meggles

I highly doubt this is 'buzz-worthy' but I can't find another logical place to put this. Apoligizes in advance.

On 11-Feb, I'm flying US838 NRT-SFO. Arrival 9:03am. Into International Terminal. Flying economy.

I want to continue onto YYJ. There are only (2) direct a day, one at 10:30am, AC4401 leaving from T3.

I only have hand luggage.

Is 1.5 hours enough time to disembark, passport, transfer terminals, check-in, pass through security, get on plane.

(I can't quite get my head around if I will be able to print boarding pass in Tokyo- whether that's under 24 hour check-in limit)

If I miss it... the next direct isn't until 8pm although there are lots of connections through YVR on Air Canada.

planemechanic

If you are using International Terminal G you can stay inside security and still get to the domestic gates. If all you have is carry on you will get through immigration and customs fairly quickly. Once you get to the customs officer just turn to the left and go to the domestic terminals.

1 1/2 hours should be fine unless you are delayed.

meggles

cheers for that. yes, I arrive into terminal G. Once past security, are there facilities to get a AC boarding pass?

Palal

First question: is this on one ticket? If so, you'll get all your BPs in the beginning, if not, check in on AC online. You should also ask to have your bags tagged to the end, if with bags. This is not doable with bags on two tickets in 1.5 hrs.

US838 is probably a codeshare with UA. If you're *G, use the computers at the lounge in NRT to print your BP.

You have to go through security after leaving customs. If you have your BP, you may want to clear security at the international terminal as the line is shorter there. If not, continue to T3 where you'll find the AC check-in counter, and you can check in there.

Head through security and to the gate. If the line is VERY long, head back to the international terminal, as it is usually much shorter.

1.5 hrs is cutting it close, but doable if everything's on time and no bags.

Ocn Vw 1K

I'll move this thread to the Travel->San Francisco forum. Ocn Vw 1K, Moderator, TravelBuzz.

meggles

cheers.

seperate tickets, but I have called and 'connected' the iternaries. I'll only have hand luggage, and I will try and print my SFO-YYJ boarding pass in NRT. Either online, at checkin or at the lounge.

squeakr

If you can't print the ongoing BP in NRT the 1.5 hrs may not be enough. And if you miss the flight, w/ two tickets the original carrier has no responsibility to put you on another flight.

RichardInSF

This is curious. I don't think you can stay inside security if you arrive at the international terminal. I think any exit from customs funnels you back outside of security, but then I never check bags so I might be missing something.

You can stay inside security if you want to walk between terminal G departures area and United/American domestic, but first you have to get to the departures area.

Eastbay1K

You may be missing something, but that is another topic for another post - otherwise, your analysis is correct. There's no way that once you are in contact with checked luggage that you could ever transit to another flight w/o more security.

I wonder if you can print a BP @ NRT. I have been in (US) lounges now that have had the toner cartridges removed because of the recent toner nonsense.

meggles

well... i'm going to try & print BP at NRT hotel.... cross your fingers for me!

SoCal

You have "connected" your itineraries with whom? How? Have you contacted Air Canada to ask what will happen should you miss your connection? Will they-- as would be normal in a through-itinerary-- put you on the next flight with available seats in your fare class (not necessarily the very next flight) at no charge-- no change fee and no payment if the fare for the later flight is more than what you paid? When we flew from DCA to MIA on AA and immediately on to GRU on JJ, using separately-purchased tickets, AA was able to tag our bags all the way to GRU, but was not able to give us our JJ boarding passes. We had to go to the TAM counter at MIA. I hope you've verified with AC that you can print your boarding pass at NRT.

Not having to go through security again is news to me. I was not aware of any airport in the U.S. where you can arrive on an international flight and connect to a domestic fight without going through security. You have to go through Immigration and Customs. Carry-on bags are subject to Customs, and you proceed to onward flights only after the baggage pick-up area and Customs, so I don't understand how one's route in the terminal would be different, and allow one to avoid going through security, just because they don't have checked bags. It would save them the time it takes to wait for bags at the baggage carousel, in between Immigration and Customs.

meggles

morning/evening - since the AC4401 SFO-YYJ onward flight is actually a code-share with United, I called United and connected the NRT-SFO itinerary to SFO-YYJ. I gave them the two reservation numbers, and they said they were connected.

If I miss my SFO-YYJ flight, there is another one at 12, 3, etc... I fully expect to have to pay a change fee and perhaps any fare difference to get onto that flight.

as for the international arrivals going into another terminal w/o security - I too had never seen that in the USA, and so I questioned it. Thanks for double/triple confirming.

cheers

squeakr

as in "connected" may not do you any good in terms of the short connection time. But good luck!

meggles

Horray! I made it.

At first I was scared, because I could not check in online (whilst in Tokyo Hotel). However, I went and saw a Narita check-in counter, and they printed the SFO-YYJ ticket. Then, NRT-SFO landed a wee bit early, at 8:45am. It was then a very short taxi to gate. I then breezed through passport control & customs, was out by 9:05. I then walked straight to regular T3 security, which took 20 minutes. So I was in T3, in line at Peat's Coffee by 9:30. Perfect timing!

Thanks for all your advice!

fly_yag

I've got a similar situation coming up in October flying YYC-SFO-DXB with UA and EK and only 1:39 to connect. Just wondering wondering what the best way is to accomplish this. It's all on a single ticket so bags should be checked through but I'm wondering if there is somewhere to pickup my EK boarding pass without going back out to the check-in desks?