Connecting through HND
 

Soon i'll be travelling back to Japan, my first visit in a few years and seems like a few things may have changed.
1. Japan Web app. While it seems optional, is there any advantage/disadvantage to using it in advance of arrival - compared to the paper version on arrival?

2. On my last visit a few years ago with a connection in HND, we had to collect our checked baggage from international arrivals and walk it through to the Domestic terminal to drop it off. Does that still happen? ISTR it took 20 mins or so? i've 90 mins or so for the whole connection, with immigration and bag drop seems a bit tight?

3. while this may be too ANA specific, as an arriving business class passenger will i get any lounge access while waiting for my connection? Arriving on an ANA ticket from LH metal, with no status.I realise there may not actually be much time...

Thanks for any pointers available....

1) For the immigration steps, it seems it makes little difference. But I don't go through that line, so I am only reporting what I hear people say. For customs I find it much easier to use the kiosk before going to the luggage belt, and then exit through the e-gate. (or just kiosk exit for HBO) The lines are generally much shorter at the customs e-gate.

2) Yes reclaim luggage take it through customs, then domestic bag drop. If you arrive in T2, you just need to bag drop and be through security 20 minutes before departure. If you arrive in T3, bag drop in T3 is until 60 minutes before departure, otherwise you have to take the luggage to T2 and complete bagdrop and scan your boarding pass at security 20 minutes before departure.

3) Arriving on LH metal, Star Alliance rules apply, lounge is based on the class of the departing flight or on status. So no lounge. With 90 minutes there will not be any lounge time to speak of anyway. Unless of course you miss the flight and is rebooked to a later flight.

ANA will do what they can to rush you through, but 90 minutes via the standard visitors' lines is very tight.

Thanks for confirming that, kind of what i expected.
Seems we're arriving in T3 but connection from T2, so i'll plan on the T2 bag drop. I'll make sure to walk fast. I'm travelling solo and at the front so hopefully no long queues on a saturday morning. My colleague is down the back with his family. heh... :)

Connection flight next day
 

Hi
I have flight from CAN - > HND, and then the connection flight will be next day from HND -> ITM. I will stay hotel near HND overnight.
Do I need to take my luggage after immigration, and recheck my bag next day?

Thanks

Yes

Thanks for reply

On my way back to the US, will have about a 20 hour connection in Haneda. There should be no problem short checking my bag at Sapporo, right?

Shouldn't be a problem.

Pre-book NRT-HND limousine bus?
 

I'm travelling DPS-NRT-HND-KMQ in a few weeks. Arriving into NRT on Garuda at 08:40, flight to KMQ on JL (one ticket) departs at 13:00.

I'm wondering whether to pre-book my limousine bus ticket for the airport transfer, but not sure how flexible the tickets are if I miss my originally booked ticket. I've only ever had to the transfer once, when I was re-routed due to IRROPs and JL bought the ticket for me on that occasion, so I don't really know if they book up or not and what the situation is for getting the "next bus"?

thanks in advance!

tb

PS from what I'm reading, there seems to be little benefit in filling out the visit Japan customs declaration in advance, correct?

PPS really looking forward to my first visit back to Japan since Covid!

No need to pre book the busses. Apart from days where the NEX has been out of commission (typhoon) I don't think I have ever seen a bus completely full.

Thanks, tha's helpful. Can I pay with CC or do I need cash?

I note that it states if counter closed pay cash to driver, but can I skip the counter and go straight to the bus (esp. if I see the next one will be leaving soon)? The one and only time I did this it was a tight connection forced on by IRROPs and JL staff personally escorted me through immigration and customs and onto the bus and it was over a decade ago...

tb

Credit card is fine. I don't think they want cash payments to the drivers at NRT and HND. The counters are manned as long as the bus is running. A lot of the hotel departure points don't actually sell the tickets or are manned anymore, they cash payment to the driver is probably in relation to that.

I have literally bought tickets so close to departure that they have radioed out to the staff that one more passenger is coming to make sure the bus did not depart before I got there.

Highly reassuring -- esp. the last part, this fits in with my other experiences in Japan. thanks!

tb

Considering a HND domestic to international transfer, NH to NH (T2-T3), separate tickets, 1h55m. How risky is this? The intl departure from HND is at 11am Thursday. Does NH offer rebooking help on separate tickets? There's no earlier domestic flight, so the only other option would be traveling the day before. Assume slow-moving travelers.

Thanks for your input.

Some NH international flights depart from T2, but I don't think you can be certain.

I'm not sure of the Minimum Connection Time at HND, but I see inter-terminal connections as short as 1h25m when searching for flights from KOJ (Kagoshima) to LAX. That's for connection from T1 to T3 (JAL to AA). The MCT for a T2 to T3 connection should be in the same ballpark.
You will be able to check luggage at your point of departure all the way through to your destination, so you won't need to haul heavy luggage at HND. But since you mentioned that you're slow moving, I'd say it's quite risky to do it with separate tickets.

Depending on your destination and departure city, you might be able to fly via Seoul or take the train for the Japan leg of the trip. Hard to say without more information.

I don't think NH is obliged to do anything for separate tickets, but I would expect them to be somewhat helpful if the missed connection is due to a delayed domestic flight. Others might have some relevant direct experience.