https://www.jal.co.jp/ar/en/info/tra...302/?m=mv_at_1

Then one reads this. No Isolation nor test on arrival for BLUE countries. But my understanding is only "tour groups" can enter Japan.

Going to call JAL today.

Well..my ticket has an overnight NGO, next AM flight. Don't see why you couldn't just crash at NGO. However unpleasant it is. Only crashed at an airport overnight a couple times I think. Copenhagen once? Maybe somewhere else. DOn't remember.

I remember transiting Tokyo once, Northwest AIrlines (!!) needed volunteers due to oversold, I did. I and a few others were rushed through immigration to the connected hotel. We bypassed regular immigration or something. It was quite a while ago. So...that's what I'm talking about.

It's rigid, until it isn't.

Report back. At NRT they WILL NOT allow an air-side (ie 'cannot enter japan, dont have a visa) overnight stay. Must leave same calendar day.

You can have a ticket, and when you show up with the carrier that takes you TO nrt, they will verify the connection. And can refuse carriage. WILL refuse carriage. As I understand it, it will not be a matter of "oh, our bad- here, make yourself comfortable"

Im interested to hear if NGO allows it.

GL!

strange. ok. thanks. I've tried calling JAL - just busy signal.

In all my years of flying (80+ countries, multiple RTW) I've never heard of being refused or questioned about this overnight thing. but majority of that was pre-covid of course.

Oh I had a long 10+ hour layover in Doha recently (May 2021)...but I spent a lot of that at the Qatar Business lounge, sleeping for some hours...I knew there were more instances of long layovers.

Would have access to Sakura Lounge but says open from 7am - last departure. So only useful in early AM of next day before my flight departs.

https://www.centrair.jp/en/flight/early-late/index.html

on that website it shows "shops you can enter after 2100"

Sleeping in AIrports website notes nothing remarkable.

Narita. So what you state, that has happened to you or you just heard about it? Any FT threads?

https://www.sleepinginairports.net/g...port-guide.htm

NRT physically closes over night. Because of some regulations that were enacted to allow the building of the airport there, they are not allowed to fly flights at night and therefore the airport is not staffed at night.

This is regardless of COVID. In extreme emergency situations, they put overnight passengers in the same room and get a security guard to watch over you. They don’t allow you to enter Japan.

No, there is currently no liniency on entering Japan for flight connections. Covid rules are still pretty tight, so no citizenship nor residency, no entering Japan for a transit.


Well, look for the specifics of covid rules around the word, most countries banned like this for a shorter or longer time. Japan is just on a very long period of covid restrictions remaining.

Seems NGO closes overnight like Narita, so only possible if you are eligible to enter Japan.

Narita is very clear, and has always been clear, you can't do an overnight connection without leaving the terminal and entering Japan. Is seemingly the same for Chubu Airport.

The "no overnight" rule for NRT is specified in TIMATIC when looking up a proposed route with a connection at NRT. There is no similar entry for NGO connections. OP should verify their exact itinerary with TIMATIC and determine exactly what rules exist for that itinerary.

I will just add that much of the english translated stuff around rules, opening hours, covid restrictions, etc, is quite lacking. Perhaps a "why waste time on this, it is going to change soon"?

In any event, Ive seen a lot of 'advice' on websites that seems to say 'business as usual', but then a red disclaimer of "covid may impact this". Frustrating and confusing to be sure.

I am being VERY cautious- the old days of "unless it says no, should be OK" can lead you to standing a a check-in counter, quite screwed

:(

Thanks for this. I've used TIMATIC for covid entry rules, but not a flight route analysis. Can you provide a link as to how to do this? Or would I have to be a subscriber?

This is perhaps why the route is NGO and not NRT. It's an Alaska award ticket and I just took what is available. At times there have been NRT stops, but those weren't overnights. I guess I know why now.
I'll change the flight as the date comes closer if possible.

reading this tripadvisor thread -- NRT overnight - no bueno as you state. But Haneda is ok.
https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowTopi...ure_Kanto.html

some folks talking about NRT overnight
https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowTopi...l_2-Japan.html

Haneda - open 24 hours.
https://tokyo-haneda.com/en/faq/index.html

And confirming your response for NGO. Welcome Garden and Access Plaza are LANDside by all appearance. But from the official detailed airport map I'm looking at the ARRIVALS lobby is still AIRside. But gates are on 3F - departures lobby, which would seem to be closed based on the below. 4F is food / shop court.

T2 has few gates...so don't think that's relevant. (Nearly) All the action is at T1

https://www.centrair.jp/en/help/faq/...6610_2177.html
https://www.centrair.jp/en/flight/early-late/ - in BOLD

https://www.centrair.jp/assets/doc/t...rtguide_en.pdf - airport map here

- arrival video here. Indeed the "arrivals lobby is LANDside by all appearances"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7hMvfr_PWqU- airport tour here

https://www.centrair.jp/en/flight/fl...l-arrival.html - this implies the 2F Arrivals Lobby is AFTER immigration, so that's a no go.

Are the terminal buildings open 24 hours?

[Terminal 1]
Is open from 4:40–21:30 and is otherwise closed. Welcome Garden on the 1st floor, the arrivals lobby on the 2nd floor and Access Plaza are open 24 hours.

[Terminal 2]
Operating hours are different on the first floor and second floor. Terminal 2 is closed outside of the times listed below.

Date
・From March 27, 2022
Areas
・Departures Lobby (2F)　　4:30-19:00
・Arrivals Lobby (1F)　　　10:00-23:00


---> So after all this, it would seem to say that NGO closes as well overnight and is not possible to transit w/o entering Japan. I will look to call NGO directly.


I feel good now...it's a first class airport!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_airports_in_Japan

In case it helps anyone, I was able to reach someone at Ethiopian Airlines at NRT who confirmed that the transit desk as well as gate agent would be able to check-in and provide boarding passes for same day flight.

One question to whomever knows KIX. Will be flying domestic HND-KIX on JAL arriving at T1 gate 23 and then need to board a flight KIX-ICN on T'way Air T1 gate 7 (or thereabouts). Will I run into any problems transiting between gates airside?

You can't move from domestic gates to international gates airside. You will as part of the flow you will needs to go through security again, and you will need to go through the departure passport control.
​

OK that sounds fine as long as we don’t need to go through immigration since we won’t have a visa to enter Japan. Is a 1.5 hour connection too short to get through security?

You said that you are flying domestic from NRT to KIX. You will have to go through immigration in Tokyo in order to do that.

I was under the impression that I could take an airside shuttle from T3 to T1 in order to connect to the JAL flight from HND-KIX. So you are saying that is not possible without going thru immigration? The full routing is SFO-HND (JAL 1, overnight in terminal) - KIX (JAL) - ICN (T’way).

I concur with Nishimark.

Immigration is a must and that makes it a nuisance for those with domestic connections. My wife's family lives in Osaka and for the past two years our visits to Japan have had to be on direct KIX tickets rather than NRT/HND and then domestic to KIX.