Emirates is one of the last international flights that land each night at Tokyo-Haneda Airport which means that passengers are often stuck there as public transportation from HND stops around midnight, so the airline is now reacting by providing their own bus service to central Tokyo.
Emirates must have received lots of complaints about passengers being unable to leave the airport except by expensive taxi or waiting around until the wee morning hours when buses and subways start running again.
I myself got stuck last December in Haneda as overcrowding and understaffing of the immigration area led to a three-hour ordeal, and by the end of it all, transport from the airport had shut down.
This is something Emirates passengers face regularly based on the arrival time at Haneda airport:
Now, immigration in Tokyo is usually very efficient, and often, it takes only a few minutes, but they have been suffering from short staffing lately. Approximately 1:25h from scheduled arrival time to the last buses and trains departing the terminal.
This would include deplaning, immigration, picking up bags, customs, purchasing a ticket, and reaching the bus/train. It can be done if everything is on time, but it’s tight.
Now Emirates is giving passengers a bit more breathing room by providing their own bus service:
Emirates, the largest international airline, will introduce a new complimentary bus service for its Economy Class passengers arriving in Tokyo-Haneda Airport, starting from 1 September.
Emirates will be the only air carrier in Japan to offer a complimentary bus service from Haneda Airport to major train stations within Tokyo, guaranteeing seamless and efficient transport solution for the airline’s customers to two prominent drop-off locations – the iconic Tokyo Station (TYQ) at Marunouchi North Entrance and the bustling Shinagawa Station (SGS) at Konan Entrance bus stop no. 7.
The new service will be available at Haneda Airport’s Terminal 3 Charter Bus Parking spot which is equipped with a three-letter IATA code, allowing passengers to seamlessly arrange their bookings all the way through their final stations.
Bus number EK7034 departs from Haneda International Airport at 00:01hrs and arrive in Tokyo Station (TYQ) at 00:40hrs. Bus number EK7036 will depart from Haneda International Airport at 00:01hrs and arrive in Shinagawa Station (SGS) at 00:30hrs.
All times are local. *The complimentary daily service offers convenient and efficient connectivity for Emirates’ passengers, as they make their way to central points within Tokyo in nearly 40 minutes or less. A seamless travel journey is further enhanced by thoughtful amenities including easily accessible onboard restrooms.
* In rare cases of delayed flight arrival, the bus will wait until 1:00hrs local time the following day to accommodate the passengers and drop them off at the designated stations.
So basically the bus will have the same departure time as the last bus/train BUT with the added security that they will wait “if the flight is delayed” which doesn’t really say much. What if the flight is on time, but there are other reasons for a delay in processing?
And why is this a service only for Economy Class passengers? Assuming that they suggest First and Business Class will have access to the limousine service, there are ample ways that passengers in these cabins aren’t eligible for the limousine service provided by Emirates as not every booking has that benefit.
The selection of the Bus going to Shinagawa and Tokyo station is interesting as well. I’m surprised they won’t go to Shibuya or Shinjuku as well.
The descriptions read as if passengers have to actually book the flight all the way to Tokyo Station (TYQ) or Shinagawa Station (SGS) instead of Tokyo-Haneda (HND) in order to be guaranteed or even eligible to ride on the bus. Anyone who already had a booking is automatically ineligible or has to amend the booking (most likely for a fee)!? Right now the website doesn’t even recognize these codes for booking.
Conclusion
Emirates is beginning a bus service from Tokyo-Haneda airport to central Tokyo starting tomorrow, September 1st but there is a lack of clarity about who is eligible to take these connections and how to book them.
The airline says this service has to be booked with a 3-Letter Code but neither one of the codes is accepted by the Emirates website. Tickets can be booked up to a year in advance so all the customers who have a ticket for the future already now forfeited their opportunity to book the bus? I think Emirates has to provide a lot more clarification here.
