MSPeconomist

As you exit the aircraft and head toward security at NRT, look for signs sending the BKK passengers to a special quick security area. Often this sort of arrangement is set up for especially tight connections.

CJKatl

Yes, and it gets reported widely. Our government thinks it's one-size-fits-all on this is better than allowing airlines to use common sense.

steex

This has nothing to do with government, the exact same is true domestically as well. The primary difference is that a delay to an NRT intra-Asia departure doesn't have any downstream impact. The intra-Asia flights are all scheduled to have ample time at the spoke, but do not rely on the same crew turning back to NRT on the flight the next morning (thus, no potential crew rest issues). Even in the eastbound direction, it generally is operationally beneficial to the airline to collect everyone possible at NRT - a missed connection at MSP is a lot easier to rectify than one at NRT. These factors tip the scales toward holding flights at NRT much more frequently compared to the rest of the system when the option arises.

Contrast that with a midday ATL-ORD (random example) departure where holding for connecting pax may cause a trickle down delay to 3 later departures for that aircraft and/or crew. They have to weigh the benefit of getting connectors onto ATL-ORD against possibly making ORD-ATL-XYZ connectors on the return flight have issues, then repeat with other flights down the schedule if the aircraft or crew are not able to recover. This is also why you tend to see the airlines much more willing to hold flights in the last bank when there are fewer downstream disruptions and fewer options for recovery.

bennos

Does the government set arrival and departure times?

Of course this will take us down the path of unrealistic schedules vs excessively padded times, airport congestion due to old airspace technology and/or airlines over-reliance on too many tiny planes, but let's leave that all aside as veering off topic for this thread.

Nanny state. Heh.

FlyingWithers

You might be OK I F you are in the front of the metal and thus off quickly, AND are SkyPriority to get the shorter line for security.

With that said, I would never book an NRT connection that close.

rylan

This as well. I don't think it will be an issue, and would expect that you'd get to the BKK gate when they just start boarding. Oh and yes it is all DL metal.

suec1

Well Delta more or less booked it - changed flight times on me after I had booked ticket. When I look at website - it will pull up this combo of flights from Atl to Bkk. I would not have booked this combo NOR booked on Delta if it was going to mean a night layover in NRT. The website says I can change flights, I assume, but I assume I cannot say, no thanks, I want a refund and then book on another airline.

Others on the board seem to think I will most likely make the connection. I would assume there will be others on the plane from Atl going to BKK that have the same connection issue.

exwannabe

Caution, the web site warning message is just auto generated stuff that shows on all schedule changes and means nothing. Trying to use this could make things worse for you.

suec1

objection your honor - I can see how the responder wants this merged BUT in this thread I am looking for a little more info - as to what might happen - I don't think that was really touched on in my earlier thread, except to say, I should change my flights or I'll be given another boarding pass. Gosh, I guess I am really clogging up this board!

rylan

If your flight is late and DL doesn't hold the connection, then you will either get rebooked on another airline if there is any availability that evening, or given hotel accommodations for the night and put on a flight in the morning or the DL flight the next evening depending on what is available.

NRT is quite efficient at rebooking in case of missed connections. If it happens, its likely an agent will be waiting for any pax on the BKK flight with your flight already rebooked, boarding passes, any any necessary accommodations.

TrojanTraveler

My JFK-NRT-BKK connection recently got greatly reduced to 65 min. Not too thrilled about it, given the potential for JFK delays plus I was planning on grabbing a quick shower at the NRT club (which can have a wait).

rylan

Actually a lot of times the JFK-NRT flight gets in a little early. I've had numerous times with a 50 min scheduled connection where I arrived with enough time for a quick shower, piece of sushi and glass of cold sake before boarding started.

TrojanTraveler

One would hope it would get in early, given that it leaves JFK at a more "quiet" time. I was on a few NRT delays, but that was when they were running the 747 and there always seemed to be complicating factors.

Last time I was transiting out of NRT back to JFK, there was what they estimated to be a 30 - 60 min wait for a shower, and they had me running back and forth between the clubs with "wait, we think we have one open".

FlytheTail

You'll be fine, don't worry about it. It's a legal connection so there's nothing you can (or should) do anyway.

You shouldn't create two threads on the same subject. This forum is already too clogged with threads and ones on the exact same subject are rarely merged.

troydwhite

I'm doing a mileage run to NRT next weekend:

PHL > DTW > NRT > DTW > PHL

Do I need to go thru customs when I land in NRT, or can I go directly to the departure gate?

Will there be a security check if I can stay planeside?

I have a 2.5 hour layover.

Thanks!