Japanese Airport Gives Free Showers to Dirty Foreigners

Their situation sucks, but why should Narita Airport be required to financially support them?

A trip to Japan from Europe costs a lot of money, and unless these tourists recklessly threw away the last Euros of their savings to go on vacation, most are probably not poor and should able to spare enough money to buy food and pay for a shower for several days longer than planned.

Narita Airport has several international ATM’s from which stranded tourists can withdraw money. Paid showers cost 500 yen (4 Euros) and there are relatively cheap places where food can be purchased.

If one is prepared to sleep on seats, a frugal person shouldn’t have much trouble surviving on about 1,000 yen a day.

Except for maybe college/university backpacking students who are undoubtedly used to living on the cheap, staying in hostels, showering once a week if they get a chance, et cetera, international travelers in a first world country like Japan should have money and be willing to pay for services. Did you know you can buy travel insurance in case something like this happens? If you don’t, you’re essentially self-insured.

But seriously, you can take the bus or train to Tokyo for about 3000 yen, stay in a nice hotel, get online, do whatever you have to do. They don’t have to sleep on the chairs in the airport.

Sheesh. Dirty, uncultured foreigners.

I agree, this attitude sucks.

How should Japanese tourists be treated in Europe? If each airport were responsible and accomadating it might go a long way in turning a nightmare into joyful experience with people giving good reviews to the airport, the airlines and the host country.

I think there is something wrong when the airport has to pay for these inconveniences. I’ve to check about how things works in Japan, but in Europe and most of Latin American countries, when a flight is cancelled, for any reason, the air lines are responsible for the consumers, and the companies have to refund the tickets or reschedule them, plus pay acomodation and food. So what the flight companies were doing about this.

great research mamoru!

but i think u will find that those rules only apply when it is the AIRLINES fault that the flight is delayed/cancelled.

they dont cover volcano’s erupting in Iceland or other “acts of God”

try again

As was pointed out already, CE 261/2004 says that if the airline cancels a flight then the airline is responsible for food, shelter, telephone calls, etc.

Unless…
“* The compensation is not due in cases where:
- The airline can prove that the cancellation was caused by exceptional circumstances (eg adverse weather conditions, security alerts, strikes, etc..)”

The airport is not legally responsible for anything, and in a case like this neither are the airlines.

So I guess everyone who got stranded at Narita who flew on a European airline was given free hotel, food, travel money, whatever they want? And the people sleeping at the airport were all flying JAL and ANA? …right.

If nothing else, it’s the airport’s problem for purely practical reasons. With a group of some hundred displaced individuals who are stressed, don’t know when or how they are getting home, are missing work and possibly losing income, and who possibly don’t want to stray too far from the airport for fear of missing some crucial announcement, mingling with the other thousands of passengers who can travel, it would seem to be in the airport’s best interest to organise themselves and provide some basic facilities and keep the airport running smoothly.

I’m willing to bet the angry hordes bellowing for free handouts are more like a vocal, self-entitled minority who made for good news coverage.

Anyway, given the airlines and passengers contribute to funding the airport, it doesn’t seem unreasonable to expect at least some basic amenities.

Heck, the number of times I’ve traveled through Narita and paid my 2400 yen for the privilege, I would hope they would take care of me if I was stuck there.