charlotteimmigration

Arriving on Turkish airlines First class to NRT.
Have a layover before connecting to ANA business class to Beijing (No F cabin on the flight).

Can I access the ANA First class lounge / arrivals lounge with my TK F boarding card and ANA C boarding card?

I am also star alliance GOLD.

also what is the quickest way downtown? I have a 5 hour layover and want to see downtown for an hour or so...is there any transit tours?

NewbieRunner

ANA is very strict about lounge access and I don't think an arriving F BP will let you into the First Class lounge.

It will take up to one hour to get to downtown Tokyo and if you add the time needed for immigration (in and out) you will be lucky to have one hour to see downtown.

Check the sticky in the Japan forum to decide if it's worth going downtown.

Flyingfox

You won't be allowed into the F lounge. I've been in your shoes.

You don't have time to go to Tokyo, it's just not something to try with only 5 hours.

Go to Narita (a 10 minute taxi ride) and walk around the winding roads instead (it's a "walking" sort of place and no need for a car or taxi once there), see the temple, have some real Japanese food, look into the shops at a leisurely pace - it is quite lovely.

sfvoyage

Don't worry about it, you won't be missing out on anything. The F lounge is essentially a smaller and less crowded version of the J lounge. It offers a couple of extra hot food items, but otherwise it is hardly superior to the J lounge.

Flyingfox

I'm not a fan either.

I don't like how they hide the only good food in the lounge - the Fauchon ice-cream, behind the door!
And the service disappears after they bring you the first drink.

gleff

That is really strange, isn't it?

But I have done what's being suggested, F arrival C onward and accessed the F lounge.

I showed the attendant outside the lounge by F boarding pass stub and she escorted me to the desk. The took my onward boarding pass, looked very embarassed, apologized, and then escroted me into the lounge.

I wasn't entitled to it, and I wouldn't expect it.

And ultimately I agree, it isn't a special experience enough to worry about.

onebagtraveller

Weren't you on NH F and then going onward on a 2-class NH flight?

Maybe that was someone else - but there was another thread a while back about this - and I never got a definitive answer regarding this - arriving F but onward is 2-class only.

But I would think they might be more willing to allow this if you were on NH flights?

ORDnHKG

Your case are different than OP, as if I remembered, you were arriving on NH F, not any other *A F. There was a rule someone mentioned arriving NH F pax can still use the F lounge even the connecting flight is not F.


Connecting flight has no F and star alliance gold are irrelevant.

Done that and refused right away.

As others have said, NH is very strict regarding who can use what lounge.

ANAStarFlyer

You could perhaps enjoy an hour or two in Downtown Tokyo if you took the Mori Building City Air Service helicopter from Narita to Ark Hills in Akasaka (right smack in the middle of Tokyo). It is a 15 minute car ride from Narita to the helipad and 15 minute flight into Tokyo. I believe it is 37,500 JPY or roughly 450 US$ one-way. I believe there is a discount for round-trips.

If your layover is in the evening, you would be able to witness pretty impressive views of Tokyo's city lights. ^

gleff

No, I believe the rule is explicitly F lounge for departing F pax only, I got lucky with an exception based on the agent's embarassment over inviting me in when seeing my arriving F BP.

Yes it was NH F, but my point was that even arriving NH F / departing NH C is not actually allowed access to NH F lounge.

Some folks - including me - have gotten this or been told it's ok when my best understanding is it's not.

So my point was that even the arriving NH F / departing NH C is not entitled, suggesting that arriving *A F / Departing NH C would not be as well.

charlotteimmigration

So i arrive at 1145am
what about the NEW fast train to Ueno? it takes 36 mins from NRT
I could quickly go through immigraiton hit the train and go to Ueno park, then come back around 3pm, hit the ANA lounge for a shower and take my 520pm to PEK?
right?

NewbieRunner

Here's a plan.

Arriving at 11:45am may not be as bad as arriving earlier in the morning but whether you can get through immigration quickly depends on other flights arriving before yours. If you are very, very lucky and know exactly where to go you might be able to catch the Cityliner leaving at 12:19 but it doesn't really matter because the Skyliner leaving at 12:39 actually arrives in Ueno 10 mins earlier at 13:24. The next Skyliner is 20 mins later.

Returning to NRT for the PEK flight the last Skyliner to catch would be 15:00 from Ueno arriving in NRT T1 at 15:44. The next Skyliner is 40 mins later if you really want to push it. I've no idea what immigration queues are like at that time of the afternoon but you have to line up to leave the country. This is probablly my pet hate about NRT. Security in comparison is a breeze.

You can decide whether it's worth the hassle. You will probably get more flavour of Japan in Narita City than in a couple of hours or less around Ueno.

http://www.keisei.co.jp/keisei/tetud...able_ueno.html

GolfTravelr

The last two times I arrived in NRT in NH F, I was connecting to PEK in J. I simply presented my F boarding pass at the F lounge near gate 42??? and explained that onward flights to PEK are merely two class. Both times I was admitted with limited fuss. A nice lounge indeed, however, as others have stated nothing to really write home about.

adlibitum

Traveling on an F award ticket but seated in business because no F availability, no Suites Lounge access, I assume, or are there other experiences out there?

Thanks.

NoY

No F BP, no access.

But you really are not missing anything. It really is the most humble home F loiunge that I have experienced. So, so underwhelming. Really.