. That does not mean Tokyo and Kyoto are the only 2 places I head to.

mrploddy

You sure you don't have some dodgy stamps in your passport ?.

I got a right going over for a few trips after a short there and back trip to China. Seemed to have raised a red flag - young male going to China and back to Japan.

Then it died away...

In any case KIX is MUCH preferred to NRT. Why schlep out to such an airport when you have the beauty of KIX.