Japan Transit/Connection/Layover Master Thread
#511
Join Date: Nov 2009
Programs: DL PM 1MM
Posts: 3,441
Don't expect airline reservation agents to know any country's entry requirements - that's the job of the airline's staff at airport ticket counters and departure gates. It is airport staff who are responsible for assessing whether each traveler is eligible to travel their desired itinerary - it is futile to make such requests of any airline's telephone reservation agents - they simply won't know the correct answer.
#512
Join Date: May 2014
Posts: 55
I am planning a rewards flight LAX - NRT UA business class in Aug with the hopes of Japan opening up for tourism sometime in the next few months. However if it does not open by then I am planning on booking a separate flight NRT - BKK on a different carrier (JAL) the same day 3 hours after arrival in Tokyo. I understand international to international transfer is allowed but are you able to stay airside without going thru customs for lets say arrival NRT in terminal 1 and lets say departure Terminal 2 or 3 or you restricted to terminal 1 departures
Carry on bags would probably be required as checked bags would have to be picked up after customs and not possible with current restrictions
Carry on bags would probably be required as checked bags would have to be picked up after customs and not possible with current restrictions
#513
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: Tokyo
Programs: JAL Metal Card (OWE), SAS Eurobonus Gold (*G), Marriott Titanium (LTP), Tokyu Hotels Platinum
Posts: 21,191
I am planning a rewards flight LAX - NRT UA business class in Aug with the hopes of Japan opening up for tourism sometime in the next few months. However if it does not open by then I am planning on booking a separate flight NRT - BKK on a different carrier (JAL) the same day 3 hours after arrival in Tokyo. I understand international to international transfer is allowed but are you able to stay airside without going thru customs for lets say arrival NRT in terminal 1 and lets say departure Terminal 2 or 3 or you restricted to terminal 1 departures
Carry on bags would probably be required as checked bags would have to be picked up after customs and not possible with current restrictions
Carry on bags would probably be required as checked bags would have to be picked up after customs and not possible with current restrictions
#514
Join Date: Jul 2017
Location: California
Programs: AA EXP; Hyatt Globalist; Marriott Bonvoy Titanium Elite
Posts: 1,971
I am planning a rewards flight LAX - NRT UA business class in Aug with the hopes of Japan opening up for tourism sometime in the next few months. However if it does not open by then I am planning on booking a separate flight NRT - BKK on a different carrier (JAL) the same day 3 hours after arrival in Tokyo. I understand international to international transfer is allowed but are you able to stay airside without going thru customs for lets say arrival NRT in terminal 1 and lets say departure Terminal 2 or 3 or you restricted to terminal 1 departures
Carry on bags would probably be required as checked bags would have to be picked up after customs and not possible with current restrictions
Carry on bags would probably be required as checked bags would have to be picked up after customs and not possible with current restrictions
Since I can cancel without fee, I cancelled my RT to Tokyo and I booked a through flight to bkk and two return flights, one from BKK and one from TYO. Figured if Japan opened, I would miss my onward flight to bkk and stay in Japan then cancel the return flight from bkk. Obviously Japan didn't open, so I just cancelled my to flight back to LAX. Just a thought.
This saved me a bunch of mileo and made my flight much less complicated.
Last edited by seigex; Apr 8, 2022 at 9:22 pm
#516
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: ORD (formerly SAN)
Programs: Hilton Diamond; IHG Platinum; Bonvoy Gold; AA Platinum Pro and United Premier Silver (DH = AA EXP)
Posts: 1,929
I'm booking something similar for a backup to my upcoming Japan trip in June if Japan's not open. I snagged LAX-HND-GMP in F/J, in T3 out T1. Are we able to transfer HND T3 to T1 airside? On the way back I'm keeping my existing KIX-LAX, so I'm hoping to get a direct between GMP and KIX that doesn't pass through HND first.
#517
Join Date: Aug 2017
Programs: Air Canada A35K, Bonvoy Platinum
Posts: 169
I've been trying to figure this out myself and as far as I can tell there are no easy options since there aren't any HND-GMP flights and the flights getting into NRT all arrive too late to take a same-day connection to ICN. Only workable option seemed to be to add some other stop in between Tokyo and Seoul (Singapore for example) but then I was getting into like a three-day-long flight which makes two-day windows for pre-arrival PCR tests in Korea a challenge.
#518
Join Date: Jul 2017
Location: California
Programs: AA EXP; Hyatt Globalist; Marriott Bonvoy Titanium Elite
Posts: 1,971
Nothing for Seoul. I had to move my trip to mid-July so I could take my kids to a concert on 7/2, so I had to cancel the LAX-HND-GMP flight I booked, and there was nothing else open in J/F for my new dates through AA. I'm still deciding if I just want to give up for July on Japan and confirm travel to Seoul instead since I have another flight to Japan in November. I was doing my above method with two booked flights, but I'm getting low on extra points with the lack of work travel these days, so it's much harder for me to make two RT J/F flights work.
#520
Join Date: Jan 2022
Programs: ANA Diamond, JAL JGC, Hyatt Globalist, Marriott Ambassador
Posts: 250
Korea is one of the few countries that aren’t exempt from quarantine in Japan, so understandably the volume is low. Add on to that the 2020 initial pandemic response of having all flights from Korea and China land at NRT or KIX, and you’ve got a recipe for hardly any flights to Korea.
#521
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: Tokyo
Programs: JAL Metal Card (OWE), SAS Eurobonus Gold (*G), Marriott Titanium (LTP), Tokyu Hotels Platinum
Posts: 21,191
Korea is one of the few countries that aren’t exempt from quarantine in Japan, so understandably the volume is low. Add on to that the 2020 initial pandemic response of having all flights from Korea and China land at NRT or KIX, and you’ve got a recipe for hardly any flights to Korea.
#522
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: ORD (formerly SAN)
Programs: Hilton Diamond; IHG Platinum; Bonvoy Gold; AA Platinum Pro and United Premier Silver (DH = AA EXP)
Posts: 1,929
I can land in HND, but the HND-GMP route is currently suspended (although there might be glimmer of hope it will be reinstated by June?). I can land in NRT, but there are no overnight stays allowed (all the flights out of NRT to ICN occur before I even land). Or if I can transit to another Japanese airport, there might be flights that work. I just need at least one of the airport rules to get dropped or changed, otherwise, the combination is making for impossible connection to Korea from the US. Or maybe that was the plan?
#523
Join Date: Apr 2022
Location: Hawaii
Programs: Marriott Titanium, AA PlatPro
Posts: 3
Japan Layover
Aloha, I'm looking to book a flight from HNL to BKK via Narita on JAL. HNL flight arrives into NRT at 4:25 PM and departs technically the next day at 12:05 AM. About a 5 hour layover but the language on the JAL and the airport website says:
However, the following cases require entry into Japan. Please be informed that foreign nationals arriving from prohibited countries will not be allowed to enter Japan.
Mahalo! P
Customers Connecting in Japan between International Flights
Travelers who are not entering Japan and transferring directly to a third country by transit, are not required to submit any documents and undergo inspections in Japan. Nonetheless, travelers are still subject to the travel/entry restrictions and requirements of their final destination.However, the following cases require entry into Japan. Please be informed that foreign nationals arriving from prohibited countries will not be allowed to enter Japan.
- Transferring between Tokyo International Airport (Haneda Airport) and Narita International Airport
- Travelers with a connecting flight out of Narita International Airport the following day
Mahalo! P
#524
Join Date: Jul 2017
Location: California
Programs: AA EXP; Hyatt Globalist; Marriott Bonvoy Titanium Elite
Posts: 1,971
Aloha, I'm looking to book a flight from HNL to BKK via Narita on JAL. HNL flight arrives into NRT at 4:25 PM and departs technically the next day at 12:05 AM. About a 5 hour layover but the language on the JAL and the airport website says:
However, the following cases require entry into Japan. Please be informed that foreign nationals arriving from prohibited countries will not be allowed to enter Japan.
Mahalo! P
Customers Connecting in Japan between International Flights
Travelers who are not entering Japan and transferring directly to a third country by transit, are not required to submit any documents and undergo inspections in Japan. Nonetheless, travelers are still subject to the travel/entry restrictions and requirements of their final destination.However, the following cases require entry into Japan. Please be informed that foreign nationals arriving from prohibited countries will not be allowed to enter Japan.
- Transferring between Tokyo International Airport (Haneda Airport) and Narita International Airport
- Travelers with a connecting flight out of Narita International Airport the following day
Mahalo! P
#525
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: Tokyo
Programs: JAL Metal Card (OWE), SAS Eurobonus Gold (*G), Marriott Titanium (LTP), Tokyu Hotels Platinum
Posts: 21,191
I can land in HND, but the HND-GMP route is currently suspended (although there might be glimmer of hope it will be reinstated by June?). I can land in NRT, but there are no overnight stays allowed (all the flights out of NRT to ICN occur before I even land). Or if I can transit to another Japanese airport, there might be flights that work. I just need at least one of the airport rules to get dropped or changed, otherwise, the combination is making for impossible connection to Korea from the US. Or maybe that was the plan?