Apr 8, 2014, 9:20 pm
Last edit by: muji
When posting a question, please be sure to list the following information:
- The airport(s) at which you are transiting
- The airline on which you are arriving
- The airline on which you are departing
- Your connection time in hours/minutes
- How you are connecting, whether international to international (Int-Int), international to domestic (Int-Dom), domestic to international (Dom-Int), or domestic to domestic (Dom-Dom)
- Whether you are traveling on a single ticket, or separately-booked tickets
The "Help! I have a connection in Japan!" Master Thread
Dec 21, 2014, 9:06 am
#46
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: TYO
Programs: Tokyo Monorail Diamond-Encrusted-Platinum
Posts: 9,633
If you have a valid US passport, you will be allowed to enter the country with a temporary visitor status (90 days). You don't need to apply for anything in advance. When you complete the immigration form, just put the details of your outbound flight instead of an address in Japan. (Carry a printed copy of your flight reservation just in case).
Jan 2, 2015, 11:01 am
#47
Join Date: Jan 2015
Posts: 2
narita airport connection
will be arriving on delta at narita in terminal 1 north wing...need to get luggage and go to ANA airlines in terminal 1 south wing....how long will that take?
we arrive at 325p and trying to get a domestic flight on ANA at 630p
we arrive at 325p and trying to get a domestic flight on ANA at 630p
Jan 2, 2015, 11:17 am
#48
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: トロント
Programs: IHG Gold
Posts: 4,820
You have plenty of time
Jan 5, 2015, 7:35 pm
#49
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: SAN
Programs: PR Premier Elite
Posts: 1,950
I've got a 5 hour CX to JL connection coming up. All on one ticket and I assume all in T2. However, I can get in the KE lounge in T1, but I have no kind of lounge access whatsoever in T2. 5 hours is kind of a long time to be sitting around and leaves me with allot of time to waste on nonproductive endeavors
. I am very familiar with both terminals at NRT but it's been a good 5 years or more since I actually did an inter-terminal transfer. I seem to recall that a simple printout of a itinerary showing a departure from the other terminal is good enough to make the bus driver happy, and an actual boarding pass for a departure from the other terminal is not mandatory just to get on the bus since said boarding pass might need to be obtained from another airlines transfer desk at the other terminal therefore it is 'plausible' I might need to transfer terminals without a boarding pass in my possession indicating that. So would having simply a printed itinerary showing, say, a UA flight, and no boarding pass to back it up, get me on the bus to T1?
Getting back to T2 would obviously be no problem since I will have a JL boarding pass.
. I am very familiar with both terminals at NRT but it's been a good 5 years or more since I actually did an inter-terminal transfer. I seem to recall that a simple printout of a itinerary showing a departure from the other terminal is good enough to make the bus driver happy, and an actual boarding pass for a departure from the other terminal is not mandatory just to get on the bus since said boarding pass might need to be obtained from another airlines transfer desk at the other terminal therefore it is 'plausible' I might need to transfer terminals without a boarding pass in my possession indicating that. So would having simply a printed itinerary showing, say, a UA flight, and no boarding pass to back it up, get me on the bus to T1? Getting back to T2 would obviously be no problem since I will have a JL boarding pass.To follow up. Just did this. Worked great. I didn't really prepare any printout so I just pulled up a random UA flight on my phone on itasoftware for NRT-LAX the same day and did a screen capture of the flight info. After clearing security in T2 with my real JL boarding pass I proceeded to the bus gate and as I arrived there was an American couple basically making the same pitch I was trying to do to the driver regarding going to T1 and then coming back to T2 later. He was not having any of that and flatly told them they cannot do that. I then flashed my phone screen. Pointed at the UA flight text, said "United flight 33" and he pointed me towards the bus and resumed debating with and denying the other couple. They never made it on the bus. I got exactly the same driver coming back to T2 and he didn't seem the least bit phased that I was now showing a JL boarding pass. My take was you must confidently show the flimsiest of evidence of a specific flight that departs from the other terminal and you are golden. Any other reason is a no go.
Jan 6, 2015, 10:48 am
#50
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: New Orleans (MSY)
Programs: AA EXP, IHG PLT, Hilton Gold, Hyatt Explorist, Amtrak, WN
Posts: 2,617
Ah, this is just the thread I was looking for!
I have an Int'l-to-Int'l transfer from AA (from DFW) to JL (to CGK), and I have a non-traditional question...
I don't know if I'll be taking the NRT-CGK segment yet, so would I be able to transfer between flights and head to the JL Sakura Lounge and, if I don't take the NRT-CGK flight, enter Japan through immigration without difficulty? Or will immigration be curious as to why I went through transfer and then am trying to enter Japan instead?
I have an Int'l-to-Int'l transfer from AA (from DFW) to JL (to CGK), and I have a non-traditional question...
I don't know if I'll be taking the NRT-CGK segment yet, so would I be able to transfer between flights and head to the JL Sakura Lounge and, if I don't take the NRT-CGK flight, enter Japan through immigration without difficulty? Or will immigration be curious as to why I went through transfer and then am trying to enter Japan instead?
Jan 6, 2015, 6:03 pm
#51
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: TYO
Programs: Tokyo Monorail Diamond-Encrusted-Platinum
Posts: 9,633
Jan 23, 2015, 1:05 pm
#52
Join Date: Jan 2015
Posts: 2
O.k. silly question. I will be travelling from ORD to SIN via NRT and HND. Arriving 810pm at NRT and departing around 11 am the next day from HND to SIN. It is with ANA. Do I have to get my bags and bring them with me when I go to HND? Or will they check them all the way to SIN?
Also since I will be staying one night (Sunday) which area would be best to see and eat the best things? Shinjuku, Shibuya, or Harajuku?
Thanks in advance.
Also since I will be staying one night (Sunday) which area would be best to see and eat the best things? Shinjuku, Shibuya, or Harajuku?
Thanks in advance.
Jan 23, 2015, 11:54 pm
#53
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: ORD [formerly] + HKG
Programs: CX Diamond, AA exExPlat, BAEC exGold, HH Diamond, Hyatt Globalist, Starriott Titanium, GE
Posts: 2,966
O.k. silly question. I will be travelling from ORD to SIN via NRT and HND. Arriving 810pm at NRT and departing around 11 am the next day from HND to SIN. It is with ANA. Do I have to get my bags and bring them with me when I go to HND? Or will they check them all the way to SIN?
Also since I will be staying one night (Sunday) which area would be best to see and eat the best things? Shinjuku, Shibuya, or Harajuku?
Thanks in advance.
Also since I will be staying one night (Sunday) which area would be best to see and eat the best things? Shinjuku, Shibuya, or Harajuku?
Thanks in advance.
Jan 24, 2015, 8:12 pm
#54
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: IAH
Programs: DL DM, Hyatt Ist-iest, Stariott Platinum, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 12,793
So I have a long connection in Tokyo on my way back from Asia in a couple weeks. Never been to Asia or Japan before.
Arrive: 9:35 am, Saturday Feb 7
Depart: 5:00 pm, Saturday Feb 7
so...7.5 hour connection
What should I do? Is it worth leaving the airport? If so, what should I do?
Arrive: 9:35 am, Saturday Feb 7
Depart: 5:00 pm, Saturday Feb 7
so...7.5 hour connection
What should I do? Is it worth leaving the airport? If so, what should I do?
Jan 24, 2015, 8:19 pm
#55
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: ORD [formerly] + HKG
Programs: CX Diamond, AA exExPlat, BAEC exGold, HH Diamond, Hyatt Globalist, Starriott Titanium, GE
Posts: 2,966
So I have a long connection in Tokyo on my way back from Asia in a couple weeks. Never been to Asia or Japan before.
Arrive: 9:35 am, Saturday Feb 7
Depart: 5:00 pm, Saturday Feb 7
so...7.5 hour connection
What should I do? Is it worth leaving the airport? If so, what should I do?
Arrive: 9:35 am, Saturday Feb 7
Depart: 5:00 pm, Saturday Feb 7
so...7.5 hour connection
What should I do? Is it worth leaving the airport? If so, what should I do?
Jan 25, 2015, 5:24 pm
#56
Join Date: Jan 2015
Posts: 11
Hello,
I have about a 90 minute layover at Haneda. Arriving from SFO on United, then transferring to Thai Airways to BKK. I'm hoping that since this is international-international transfer I will not have to clear immigration, and that since both are Star Alliance members I won't have to collect bags at HND. Please let me know if 90 minutes should work (of course barring any arrival delays).
Thanks
I have about a 90 minute layover at Haneda. Arriving from SFO on United, then transferring to Thai Airways to BKK. I'm hoping that since this is international-international transfer I will not have to clear immigration, and that since both are Star Alliance members I won't have to collect bags at HND. Please let me know if 90 minutes should work (of course barring any arrival delays).
Thanks
Jan 26, 2015, 2:48 pm
#57
Join Date: Jan 2015
Posts: 2
They will not handle your bags between NRT and HND - you'll have to take care of them yourself. If you're arriving that late then I suggest Shinjuku - there are plenty of restaurants that open til way past midnight and it's much more busier at late night compared to Harajuku/Shibuya. Not to mention that hotels in Shinjuku are on average cheaper. They're all on the Yamanote (or Airport bus if you prefer) so going to HND the second day would not be too troublesome in all of these areas you mentioned.
I heard there are lockers at the train station where you can store your bags is that true?
Decisions decisions....
Jan 28, 2015, 12:16 am
#58
Join Date: Jan 2015
Posts: 6
longtime reader, first-time poster. this ticket has already been booked using points (it was the best I could get at the time), so i'm mostly interested in how bad off (or not!) I am. also, I can make necessary adjustments, for example not checking a bag, etc.
This Int'l->Domestic connection was booked through United using mileageplus points as one reservation.
Arriving in NRT
arriving on All Nippon flight NH181 at 4:15pm
connect time 55 minutes
departing at 5:10pm on All Nippon flight NH2177 en route to Itami (ITM).
i haven't been to japan since i was a kid and i honestly forgot all about immigrations and when/where it will occur. I initially thought it would happen at my final destination, not the connecting city.
the Narita website isn't very confidence inspiring. it seems to say that in terminal 1 (where i should be both arriving and departing), domestic connections are treated like international connections and, if i am ending up at another passport-controlled Japanese airport (such as, i presume, ITM), i will do the immigrations/customs process there.
the ANA website, however, states that in NRT i will have to go through quarantine, immigrations, collect any checked baggage, re-check such baggage at the domestic departure desk, and then board my connecting flight.
Does anybody have any insight on this? if my bags will not be checked through, i might just forego checking any bags...but if you think it won't be disastrous to do immigrations, collect and re-check bags, i will check a bag.
any thoughts are greatly appreciated.
This Int'l->Domestic connection was booked through United using mileageplus points as one reservation.
Arriving in NRT
arriving on All Nippon flight NH181 at 4:15pm
connect time 55 minutes
departing at 5:10pm on All Nippon flight NH2177 en route to Itami (ITM).
i haven't been to japan since i was a kid and i honestly forgot all about immigrations and when/where it will occur. I initially thought it would happen at my final destination, not the connecting city.
the Narita website isn't very confidence inspiring. it seems to say that in terminal 1 (where i should be both arriving and departing), domestic connections are treated like international connections and, if i am ending up at another passport-controlled Japanese airport (such as, i presume, ITM), i will do the immigrations/customs process there.
the ANA website, however, states that in NRT i will have to go through quarantine, immigrations, collect any checked baggage, re-check such baggage at the domestic departure desk, and then board my connecting flight.
Does anybody have any insight on this? if my bags will not be checked through, i might just forego checking any bags...but if you think it won't be disastrous to do immigrations, collect and re-check bags, i will check a bag.
any thoughts are greatly appreciated.
Last edited by cheehoo; Jan 28, 2015 at 12:17 am Reason: typos and generally poor grammar
Jan 28, 2015, 2:43 am
#59
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: TYO
Programs: Tokyo Monorail Diamond-Encrusted-Platinum
Posts: 9,633
You must clear immigration and customs at NRT. Then you can re-check your bags for the domestic flight. With 55 minutes for the connection, I would certainly recommend that you travel without checked luggage. You should also move quickly when you deplane to try to get a good position in the queue for immigration.
Jan 28, 2015, 10:01 am
#60
Join Date: Jan 2015
Posts: 6
You must clear immigration and customs at NRT. Then you can re-check your bags for the domestic flight. With 55 minutes for the connection, I would certainly recommend that you travel without checked luggage. You should also move quickly when you deplane to try to get a good position in the queue for immigration.