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Airport Guide
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✈️ Airport Guide

TPE arrival, New Chitose, and the NRT return layover
✈️ Taoyuan International Airport (TPE) — Arrival
Online arrival card
The old niaspeedy portal was replaced by TWAC (Taiwan Arrival Card) in late 2025. Window is now up to 7 days before landing — for this trip that's Aug 22–29, open now → twac.immigration.gov.tw
Landing
Sat Aug 29, 6:45 PM GMT+8 (UA871 from SFO)
Immigration
Have passport + arrival card confirmation ready. E-gates available for some nationalities.
SIM/eSIM & currency
Kiosks and exchange counters throughout arrivals — see the SIM & WiFi and Currency pages
🚇 Getting to the City

Airport MRT → Taipei Main Station, then transfer to the Red Line for Xinyi/Taipei 101 (Grand Hyatt) or continue toward Nangang. Fast, direct, no traffic risk.

Uber/taxi also available curbside if you'd rather skip the transfer with luggage.

🇯🇵 New Chitose Airport (CTS) — Sapporo Leg
Landing
Sat Sept 12, 11:55 AM GMT+9 (BR166 from TPE)
Into the city
JR Airport Express, ~37 min, ¥1,150 → Sapporo Station
Hotel check-in
Vessel Hotel Campana Susukino, 2:00 PM
Departure day (Sept 17)
NH2154 departs 1:40 PM. Rapid Airport runs every ~15 min and takes ~37 min.
Target the 10:30 AM train from Sapporo Station → arrive CTS ~11:07, a 2h33 buffer. Check out around 10:00 rather than riding the 11:00 checkout to the wire.
Cutoff: an 11:30 departure still works (~12:07, 1h33) but leaves no slack. Later than that is too thin.
Sept 17 fare
The 5-day rail pass has expired by the 17th — just tap through with Kitaca/Suica, or buy a ¥1,150 ticket. Skip the U-Seat; midday Thursday you'll get a seat.
Worth doing before you fly
Ask ANA at CTS check-in whether your bag tags through to EWR. Separate confirmations means through-checking isn't automatic — and the answer decides how tight the Narita layover really is.
🛬 Narita (NRT) — Return Layover
Connection window
Thu Sept 17 — land 3:25 PM, depart UA78 at 5:25 PM. 2-hour layover — tight but workable if BR166/domestic connections run on time.
Terminals
ANA domestic arrives and United departs from Terminal 1, South Wing — same building, which is what makes 2 hours survivable.
Realistic plan
If bags check through and you clear quickly, you might net ~45 min for a lounge. If you're re-checking bags, you won't see one. Treat lounge time here as a bonus, not a plan.
🛋️ Lounges

⚠️ Access depends on cabin and status — not yet confirmed. The booking records seat numbers but never fare class, and Star Alliance Gold status is unverified. Everything below assumes you need to check eligibility at the desk. The paid option at CTS works regardless.

🇯🇵 New Chitose (CTS) — Thu Sept 17
Verdict
Skip it — eat in the terminal instead. The ANA Lounge here is domestic-side and modest: drinks, light snacks, decent seating, no real meal service. Meanwhile New Chitose is arguably the best airport in Japan for food — ramen street, Royce, milk soft serve, and an actual onsen. Your 2h33 buffer is better spent on a last bowl.
If you want it anyway
ANA Lounge access comes with an ANA Premium Class ticket, ANA status, or Star Alliance Gold.
Paid access
¥3,000, pre-booked online or by phone by 6 PM the day before — that's Wed Sept 16, easy to tie to the Tempura Masa lunch. Bring yen: paid lounge entry has been cash-only at some airports since the 2026 system migration.
Not in play
The ANA Suite Lounge at CTS is Diamond-only.
🛬 Narita (NRT) — the 2-hour layover
No Polaris Lounge
There is no United Polaris Lounge at Narita. It was announced in 2018 and shelved — never built. Don't go looking for it.
What exists
ANA Lounge (T1) — clearly the better of the two, open to Polaris passengers and Star Gold.
United Club (T1 Satellite 3) — long-standing reputation as one of the weaker lounges in the network.
Constraint
Time, not quality. See the layover note above — don't build the connection around getting into a lounge.
🇹🇼 Taoyuan (TPE) — Sat Sept 12
Verdict
The one actually worth targeting. EVA's lounges at Taoyuan are the standout on this whole itinerary — a genuine step above what's available at CTS or NRT.
Catch
BR166 departs 6:55 AM, so you'd be airside around 5:15 AM. EVA's lounges open with the first bank of departures — confirm hours before counting on it.