I'm thinking of doing a transfer to another airline at NRT on a separate ticket. My routing would be JFK-NRT on JAL and then NRT-DXB the same day on EK. Given that I cannot leave the airside, are there check in desks airside for me to check in for my EK flight?

There are transit desks that can manage it. And same terminal....

Transit rules
 

Hello

travelling from sfo-nrt-Bom on December 23 with 19 hour layover in nrt. Is transit allowed? Will I be able to book a room outside? Please advise

thanks

v

Overnight transit is not allowed at NRT. You can certainly "book" a hotel room but you shouldn't expect to be allowed to leave the airport to go to the hotel and use the reservation.

JAL to BKK
 

I'll be flying form LAX-NRT-BKK on December 24. Does JAL require anything besides the Thai Pass documentation required to enter Thailand?

It's easier to just say , NO !

Japan does not have any requirements for a transit, other than it being same day in Narita.

JAL does not have requirements beyond the government requirements.

Thanks guys - going to be doing something instead like DCA-EWR-NRT-LAX. All on one UA ticket - a checked bag surely would go all the way through to my final destination? Will make sure to update how things go! :-)

Won’t work. You can’t fly US-Japan-US just as you can’t fly Canada-Japan-Canada. Hence the previous suggestion to fly Canada-Japan-US which would be an acceptable routing.

Won't work as in UA will see it as a destination of Japan? United's Travel-Ready Center took it as a Japan transit, EWR-NRT-LAX. Will keep the Canada-Japan-US suggestion in mind!

The usual problem in that is cabotage, but by flying United that is out of the question. A fair amount of people fly mainland US NRT GUM on United which technically also US Japan US.

Correct. On United the whole time so no problem with cabotage. I assume I will be getting off and then going to transit security, then right back into the terminal. Appears I need passport with me but no covid test - similar situation to when traveling to GUM.

Narita does not have transit security for US arrivals, it is straight to the transit area.

Pretty sure that there are different rules for GUM since it is just a territory... you even need to clear CBP/customs flying GUM-HNL. A friend has an offices in LA and Guam and transits NRT regularly on a GUM-NRT-LAX routing, both same and separate tickets. Just because UA will sell you a ticket does not mean that they will let you fly the routing... unless you can legally enter Japan. You risk being denied boarding at your outbound US gateway either because you can legally enter Japan or cabotage. But if you decide to go for it, good luck. You may or may not one successful, but I'd recommend having a plan B.

From up thread.... https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/33086865-post79.html

I transited HND yesterday without any problem.

My route was HEL - HND, HND - BKK. Both flights on JAL but with two separate tickets. Note - in this instance I would have been refused if I had check in bags as I would have had to clear immigration in HND to collect bags and re-check which is not permitted.

When we landed in HND from HEL and the aircraft door was opened all customers were advised to remain seated. Then an announcement was made for transit only pax to disembark. There were only two of us and we were met at the aircraft door and escorted to the transit security checkpoint.

From there, we were free to roam the terminal.

I used the JL F lounge which was busy although not overcrowded. All food needs to be ordered by smartphone using a QR code and is delivered (very quickly) to your table. Choices included beef curry with rice, a 'set tray' of mackerel, egg roll and pickles or a sushi plate. Drinks were self service.

As an aside I flew JAL J class and both flights were phenomenal. I was lucky to nab First Class seat 1A on the HND-BKK flight which does not sell F as well.