discstickers

Which will replace NRT-KIX

MSPeconomist

I suspect that it's not the connecting time itself, but the time to walk to and go through immigration and possibly customs if this is required before the KIX flight. Normally for connections to international NW/DL flights within Asia, about an hour is fine. The TPAC flights typically arrive early and one must clear security--sometimes those with tight connections are hearded into a faster area--but it hasn't been a problem.

Also, a few of the NW/DL flights to Japanese destinations do not require immigration and customs at NRT. I think the NGO flights operate this way, but I'm not sure about KIX. (Have you looked for a nonstop from DTW? From JFK or ATL?) Immigration is a long walk from the gates and can be slow at NRT, even when the lines look short. Personally, I probably wouldn't be comfortable with a connection that requires NRT immigration having much under about two hours connecting time.

Remember too that DL only has one flight per day from NRT to KIX and an overnight would not be pleasant as it would mean either a rather bad airport hotel with nothing nearby or a very long trip to central Tokyo and back again. Other airlines serve this route, but most of the planes leave from the domestic Tokyo airport, which is a long trip from NRT and difficult except on the limosine buses, which are subject to traffic delays. Even changing terminals at NRT is a long and difficult process, with the airside buses being airline/alliance-specific and operating at long intervals.

If DL is saying that the new schedule violates min connecting time for international to domestic at NRT, you have no choice but to change your flights. I would suggest that you begin by calling to ask about this. Also, it could matter whether you are in BE or coach (although NRT offers no elite security or passport control lines) and, if in coach, if your seat is close to the deplaning door. (At NRT, the 747s typically deplane and board from two doors, so that some coach passengers beat BE to the lines.) I'm assuming that you have seat assignments, including for NRT-KIX.

IME, luggage transfer at NRT is efficient, so it shouldn't matter whether you are checking a bag, although it can be tough to run to and from the security re-check area if you have a lot of carry-on.

discstickers

Neither NRT-NGO nor NRT-KIX require a stop in customs or immigration in NRT. Both are "international" flights the same as NRT-ICN and NRT-PEK.

motytrah

You go through a TSA style security screen (keep your shoes on though). Don't buy any duty free if you're connecting at NRT because they will keep it. If you're last off the plane you'll be close, but you'll make it. If you get off the plane first you'll have plenty of time.

pokeable

The baggage at NRT is extremely efficient. The 1st leg of our MSP-NRT-SIN flight was delayed by 1.5 hours so we had about 15 minutes to catch our connecting flight to SIN. Surprisingly, our bags made the connection as well.

Kudos to the ground ops! ^

br1584

Is 1:20 enough time to transfer from a cathay pacific flight to a Delta Flight? I am booked on DL 280 NRT to ATL leaving at 3:55pm. Barring any schedule changes will a Cathay flight arriving at 2:35 leave me with enough time to make the DL flight.

DL reservations says that there is a baggage and full ticketing interline agreement in place. The flights would be on separate reservations so I do not know if CX will be able to check me in, but the bags can be checked through

Thanks for the help

JORBUST

Too risky for me if they are on two different tickets. If the CX flight is delayed and you miss your delta flight, delta is in no way responsible to get you to your destination. Will they? Maybe, maybe even probably, but not for sure. It's very possible you would have to fight/argue/cry or if they still don't give in, pay for a full Y fare! That would suck.

I would get a bigger time in there because I think you are going to have go through immigration to get your boarding pass and check in, then go through immigration again, etc. I don't think there is anyway to do it. You have to have your boarding pass for your next flight to go through transit, they wont let you go through security without it and you will be directed to immigration, this has happened to me before, but I didn't argue, maybe there is a way around it? I'm speaking directly about NRT experience.

Delta won't print a boarding pass for a flight on a separate reservation even if they have an interline ticketing agreement. But what you can do is get your baggage interlined with the first airline onto the second and go to the second airline, if they are both at your departure airport, and get your next boarding pass printed (or OLCI!).

That is the only possibility of it working. If your flight times are perfect. You have your boarding pass on DL and CX before you depart, and your baggage is interlined.

Let us know what you do!

MSPeconomist

I would consider an hour and twenty minutes to be just about the minimum connecting time at NRT from DL to DL. The DL gates are quite far from other carrier's gates. In fact, are you sure that CX even uses the same terminal? I can't recall seeing them in Terminal 1 in either wing. If not, for the Terminal 2 to Terminal 1 airside bus, you must use a vehicle operated by your airline or alliance (they check tickets at the door), which means that the bus for you only operates about every half hour. IIRC, all connections require rescreening for security upon arrival at NRT as the airport is signposted for all connections to follow the path to security upon arrival. In the other direction, the terminal bus dumps you downstairs with a long walk to a big transfer desk (no passport control required for international to international connections), where it can be a wait for your boarding pass, but I've never tried to do the reverse.

For DL flights to the US from Asia, you may be able to seemingly do OLCI (you might not be able to print a boarding pass despite being checked in for your flight), but you still must answer security questions in the airport (a human in some stations, but NRT now has kiosks that can sort of--when they work--do this) before going to passport control. I've never noticed this being done in the gate area, so like the post above, I suspect that you may have to go landside to the check in area at NRT to change alliances.

OTOH, in the past, going landside on a connection at NRT subjected one to payment of an airport tax that is now included in the ticket price, so that you should verify this issue before going out through passport control and immigration. It would be a shame to have to stand in line to pay $30-50 in cash in yen to continue your journey. Also, entering Japan now means being fingerprinted and photographed as well as questioned in addition to your forms, which not only takes time (even if no line) but also raises the possibility of being denied if anything about your situation seems unusual.

My sugestion is to allow much more connecting time and verify the procedures in advance. Be sure to check the luggage through.

mnbp

CX operates from T2 at NRT, DL operates from T1. There is an airside bus described as follows:

http://www.narita-airport.jp/en/guid...ter/index.html

For DL, you'll want to get off the bus at Gate 28. T1 Gate 59 would be quite a hike to the usual DL gates at NRT.

You'll need an onward boarding pass to enter the T2 airside area in NRT before getting to the bus. Hopefully OLCI works....otherwise, you might be stuck entering Japan at T2, then taking the landside shuttle to T1, described as follows:

http://www.narita-airport.jp/en/acce...nal/index.html

Such a route *might* work, but I wouldn't book it for myself....80 minutes is very tight to make a T2 --> T1 connection - especially if you can't get a boarding pass in advance of your NRT arrival.

Any chance of switching to the DL flight HKG-NRT?

Exleftseat

There is an airside bus service for AA flights that runs between T2 and T1. It only runs once every 60 minutes. I have never had any luck catching it on time. To catch the outside terminal shuttle bus, the OP needs to clear customs/immigration, go thru security and immigration again. Too many obstacles. I suggest that the OPs transit time is way too tight and any success depends on just one thing : luck.
I am doing, what I consider to be a tight connection, arriving on KE from DPS/ICN at 2 p.m. and leaving on UA at 4 p.m., at least they are both in the same terminal and I know my way. But just a short delay on the inbound and I am screwed. It's quite risky.

zman

NRT is about the worse airport for inside security Terminal Changes by BUS.
You can wait an hour or more to change terminals.
Around lunch time (like 1PM) I think the service is even worse.
You need to allow at least two hours to change terminals at NRT.

JJeffrey

Be careful with this...just because CX & DL have a baggage/ticketing interline agreement doesn't mean CX will check your bags through on separate tickets.

I run into this a lot booking separate tickets on AA & SK, which have an interline agreement also. Flying USA->Europe, the AA agents never have a problem checking my bags all the way through. However, in the other direction, the SK agents at CPH will only check your bags as far as the SK ticket goes.

That said, no way I'd ever book a 1:20 connection at NRT involving seperate tickets and terminals.

MSPeconomist

When I did the NRT terminal change in the reverse direction, I was required to take the terminal airside bus corresponding to my departing airline, in this case SkyTeam/DL for the OP, and I was able to show my ticket for access and then get the boarding pass at the transfer desk upon arrival in my new (departure, in the OP's case 1) terminal and I couldn't fully enter the new terminal without stopping for the boarding pass--impossible to get it in the lounge instead. In my case, the security screening occurred in my arrival terminal, before I got to the bus, and there was no question of needing to go landside for my boarding pass.

When I did this, I had over five hours for NW to Qantas (JAL codeshare to Cairns on a Pacific Circle ticket) and I remember the nice WC dragons urging me to not spend too long there as I should allow lots and lots of time to go to my new terminal. I followed the advice but regretted it as the WC was much better than the lounge I had in Terminal 2, which was JAL business class not particularly close to my gate. It also helped that I was able to learn the bus schedule so as to avoid spending more time than necessary in the crowded holding pen at the bus stop. For the record, these buses do not operate 24/7; they stop service reasonably early in the evening. YMMV

lalibelle

Is 105 min (1 hr 45min) enough time to transfer from AA to JAL in Narita?

I've always flown directly into Osaka, but this time I'm flying AA into Narita, then JAL to Itami.

I'll need to clear customs. What does everyone think? Do-able? They're both in the same termnial...

timeasterday

I have a 55 minute layover in NRT, coming in from TPE at 1:35PM and leaving for DTW at 2:30PM. Is this possible?