Sydney to Osaka/QF & JAL

[lufcbrown]

I'm flying from Sydney to Osaka Via Tokyo Haneda in a few months. The main leg is with Qantas and the domestic one is with Japan Airlines. Does anyone know the situation with my luggage etc? Will i have to collect it and then re-check it in or will it be transferred automatically as they are partnered airlines?

Also does anyone know if there is a lounge at Haneda that i can get into with an ANZ Black QF FF credit card?

Thanks in advance

 

[PeteFlyer]

At Tokyo Haneda you have to pick up your luggage after immigration, and then clear customs. Once you clear customs, on the same level not too far away there are JAL domestic transfer desks. They'll check your luggage through for the domestic leg, and then you can make your way outside to the buses that transfer you to the domestic terminals. There are a number of bus stops but all are pretty clearly marked in English.

 

[Himeno]

Don't need to go outside...

Collect bags after immigration and clear customs. After exiting customs, turn right. At the end of the building are some baggage shipping counters then domestic transfer for both ANA and JAL. Go to the JAL counter, an drop bags/collect boarding pass. Turn around. Behind the counters is a domestic screening checkpoint. Go though security and downstairs. There are shuttle buses which take you to the domestic terminal. Different shuttles for JAL and ANA.

 

[PeteFlyer]

Don't need to go outside...

Collect bags after immigration and clear customs. After exiting customs, turn right. At the end of the building are some baggage shipping counters then domestic transfer for both ANA and JAL. Go to the JAL counter, an drop bags/collect boarding pass. Turn around. Behind the counters is a domestic screening checkpoint. Go though security and downstairs. There are shuttle buses which take you to the domestic terminal. Different shuttles for JAL and ANA.

If on the same booking, Qantas will issue your JAL boarding passes upon check-in at Sydney. I last transited Haneda three weeks ago and there wasn't access to any domestic screening checkpoint behind the JAL counter - indeed I was given a pamphlet written in Japanese and English showing me where to go to catch the bus outside. Possibly it was too early in the day (coming off QF25 prior to 6AM)? Would be interested to hear of the experiences of others who have done so in recent weeks.

Don't forget upon check-in at the JAL counter for your domestic leg you can upgrade to JAL's domestic "business" class for only ¥1000 if there are any available seats. More like premium economy - slightly wider seat with more legroom, although service is no different. Extra status credits is worthwhile too.

 

[Awesom Andy]

I happened to transit HND three weeks ago as well, although straight through on JAL but the process is the same. Pick up the luggage, and once you get into the arrival hall, turn right, walk to the end, and you'll find the counters to drop your luggage. It's a fully manned counter so you can do pretty much everything you need here as well, e.g. if you didn't get your onwards boarding pass, you can pick them up here. The domestic screening checkpoint behind the counters opens at 6am IIRC, but there would still be a bit of a wait for the first bus so if you have an early flight out, say, departing before 7:15am, you would want to head for the bus outside. Otherwise, the domestic transfer bus will drop you off airside in the next terminal. Note that ANA has quite a few more buses, but each airline can only take their own passengers as they operate from different terminals.

Not sure if the JAL class J is really worth it. It's a slightly bigger seat (if you are on a 738, it might be in a 2-3 config). The points and status earns on dom class J have also been enhanced post simple-and-fair so it's a bit like throwing money away for a slightly bigger seat for a flight that's not much more than half the distance between SYD and BNE.

 

[travs]

Since you have to collect your bags anyway, you can do what I like to do. If you have the time, instead of re-checking the bags, just drop them off to at the delivery company (aka the Black Cat aka Takkyubin) and send them directly to your hotel. You can send it via black cat delivery service from airport to hotel and it's overnight usually. It's not expensive. It's simple - there are counters in airport right past where you exit customs anyway.

Pros:
* you have to pick up your bag anyway, so it usually isn't much extra time.
* don't have to pick up bags *again* in Osaka.
* don't have to hassle with bags on trains/subway/taxi
* bags appear at hotel next day

Cons
* costs you a few bucks
* take a few minutes additional time
* have to carry on a bit more clothing in case any thing goes wrong (rare, but I'm paranoid.)

 

[Awesom Andy]

Since you have to collect your bags anyway, you can do what I like to do. If you have the time, instead of re-checking the bags, just drop them off to at the delivery company (aka the Black Cat aka Takkyubin) and send them directly to your hotel. You can send it via black cat delivery service from airport to hotel and it's overnight usually. It's not expensive. It's simple - there are counters in airport right past where you exit customs anyway.

Pros:
* you have to pick up your bag anyway, so it usually isn't much extra time.
* don't have to pick up bags *again* in Osaka.
* don't have to hassle with bags on trains/subway/taxi
* bags appear at hotel next day

Cons
* costs you a few bucks
* take a few minutes additional time
* have to carry on a bit more clothing in case any thing goes wrong (rare, but I'm paranoid.)

I've used this before, although it was for Tokyo without a transit. I dropped off the luggage in the morning, and it arrived to my hotel in the late afternoon.