Connection from Delta to China Airlines at NRT
 

Hi all - I'm connecting tomorrow at NRT from a Delta flight to a China Airlines flight to Taipei. I need to ask a little advice please...

I see that Delta uses Terminal 1, and China Airlines uses Terminal 2. I see that I need to leave Terminal 1 and take a bus to Terminal 2; is there a walking option also?

Obviously if I leave T-1 and go out to a bus, I would need to go thru security again at T-2; is there any airside method to this connection?

Also, what can I expect in regards to Immigration for this kind of transfer?

Thanks so much,

RRZ518

I did this exact connection last week, it's quite easy. You'll re-clear security in T1 - there will be plenty of signage for connecting flights. You can then head straight to the bus shuttle over to T2, which is only a few min away from where you'll be dropped into T1 after security. If everything is running on schedule, you should have plenty of time for a stop at the Sky Club in T1 (including a shower, the best part!) before heading over to the shuttle. Sky Club also has copies of the shuttle schedule.

I don't know if there is a walking option, so I'll leave that to another FTer to answer.

Thanks for the quick response. Where is the Delta Skyclub located?

Near Gate 22-25, can't really miss it (escalator in the middle of the satellite going up)

If you have status, you can use China Airline's lounge in T2 but I don't think it has a shower... Food is better in Delta's own lounge in T1. I usually go to T2 immediately because of the bus ride and don't want to take a chance, so I usually use China's lounge when this happens.

Anyone from a recent visit know if the China Airlines lounge has showers?

Of topic, but is this all one ticket or separately ticketed segments? I'm just curious since I go to TPE at least annually and rarely see CI code-shares. To get to TPE I usually get offered KAL flights which I'd prefer to to take if I can do CI.

No, I did not notice any shower facility. And if there is one, it may have been "hidden" somewhere in the smelly toilet complex. Their NRT lounge is pretty basic: armchairs that don't recline, with pretty basic snack food (dim sum and scant noodles) - much like the Delta lounge at T1. Nothing compared to the flagship CX/ SQ/ JL lounges, so don't expect too much.

Their flagship lounge in TPE is pretty good though!

Flew DeltaOne SEA-NRT-TPE and back just this month, all DL flight numbers (NRT-TPE vv segment operated by CI).

I felt as if the two airlines do not cooperate! DL agents in SEA were clueless which lounge I was going to use in NRT. There was no CI or DL agent who met me at the gate on arrival at NRT, connecting onward to TPE (unlike on the return when a DL agent arranged for a special bus). I was directed by the information desk to find the JAL transit desk and from there the JAL ground agents called the CI staff to issue my lounge pass.

(Why is CI in T2, cutoff from the rest of SkyTeam?)

Next time, I might try flying Korean Air.

the China Airlines and Delta Communication is a train wreak. i was flying with my mom in February DTW- Nrt -tpe and china airline changed plane from a330 to a350 and didn't tell Delta so my mom and two different seats and both airlines could not figure out which seat was correct and each airlines said to call the other. Best part was china airlines telling me was Delta had a plane that actually flew to TPE instead of it being a codeshare flight

Its one ticket with code shared DL flight numbers.

Its pretty easy to find- here is an example:
https://flights.app.goo.gl/kzZDK

I am a regular on this route and what a mess. I've taken just about every combination of flights to TPE, via NRT/ICN/PVG. Ever since Delta pulled the NRT to TPE route, the transferring process has been a nightmare, even for a regular like me. Delta and China's communication has been incredibly poor, I can list a dozen things wrong.

SEA-NRT-TPE direction:
1) You will arrive in Terminal 1 on DL metal. You just need to clear airside arrival security and go downstairs to take a shuttle to Terminal 2. The shuttle gate area is often empty, so pay attention to the signs or you will miss it.
2) When you arrive at T2, you will need to take the escalator up. China Airlines' lounge is very hard to find - some of the signs from the ground floor upwards are wrong. It's next to American's lounge. I'd recommend using CI Lounge in T2 instead of DL Lounge in T1 because flight depart out of T2.
3) China occupy the the gates at the end of the Terminal, either gate 74 or 75, or occasionally at 94, which is the satellite gate and has a very long walk.

TPE-NRT-SEA direction (don't get me started with this one)
1) China Airlines is a mess, they change TPE departure terminal (from T1 to T2, or from T2 to T1) very last minute...all the time, so don't believe what's published on flight status sites. You should arrive early - airside train is very slow and station is far, so you will end up walking between the terminals. It's a sweating exercise consider how warm TPE is and the terminal is not well AC'ed compare to other airports.
2) China has lounges throughout T1 and T2, but DL/SkyTeam passengers can only use the regular (aka poor man lounge), but you should be able to find one that's within 10 min walk to/from the gate
3) Once arrive at NRT, clear airside transfer security and go downstairs to take the shuttle to T1.
4) Once at T1, you will need to go through secondary security check for US-bound flight - you don't go through this on NRT->TPE direction.
5) Use DL kiosk to print BP, CI's boarding pass dont get read well by DL scanner, plus the agents want to see "DOCS OK" comment on the DL-printed BP.
6) You are better off using DL's lounge (or KE's, but KE's is a bit far). Take the center escalator up to the lounge floor, which is occupied by DL. The gates are just directly below the lounge, which is the only good thing about this lounge.

For what it's worth, DL, KE and CI lounge food at NRT all suck - they are outstation lounges with bare minimum. DL lounge has shower but CI's do not.