JAL Overnight layover in NRT

Old Nov 7, 2004, 2:33 pm
  #1  
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JAL Overnight layover in NRT

Hi -
I'm taking a JAL flight from SFO - MNL and have an overnight layover in Narita. I arrive on a Sun @ 4pm and leave @9:40am the following day. I purchased my flight through an online travel agency. I have a few questions:
1. I've heard that JAL provides hotel accomodations for overnight layovers. How do I know if my flight includes this?
2. I'm travelling with a friend and we purchased our tickets separately. Any tips on how to make sure we sit next to each other? Besides requesting our seats when we check in?
3. Any suggestions on what we can do that night? I've noticed many shopping, touristy sites close around 4/5pm. I'm thinking we won't make it considering we arrive @ 4pm and will probably check into our hotel before being able to explore the area.
4. Can I get AAdvantage points for this flight? This is not a codeshare w/ AA..I believe the online travel agency purchased directly through JAL.

Appreciate any help provided

Regards,
Adrienne
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Old Nov 7, 2004, 3:15 pm
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Welcome to FlyerTalk, Adrienne. To answer some of your questions:
  1. In most cases, JAL does not pick up your hotel. However, the easiest way to find out is to call them (800-525-3663).
  2. Again, call JAL. If possible, ask to get pre-assigned seats together; otherwise, ask that they link the records of you and your friend.
  3. Assuming that you stay near the airport, there's not much to do near the hotels. You could take the train into Tokyo (about a 60-minute to Tokyo station). but I'm not sure I'd recommend it if you're unfamiliar with Tokyo. It's far from the easiest city to navigate; also, I'm not sure how late the return trains run.
  4. When you call JAL, give them your AA number. Most discount economy fares get 70% of miles flown.
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Old Nov 7, 2004, 3:37 pm
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Originally Posted by wideman
Welcome to FlyerTalk, Adrienne. To answer some of your questions:
  1. In most cases, JAL does not pick up your hotel. However, the easiest way to find out is to call them (800-525-3663).
  2. Again, call JAL. If possible, ask to get pre-assigned seats together; otherwise, ask that they link the records of you and your friend.
  3. Assuming that you stay near the airport, there's not much to do near the hotels. You could take the train into Tokyo (about a 60-minute to Tokyo station). but I'm not sure I'd recommend it if you're unfamiliar with Tokyo. It's far from the easiest city to navigate; also, I'm not sure how late the return trains run.
  4. When you call JAL, give them your AA number. Most discount economy fares get 70% of miles flown.
Perfect advice.....

in addition to tricky navigation, add very $$$$
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Old Nov 7, 2004, 4:25 pm
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<<In most cases, JAL does not pick up your hotel. However, the easiest way to find out is to call them (800-525-3663).>>

Usually, JAL does if there is no connecting flight on the same day.

This is the condition JAL offers:

LAYOVER

Overnight LOPK will be provided by JAL when there is no same day connection schedule at TYO/OSA(connecting flight must be within the next day).

Day use LOPK will be provided by JAL when arrival is on/before 10:00 and first scheduled connection is on/after 20:00.

If you ask, they might give you meal coupon also(both Dinner and Breakfast).
I have got both before so please try to ask!
Anyway, as the previous poster suggested, you should call JAL to confirm the hotel, usually Nikko Narita(JAL hotel).
There is free shuttle bus from NRT airport and takes about 10 minutes.
If you arrive at Narita after 4 pm, you shall just go to the hotel and stay there.
Or you might go to AEON shopping mall.
There was the shuttle bus to the mall for the guest of the hotel.
After 9 pm, there is no more shuttle bus so don't try to go Tokyo that night.

All Nippon(ANA) does the same service.
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Old Nov 7, 2004, 5:25 pm
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Originally Posted by Tak
<<In most cases, JAL does not pick up your hotel. However, the easiest way to find out is to call them (800-525-3663).>>

Usually, JAL does if there is no connecting flight on the same day.

This is the condition JAL offers:

LAYOVER

Overnight LOPK will be provided by JAL when there is no same day connection schedule at TYO/OSA(connecting flight must be within the next day).

Day use LOPK will be provided by JAL when arrival is on/before 10:00 and first scheduled connection is on/after 20:00.

If you ask, they might give you meal coupon also(both Dinner and Breakfast).
I have got both before so please try to ask!
Anyway, as the previous poster suggested, you should call JAL to confirm the hotel, usually Nikko Narita(JAL hotel).
There is free shuttle bus from NRT airport and takes about 10 minutes.
If you arrive at Narita after 4 pm, you shall just go to the hotel and stay there.
Or you might go to AEON shopping mall.
There was the shuttle bus to the mall for the guest of the hotel.
After 9 pm, there is no more shuttle bus so don't try to go Tokyo that night.

All Nippon(ANA) does the same service.
Did you purchase the ticket or on award travel? I will have an AA award travel coming up, and seems I have to pay for the hotel.Or I do need to call to get it, although I already called and got the seat assigned.Thx.
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Old Nov 7, 2004, 6:35 pm
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I purchased the tickets.
I am not sure about award reservation, however, you should call JAL to request the lodge if the connection is the legal connection and you have no more choice on the same day connection.
If you have any choice of connection, but no award availability, you might have to pay for the lodge(not sure though).
If I were you, I still call JAL to request the hotel reservation.
If they say OK, JAL gives you a vouchur when you check in at your airport.

I picked up the wording of LAYOVER rule from terms and conditions JAL provides to travel agency. The fare basis was cheap cheap bulk fare so I assume it applies most fare.
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Old Nov 7, 2004, 8:26 pm
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Response from JAL

Thx for all of your help.

I called JAL, they mentioned their policy is to provide hotel accommodations ONLY if the next outbound flight is the next day. In my particular case, there is one leaving the same day @6pm, therefore I don't qualify (that's probably what made my flight a better price).

JAL can also make hotel reservations for us @ Nikko in Narita. It ends up being around 11500 Yen (w/out breakfast) for twin size beds (this is about $108 USD).
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Old Nov 7, 2004, 8:30 pm
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Should we book a hotel in Tokyo?

Since there isn't anything to do at Narita and since we have to pay for our hotel ourselves anyways, do you recommend we just stay in Tokyo (assuming more things to do are open in the evening)? This way we won't have to worry about the last train back and we'll just take a train the next morning before our flight. I'm hoping we can just find a hotel through Priceline or something in an area where there are places to shop/eat that evening.

Thx in advance for any help provided.
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Old Nov 7, 2004, 8:50 pm
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I was in the similar search for the layover. I found Holiday inn is about $70/nite and has shuttle bus to/from nrt airport. I also found Comfort Inn about $50/nite at Narita city. But you need to take train about $3/each way to get there.


http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showt...ferrerid=20210
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Old Nov 8, 2004, 12:00 am
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Originally Posted by adrisephine
Since there isn't anything to do at Narita and since we have to pay for our hotel ourselves anyways, do you recommend we just stay in Tokyo (assuming more things to do are open in the evening)? This way we won't have to worry about the last train back and we'll just take a train the next morning before our flight. I'm hoping we can just find a hotel through Priceline or something in an area where there are places to shop/eat that evening.

Thx in advance for any help provided.
If your departure time is 9:40 in the next morning, I recommend to stay at a hotel nearby the airport.
If staying Tokyo, you have to catch a bus or train by 7:30 next morning, means you have to wake up around 6 am.
ALso you have to spend at least $20 per person/one way to go to Tokyo.
If you have luggage to pick up at NRT(because your connecting flight is next day), you have to carry them around or store the luggage at storage and pay for two day( They are not 24 hours cycle so you have to pay for 2 days).

I don't think it is worth to go to Tokyo just to have dinner there unless you know where to go and what to eat and see.
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Old Nov 8, 2004, 5:56 pm
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The reason that JAL use Nikko Narita because inside the hotel, has the check-in counter for both JAL and JAA, you can check-in your luggages over there, so that you don't need to spend the time on the bus, check-in again in the airport.

I have once stayed at the Nikko Narita. The outbound flight from ORD to HKG is fine, but the inbound flight for HKG to ORD requires a night to stay in NRT. If you book through the travel agent, they usually tell you all the information of how to get to the hotel. Outside the immigration, there are a bunch of tourist, hotels pick-up stops, make sure you find the right one, they are mostly written in Japanese. It is a free shuttle, but that shuttle bus is not just for Nikko Narita, I believe it goes to another Nikko hotel too. There are like 6 or 7 restaurants inside, dinner is NOT included, a buffet breakfest in the morning does. When you check-in at the hotel, the front desk would give you a coupon for the breakfest. In the morning, you luggages are usually already waiting for you at the check-in counters (only 2 check-in counters), you should check-in before you go to have breakfest, or you have to wait a long time. This is Not a very recent experience though, however, I talked with my travel agent, JL does not change a whole lot.
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Old Nov 8, 2004, 7:10 pm
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<<The reason that JAL use Nikko Narita because inside the hotel, has the check-in counter for both JAL and JAA, you can check-in your luggages over there, so that you don't need to spend the time on the bus, check-in again in the airport.>>

JAL owns Nikko Hotel chain.
Nikko is the abbreviation of Nippon(Japan) Kouku(Airlines).
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Old Nov 8, 2004, 10:14 pm
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Originally Posted by ORDnHKG
...JAL ... has the check-in counter for both JAL and JAA, you can check-in your luggages over there, so that you don't need to spend the time on the bus, check-in again in the airport.
Do pax have to bring the luggage with them even for a layover less than 24 hours? It is said JAL can hold the luggage for the pax, if the layover is less than 24 hours. ANybody can comfirm which answer is true?


I kind of leaning to change my ticket to avoid the overnight layover at nrt, because my award ticket is change-able without charge
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Old Nov 9, 2004, 6:06 pm
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Yes, JAL will hold the luggage for you, actually my luggages appear from nowhere in the hotel, but I saw a bunch of them in the hotel lobby, and I I asked the JAL agent, was told I should check them right now at the counter. It would be hell if I have to take my luggages from the airport, to the hotel, to the room, on and off the bus.

To Tak: I think only Nikko Narita has this kind of gestures (have JAL counters inside the hotel) to JAL passengers even though JAL owns Nikko hotel.
Btw, I had stayed in ANA hotel in KIX before, but I didn't see any ANA counters inside the hotel, consider that one should be a transit hotel too since it is so close to the airport.
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Old Nov 9, 2004, 6:28 pm
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<<Btw, I had stayed in ANA hotel in KIX before, but I didn't see any ANA counters inside the hotel, consider that one should be a transit hotel too since it is so close to the airport.>>

Hi, ORDnHKG

I didn't know ANA hotel at KIX has no check in counter for their passengers.
ANA hotel at NRT has the check in counter there (like JAL hotel), maybe, because they always compete with JAL for service.
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