bakerstreet

Planning a trip to Japan in November, and booked a flight that gets me to Seattle an hour and 9 minutes before the nonstop direct to Tokyo departs. Does anyone have experience with the Seattle airport and this overnight flight to Tokyo, and Delta, with any feel for whether this is a stupid plan? Already bought the nonrefundable flight and now I'm worried about missing the Tokyo portion that day and Delta putting me on the next night's flight, and my missing the first part of my trip. Anyone have any familiarity with the likelihood of that happening?

Also, if I do miss that connection in Seattle to Tokyo, what exactly are Delta's obligations to get me to Tokyo? Can they put me on another carrier's nonstop direct flight to Tokyo (IS there one??), Do they need to find me upgraded seats like I paid for (premium select) or if there are no premium select seats left on an alternate carrier can they put me in coach, etc.?

This has me worried....looking for people who have familiarity with the situation there.

J62

Personally, I would not fret about it. You can make your transfer simpler by not gate checking a bag that you would need to pick up in the jetbridge in Seattle. If you have a premium econ seat on your first flight youre faster to exit the plane than someone in the back. Dont stop between gates - not until you get to your boarding gate. No bathroom, coffee, etc…make haste.

as for what happens if you miss your japan flight, Delta will likely just put you on the next available Delta flight - that may be the same flight the next day. Check if there is a SkyTeam partner airline that flies the route. Do not expect them to put you on a different carrier ( unless it is a SkyTeam partner). And no guarantee you'll get a premium econ seat - decide which is more important to you, schedule or comfort…..

Gardyloo

The published minimum connection time (MCT) for Delta domestic-to-international connections at Seattle is 1h 10m, which this connection meets (these are not written in stone.) Delta uses both the "A" and "S" gates at Seattle, so it could be as simple as walking from one gate to a neighboring one, or worst case, walking (or using the moving sidewalk) to the train that connects the A gates with the south satellite (S gates) which would probably take around 5-10 minutes.

You will not need to collect your bags as they'll be checked through to Tokyo.

Delta only has one flight daily from Seattle to Tokyo; a Japan Airlines flight leaves around an hour after Delta's, and an ANA nonstop leaves around 3 hours after that. The JAL flight goes to Narita airport (NRT) while the Delta and ANA flights go to Haneda (HND.) While the airline could technically endorse your ticket over to ANA (Star Alliance, not Skyteam) I honestly think that you have no grounds for worry. If conditions in November lead to flight delays, the odds are that everybody's flights will be delayed, basically moving the goal posts, if you get my meaning.

janisj

agree with both posts above -- and since your trip is soooo far in the future it is very likely (maybe more likely than not) that one or both flight times will be changed between now and Nov.

mjs

I am assuming both flights are on Delta. I would be more worried about missing an hour and 10 minute connection because of a delay of the originating flight. I do not fly Delta but ai assume if you do Delta will put you on the next Delta flight if there is room or possibly another Skyteam flight. You may not get your upgraded seat in this case. Hopefully you have not booked anything out of Tokyo with a tight connection like cruise.

bakerstreet

Thanks everyone! We do need to meet a tour the next day so to lessen the risk of getting bumped to a flight the next day have decided to fly in earlier and overnight in Seattle. Thanks for sharing your thoughts and expertise.

mrwunrfl

Ok, then you modified your ticket to do that, right? That is, you didn't buy a second ticket just to fly to Seattle the night before, right?

bakerstreet

Yes, modified our ticket. I feared the airline would cancel the leg to Tokyo if we didn’t show up for the leg to Seattle. I asked the airline rep and he said yes, they would have done that.

mrwunrfl

Good. That was smart to ask that question and good that he gave you the correct answer.

janisj

Not relevant now -- but if both flights are on the same booking they would not cancel the second leg if you miss the connection at SEA. From the time you check in for the first flight till you land in Tokyo and retrieve your bags you are protected. NOW - exactly when they could get you on a SEA >Tokyo flight might be a problem since it would be on the next available Dl/Sky team flight. In worst cases if the delay is Delta's fault and there are no seats, available - they will even sometimes put ypu on a non-Sky Team carrier. But they would not cancel you .

​​​​​​​Maybe there was a miscommunication between you and the CSA (or the CSA was an poorly trained newbie)

bakerstreet

Just to set the record straight, what I was afraid of was if I never checked in for the first flight (the one that would GET me to Seattle, where I would board the overnight to Tokyo), the airline would cancel that second leg, to Tokyo. If I had left my original flight schedule (two legs on one day) intact, had bought an additional ticket to Seattle for the day before, such that I never checked in the following day for the "first" leg because I was now IN Seattle, then I was afraid the airline would cancel the Seattle-to-Tokyo leg, and that's what the airline rep said they would have done. So I modified my flight through the airline to depart one day to Seattle and the following day from Seattle. Clear as mud, I know.

J62

Very clear and very wise. You are correct. Had you been a no show for that first leg they would have cancelled the 2nd.

good move.