All you have to know about Rapid Airport Fares, Reserved Seats, and Stops! A must for travelers in Hokkaido.

Rapid Airport is a rapid train (and some special rapid trains) operated by Hokkaido Railway Company (JR Hokkaido) between New Chitose Airport Station and Sapporo and Otaru Stations via Chitose Line and Hakodate Main Line.

When you get off at New Chitose Airport, the gateway to Hokkaido, you will almost certainly take this rapid airport train.

It is a very convenient train that connects New Chitose Airport to Sapporo and Otaru with just one train!

Stations where the rapid airport train stops

Where does the rapid airport run and where does it stop?

Basically, it connects New Chitose Airport to Sapporo.
Some rapid airports depart from and arrive at Otaru, which is beyond Sapporo!

Stops are as shown below.

New Chitose Airport, Minami Chitose, Chitose, Eniwa, Kitahiroshima, Shin Sapporo, Shiroishi, Sapporo, Kotoni, Teine, Otaru Chikko, Minami Otaru, Otaru
Only some rapid airport trains stop at Shiroishi.

In addition, there is a faster version of the rapid airport train called “Special Rapid”.

The time required for New Chitose Airport – Sapporo is 37 minutes for the rapid train and 33 minutes for the special rapid train!
By the way, it takes 1 hour and 15 minutes from New Chitose Airport to Otaru by rapid train.

Rapid Airport Fare

Here’s a quick summary of our rates!
Please refer to the summary.

Keep in mind that starting April 2022, the U-Seat fee has gone up significantly from 530 yen to 840 yen!

Comfortable reserved “U-seat” seating is also available.

You can take the rapid airport train with just a train ticket, but for an additional fee you can ride in a reserved seat car called a “U seat”!

For an additional 840 yen, you can be sure to get a seat, but to be honest, it is expensive….

Incidentally, U-seats have luggage storage space for suitcases and other items.
For those with large luggage, this will come in very handy!

How to take the rapid airport train at a slightly lower price

There is a way to ride the rapid airport a little cheaper, so keep it in mind if you want to save some money!

Since the rapid airport is a regular train, you only need to buy a ticket to get on a car other than a U-seat.

The way to do this is to buy two tickets.

For example, the fare from New Chitose Airport to Sapporo is 1,150 yen.

Please buy a separate ticket for “New Chitose Airport – Kitahiroshima” and “Kitahiroshima – Sapporo”.
Then you can take the rapid airport train for 1,100 yen, since you have to pay 540 yen and 560 yen for each ticket.

To buy two separate tickets, you must buy them from a blue ticket machine called a reserved seat ticket machine. (Right side of the picture)

Here, you can buy a ticket by specifying the station you will board and the station you will disembark from.

When boarding, only the ticket printed with the station you are boarding should be passed through the ticket gate. (If you ride from New Chitose Airport, the ticket is for “New Chitose Airport – Kitahiroshima”)

When you get off the train, give the station attendant two tickets and you can get off!

This way you will save 100 yen round-trip, so if you are a thrifty person, it is a good idea to keep this in mind.

There are two types of rapid airport cars.

Last but not least, I would like to introduce you to two of our trains that serve as our rapid airports!

They are the Series 721 and Series 733.
For those who are not interested in trains, what is the difference? If you are not interested in trains, you may be asking yourself, “What is the difference?

The interior of the cars are very different, so I think it’s worth knowing!

Series 721 is an older type of train, and its interior has cross seats as well as U-seats.

On the other hand, Series 733. This one is a long seat type, just like an urban train.

By the way, the U-seat is the same on both trains, so don’t worry!