Mileage Run ICN-NRT / Immigration?
 

I'm doing a quick day-trip mileage run Tuesday, ICN-NRT. I'll have about 5 hours at NRT, and I was just planning to stay in the lounge and get some work done. But then I wondered, do I need to process through immigration and/or check back in at a ticket counter located outside immigration?

No. If you are a U.S./South Korean citizen, you do not need to present a visa upon check in at ICN. The only thing you need to do is to print out boarding pass for NRT-ICN leg at home and bring it onboard. When you arrive at NRT, you can follow the signs say "international connection" and get to a security check point. You will need to present your boarding pass leaving NRT (ICN-NRT) to pass security. Once finished, you will get to the departure level and thus have lounge access without clearing Japanese immigration.

(This does not work if you are citizen of China/Russia or any country that requires a visa to enter Japan - Delta check in will ask you for a japanese visa)

Ah, good to know. I am a US citizen. I am not too hopeful about the printing my boarding pass part, as I've had terrible luck doing OLCI for international flights before. But if that fails, surely I can get a return boarding pass when I check in at ICN? If not, seems like there is a ticket counter within the terminal there at NRT which I could use. i think a printout of my itinerary might get me through the internal security checkpoint in that case?

I was wondering if it might cause any problems on return to Korea, since my passport wouldn't show that I had been anywhere. But then again, this happens often with trhips to the the USA when they seldom actually stamp my passport.

If you cannot print a boarding pass for the return flight, bring your printed itinerary to the International Connections security checkpoint and they should let you through. You'll want to next visit the Transfer Desk (past security) to get your boarding pass for your onward flight. Finally, stop by the club for a relaxing snack and/or beverage.

Excuse me, just curious as frequent ICN flier, how much did you pay for the ticket?
Usually that route has one of the worst CPM yield for MR purpose...

wow, this flight was a 757, flying on from tokyo to Portland. They snuck this new route in while I wasn't paying attention. For my trips to the USA, the more routes the better. This was the first time I've seen a 757 over here, I didn't know those flew trans-oceanic routes. The b/c seats were comfortable enough for my short flight ICN-NRT, not sure how they would be over the Pacific. Cabin crew were really professional and nice.

I did wonder why we were scheduled to board almost 1 hour before departure. I thought in the past it was more like 30-45 minutes, unless it was something like a 777 or 747.

It turned out to be about 2 hours or so in the plane on the ground. ICN runways were closed early morning due to poor visibility, then when things cleared, suddenly a bunch of planes wanted to depart all at once. Our plane, along with many others, had to be de-iced, not because it was snowing, but because it had snowed overnight (i suppose the planes aren't kept in a hangar). Made for a little excitement, but the flight crew kept us well informed. And once we took off, we were helped by a brisk tail wind en-route.

Actually, the flight continues on, but there is an aircraft change. It is actually a 767 from NRT to PDX.

Why not do a quick MR on KE ICN-Jeju, you'll get minimum 500 miles on select fares for cheap.

Well, that wouldn't have quite gotten me the miles I needed, but that is a good idea to consider if/when this happens again.