CPH-Flyer

​​​​​​The interline agreement does not really say whether an airline will check-in luggage across separate tickets or not. It just allows them to send luggage through, it is needed even for one ticket itineraries. BA has an interline agreement with AA, yet they will not check in luggage on separate tickets.

Within Star Alliance ANA is excellent when it comes to checking in across tickets. Outside of the alliance, I don't fully know. If you call, I doubt you will get a clear yes, as it is outside of the written process.

benitz8

Just as a data point, I did call ANA and the agent (who was very knowledgeable and helpful) did say they can check-thru luggage all the way to MNL. "Just tell the check-in agent", but I think it is difficult to depend on that and may just not bring check-in luggage.

BTW, in this case, do you think its the JFK check-in agent who will check the documents needed (COVID test, etc) to get into MNL? Even if the connecting flight is via PAL?

CPH-Flyer

Yes, the JFK agents will check every detail of your ability to enter The Philippines at MNL. If they don't, they would have brought you to Japan where you can't enter, and would be fined. My experience with NH and JL is that they will check very detailed. So leave time at check in for this. PAL will check again in NRT.

Guyin

Since Japan border is still closed, the airline has to make sure to check through the baggage to MNL or denied boarding otherwise.

It is the responsibility of the departing airlines to check all the required documents and entry requirements before issuing boarding passes otherwise the airline could be fined and may be sued by the stranded passengers.

benitz8

Thank you for the clarification on the baggage and documents.

As for the boarding passes, since the flights will be under separate tickets, ANA will only be able to issue the JFK-HND boarding pass, and then I will have the HND-MNL boarding pass issued airside iin HND correct?

AlwaysAisle

With scenario 2), looks like your flight will be:

NH 109
JFK 14:10
HND 14:10

PR 421
HND 15:20
MNL 19:30

Above is under the current schedule, where you have 1 hr. 10 min. connection at HND. I think 1 hr. 10 min. connection is doable. I looked up and could not find the minimum connection time between international to international at HND on separate airlines, I am guessing it has to be less than 1 hr. 10 min. I am mentioning this because each airport has a minimum connection time established. If the transit time is less than the minimum connection time then airlines will not through check baggage regardless of a single ticket, interline agreement, etc. If less than the minimum connection time then a reservation computer will not allow such connection to be ticketed as a single ticket. Just for reference, ANA lists international to an international minimum connection at HND between ANA flights as 75 min. (1 hr. and 15 min.) that is because giving consideration of T2-T3 transfer, but there are no international flights at T2 currently due to COVID. I do not know what is the minimum connection time at HND for ANA international to Philippine Airlines

Besides that, it is your comfort level. Since ANA and Philippine Airlines are not under the same alliance, I highly doubt ANA at JFK will be able to issue a boarding pass for your Philippine Airlines out of HND. I do not know about Philippine Airlines, but does Philippine Airlines allow online check-in? Some airlines discontinued online check-in due to COVID documentation check requirements. If ANA flight from JFK is slightly delayed or if passengers were asked to remain in the aircraft for a while upon landing at HND (did happen to me in COVID time), then you can risk your connection at HND. I do think Scenario 2 is based on your comfort level.

benitz8

Thank you for the detailed reply.

NH109 however is arriving HND 1825, which make the connection a 21 hour layover. So way way more time than needed to connect.

And yes I will be doing online check-in for the HND-MNL flight on Philippine Airlines. So issue is just more if ANA agent in JFK will accept my 2 bookings from ANA and PAL as connecting flights.

yoonny

Booked JL F HND to JFK for December (hopefully things will be less restrictive by then).
Will be coming from SPN (Saipan) on a separate PNR (UA to GUM to TYO) with checked baggage. If current rules apply, I will most likely be denied boarding at SPN as this is considered US-TYO-US, no 3rd country transit? Is SPN considered US for this purpose? I think checked baggage is another issue.

Thinking I may need fly SPN-ICN or SPN-MNL and book a separate JL flight to connect. Of course I need to be allowed in to Korea or Philippines. (I only see Gimpo to HND flights for JL).
Any creative solutions you can think of?

CPH-Flyer

People regularly fly Guam Japan mainland US without an issue, and as you do have United in there it should be fine.

But you have another problem, UA196 currently flies GUM-NRT and you are booked HND-JFK. You will not be allowed to change airport until the border restrictions are lifted. But December should likely be fine. I can't remember if United was planning to move Guam to Haneda.

yoonny

Thank you! I surely hope the border restrictions are eased by then.

I made a J booking NRT-BOS a day before as a back-up just in case but I hate to hog up award seats (3 for us) when other people can use them.

CPH-Flyer

The other question is, would you actually want to do the trek from NRT to HND even if it is allowed? After immigration, it is a 1 to 1.5 hour bus ride, then going through immigration and security again, and you'd need to bring your luggage along if you you are checking bags. UA196 is scheduled to arrive at 16:05, JL4 departing at 19:55, unless you plan to overnight in Haneda and take JL6 the following day that is a highly risky connection.

Guam was one of the proposed routes from United, but they did not get a Haneda slot for Guam, so probably not happening.

yoonny

Great point! It was book first, think second to secure award tickets for 3. Good news is we have plenty of time to figure out the logistics and act on changes on restrictions. We would love to spend a day or two in Japan. It's been too long.

Steve M

It certainly could go bad, but it's within the Minimum Connect Time for an international-international NRT-HND connection, which is 3 hours 30 minutes. That is, you could book such an itinerary on a single reservation and the airlines would consider it a valid connection and they would protect you in case of a misconnect.

CPH-Flyer

Yes, but in that case you are already checked in, the airlines knows about the connection. In this case it is United to JAL, so you are just another Tokyo originating passenger from JAL's point of view. I'd never book a 3.5 hour connection between the two airports, legal or not.

I have done it with a 4 hour separate ticket connection. But I have residency in Japan and E gate registration, I know my way around Narita, and it was still not a comfortable connection.

chuck1

What happens if you misconnect your same day connection at NRT?
If you are flying LAX-NRT-BKK and you know LAX-NRT will be late will they not allow you to board?
If you do manage to get on the LAX-NRT flight and get delayed enough to misconnect NRT-BKK how do they handle it?
Is there a special exception where they let you go to a hotel in case where the flight is the next day?