Advice on Connecting in Tokyo
 

Hi all,
I'm going to HKG next week & am getting nervous about making my connections. I booked these tickets with FF miles, so this was my only option.

I am flying AA from STL to DFW arriving 9:30am, connecting DFW to Tokyo departing 10:10am on AA. I know if my flight is on time, I should be able to make that.

However, I get to Tokyo at 2:40pm and have to connect to my HKG flight on Cathay at 4:20pm. This seems tight to me going thru customs, etc. I know it's a "legal" connection. But I've never flown to Asia, so I guess I was just looking for some advice. This board always make me feel better! :) Thanks.

That's enough time. You will go through security, but no immigration/customs.

Both AA and CX uses T2 at NRT. No terminal change.

It's very easy at Narita; no problemo.

However if your arriving flight is late, you will probably just be put on the next CX flight, which leaves at 6:20 PM.

Hope you're not checking any luggage for this trip. If you are, make sure you have a few change of clothings on your carryon bag. The chance of your bag making the DFW connection is a bit small.

IF your flight STL-DFW is running late, make sure you alert the flight attendants about your connecting flight to Tokyo. Hopefully they will alert the ground crew so they will hold the Tokyo-bound flight for you.

Borading for AA's international flights usually commence 45 minutes prior to departure. Therefore, they would start boarding the Tokyo flight BEFORE your STL-DFW flight even arrives.

The 7:30a STL-DFW is on a 752. The aircraft should have arrived at STL from LAX, MIA or DFW the previous evening; so it shouldn't be significantly late.

Remember that time I was flying DFW-SFO (first flight of the day) to connect for my SFO-HKG on CX? There was a mechanical problem with the DFW-SFO flight (the towing truck could not get the metal bar disengaged from the front wheel of the plane) and our flight was over 1 hour late.

But generally speaking, the early flights in AM are less likely to be late/delayed.

Thank you so much for your replies. I knew this forum would make me feel better! :)

Just one more question, rkkwan said I will not go thru immigrations/customs in Tokyo... is that because I am only connecting there & it is not my final destination? So I do not have to pick up my bag - it will automatically go thru since I don't have to clear customs? Thanks.

Correct. You're not entering Japan. Just transiting. Bags will be transferred automatically.

I am not sure if AA at STL can give you CX's boarding pass. If not, just go to the Cathay Pacific transit desk at NRT after you get through security.