hockeyinsider

Every time I fly through Narita (about four round-trips a year) I see two or three Japanese businessmen flying business-class who are greeted by a Japanese Delta agent bearing a sign with their name.

I'm familiar with the Porsche transfer service that Delta offers to those who partake in its VIP Select service, which may or may not be the same service as Delta 360, at certain U.S. airports. Additionally, some diamond medallions receive the transfer service on occasion.

Most recently, my boss and I flew into NRT last month. He flies about 250,000 miles a year with Delta. I do about 150,000. We were both on full-fare business-class tickets -- about $7,000 per ticket. Both of us are multi-year diamond medallions. Neither of us received any special ground services.

For what it's worth, I've never seen a non-Japanese passenger receive what appears to be special perks at NRT.

Does anyone know what exactly I'm seeing is?

I've heard rumors before that Delta has some special, unpublished programs for top-tier Japan-based elites because, for example, complimentary upgrades aren't a benefit on intra-Asia flights even if there are empty seats up front on flights such as Narita-Manila or Narita-Singapore.

KDCAflyer

I wouldn't be surprised if DL had some sort of program like you describe. Probably necessary to retain customers that would otherwise fly with ANA or JAL.

MSPeconomist

PMNW once gave me the special treatment upon arrival at NRT. It was a nice surprise to see the agent holding a sign with my name in the jetway. [BTW, I don't have an Asian name, address, passport, or appearance.]

ExArkie

I'm a middle aged white guy from the southern US. About eight or nine years ago, I was met on the jetway at NRT, coming in on Delta J class. Young lady with my name on a sign took me through the process to get to my connection. Honestly cannot remember where I was going, but I think it was SGN. Only time it ever happened, but I figured it was because of a change in terminals.

FlyinHawaiian

I work for a Japanese company and when I've flown to NRT, I've been given this service on both arrival and departure. I've also had this when arriving back from NRT. My name on the board at NRT check-in is often the only one in Roman characters.

I believe it's something our corporate travel agents arrange.

It was nice the first few times I flew into NRT without my wife (who lived in Tokyo and speaks Japanese) to have an escort and help me get currency exchanged and escorted to my car service (Hinomaru). One agent was extremely helpful one time when I had a long delay and she gave me some travel vouchers as an apology and took me to the restaurant in the terminal with the best tonkatsu. I often tell them that I am fine once I clear Immigration and that I like to do shopping in the Duty Free shops before I hit the SkyClub, so they usually find me at the gate during boarding and see me onboard. It's a little much, quite honestly.

I felt bad for one agent at JFK who met me at the gate; we must have come into one of the gates towards the end of the terminal and I felt like walking the whole way, plus with Global Entry I didn't really need any special help.

mot29

I had this happen at JFK also, back when DL would walk you to the front of the immigration lines. The agent met two of us -- not flying together. I had GE and carried on my bag, the other person had neither so we split once I went through GE.

skchin

If you are a multi year Diamond do you seriously need an assistance with your connection?

hockeyinsider

Fair question.

Maybe with luggage or cutting the passport control/immigration line if you aren't on a connecting flight.

I stayed at The Peninsula Hotel in Hong Kong three years ago. They met me at my arrival gate, whisked me away in a golf cart to passport control, walked me through passport control, and then carried my bags to a chauffeur-driven Rolls-Royce for the transfer to the hotel. It was like midnight or 1 a.m. -- it was the old Narita-Hong Kong flight. I didn't really need the service, but it was sure nice.

I'm pretty good at navigating airports, scoping out lines and so fort but I do recognize that some travelers, even the most experienced, need help -- especially with luggage or mobility. With that said, I'm normally that guy hauling butt, weaving in and out of people through the corridors in a desperate attempt to make passport control/immigration before the 300 other passengers get there.

hockeyinsider

It sounds like it's either a paid service or a Japanese-thing, which makes sense because service is so important in Japan -- and, frankly speaking, the other Asian countries.

UnderEst

I've had this happen to me a few times when arriving in NRT, but only when I had a connection that day and not when I was staying in the Tokyo area. The first time it happened, I immediately thought something was wrong (they didn't have wifi on the aircraft yet) so I thought something must've happened.

I was taken on a golf cart, went through a dedicated immigration line for transfers with an escort and taken to the lounge and was provided a Delta 'postcard' with a thank you note and my gate/boarding time info. The next few times, I was taken directly to my gate as the plane was already boarding.