Family trip to Miyako and Irabu Islands – we finally did it!
Flying with kids can be quite a challenge, right? (;^_^A
- Will they sleep on the plane?
- Changing nappies/diapers in that tiny toilet sounds tough…
- Should we check in the stroller, or keep it with us?
And so on.
Since it is a precious family trip, you want to save your energy as much as possible and just enjoy the journey.
In this article, I will share how we usually spend time at Haneda Airport when travelling with a small child, and the little tricks that make things easier for us!
* We often fly with JAL, so this article focuses on Terminal 1.
How we spend time at Haneda Airport with kids
Once we arrive at Haneda Airport, our basic flow looks like this:
- Go to a baby room
- Check in at the Special Assistance counter
- Kids’ play area (after security)
Let’s have a closer look at each step.
1. Go to a baby room
As soon as we arrive at Haneda, we head straight to a baby room.
- Change nappies/diapers
- Wipe our child’s hands and mouth
- Change clothes if needed
- Reorganise our luggage
In short, we do all the prep work for boarding the plane here.
When we first get to the airport, we usually use the baby rooms either on the “2F Departure Lobby” or on “B1F Keikyu Line / Tokyo Monorail”.
B1F is especially handy because there is a Lawson convenience store right in front of the baby room.
2F Departure Lobby
On the 2F Departure Lobby there are four baby rooms in the public area and one in the restricted area.
>> 2F | T1 (Terminal 1) | Floor Guide | Haneda Airport Passenger Terminal
Here is one of the baby rooms in the 2F Departure Lobby (public area)
My first impression was, “So new and clean!”
The facilities are well equipped, including a microwave and hot water dispenser.
Here are the changing tables and bins for used nappies/diapers.
This is the nursing area.
There are also small chairs for children and a vending machine for nappies/diapers (sizes are limited, though).
B1F Keikyu Line / Tokyo Monorail
On B1F (Keikyu Line / Tokyo Monorail level) there are two baby rooms.
>> B1F | T1 (Terminal 1) | Floor Guide | Haneda Airport Passenger Terminal
Here is one of the baby rooms on B1F (Keikyu Line / Tokyo Monorail)
Again, our first impression was, “So new and clean!”
This is the nursing area.
Here are the changing tables and bins for used nappies/diapers.
These rooms are also fully equipped with a microwave, hot water dispenser and other useful items.
1F Arrival Lobby
There are also four baby rooms on the 1F Arrival Lobby.
>> 1F | T1 (Terminal 1) | Floor Guide | Haneda Airport Passenger Terminal
2. Check in at the Special Assistance counter
For check-in, the “Special Assistance” counter is incredibly convenient.
Except during peak holiday periods, we rarely have to wait long.
You simply follow the staff’s instructions, so the whole process feels very easy.
If you check in your own stroller here, they wrap it in a red plastic bag for you.
They also have strollers you can borrow, so you can still move around easily after checking yours in.
Since these airport strollers can go through security, and you can use them right up until boarding, we borrow them every time.
You can also have your child’s ticket issued here and check in the adults’ baggage at the same time, so there is really no reason not to use this service.
On a side note, there is even a sofa in this area.
3. Kids’ play area (after security)
Once we have passed security, we head to the kids’ play area and let our child run around.
If they burn off some energy here, they are much more likely to sleep on the plane, which helps a lot.
There are mats on the floor, so adults can sit down and relax as well.
The kids’ area is located right next to Gate 9.
小さい子供連れで飛行機に乗る時の鉄則
— TraBlog@海外歴4年×エンジニア×ブログ (@TProak) 2023年7月18日
『搭乗までにできるだけ子供を遊ばせて、飛行機の中で寝てもらう』
羽田空港第一ターミナルには、9番ゲートの隣にキッズスペースがあります。
30分くらいは遊ばせたので、宮古島に行くまで半分くらいは寝てました💤#沖縄旅行 #宮古島旅行 #羽田空港 pic.twitter.com/jKjokhIpd3
Summary | Keep the effort to a minimum
Here is the flow we follow at Haneda Airport when travelling with a small child.
- Go to a baby room
- Check in at the Special Assistance counter
- Kids’ play area (after security)
That is all from me for now.
Thank you very much for reading to the end!
Search for tours to Miyako and Irabu Islands!
>> Rakuten Travel Package – Domestic tours (flight + hotel)
Search for snorkelling tours!
>> Local optional tours (VELTRA)
Recommended reading
I have written several other posts about travelling to Irabu Island!
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