Huh...I'm flying in on NH109 to HND Terminal 3. I need to make my own way to BKK on a separate ticket. Does that mean whatever flight I book needs to also leave from Terminal 3?

Currently only T3 in Haneda has international flights. An international departure/arrival area opened in T2 on March 31st 2020, but it closed relatively quickly again. No reopen date is on the books. Once it reopens, I am sure it will be possible to move between the terminals without entering Japan.

Thanks for this thread. Lifesaver. I'm mulling over the possibility of NRT - ICN on Ethiopian after arriving at 3PM on AC's nonstop ex-YVR. It's about a five hour layover.

I understand transiting on separate tickets are fine.

I'm still worried about explaining this to AC's agents in YVR as it is their prerogative to let me on or not. Are there any official documents/anything I could show the agent that proves I can indeed transit on two tickets?

Connecting flights in different terminal
 

My flight arriving in Narita on July 5th via Sri Lankan air(T2), connecting to LAX via zip air which is in T1. These are two separate flights. My understanding is you have to go through the immigration then retrieve your check in bags. So, what if I take only carry on? Would that work without entering Japan? Would I be able to go from T2 to T1? Any insight is greatly appreciated.

Seperate tickets are fine and AC shouldn't have any issue as long as you show them an onward ticket. the YVR-NRT flight comes in to Terminal 1S, the Ethiopian flight leaves at 9pm from the same terminal. Both are star alliance so you should be able to check in for both at YVR, and they should be OK checking your baggage through, but I would check with A/C ticket agents at some point before to verify. If they won't check your bags through, then you have to enter Japan to recheck your bags which isn't allowed currently. So once you get the bags thing figured out (or if you're carryon only) then you should be good to go.

Yeah you should be fine with carryon only. No other airlines interline with zip-air aside from other very specific zip-air flights (I've been researching this for a month or so). But for carryon you will just go through normal transit entry, they will verify your passport and your onward flight and dump you in to the international terminal. There will be no need to enter Japan as long as you are only bringing carryon bags. Assuming you can get from T2 to T1, the one piece I don't have experience with, but I'm sure someone else will answer up here to validate.

what is the maximum layover time to check bags through on a connection? I have a potential 8 hour layover in NRT next month. Trying to tighten that up but want to know regardless.

thanks!

I don't know the maximum, but I've done 8 hours at HND no problem, and max layover is 24 hours there. I don't think 8 hours will be an issue at NRT as long as your connection is the same day as arrival as the terminal closes overnight.

I've deliberately done NH SIN-NRT arriving 845am, then UA NRT-EWR leaving 5pm. One ticket
no issues checking bag thru (i even added another bag that i had spare free allowance at NRT, bought too much stuff during layover)

The maximum is currently that the connection needs to be the same day, as entering Japan is not an option. Excluding that point, 24 hours.

There is no issue in moving between T2 and T1 airside. There is a bus running.

The challenge might be Zipair. I am not sure they have a a transit desk, and for flights originating in Tokyo, they may very well expect you present your self for check-in at the landside desk. I would verify this carefully with the airline. They are a low cost carrier after all.

Definitely worth confirming, especially since the only means of contact with zipair is through email, and you only get a small portion of the price refunded. A buddy just refunded an NRT-LAX flight (4 tickets, totaling $1700) and got $200 refunded from canceling after I told him he couldn't enter Japan to get and recheck his luggage.

Thanks so much for the info. I'll be carry on only! Looks like this is a go :)

You are "go" only if the LCC airline will accept you as a passenger at your origin airport. If the airline accepts you, you'll have no issues transiting NRT.

Absolutely. I think I can talk to AC and get them to understand