Note - The airport code that you want is ITM. (Apparently, ITA is Itacoatiara, Amazonas, Brazil)
For travel from HND to central Osaka, flying isn't a great timesaver - in fact, it will be slower than taking the train if you are appropriately cautious about your connection. Flights may be cheaper but I would not hesitate to take the train.

Agree with cph-flyer.

Think of it this way.
2:30pm Scheduled DL arrival time.
0:45 DL is delayed 45min (could be worse).
0:05 Deplane (assuming you're in one of the front several rows of Y)
0:05 Walk to passport controls
0:45 Passport control (45min would be a bad case, could be worse).
0:10 Bags / customs
------------
4:20pm You're landside on arrivals concourse.

Well, you've already missed the cutoff (45min) for ANA's domestic transfer bag drop for the 5pm flight.

You'll be on two separate tickets. The more time you can pad (within reason), the better.

On the other hand, if luck is on your side ...

2:30pm Scheduled DL arrival time
-0:15 DL arrives 15 minutes early
0:05 Deplane (assuming you're in one of the front several rows of Y)
0:05 Walk to passport controls
0:15 Passport control (30min would be more typical, but I'm feeling optimistic).
0:10 Customs (Don't check bags)

2:50pm You're landslide on arrivals concourse with a ticket for a 6pm flight.
6:15pm You're sitting on the plane, waiting to pull back from the gate and thinking "I could be enjoying Takoyaki in Osaka now, if I'd taken the train."

Hello, would like to your suggestions on the best way to get from Kyoto to Narita.

We have a flight out of NRT at 5:40pm on biz on Air Tahiti Nui, but we'll be in Kyoto that day. I thought the best way would be to fly from KIX/ITM directly to NRT and go from here. But looking at the flight schedules, flights out of KIX/ITM either land in NRT around 8-9am, or around 3:30pm.

1) If we take a late flight and arrive at NRT at 3:30pm, is that enough time to make our 5:40pm flight? It will be domestic > international and on separate tickets.
2) If we take an early flight and arrive at NRT at 9am, what can we do with the 8-hr layover? Is this enough time to go into Tokyo?
3) Are there other alternatives? Flying into HND mid-day then transfer to NRT? Take the train?

TIA for your suggestions. We have a 3yr-old so want to minimize rushing/long day and find the most leisure/easiest way to make this transit. There's nothing worst than a cranky toddler on a long-haul flight!

Take the shinkansen. Lots of space to sit for you and also the luggage.

Indeed Shinkansen from Kyoto. By the time you back track to Itami you are close to half way to Tokyo by the time YOU backtrack to KIX you are almost on Tokyo.

Make sure to change from the Shinkansen to the Narita Express at Shinagawa rather than Tokyo. The change is easy and quick at Shinagawa, at Tokyo the Shinkansen is 2nd floor and the NEX is five floors below ground, and there are no direct elevators. Probably 3 different elevators needed, or an awful lot of stairs

Not only that. Children tend to enjoy riding trains in a way that they don't enjoy riding planes. For one thing, if the child gets restless, you can go for a stroll. There is ground-level scenery ro look at. Snack carts rolling by. Different people getting on and off at each station. Tunnels to pass through. Large and occasionally unusual buildings to point out once you get into the Tokyo Metropolitan Area.

In addition, you can buy your tickets for the Shinkansen and the N'EX at the same time, since all JR station sales offices can sell tickets for any JR train or bus anywhere. Just check to make sure which terminal your international flight is flying out of and buy tickets accordingly.

Thanks for the suggestions! I also did some research last night and it seems that the train will fit better with our schedule - we can leisurely take a late am train and still get to NRT by early afternoon. And I'm sure my son will love the train ride!

Sitting on left side window going towards Tokyo gives you an opportunity to see Mt. Fuji if clear weather.

What is the earliest flight I can catch for the following:

SFO-NRT arrival on ANA first next July at 3:25pm
NRT-CTS on a separately booked ticket

CTS-NRT on a separately booked ticket
NRT-SFO departure on ANA first next July at 5:10pm

Thanks!

For ANA to ANA connection, at NRT ANA indicates that from International to Domestic minimum of 75 min., and from Domestic to International minimum of 45 min.

I will say give little cushion and from Int. to Dom. connection give least 1 hr. and 30 min., for Dom. to Int. connection least 1 hr.

However, if you do JL on NRT-CTS or anther LLC carrier than you have to transfer between the terminal. ANA is at Terminal 1, JAL is at Terminal 2, and many LLC are at Terminal 3. If you choose not to fly ANA on CTS-NRT then may want to add more time for transit.

Another advantage of flying ANA on NRT-CTS is that even under separate tickets, ANA at CTS will able to check your luggage to SFO and will able to issue boarding pass for NRT-SFO flight at CTS. Will make transit at NRT shorter, not just because the transit is within same terminal.

If you want to sti k with ANA there are only two flights a day, on arrival from SFO you will need to catch the17:55 flight, and from CTS you can choose a 9:20 or a 15:00 arrival to NRT

Both the 17:55 and the 15:00 (13:20 departure CTS) leaves enough time for the connection.

We have US passports. Plan to get 1 way ticket from ICN to NRT (probably Asiana 9am - 11am) then catch ANA flight NRT to SGN at 4:45pm, all in same day departure.

The booking screen warns about buying 1 way ticket into Japan may not be practical (denied entering Japan). The tickets are open jaw on ANA (IAD-NRT / NRT/SGN / SGN-IAD) with the connection ICN-NRT in between date.

My question is:
1. Should we buy the ticket (ICN-NRT) the day before to assure the next flight ?
2. If buying Asiana, would they check bags all the way to SGN ? What about using LCC like T'Way, JEJU Air...
3. Get in and out of NRT same day on a 1 way ticket is a NO-NO? To take out luggage in storage at NRT.

Thanks.