
One of the many things we love about Japan is its amazing customer service, from intelligent packing to omnipresent station attendants who pop out of the walls to help you.
So we weren’t too surprised to hear that an airport in Japan has been judged to be the best airport in the world for baggage handling. And the details of the top-notch service that helped Kansai International Airport clinch the title are really quite impressive. For starters, the Osaka airport hasn’t lost a single item of luggage in over 20 years.
Asian airports were highly-ranked at the recent World Airport Awards, with Changi Airport Singapore chosen as the best airport in the world for the third year running.
UK-based airline consultancy Skytrax assessed 550 airports around the globe, using reviews from 13 million passengers and ranking the airports in 20 categories. Kansai International was singled out in the baggage-handling category for its fast turnaround times and customer-focused attention to detail. Baggage handling staff at the Osaka airport have a rule of placing suitcases on carousels with the handles facing outwards, to make it easier for passengers to collect their luggage.
▼ It’s the little things, eh?
But it’s the fact the airport hasn’t lost a single piece of luggage since opening in 1984 that’s impressed us the most. So does this mean you should start flying into Kansai International instead of one of the Tokyo airports? Sounds like your bags are guaranteed to arrive, doesn’t it! Well, the odds are pretty good…but we wouldn’t want to jinx it.
WORLD’S BEST AIRPORTS 2015
1. Singapore Changi Airport
2. Incheon International Airport
3. Munich Airport
4. Hong Kong International Airport
5. Tokyo International Airport (Haneda)
6. Zurich Airport
7. Central Japan International Airport
8. London Heathrow Airport
9. Amsterdam Schiphol Airport
10. Beijing Capital International Airport
Source: Asahi Shimbun, World Airport Awards
Featured image: Wikipedia/663highland


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