With almost 73 million passengers flying through Tokyo Haneda International Airport, bridging the gap between Tokyo and the rest of Asia, as well as select destinations in Europe, North America and Australia, some travellers might be too busy to even notice the great service provided by this particular airport. If you’ve been there before, you’re probably hoping that your future travels will take you back to the hub, and if you haven’t been but are making a stop there in your next flight out, you are in for a treat.
Making it on both the ‘Best Airports in the World’ and ‘Best Airports in Asia’ lists, annual surveys conducted by Sleeping in Airports, HND is without a doubt one of the best places to hang around at, whether it’s during a layover, a flight delay, or generally when you’ve got some time to kill before boarding. It’s rare that a busy passenger hub like Tokyo Haneda rises to the top of charts like the aforementioned SiA survey, particularly because busy airports tend to receive a lot of flack for not having enough amenities and features to address the high passenger traffic.
London Heathrow, another busy airport in the world in terms of airline operations as well as having more diverse and extensive parking alternatives than most airports, according to parkingaccess.com, didn’t even make it in the top 30 best airports in the world despite housing a number of celebrity chef-run restaurants. Only one other busy hub made it to the top 10 best airports list, and that was Hong Kong International Airport.
So what is it exactly about HND that spurred such positive feedback and favourable opinions? Tokyo, and Japan at large, is well known for being tidy, efficient and modern in all aspects of life, which is clearly reflected in Haneda Airport. Although the capital is serviced by two aviation hubs, the other being the less busy Narita, HND is still the preferred choice because of its proximity to the city centre by public transport.
While it may not be as exciting as Singapore’s Changi International Airport with a four-storey slide in the middle of the terminal, the amazing selection of quality food and boutiques are enough to make up for the lack of fun amenities. An airport is a place where people have to deal with the stress of immigration, foreign exchange and whatnot, but a good passenger hub like Haneda has a number of features to counteract the anxiety and contribute to a traveller’s pleasant airport experience.
The airport hotels add on to the stress-free experience for both humans and animals alike, with there also being a Pet Hotel on site . And for those that are on a limited budget, there’s a budget capsule hotel as well as comfortable seating all around, all in an environment quiet enough to catch up on some z’s. Other than the myriad of sleeping arrangements, passengers can also enjoy 24 hours food concessions, massage services, children’s play areas, a pharmacy and an observation deck for the best views of the moon.
Have you visited Haneda Airport recently? Share your experience below in the comments box!
