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Passengers will check in by class, not by airline in Tokyo Narita’s new South Wing |
JAPAN. United Airlines, a founding member of the Star Alliance, is moving today with its Star Alliance partners into the new South Wing of Tokyo’s Narita Airport Terminal One. Last week The Moodie Report travelled to the opening of the new terminal, which features the Narita Nakamise mall – Japan’s biggest duty free airport shopping complex to date.
The new south wing facility is Star Alliance’s largest co-location project and the global alliance’s most ambitious project yet, said United. “The new operation will also significantly enhance Tokyo’s competitiveness as one of the region’s premier aviation transport hubs.
“We are pleased to join our Star Alliance partners in consolidating our airport operations under one roof to better serve our global customers,” said United Airlines President, Chairman and CEO Glenn F. Tilton. “The Narita airport complex embodies a vision of international aviation in which Star members work together to improve efficiency and better serve our customers.”
United’s customers will benefit from significantly reduced connection times between Star Alliance domestic and international flights, a choice of six departure lounges, new state-of-the-art baggage screening technology that will cut down passenger waiting time, a priority security lane for premium passengers, plus world-class shopping and restaurant options.
The spacious and bright terminal has been designed with the industry’s first zonal check-in area, which serves customers by class of travel and not by individual airline.
The terminal will also offer the latest technological advances including 126 common use self-service units featuring United EasyCheck-In software. Passengers arriving at Narita by car or bus can also use Japan’s first-ever kerbside self-service check-in units.
The new terminal now has five connecting satellite concourses, and United will continue to operate from satellites 3 and 4 in the new 210,000sq m facility.
United currently serves about 5,500 passengers each day at Narita Airport, with flights arriving and departing from six cities in the US as well as intra-Asia cities Bangkok, Hong Kong, Singapore, Seoul and Taipei. Japan is United’s largest market in the Asia Pacific region, accounting for half of the airline’s capacity in Asia. Nearly 25% of United’s worldwide capacity is committed to the Asia Pacific region.
