Exchanging JR Pass at Narita 2

We have arrived at Narita 2 6 times now, at both 6am, and 7.30am. If we have been straight through, no collecting WiFi routes, no sending luggage by Takhaiuban, then we have exchanged JR vouchers very quickly. The last 2 times we have taken approximately 20 minutes to collect Wifi routers and send on luggage: this has resulted in arriving at a lengthy JR pass queue : 2 hours long....very not good.....2.5 hours from deplane to NEx: previously we have been from deplaning to NEx in 45 minutes!
We have determined we will either pay for Narita to anywhere, and THEN activate the JR Pass OR fly into Haneda, arriving at 5am, and work things from there.
Does anyone else have a similar experience? or advice?
Thanks!

Where to go after NRT/HND?

NRT T2 starts 6:30am at regular ticket office near ticket gate.
http://www.japanrailpass.net/en/exchange.html
Too late?

The queue at Narita 2 office in basement near ticket gate was back to the escalators. The other office queue, that opened at 8am, was the same: 2 queues, both taking 2 + hours to get through.

Ever consider taking a flight that comes in, in the afternoon? Ive been to narita about 3 times. maybe 4. 5??

In any case, ive only ever taken afternoon flights in. the 2pm flights in are the best. The queue is about half an hour at the ticket desk.

My only other recommendation is to take the keisei into Tokyo. Or fly into Osaka airport. Osaka airport queue is shorter. Nagoya station is the shortest!

Thanks for advice! Our most convenient flights from Australia arrive at Narita, and in the early morning. Nothing from here arrives middle of the day. JAL have a flight arriving in the evening...an option. Flying to Osaka for us is very difficult. May need to change airline loyalty.......decision between direct flights, or changing within Australia/somewhere else in South East Asia: convenience of direct flights will probably outweigh inconvenience of JR exchange : and yes, will consider other transport options out of the airport. Sigh....

Unfortunately there's not much to do, except maybe take one of the cheap 1000 yen buses to Ginza and then exchange your passes at Tokyo instead. Flying to the other airports just introduces more problems than they fix.

Thanks yllwsmrf: yes, agree, flights unlikely to change now we have direct flights at last: always had to go via Sydney before this last trip.
Think the added cost even of NEx at 3190Yen to Shinagawa isnft a deal breaker in the overall cost of a 2-3 week holiday.
Shall ruminate and decide before the next trip.
Just do wish JR East would recognise and fix the problem: just needs more staff at certain times!!!!!

Thing about those staff are they are probably full timers, so they would require to work a full shift. JR may not be willing to pay for them when there are non-peak hours.

Or it could just be that such jobs are low in the career progression and are unpopular.

What about exchanging the pass at Narita 1? Would that be any faster since not many int'l flights come in to T1?

What about exchanging the rail passes before forwarding luggage and picking up the wifi? The queue might be a bit shorter then.

It makes the RailPass a little less valuable, but a limited express to Tokyo for the pass exchange might help (the exchange queue opens at 7:30).

Great question AusTF. On my first trip to Japan I am arriving at Narita 2 at 7.30pm. Should I expect a long wait at that time? I was hoping to catch 8.47pm NEx to Tokyo. Is that too optimistic? It sounds like it is from your post.
What an amazing site this is! Extemely helpful for a novice traveller to Japan.

What about exchanging the pass at Narita 1?
Great suggestion: BUT at that time, on that day, it didnft work: we talked to some other frustrated people on the NEx we eventually got on who had, seeing the queues, made that decision to head to Narita 1: BAD MOVE: same length of queues, and they were then behind where they would have been at Narita 2: they landed before us: general decision was to go elsewhere.
What about exchanging the rail passes before forwarding luggage and picking up the wifi? The queue might be a bit shorter then.
Great suggestion, which we have considered: trouble is we cant judge timing of the wifi/luggage forwarding bit , so not sure about reserving NEx : SO: could we go to one of the other staff members behind the counter to reserve the NEx seats AFTER exchanging passes, and AFTER collecting wifi etc ????(2 were clearly under-occuppied.....)

Our general problem now is with the Jetstar timimg: Qantas from Sydney arrives 6am; we still had issues with that in October 2013; Jetstar from Melbourne now arrives at 7.30am,but now at Terminal 3: so add at least 20 minutes to negotiate everything from there (wefve just done it in reverse...donft go there....) which puts us even further behind in the queue.......irrespective of wifi/Takhaiuban......

Thank you everyone: guess we will assess on arrival next time.....family resident in Japan may have to suffer not getting a suitcase full of Aussie goodies, and wifi may be delivered to first hotel......first world problem, no real dramas.....