Gotcha. So immediately returning to the USA is not allowed, but another country, no problem. Kind of odd since I wouldn’t be out of the terminal.

Correct. Sadly, international mileage runs are tough these days.

Hi all...If Japan is closed to my particular class of tourist, I wanted to look at options to go to another area of Asia that might be open, using my initial (cheap) flight from Canada.

Long story short, what's the best method you use to search for fares out of HDN? In the Americas, I would use Google Flights.

Flights originating in Japan tend to be rather expensive compared to other markets. But Google flights are fine to find the offers such as they are.

Two questions:
1) Flying NH ORD-NRT (F), 3 hour layover, NRT-CGK on JL (J). Separate tickets.
2) Flying GA CGK-HND (J), 1.5 hour layover, HND-JFK on NH (F). Separate tickets.

Anything I should be prepared for? Are the NRT and HND connections within the MCT? Will they check baggage through?

Not even sure this trip will happen but just want to get as prepared as possible if Indonesia opens up this summer. Thanks for any tips!

1.5 hours on separate ticket is in my opinion for too little for comfort. You carry the risk of the connection.

Whether Garuda will check through to ANA is an open question, though Garuda partners with JAL so it is not obvious. If they don't, 1.5 hour for the connection is a lost cause.

NH will in all likelihood check through to JAL.

Unless the current travel restrictions in Japan are lifted, I personally would certainly not make the first booking, and the second I would not make, it is just too close for comfort.

Thanks for the reply! I get that the 1.5 hours is tight at HND... but given the size of the airport, I think I can pull it off. Do you know if it's within the MCT? NH actually sells the GA flight as a codeshare so I think GA should be able to interline the baggage.

There is no MCT on separate tickets, as there is no protection for a missed connection. GA has changed sides after JAL bought a stake. Which was after Vietnam Airlines changed side from JAL to ANA.

But generally for connecting international flights it is one hour.

I was thinking about the MCT more for the baggage... obviously no guarantee that GA will check through but just want to see if it was within the MCT.
From what I can tell, both the GA arrival and NH departure at HND will be at terminal 3 so I know it's risky but I think I can make it. Thanks for the advice!

Good luck on this one if you really try to do it. Even in the best of times and with no checked bags, 90 minutes on separate international tickets is risky, especially when you are connecting to a once a day long-haul. Another question to consider is whether you will be able to OLCI for your NH flight. Currently, many airlines will only let you check-in at the airport since they want to see your Negative PCR test result. If that is the case, you'll need to check in at least 60 minutes before departure. Cross your fingers that your GA is not late. What is your plan B if this one goes south? You can't enter Japan and good luck trying to get VS to help, assuming your are using VS miles. My rule of thumb for a connection like this is 4 hours.

The issue with through checking is not so much if they can, it is more if their policy allows. BA does not allow checking through across separate BA tickets, while there is absolutely zero doubt that they can do it. Interline agreements talk about technical ability, then there is a policy on top of that.

I am not sure when you are intending the flights, but eventually, some of the NH flights will move to terminal 2 in Haneda again.
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If I'm connecting on JAL through HND in Biz will I have access to the First Class lounge which the website says "JAL First Class Lounge is partially open.(Open hour varies by day)" It says the Biz Sakura lounge is closed at both NRT and HND.

Question 2, in the case that I do have access to the First class lounge as a J passenger, are showers open?

3rd question. If somehow my only option is an overnight layover in HND -Is that basically a no-no given COVID restrictions, or is that something I could do?

Thanks!

The only lounge that is open is the first class lounge, so also business class passengers are sent there.

The showers are open.

You can do an overnight connection in Haneda. But the lounge closes overnight, and the airside transit hotel is closed, so you will have to find a comfortable seat somewhere in the terminal to spend the night.

PCR Test transit
 

Hi guys,

Need to transit in NRT (same day connection/ 1 ticket).

Does Japan require a -PCR test for airside transit similar to transit requirements in Taiwan?

AC doesn't require it, not too sure if NH does. Destination country doesn't require it either as testing will be done after arrival.
​

No PCR required for transit currently.

I didn't have/need one. NH asked for PCR test results at checkin initially , but didn't ask for it again after (taking 15min and agent talking to other agents/supervisor) to verify visa&entry requirements for my final destination.

Get to airport early enough. I had some additional comments for the NH forum lounge thread/this thread, though it may be 3-4 months outdated)

These days it is always a good idea to check in very early. It sometimes takes a lot of time, even for conditions that you'd expect to be pretty straight forward.

The agent is not trying to be difficult, just trying to make heads and tails out of a every changing set of rules.

Yeah, i understood that possiblity . Got to the airport 2.5hour before fight (checkin opens 3 hr before)

Good thing it was jfk t7 on a Sunday, there were only 4 flights operating that entire day from that terminal. No lounge though, so just found a quiet corner and waited 2 hours airside before boarding
of course there had to be another flight that was delayed 4 hour a few gates over

Thanks guys!

Really appreciate it :)

question for those with knowledge on transit & entry restrictions in japan during covid times....

little bit of a background....i made a redemption booking on cx for my brother & his family for the 29th of june....4 jfk-del tickets in business class....all 4 are indian citizens who are currently in usa on a b1/b2 visa & have been there for almost 4 months....they have to leave usa by the 7th of july....now cx flights from hkg - india remain suspended indefinitely....i'm pretty confident this ban is unlikely to come to an end by the end of june....

since cx is not flying to india right now, i called to ask them what alternatives would be available since their flight will ultimately get cancelled....after a lot of back & forth cx have agreed to shift all 4 to a jal flight on the 7th of july....the problem is that the flight goes from jfk-nrt & then hnd-del....the connection time is 18 hours so no worries on that front....however i have no clue if they will be eligible for a transit visa at this time....

entry to those who have been in india for the previous 14 days is banned in japan but i'm not sure if entry from usa is banned or not....does anyone have any clue or experience with transit in japan during covid times????

AFAIK, change of airport is not possible at this time. Arrival at NRT followed by transit to HND requires entry into Japan. Use of public transportation is prohibited for 14 days. etc. etc. Perhaps someone has more up-to-date info. on this.
Your best option may be to get a flight to HND and transfer at HND.
I guess that it might also be possible to extend visas for continued residency in the USA in this circumstance.

Indeed as above, there are no options to transit between Narita and Haneda unless they carry a Japanese passport or are resident foreigners in Japan.

The case presented would require US HND India to work.

that's what i was thinking as well....i believe all jal flights to india are departing from hnd & the only flights cx is willing to put them on gets into nrt....

they do have the option to extend their visa however at that point it would have been 6 months since they left & they need to get back home....so in a worse case scenario they will have to buy a ticket to come back....

NRT Lounge
 

Friend soon flies UA EWR-NRT-GUM-SPN and asks how to find what lounges are open en route? Is LoungeBuddy (i.e. NRT) trustworthy? I found little in FT's Japan forum and none of the 1st 60 threads in UA MP were about lounges.

It's been so long since I've posted here that I feel rusty so pardon if this is the improper thread or forum.

Is this a valid routing, or do you have to arrive from one country and continue to a different country if you wish to do airside transit in Japan during covid-19? EWR and GUM are both in the same country.

The ANA Suite Lounge in the 50'ies satellite is open. Though with quite reduced hours compared to normal. If I remember correctly the Guam flights leave rather late, so the lounge may well close well before departure. ANA's homepage have more details, as the specific opening hours does get adjusted frequently according to need.

Despite being the first class lounge normally, all passengers with lounge access are sent here. Services are slightly reduced compared to normal first class only level.

For NRT, check out NH forum. At least one of their lounges are open.

little bit of an update here....cx has found a flight with a connection in hnd....the only problem is that the layover is almost 19 hours....they land in hnd around 4pm & their flight to del is around 11am the following morning....

i'm assuming this transit would be allowed & they would be able to spend the night at the transit hotel in terminal 3????please correct me if i'm wrong....

The connection is allowed as long as it is below 24 hours. The transit hotel is currently closed, and the lounges have relatively short opening hours compared to normal, though they never were 24 hour operations.

They will need to spend the night on a chair, bench, or the floor in the terminal.

are you sure the transit hotel is closed????they are taking bookings & seem to have a number of covid protocols displayed on their website regarding reduced service....

Pretty sure
https://m.the-royalpark.jp/the/tokyo...ils.php?id=126

Scroll down to the English part
■The Royal Park Hotel Tokyo Haneda Transit（Transit Hotel in Departure Area）
Operation is temporarily suspended

got it....19 hours without a hotel seems like a deal breaker....

Transit - quarantine question
 

If I start my journey in a country (having been there for more than a fortnight) which is not subject to three day hotel quarantine, but fly on a carrier where the transit country is subject to quarantine, would I then be subject to the quarantine on arrival, even if I remain airside during transit. I cannot seem to find any clear guidance.

e.g. UAE is currently on the list of hotel quarantine countries but Greece is not. What would happen if I travelled ATH-DXB-NRT?

The following Ministry of Foreign Affairs page appears to distinguish between airside transit at a restricted country airport and entering the restricted country:
https://www.mofa.go.jp/ca/fna/page4e_001053.html

I leave it to you to determine whether this has any implications for the case that you described. My interpretation is ... the information does not explicitly state that transit at DXB is exempt from hotel quarantine, but there seems to be a chance that this is the intent.

I am not a lawyer and this is not advice.

Ua and AI does fly NYC-del nonstop July 7 (if they don't cancel/pause the route)

One way economy $480, one way business $1811.

Seat map so far isn't that bad 30-40% full?, But I'm willing to bet that NH/JL sestmap will be less crowded (at least for JFK-Tokyo, can't say for tokyo-india)

Simplicity sake, nonstop beats one stop anytime (especially if HND transit rules change or Olympics preparation causes flight schedule change again), but it's $ out of pocket

I myself would prefer the Tokyo stop - Sleep on plane, probably stick to USA time and be awake during layover. You should check if oneworld HND lounge showers are available once you land/morning, assuming you fly JAL business both legs

Could it be related to the current state of emergency which will (probably but not for sure) be over my the pax’s family’s travel dates?

To OP - suggest you just call the hotel and ask. They may not know yet for sure but they should be helpful and are likely to speak English.

if they were traveling by themselves then the 19 hour layover would not have been a problem but with 2 small kids its not a good idea....i've made the change for now & will wait to see if the hotel opens by the time they travel....

There are play areas at HND but unsure if they are open during covid/overnight. Take a peek at the hnd map, should still have reclining chairs and vending machines for drinks maybe food too. Confirm with the hnd airport first
https://tokyo-haneda.com/en/service/..._children.html

Stay overnight in Haneda Airport International Terminal | Haneda Airport User's Blog

Otherwise if price is an issue, buy 6 or 8 seats on UA/AI @$480 each (plane should be 3x4x3). Two rows of 3(left/right) or two rows of 4(middle). Seems like price is valid close in (even tomorrow) so no advance purchase requirement (obviously can change). Can buy&leave same-day if plane looks empty enough, don't need to wait for specific date(unless you need PCR test)

I know UA explicitly allows this (you have to buy it in a certain way EXTRASEAT in name somewhere), not sure if AI allows it

Allows one parent (or two kids) to take turn sleeping. Not ideal, but I've done it countless of times on UA's 77W (whole 3-sest row to myself, didn't pay for extra seat bc plane was empty)

they have booked 4 refundable business class tickets on dl/af as a backup in case this route doesn't work out....they also have the option of getting the award flight cancelled & then use the cx miles on ba....but will take either one of these routes if the jal flight doesn't work out....

It has been closed throughout most of the pandemic. Getting close to a year by now. But yes, it wil be reopened at a point.