Originally Posted by
FlyingtoFlyAway
...if carriers made pricing and rules for complex itineraries reasonable, more people would combine separate ticket purchases into single bookings
I highly doubt neither LH or NH offer NRT-BRE fare which allow routing via JFK, hence you have to buy two separate tickets. Even if you are willing to pay most expensive fully flexible fare, NRT-BRE via JFK may exceed maximum miles allowable by the ticket, which you will not able to buy as one single ticket. When airlines do not set specific fare between two cities via certain point means there really is not enough demand to warrant such fare setting, most of the case it is pure business decision by airlines.
I am sorry about your situation, but it is typhoon situation and no airlines is held responsible when weather related. Also, it is just another part of life. Flying internationally for more than few decades I had share of flight cancellation/disruption due to weather related situation which caused me to miss work related matters or family related matters. However, life moved on after that and I do not think I am at less place in my life right now because of the such event of my past.