NRT-PIT: Where to transit?
 

I'll have a NRT-PIT roundtrip for my business in mid June.
Do you have any recommend on connection? Where should I transit?

Maybe, I pay attention to lounge access as a 1P.
More EQMs may be an advantage because I'd like to retain my 1P status.
The tickey will be an economy class and I don't expect an upgrade because my company always buys low fare.

I heard that SFO lounge is a good one.
And if I take 777 (UA853, etc.), I'll have PTV.
That's all I know.

Any recommend or advices?

-- Sakura

Normally, I would recommend SFO as the best, but I don't think UA flies SFO-PIT non stop.

I don't like transiting at LAX at all and no non stop flights to PIT either.

NRT-ORD-PIT will work, but you'll have to take train from int'l to T1 for ORD-PIT connection.

If you are interested in lounges, I recommend IAD.
LH opened a new lounge not long ago, and I've heard many good things about it.
Surely, it will beat SFO RCC easily and likely will beat SFO SKL too.
IAD immigration and customs can be very chaotic, though.

Thank you, kkjay77.

You're right that there is no non-stop SFO-PIT flight.
If I choose to transit in SFO, it'll be NRT-SFO-ORD-PIT.
The choices of one-stop flight are via ORD or IAD.
Maybe, it's worth to try IAD.

Best route: Air Canada through YYZ.

Second best: Take United through ORD.

Third best: Fly to LAX and connect to US Airways. (Not SFO, because US is in a separate concourse which doesn't have a lounge.)

Don't go through IAD. You will have to take a United Express flight from IAD to PIT. United Express at IAD is the very worst airline experience in the entire Star Alliance (yes, worse than a transcon on US).

Technically, IAD will bank you just under 500 miles less.... but, I at least, HATE IAD. I dunno.. it's just a crappy feeling airport to me.

If you don't mind the extra hop, go through SFO, otherwise, go ORD.

Thank you for additional advices.

I prefer UA because 100% bonus RDM as 1P.
I don't mind the extra hop, if the transit time isn't too tight.
It'll be better if I have time to relax in a lounge.

Having done this route (and the vice-versa), I much prefer transiting in ORD to IAD. Personally, I also prefer the longer flight NRT-ORD with just a short hop at the end to the mid-length NRT-SFO (or LAX) then SFO-ORD - the flight feels faster to me when I've "nested" into my seat for the long term.

I'd definitely go through ORD. IAD still has the old config 777, at least you have a chance of the new config on the 747 from ORD, the new RCC in ORD is nice.

In Y, I would still prefer an old 777 to a new 747.

One other possible consideration, particularly given the OP has stated the extra hop would be okay, would be if you have e-500 upgrades to burn. If this is the case, you could potentially use them on SFO-ORD (although given it is hub to hub, it may be difficult to clear). As an international based 1P, it may be a good opportunity to use the e-500s.

However it's much faster to get between T1 and T3 at SFO than it is T2 and T7 at LAX. I'd go SFO and relax in the SKL, then hop over to DEN/ORD to PIT on UA, or go direct on US.

the timings on the US nonstop are terrible for an Asia connection though. The lastest NRT arrival at SFO is 4:25 (looking at a random summer date :)), but the US flight doesnt leave until 10:30. Going the other direction wont work at all. I wouldnt go DEN either, given how DEN-PIT is mostly UX now

I'd take ORD over IAD anytime.

As for RCCs the new one at ORD in the B concourse is quite nice.

FB

Another vote here for avoiding IAD -- unless you want to see for yourself the most inefficient transit-immigration-customs-connection setup in all of United's route system. I would pick any of the other UA options that have reasonable connections/times for your needs. If the NRT-IAD flight looks tempting, pretend it is full and look again.:) Good luck