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Lugging a Snowboard Bag in Tokyo - is is possible?!


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Hi,

 

New to this site and wanted a bit of advice b4 our trip to Japan on the super-sized snowboard bag and whether this will a prob in Tokyo.

 

We are arriving at New Chitose Airport - coach to Niseko so this is not a problem.

But on the way back we thought that we would check out Tokyo. Therefore, flight from New Chitose Airport to Haneda (domestic).

 

We will have 3 day/2 night stay in Tokyo before travelling back to HK from Narita Airport (international).

 

As we will be travelling to/from different airports we can't leave the snowboard bag at the airport but I was wondering if anyone knows whether you can either i) get the bag delivered straight to Narita Airport from Haneda to pick up before we leave 3 days later or ii) get the snowboard bag delivered to the Hotel from Haneda and then back to Narita Airport on the day we leave.

 

I am asking this cos the bag is pretty heavy - 2 sets of gear - so won't fit in a car and I can imagine that it will be too big on a train. But having never been to Japan I am not sure.

 

Any advice much appreciated!

 

Thanks

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We have managed it PART of the way so far - hopefully we will manage to get home too!! LOL

 

We have 3 of the evil bags to contend with - a family of 6!!

 

Between Narita and our hotel we had not problem because it was on the Limosene Bus route (Although I do believe we have to BOOK the day before for hotel-airport, but airport to hotel is OK to just lob up there).

 

Between Haneda and Hotel we had more problems - according to hotel the only way there was TAXI or TRAIN. With 4 suitcase, 3 double snowboard bags and 4 kids - not a pleasant thought. However our hotel organised for our 3 Snowboard Bags to be collected by luggage taxi the day before departure and taken to Haneda, leaving us with only the suitcases and people to spread across 2 taxi's...worked well, and we picked the Snowboard bags up near the check in counter.

 

Coming back into Haneda and back to the Hotel might present a problem, but at Haneda I will approach the Luggage delivery desk (cant remember what this is called but easy to spot!) and see if we can book our snowboard bags, and 2 unneeded suitcases through to Narita for pick up the following night. FINGERS CROSSED we manage it!

 

I reckon for the one night in Tokyo we can pack everything we will need into the 2 smaller suitcases before leaving Niseko - 2 because we are split over 2 rooms in the hotel.

 

Where there is a will there is a way - just keep asking and be very very clear what you want. It took 3 people at the hotel before one of the staff came up with the easiest solution for us.

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I looked up the luggage delivery companies coz I will need to approach them upon arrival at Haneda in 5 days time - so here they are: ABC Co. Ltd., Kamataki Unyu Co. Ltd. (QL Liner), New Passenger Service (NPS), Sky Porter and Green Port Agency (GPA).

 

I can't vouch for any or tell you that they can or can't do what you need - but at least they are names to keep an eye out for when you land!!!

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UVfleur

Just courier your bag from Niseko to Narita airport.

It will take 48 hours, but will be there ready for you to pick up when you fly home.

Pack a few changes of clothes in a small bag for Tokyo which will be easy to carry on the trains/subways.

Courier for a ski/board back is only about 1500 yen.

Works really well and saves any needless dragging.

 

Your other options above about sending it from airports are valid, but sending it straight from Niseko to Narita is the easiest.

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Hi all,

 

Thanks for your advice - it is really helpful and has put my mind at rest!

 

I saw that baggage delivery was the thing in Japan but wasn't sure it a solution for my situation - now that I see it is :-)

 

Timcraig - do you usually get the hotel to organise your board bag from Niseko to Narita then?

 

Thanks again.

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Hi uvfleur,

 

The courrier thing from Niseko to Narita sounds like a good idea.

Tell us if you find a company that will do it for around 1500 yen.

I will probably do the same thing.

 

Thanks

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I wish I had understood properly when it was last discussed as I would have forward sent our snowboard bags from Narita to our Accomodation in Niseko when we arrived. But it sure helped us get to Haneda without overloading a poor little cab!

 

If I had 2 nights accom in Tokyo I would send them from here to Narita too - but we wont have enough time - so LESSON LEARNT FOR NEXT YEAR (or in Hubby's case - for March - the lucky sod!).

 

I passed this info on to friends today and they were a bit skittish - I think because it is not our custom in Aus...and you are always concerned about whether things will actually get there or not at home. Seems safer to have the bags at your side. But I was impressed with how seamless and easy the service was to use!!

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Ours was organised by our hotel to Haneda. They did all the leg work for us. The 3 snowboard bags were collected at 3pm one day and we picked them up at Haneda near the check in desk the next day. We were only given a desk number to collect from, and the hotel concierge referred to them as the "luggage taxi". I recall it being 'something' baggage service, but now that I get it - I will approach one of these companies myself on arrival at Haneda on Friday.

 

The cost from the hotel was 2000Y per snowboard bag, since we changed our $ over a month or so ago that was about $20 Aussie per bag.

 

Quite frankly if some charming fellow is prepared to deliver and hold my 3 snowboard bags and 2 excess suitcases to Narita for me, and leave our weary family with only the responsibility for 2 smaller suitcases for the next 36 hours I would pay a lot more than $20 a bag!! What a great service! I KNOW - it seems TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE to us Aussies...but this is JAPAN! Enjoy!

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  • 2 weeks later...

OK - snowboard transfer from Haneda to Narita completed successfully. When we exited from the luggage collection at Haneda directly in front and slightly to the left is a luggage counter. They are very helpful and the transfer was NO worries.

 

We sent 3 suitcases and 3 snowboard bags to Narita from Haneda for the next day, it cost a bit - thereabouts of $110-$120 Aussie dollars (depending on your exchange rate), but it was SO worth it!!

 

Pick up was just as simple.

 

What was NOT simple was the massive queue for Qantas, the $500Aud excess baggage charge (when we only had 2kg more than we came with) and the disclaimer that we had to sign for damages relating to the snowboard bags!! Never ever had that before - neither had we had excess baggage charges before! And to top it all off the plane had trouble starting its engines and we had a seriously broken seat for the entire flight (100% capacity to no ability to move!).

 

Why ohh why am I a qantas frequent flyer - Cathay and Sing Airlines are SO much more reliable, comfortable and professional! And my expereinces with JAL have been pretty good too!

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 Originally Posted By: Mamabear
Why ohh why am I a qantas frequent flyer - Cathay and Sing Airlines are SO much more reliable, comfortable and professional! And my expereinces with JAL have been pretty good too!


Doesn't Qantas still have a 100% safety record (never killed a passenger)? Not sure about CP or Singapore Air, but I know JAL has lost at least one 747 on a domestic route...

That's either a good reason to stay, or a good reason to move on before you become part of the statistic!
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LOL!

That is a claim that refers to jet aircraft only. During its history, Qantas had 10 fatal accidents, but none since the mid fifties.

 

On the 23 September 1999, Qantas Airlines flight QF1 crashed on landing in Bangkok and went about as close as you can go to disaster without loss of life.

 

And as recently as January 9th this year 2 senior engineers with Qantas have been quote in the Sun Herald as saying that cost cutting is putting passengers safety at risk. The engineers for Qantas have been threatening to walk off the job for MONTHS over this issue.

 

It was clear to me from my experience this trip that while Qantas has a very good safety record to date, they need a major overhaul NOW to prevent that from being ancient history! Those old planes need to go!

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