[pravda]

You have my sympathy! But how do you end up at LGA?

The La Guardia perimeter rule prohibits nonstop flights to or from points beyond 1,500 miles.

All international traffic goes via JFK.

[rayiner]

So for Germany I do in fact go through JFK. But for Japan I have a hard time with such a long direct so I look specifically for a flight with a domestic connection. (Those flights are also often cheaper when booking last minute.)