Desperately need help- I messed up my booking
 

...and I'm so tired I spelled 'messed' as 'missed'...

OK so I know I've been stupid so there's no need to tell me, I've been beating myself up about it for days now. I booked flights going from Birmingham to Dusseldorf (ANA), arriving in Narita 15:35. But I made a mistake with my dates and I need to get to Hiroshima by early afternoon the next day at the latest. There is one flight available from ANA at 17:30 the same day, but there are only 2 seats left, and I understand that as unfortunately the flights are on separate tickets I'd have to go through customs etc and collect my case before checking into the domestic flight at the same terminal. Could I make it? I've checked Narita's arrivals and many flights arrive ahead of schedule, but is 1hr55 not enough?
I was hoping to get an early morning flight the next day from Narita to Hiroshima using Spring airlines but after 29th October there are no flights showing. Is this because the timetable hasn't been published yet? Or could it be the flight will no longer be operating?
There's a flight from Haneda at 19:30 but that would mean a long journey and uncertainty with traffic to try and get there. Should I try to stay in Haneda overnight?

I'd really appreciate your advice. I had a lot of unfortunate events happen last week and I wasn't thinking straight when I booked. I fully accept that I've been an idiot. I'll try to learn from it.

So you will fly with ANA from Dusseldorf to NRT with a 15:35 arrival at NRT?

You should be able to get through customs, immigration, and domestic check-in in 85 minutes but I don't know if it's a "legal" connection. You could ask the airline. It would be a little easier than changing terminals.

If you were to book that flight and you happened to miss it, you would still be able to get to Hiroshima by rail quite easily. For example, a 4;44pm Narita Express train from Terminal 1 gets you to Shinagawa at 5:52pm. At Shinagawa you have plenty of time to change trains for a 6:17pm Nozomi train to Hiroshima. (Arrival in Hiroshima at 10:04pm)

When you consider that Hiroshima airport is a long way from downtown Hiroshima, I don't think it's worth it. The train connection that I described above will get you to downtown Hiroshima at about the same time and with less hassle.

Option 1:

Upon arrival at NRT take Limousine bus to HND.

Option 1A:

There are flights to HND-HIJ flight on the day of arrival. You should have no problem catching:

ANA 685
HND: 18:25
HIJ: 19:50

ANA 687
HND: 19:30
HIJ : 20:55

JAL 265
HND: 17:25
HIJ 18:50

JAL 267
HND: 19:15
HIJ 20:40

Option 1B:
Stay overnight at HND and take HND-HIJ in plenty of time for early afternoon.

ANA has four HND-HIJ flights in the morning, and also JAL has four HND-HIJ flights in the morning. Plenty of time to get to Hiroshima for early afternoon arrival.

Option 2:

Upon arrival at NRT, JR NArita Express train to Tokyo.

Option 2A:
There are plenty of Shinkansen (bullet train) to take you to Hiroshima on the day of the arrival. For example, you should have no problem making the following train:

Nozomi no. 57
Tokyo: 18:10
Hiroshima: 22:05

The last Shinkansen train to Hiroshima is:

Nozomi no. 129
Tokyo: 19:50
Hiroshima: 23:53

Option 2B:
Stay over night at a hotel near Tokyo station or Shinagawa station. Then take Shinkansen to Hiroshima next morning. For example:

Nozomi no. 9
Tokyo: 07:10
Hiroshima: 11:09

Totally separate topic, just out of curiosity…

Little while ago met a university professor from the U.K. teaching position at a school in Hiroshima for few years. Is there some active things going on between the U.K. and Hiroshima? :)

Anyway, I do think you will have no problem reaching Hiroshima by early afternoon next day of arrival to NRT. Good luck.

>> unfortunately the flights are on separate tickets I'd have to go through customs etc

You will have to do that even on 1 ticket. Minimum connection time on ANA international -> Domestic at NRT is 75 minutes.

https://www.ana.co.jp/wws/ca/e/asw_c...n/checkin.html

On the same page they describe "through check-in". There is no specific mention of single ticket being a prerequisite.

Post on the ANA forum and they can tell you if through-check is routine. I would imagine it is, if the international segment is on ANA.

I once bought an ANA air pass with an AC international ticket. I was through checked.

Thank, you, but the shinkansen option would cost me alot and I think I would have to stop somewhere along the way.
could I really get to the Haneda flight in just under 4 hours? After security and baggage at
Narita?
I'm hoping to find out people's experience of customs and immigration at narita, I haven't been for a long time and I'm not sure what current waiting trends might be

Thanks, I can't seem to find the ANA forum, could you point me in the right direction?

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/all-n...eage-club-443/

Also I prefer the Shinkansen. Hiroshima airport is so far from downtown. A Japan Rail Pass can reduce the cost significantly.

>> could I really get to the Haneda flight in just under 4 hours?

Published minimum connection time NRT - HND is 180 minutes. So 4 hours is no problem.

If you want cheap there are the overnight buses but... yeesh.

No, some Shinkansen trains run direct to Hiroshima, single train no transfer. Shinkansen Nozomi schedule I provided are some of those single train service without transfer.

I have done it many many times over past twenty years plus, so I lost count. I have yet to miss the flight out of Haneda, finger crossed...;) :p

If you take Shinkansen, the only transfer that you would need to make is from the Narita Express platform to the Shinkansen platform at Shinagawa station. From there, the Nozomi will take you all the way to Hiroshima. Price is about 22,000 JPY

If flying to Hiroshima, factor in the cost of getting from NRT to HND (about 3,000 yen by bus) and the 45 minute bus ride from Hiroshima airport to Hiroshima itself (about 1,300 yen). With a cheap airfare, you cam beat the cost of the Shinkansen, but the price gap might be less than you think, and the difference in journey time isn't huge either.

Do you think it's better to try for the flight from narita with 1 hour 55 connection time or from Haneda,( obviously adding in more travelling) with a 4 hour connection?

also any thoughts as to the flights from 29/10 onwards not showing on spring airline's website? Unfortunately I can't contact them directly. I know the schedule changes at this point but I don't know if that means the flight won't exist after this change.
Thank you for the link! I was going to use a san'in sanyo pass from around 2nd November though, and the narita to kyoto part of the journey wouldn't cover that

Passport control for arriving Japanese citizen passengers at NRT tend to be very short and quick. The passport control line for non-Japanese citizen can get little long. It is no secret that officers at passport control spend little more time with passengers who require visa for entry to Japan. When there are few flights arriving from China, passport control line for non-Japanese citizen can start to get long and slow moving.

If your flight from DUS arrives on time at NRT and there is no long line at passport control for non-Japanese, then 1hr. 55 min. connection is doable. ANA domestic flight close check baggage 15 minutes before the departure, so you will have 1 hr. 40 min. to deplane, walk to passport control, pass through passport control, retrieve your luggage, pass through customs, then walk to domestic check-in area which is in same Terminal 1. However, remember that NH 3111 depart NRT 17:30 arrive HIJ 19:05, the schedule is good till Oct. 28. Can make reservation using visit Japan fare, etc. but schedule for flights after Oct. 28 can change.

Spring Airlines Japan closes check-in 35 minutes before the departure. Also Spring Airlines Japan uses Terminal 3 art NRT, have to give time to transfer from Terminal 1 to Terminal 3 at NRT if you are going to fly Springs Airlines Japan. Free terminal transfer bus run every 15 minutes between Terminal 1 and Terminal 3, where should look for 15 minutes ride since the terminal transfer bus stops at Higashi Narita station on the way to Terminal 3.

You are looking at IJ 623 depart NRT 17:00 arrive HIJ 18:40. Spring Airlines Japan close check-in 35 min. before the departure. You have 55 min. to get off plane, pass through passport control, get bags, pass through customs, then take terminal transfer bus. Yes, schedule after Oct. 28 can change, but at this moment I will not consider Spring Airlines Japan.

+1
I am also pretty confident that this connection is doable. It seems you can buy this as a single itinerary - which means that the 1h55m transfer complies with ANA's minimum connection time.
If you were to buy this as two separate itineraries, and then miss the connection at NRT, you might find that ANA is willing to help you by putting you on an early flight from HND (but I believe that they are not obliged to help you out).
If I were very worried about the possibility of incurring added costs, I might pick a "safer" option.

Just purchase a Japan Rail Pass and take the shinkansen. The Rail Pass would permit you to make as many stops or side trips as you wish, the round trip NRT-Hiroshima-NRT would more than pay for the Rail Pass, the shinkansen is much more comfortable than domestic flights and the connections would be much easier than trying to make LCC connections.

I understand you are trying to save some money but for the hassles involved, the train just makes more sense to me.