Jumpseat from NRT? (UAL)
 

SWA pilot here. Does anyone know whether it's possible to sign up for the jumpseat on United in NRT? Specifically, do I list and pay departure taxes at the sales counter like in Europe (and if so, where is it?), is it even possible there?
I've had better luck jumpseating from many places back to the USA lately, but looking for some recent info on Narita.

You must have a JS rep there at SWA that has these answers. Why not check with them?

Our JS rep deals with SWA jumpseat issues, not OALs.
And also, regarding non-USA jumpseating, the official info often does not track actual practice. That's why I'm looking for some on-the-ground beta from you helpful folks.

My UAL Buddy says only if a seat is available in Cabin then JS authorized.

Ah yes, I knew that bit already. Sorry, what I meant to ask was for more NRT-specific info, like where to go to list and pay taxes, is it even possible or who to ask for, etc. I’ll edit my original post to be clearer.

Go to the transit counter airside, or the ticket counter outside of security. Tell them you want to list as a jumpseater / OMC. If you're at the ticket counter, sometimes you'll need to look for a supervisor before someone knows how to do it, but they eventually muddle through. I've had 50/50 luck on them charging me departure tax or not, usually it's less than $40. Always be ready to book a zed ticket if you get stonewalled, although I've had luck out of all the Asian gateways, even CTU.

Awesome, this is exactly what I was looking for. Thank you!
As an aside, what's a nice gift for the FAs that's not chocolate? Was thinking Starbucks gift cards, but am open to ideas.

You'll get economy plus if it's open. Premium economy is a big ??, and they almost never give you business class. Bringing goodies for the crew doesn't seem to help, if you get an upgrade it'll be thanks to the pilots. The old school UA crews are the best for that but they're a dying breed. Then again, bringing some goodies for the cabin crew can't hurt, but chances are you'll maybe get an amenity kit out of it, nothing more.