I am seeking advice about what to do about a ticket that I can't get refunded or rebooked, wonder if anyone has had similar problems. I bought a ticket from CheapOair from Taiwan to Japan Haneda with 16 hr layover then transfer to Narita and then on to the US, when I got to the gate they told me I could not stay at Narita overnight as I planned and that since I was transiting in Japan I could not board without showing that I had booked a quartine approved hotel and transportation. They didn't have a list of such hotels, In the time that I was trying to get cheapo to book one for me the gate closed and I missed the flight. There was no way I could have known about this problem before I got into the airport, CheapOair had sent a generic email telling customers that they responsible for knowing Covid regulations in the countries that they travel in, on the Japan Airlines website it lists the entry restrictions as:
Travelers who are not entering Japan and transferring directly to a third country by transit, are not required to submit any documents and undergo PCR tests. However, the following cases require entry into Japan. Please be informed that foreign nationals arriving from prohibited countries will not be allowed to enter Japan.

• Transferring between Tokyo International Airport (Haneda Airport) and Narita International Airport
• Travelers with a connecting flight out of Narita International Airport the following day

I am not entering from a prohibited country and have a negative PRC test so I thought I was OK. It says nothing about a quarantine hotel or Narita being closed overnight. Both airports also do not mention it.
Cheapoair says Japan airlines marked me as a no show and I can't rebook or get a refund and that I should contact Japan airlines, Japan Airlines says that I was marked as a no-show at the gate and can't rebook me, they tell me to contact Cheapoair for a refund. I can't possibly see how I could have known about this requirement and been in compliance with the rule. It's completely unfair. I feel like CheapOair is more responsible because they are a travel agency and the reason people use them is so that they won't have problems like this, they should have informed me of the rule and they still today are selling flights that connect from Haneda to Narita right now that their customers will buy but cannot use. Japan airlines also should have this information on their website and also should not have listed me as a no-show. I'm extremely unhappy with both of them and very angry that they both pass off the responsibility to each other.

Sorry this happened to you . . . However you are most likely out of luck. Passengers are required to know the specific covid eligibility rules for each country that are flying to and and connecting through.

It was your responsibility to fully research the quarantine hotels and whether you could enter Japan before you purchased the tickets. It is very complicated and you are not the only one this has happened to - but both Cheapo Air and JAL are correct.

(Cheapo Air is not a full service travel agency so one should not expect them to provide 'expert advice' )

There is probably no reason to ever book through CheapOAir or all the other websites... they are helpful for finding fares in one convenient location, but once you decide on a fare and flights, it's usually just as cheap to book directly through the airline. This gives you much better service and protection.

I recommend that you persist with JAL. Over time, they may relent and offer you something.

This is a very confusing time to fly. It is very difficult to get it all straight, especially if there is a complication. And there is always a complication.

Very sorry this happened. I agree with the the others about booking with 3rd party agents like cheap o air. My advice its go directly with the airline. The following website is a great source for routes and prices though you can't book with them but you can see prices and then call the airline if you choose to do so.

https://matrix.itasoftware.com

Good luck. I hope JAL will hep you out.

Larry

Just to clarify a bit -- yes it is better to book directly with an airline. But no matter, even booking via JAL, you would probably have been denied boarding. In all cases it is the travelers responsibility to know and meet the requirements -- whether it is covid-related things like quarantine hotels, or regular entry visas, or whatever. If you aren't eligible to transit or enter a country they won't let you on the plane. Airlines don't take responsibility to ensure you can travel - they sell you tickets and assume you know / comply with the rules.

BUT at least JAL might be willing to bend a bit. They aren't required to but they might work with you

At the beginning of COVID I had flights canceled and it was STILL hell getting a refund because I purchased on Priceline. Priceline sent me to the airline and the airline sent me right back to Priceline. Neither was willing to take responsibility. I finally got a straight answer and a refund after months of pleading back and forth. Once I found the right tickets on Priceline, I should have booked directly with the airline. Lesson learned.

Amen. Go thru the airline. See the link above in my response. Its great tool to use for prices though you have to book with the airline. Its not a booking agent.

The Matrix software is great, jacketwatch, and such an informative tool. I periodically check out theflightdeal.com to keep current on what specials are being offered and to learn about the codes you can plug into the software.

Thank you. I will look into that site
Larry

Ok. Who gave you the refund? If it was from Priceline then was the airline involved, beyond cancelling the flight?

In the OP's case I would lean on the agent more than JAL for a refund or credit. Both not just JAL.

itasoftware is great but can't help with the OP's issue, of course. jacketwatch, you might want to try the Premium Fare nDeals posts at flyertalk. Or the Mileage Runs forums for economy class. A post might show a great fare in business class from BOS or JFK to Toiyo at certain times. That doesn't ncessarily mean that the fare is not available from LAX or at different times, I see that then go to matrix.ita... to see if it is available from LAX for the period mentioned in the post and if it is then try different dates. A lot of posters there seem to be using Google Flights to find the low fares.

I am sorry what happened to the original poster and the reason I put that link in was not to help out with this issue but was for future usage as I think it’s a valuable tool.
thank you for the tip on Flyer talk. That’s also quite a good tool as well and I will look into that one.
Your suggestions are always quite helpful. Thank you!

Sure, I understood your post, just not sure the OP did.
The most famous FT fare deal that I got was the CNZ fare on United. C meaning full-fare business, fully refundable and changeable for something like $1756 roundtrip. US to Sydney on United and then on to NZ with another carrier. I upgraded to F on the UA flights using SWUs,.Double EQMs and award miles. I bought five. traveled solo once and took my brother the second time, got refunds for the other two tix. It was so sweet. It was 15 years or so ago. I have had a few others, not as spectacular, the most recent being Nov 2019 LAX-NRT roundtrip on Singapore, premium economy for $925.

Wow! You should have classes on this subject

I finally got action from the airline, though I believe they were waiting to hear from Priceline. It was frustrating that I had to deal with two entities going back and forth for so long. I understand the delay, but a lot of wasted time on hold.

I am glad you got this resolved. So often what happens is that when there are two entities involved one tells you to go to the other and vice versa. It’s very frustrating but I’m glad you stuck through it.

Action is good. What action did they do (or promise)?

My refund came through. I understand why it took so long, but the passing of responsibility was tiring to deal with.