RTW TP Run in Jan 2026: Day 14 – Narita Airport

By Nige on January 31, 2026 at 7:05 pm
Type: Post
Story: Round the World Tier Point Run in Jan 2026 Category: Travel
Tags: NRT | Tokyo Narita

After deboarding at Gate 61, I quickly found myself heading into International Transfers. There was just one passenger ahead of me, and between us we appeared to wake the transfer security staff up.

A quick scan of my boarding pass, liquids and laptops out, and I was back into Terminal 2.

It felt as though someone had forgotten to take the Closed sign off the door — the place was eerily quiet.

I had an 11-hour layover ahead of me. I had briefly considered leaving the airport to do something locally before returning, but given the earlier visa complications, I decided I could do without the hassle.

Staying airside felt like the sensible option.

At just before 7am, absolutely nothing was open — not even the lounges.

The oneworld lounge directory suggested that the Japan Airlines First Class Lounge, near Gate 61, would open at 7:30am.

The other passenger who had come through transfers with me sat down on the floor and waited.

With time to kill, I wandered off to earn some steps and hunt down the nearest Starbucks, which turned out to be a fair distance away near Gate 93.

By the time I returned at around 7:15am, that same passenger was still sitting patiently on the floor.

I put my bag down, resigned to a 15-minute wait — when another passenger arrived, strolled past both of us, walked straight up to the automated sliding doors… and they opened.

I looked at the floor-sitting passenger and we shared a knowing glance. Why on earth had no one checked whether the doors were already unlocked?

Once inside, I checked in and was escorted to the First Lounge entrance, then taken up in a lift to a compact but nicely appointed lounge — albeit one with no view whatsoever.

Why airlines think it’s a good idea to place their most premium passengers in windowless rooms remains a mystery.

I sat down briefly, ordered a very small latte, and was told that showers could be booked via an app accessed through a QR code on the table. Shower bookings opened at 7:30am.

As soon as I could, I booked a slot and headed back down in the lift to Level 3 to check in with the shower attendant.

After a proper scrub, it felt wonderful to be clean and refreshed again.

Once showered, I decided to check out the Sakura Lounge, which is for business-class passengers. It was much larger and, crucially, had far better views.

It also featured a separate dining level, where I helped myself to breakfast. I started with some rather anaemic-looking sausage, fries, and scrambled eggs.

I’m not normally a fan of scrambled eggs — they’re usually overcooked and rubbery — but these were beautifully soft and sloppy. Exactly as they should be.

Next came a dish of fried rice with pork rib meat and onions. Wow. That was outstanding.

One unexpected perk of the Japan Airlines lounges was the presence of heated toilet seats in the restrooms.

I wouldn’t suggest it’s worth coming here just for that, but it’s certainly a pleasant surprise when you sit down and feel the warmth kick in.

I spent some time working through home finances to fill the hours. It took far longer than expected — year-end tidying always does — but I was keen to start the new year with a clean spreadsheet.

Later, I headed out for another Starbucks and, out of courtesy, asked at the lounge desk whether it was acceptable to bring my coffee back inside.

I fully expected the answer to be “of course”. It wasn’t.

Food and drink from outside were not permitted in the lounge, so I ended up finishing my coffee on the long walk back from Starbucks near Gate 93.

Later in the day, I returned to the dining area to see what had appeared for lunch.

At first glance, it looked very similar to breakfast — but I did find some fried chicken and a beef curry, both of which were excellent.

By now, I was firmly in need of a snooze.

My flight back to Jakarta was scheduled to depart at 6pm, and by around 4:30pm I needed a change of scenery. I left the lounge and made my way slowly towards the gate.

By this point, the terminal was bustling. What a contrast to the early morning, when just one other passenger and I had seemed to have the entire place to ourselves.

When I reached Gate 93, I was genuinely shocked at how quickly a calm, orderly gate area could descend into chaos — all thanks to a complete lack of organisation and control from the gate staff.

Next up: My connecting flight from Tokyo Narita (NRT) to Jakarta (CGK) on Day 14 of my Round The World trip of a lifetime.

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Round the World Tier Point Run in Jan 2026