Tokyo Haneda Airport (HND) Flights & Information

Tokyo Haneda is one of the smoothest airports in the world to fly through, and one of the more convenient too. Of course it helps that Japan is known for its efficiency, service culture, and being allergic to any kind of delay. It’s also because the airport is mere minutes from Tokyo itself, unlike Narita where most international service used to be concentrated.

Nowadays Haneda has more service than ever on long-haul. And its international terminal is a delight – with lots of natural light, a charming Edo-period themed shopping area and a calming atmosphere throughout.

Terminal layout & finding your way around

Haneda has three terminals. The two older terminals (1 and 2) handle domestic flights and are located close to each other, while the new Terminal 3 is for international flights. This makes it pretty easy and straightforward to navigate.

Transferring between terminals

For getting between terminals at Haneda you have many options: there’s a free bus, or you can hop on the Monorail or Keikyu Line train. If you’re moving between T1 and T2 there’s also an underground walkway. It’s a quick walk.

If you're arriving from an international flight and transferring to domestic in a different terminal, keep in mind that you will need to go through customs and exit the secure area before switching terminals. I would recommend allowing plenty of time for that transfer.

Airlines & destinations

While Haneda used to be a domestic airport primarily, international service here has boomed in recent years. Nowadays you can get to just about any big city in Asia and most major European, Gulf and North American city as well, on a mix of local and foreign airlines.

On the domestic side the majority of service is provided by JAL at Terminal 1 and ANA at Terminal 2. That applies to domestic flights only. All JAL and ANA international flights depart from Terminal 3 (including all other foreign carriers).

For domestic you’ll also find smaller carriers Skymark and Starflyer (T1), and Air Do and Solaseed Air (T2) operating to destinations around Japan.

You can also get around Asia from Haneda on a long list of low cost airlines. Those include Air Asia X (Kuala Lumpur), HK Express (Hong Kong), and Tiger Air (Taipei). Note that Japanese low-cost airline Peach also flies internationally from Haneda to a handful of Asian cities.

Security

Security tends to be efficient and courteous, and I’ve never had to wait more than a few minutes to get through at any terminal. Of course it’s possible that things get crowded at peak times of day and/or year and things get backed up, but rest assured staff will invariably be doing everything they can to minimize wait and hassle. That’s one thing I really love about Japan.

Shopping

There’s plenty of nice shopping to be done airside (past security) at Haneda but my favorite spot to do a bit of shopping is at the Edo-koji on the upper level of Terminal 3. It’s done up in a samurai-era style and it’s a very pleasant place to look for souvenirs and other goodies. But keep in mind it is located before you head through security and immigration.

Lounges

Haneda has a lot of lounge options. Most of them are for home carriers JAL and ANA, but there’s plenty more besides too.

Terminal 3 is home to very nice JAL and ANA international lounges, plus a Cathay Pacific lounge and a Delta lounge. There are also some pay-per-use lounges that participate in Priority Pass, including the TIAT Lounge and Sky Lounge.

Terminals 1 and 2 have JAL and ANA lounges respectively for domestic customers, as well as contract lounges. Note though that Priority Pass won’t get you into any of these (it only works in Terminal 3). The good news is if you’re really in need of one, the day pass cost is pretty low.

Getting to and from Haneda

As this is Tokyo it will come as no surprise that getting to and from Haneda Airport is going to be efficient and quick with very little chance of anything like a train delay. However Japanese public transport, while excellent, can get confusing. Multiple train and metro operators, densely packed transport maps and a dizzying array of bus options all conspire to make things more complex than they sometimes need to be.

However if you get yourself a good app to look up transport options (I recommend Navitime) and an IC card (Suica/Pasmo/Icoca) which you can load money on and tap at just about any entry barrier in the country (and to buy things all over as well), you’ll be good to go.

Taxi

While a taxi from the more distant Narita Airport can be eye-wateringly expensive, Haneda is situated much closer to central Tokyo so it’s relatively more affordable. However it’s still expensive. If you haven’t experienced the automatic-opening doors, white lace seat coverings and immaculately dressed drivers complete with white gloves in a Japanese taxi, it is a great travel experience in itself.

That being said I would almost always opt for public transport to and from Haneda given that it’s quick, efficient and much cheaper. Unless I have heavy luggage or am in a place that would mean multiple train connections, it’s hard to justify.

A note about Uber

Uber is available in Japan but unlike in many places it isn’t particularly superior, or really any cheaper, compared to regular taxis. You’ll often wait longer for an Uber as well. For that reason I generally don’t bother with it, although if you’re in the city and looking to get to the airport, and there are no taxis around, it can be a handy way to call one.

Train

Haneda is connected to Tokyo by two rail lines, the Keikyu Line and the Tokyo Monorail. Both make stops at stations serving the different Haneda terminals, and they take about 13 minutes to reach their final stop in Tokyo. Which one to take simply depends in where you’re eventually heading, because in most cases you’ll need to connect to another train or metro line to get where you’re going.

The Keikyu Line will take you up to Shinagawa, or out west toward Yokohama, while the Monorail will leave you at Hamamatsucho. In both cases there are plenty of onward connections to other lines that can take you just about anywhere in the greater Tokyo area. And on a personal note I happen to love the Monorail which feels very old-school Japan and is just a unique experience overall.

Tip: using an app like Navitime (a.k.a. Japan Travel) to plan your routes can come in really handy whether you’re just in Tokyo for a short stay or traveling all over Japan. You can even search for results based on the type of rail pass you have, if you’ve purchased one.

Bus

Haneda has many buses serving major destinations around Tokyo as well as dozens of other spots around the Kanto region and even further beyond. The Haneda Airport website has a good list of them.

Tip: if you’re planning to take the bullet train out further afield, the airport bus direct to Tokyo Station (which takes about a half hour) could be your best bet, especially if you have luggage.

Getting to Narita Airport

If you’re in the unfortunate position of having to make a connection between Haneda and Narita Airport, fear not. It’ll take time but there’s a convenient direct “Limousine Bus” that does the route frequently throughout the day. You should count on spending two hours in transit, however, so be sure to allow plenty of time in between flights!

Things to do during a layover

If you have a short layover and don’t want to leave the airport grounds I recommend spending time on the observation deck. Each terminal has one! You’ll also find vending machines for quick and easy refreshments.

But if you have more than 5 hours or so it’s definitely worth considering a trip right into Tokyo, where you’ll find just about anything you could imagine. Considering the quick and affordable transit times, it’s well worth it if you have some energy.

Airport hotels

Terminal 3 has three hotel options connected to the terminal. All are expensive but certainly convenient. The Royal Park is a more basic offering with small rooms, while the Villa Fontaine, which is split into its standard “Grand” and more upscale “Premier” offer, has a Japanese onsen (hot spring) and so is a bit more of an experience.

The Haneda Excel Tokyu offers similar convenience for Terminal 2 (and that’s close to T1 as well). Then there’s the First Cabin Haneda in Terminal 1. It’s the cheapest option on airport grounds, but you should know that it has shared bathrooms and the cabins are small rooms with only partitions, not real walls, between them. So if you value silence and privacy, it may not be a great choice.