Near T1 domestic gates, FamilyMart is the 24/7 safety net.
Right in Terminal T1 after security, FamilyMart runs 24 hours and fills the gap when airport restaurants close early or lines back up before evening flights. It’s the familiar Japanese-style convenience store setup: grab-and-go bentos, instant noodles, onigiri, chips, sweets, and a big chilled drinks fridge, all priced close to city street level rather than “airport markup.” The rating hovers around 3.8, which tracks with what it is: not special, just reliable.
Expect self-serve fridges and shelves, then payment at a single counter, much like any FamilyMart you’ve seen in Tokyo or Shanghai. You’ll find canned coffee around ¥6–8, bottled water around ¥3–4, and basic hot snacks like sausages or skewers usually under ¥10. Many items have clear English or picture labels, which helps if you’re connecting through Chengdu and don’t read Chinese. It’s all inside T1, so you don’t need to exit security to restock snacks before a long-haul.
Best bets: pre-packed rice balls, cup noodles from brands like Nissin, and sealed bakery items that travel well in a backpack for a 2–4 hour domestic hop. Ice cream bars in the freezer run around ¥5–10 and disappear fast in the late afternoon departure bank. If you’re short on basics, they usually stock travel-sized toiletries, phone cables, and simple chargers, often under ¥40, which can save a flight if your cable died in a hotel.
Payment is China-style: QR codes dominate, but they usually also take UnionPay cards and sometimes Visa/Mastercard; expect less support for foreign wallets than in downtown Chengdu. Lines grow around the 18:00–21:00 departure wave, and grabbing instant noodles plus a ¥3 bottle of water here generally beats buying the same combo on board. Tip: buy anything liquid under 100 ml before boarding and keep it sealed, then use it alongside the free hot water that most Chinese airlines pour during the flight.