Kansai International Airport

Customer Reviews

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Terminal Seating 12345
Terminal Cleanliness 12345
Terminal Signs 12345
Queuing Times 12345
Food Beverages 12345
Airport Staff 12345
Customer rating from 80 reviews
5/10
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Kansai International Airport customer review

An excellent airport. Bright spacious and impossible to get lost in. I found this being my first visit all staff to be helpful and speak reasonable English. How many airports have smart staff in white gloves at the foot of the escalators bowing to you as ascend! It may seem slightly confusing at first owing the Japanese signage. But there is always an English equivalent even if sometimes in smaller letters. There is an excellent Airport layout leaflet with good maps of all the facilities. The airport is on a man-made island connected by a causeway to Rinku Town. The only hotel at the airport is the Nikko Hotel (quite expensive). A cheaper and just as comfortable option is the Washington Airport Hotel 2 mins walk from the Rinku Town station There is a hotel shuttle but not during the middle of the day. Otherwise its a mere 8 min train ride from either train line at the Airport station. Rinkyku Town is the first stop and the hotel is very easy to find once you come out. I found Immigration to be polite and efficient and I did not queue very long at all. There are excellent left luggage lockers for all sizes. If too early for check-in (or just enjoy planes and people watching) it is well worth taking the shuttle bus (100 yen each way) from Bus Stop 1 at Ground Level to the Skyview observation complex at the end of one of the runways. This superb facility has out door terraces stunning views of the landing and departing aircraft a very reasonable priced cafe and "The Concorde Experience" which is a restaurant serving meals on aircraft style trays out of old Ansett Airlines of Australia meal carts! All in all an excellent airport to transit through or just enjoy before or after flying.
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Kansai International Airport customer review

Having arrived and departed there quite a few times I like its pleasant airiness (huge windows and high ceiling) the train station near-by and I find it really hard to get lost there (there's only left or right - almost foolproof!). It's true Immigration is a bit slow but I have seen far worse arriving at LAX or JFK or even NRT for that matter. Only never (I mean: NEVER) forget to keep enough cash to pay the airport tax. Otherwise if you have a morning flight (to Europe i.e.) you'll have to wait for the counter to open to charge it on your card which is not possible on the machines. After that you may have to run to catch your plane.
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Kansai International Airport customer review

I use KIX several times a year and I find some of the complaints baffling. It's a beautiful building never appears crowded or claustrophobic (even when it's stuffed full of people) and the food outlets are good. I don't visit airports for the shopping though I know a lot of people do. Yes I do always get searched by customs and yes there are sometimes long waits at immigration but no worse than a lot of other places. Try visiting the USA if you think you're hassled at KIX.
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Kansai International Airport customer review

I have connected through Kansai many times on my trips to/from Okinawa. For many years (until the recent opening of the new Nagoya airport) the only alternative was to fly to Narita and then take a 90-minute bus ride to Haneda. On my last two connections through KIX I found the staff to be extremely courteous and helpful (yes even toward westerners) if you speak Japanese. This hasn't always been the case. Ten plus years ago you could say something in Japanese to an airport employee and they would look at you in total bewilderment. For all its complexity the airport is so well designed that it never seems crowded even when it is. The free wi-fi is a huge plus and there is an array of shopping and dining options in the main terminal area. My only "complaint" would be that shops and eateries are scant in the gate areas. It would also be nice to have a currency exchange past the security checkpoint if nothing more than an automated kiosk like at the Naha Airport in Okinawa.
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Kansai International Airport customer review

I have used Kansai airport for many times in my travels to/from Okinawa since (until the recent opening of the new Nagoya airport) the alternative was to fly to Narita and then take the 90-minute bus ride to Haneda. If you can communicate in Japanese you will have no problem with airport staff. In the past this wasn't always the case. A westerner that spoke fluent Japanese would be greeted with dumbfounded looks so it's safe to say that airport staff have become more cosmopolitan over the years. The only complaint I would have is about the scant collection shops eateries and services past the security checkpoints. In all other respects this airport is wonderful. It's so well-designed that it never seems crowded even when it is and the free wi-fi is a definite plus allowing you to be productive while you are killing time during layovers.
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Kansai International Airport customer review

I arrived in Japan for the first time via Kansai. Seems I had a similar experience to other non-Japanese. At immigration there were 3 desks open for about 100 Japanese and 3 desks open for about 500 non-Japanese! Spending almost an hour waiting for my passport to be stamped while tiny Korean children run all over my feet is not my idea of a good time and the only airport that I've been made to feel less welcome at is Tel Aviv. Had no problems once I got through customs and things improved. It may have just been culture-shock but I was a little confused about how to get into the city from the airport. But the people at the information desks are extremely helpful and can also book hotel rooms at reasonable rates. Internet access is also easy and cheap. Transport into Osaka city and points beyond seemed pretty good too.
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Kansai International Airport customer review

Kansai international airport would be more aptly renamed Kansai for Japanese only airport. I am well used to this airport having lived for 3 years just outside Osaka. Immigration at this airport calls all non- Japanese foreigners and even stamps Japanese passports. Customs stops everyone and even the Japanese show their tickets. Foreigners are usually searched thoroughly without exception. Customs officials are often monoglots. Bureaux de change require travellers to fill a form to list the currency they are exchanging. Signs within the airport are often in Japanese only. Airport restaurants treat non-Asians like little green men from Mars. The restaurant menus are mainly in Japanese only. The Airport bus ticket machines show destinations in Japanese only. Bus drivers are monoglots. No wonder hardly any tourists go to Japan. I was lucky. I speak Japanese.
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Kansai International Airport customer review

Kansai is the one of the best airports in the world. The duty free shops are fine and transportation to/from the airport to Osaka is very convenient. There is also some Hi-speed computers near the gates too. However the whole building was a little complex but I'll say its overall fine.
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Kansai International Airport customer review

One of the best airports in the world: airy light unbelievably. Never crowded never rushed it just oozes efficiency. After a red-eye flight from Europe nothing beats Osaka Kansai - after I exit through immigration and customs I get myself a can of chilled tea from a vending machine and from then on I know my trip will be fine and everything is good. Airside shopping is substandard but then it is hardly a transit destination. On the way back to UK I always manage to get all the sake I need. Hotel Nikko Kansai within 5 minutes from the terminal is convenient and efficient. Again - so much space everywhere so much air. Ultimate stress relief.
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Kansai International Airport customer review

I went through Kansai in January and February. On my second trip the immigration was useless. It took one hour to go through immigration and I have been going in and out of Japan since 1988. Not enough officers manning the " Foreigners " immigration counter and they only waited until all Japanese were processed before opening up additional counters. As for shopping forget it. Selection of shops is poor and just the usual Japanese high priced cosmetics and French scarves. Prices for drinks and food once you had gone through immigration were excessive. Nothing to recommend the place. Also don't make the mistake of staying at a hotel on the " land side" of the airport. We caught the HARUKA Express from Kyoto then decided to take a shuttle bus to hotel. Shuttle buses don't start until 5:00PM so we took a taxi back. Yen 4900 approx for a short trip - unreal
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