Chicago - Ohare Travel advice

Greetings.

Being my first post here on the forums, please forgive me if this is in the wrong spot.

My wife and I are planning to meet up in Chicago in a few weeks. SHe's flying in from China, I'm flying in from PHL. I wanted to actually meet her at her arrival gate, which I believe is in the International Terminal at ORD.

Is it possible to meet her at the gate when she lands. BEFORE she clears customs (and go through customs with her)?
How do I get from the Domestic gates to the international gates?

Thanks in advance for the help/Suggestions

D

You can't go to her gate, nor can you meet here before immigration, customs, or recheck. You can take the train from your terminal to T5 and meet her at the entrance to the station there.

Welcome to Flyer Talk.

Incoming international passengers are "quarantined" from everyone else until they have passed through Immigration and Customs. The best you can do is meet your wife at International Arrivals, with all the other greeters.

My husband always shows up at International Arrivals with a pretty bouquet of flowers. I love seeing him and the flowers after getting off a long overseas flight.

Is it possible to meet her at the gate when she lands. BEFORE she clears customs (and go through customs with her)?
How do I get from the Domestic gates to the international gates? Um... of course not. Arriving international passengers are sequestered until they "enter the country" by passing through customs and immigration. Think about it. What would be the point of screening arriving passengers if they could mingle with friends and relations beforehand as you suggest?

Might be able to find a international connection that doesn't cost too much to make it also a Mileage Run and have the ability to join at the gate or Immigration. Not sure how things work at ORD so this might not work.

Welcome to Flyertalk, dwcfastrice. I am moving your thread to the Chicago Forum.
Please follow there.
Thanks..
Obscure2k
TravelBuzz Moderator

Might be able to find a international connection that doesn't cost too much to make it also a Mileage Run and have the ability to join at the gate or Immigration. Not sure how things work at ORD so this might not work.

It would be almost impossible to meet her at the age even if you were arriving at the same time at the international terminal. For disembarking passengers, the flow of traffic is tightly controlled and there aren't a lot of signs that would even direct you to other gates. The only signs really point toward immigration & customs (and maybe the rest rooms). It's all designed to move traffic in one direction and only one direction.

Now, theoretically, you could meet her immediately before entering into the immigration lines, but I get the sense that loitering there isn't commonly done and you might get some extra scrutiny. Once you pass through immigration, all that's left is to collect baggage and pass through customs. At that point, you might as well just be standing outside customs, where all international arriving passengers are greeted.

Now, theoretically, you could meet her immediately before entering into the immigration lines, but I get the sense that loitering there isn't commonly done and you might get some extra scrutiny.

There are actually two halls with immigration lines next to each other, if I remember correctly, so you could end up in different ones.

In any case, passengers exit through one of two exits (A or B). The monitors outside show where passengers from a particular flight are supposed to exit. Sometimes passengers do stray from their intended side, so there are TV monitors showing the other side at both exits. :)

There is an information desk in the middle, a small gift/flower shop, McDonald's, Starbucks and a bar, but otherwise it's a fairly small, frequently crowded place with poor cell phone reception.

There are actually two halls with immigration lines next to each other, if I remember correctly, so you could end up in different ones.

In any case, passengers exit through one of two exits (A or B).

You know...I've always wondered about that. I only picked up international arriving passengers a few times, so I haven't paid that much attention, but I was aware there were 2 sets of doors. However, inside the hall, it seems pretty wide, so I wondered if doors A & B simple coincided with the doors closest to the baggage claims. The maps make it seem as if it's one big hall: http://airportczar.com/public/images/ohare/maps/ohare_terminal_5.pdf

In addition to the advice above, don't be surprised if it's a good hour between the time your wife's flight lands and when she emerges from Door A/B. More like 90 minutes if it's Saturday night or any other busy time.

You know...I've always wondered about that. I only picked up international arriving passengers a few times, so I haven't paid that much attention, but I was aware there were 2 sets of doors. However, inside the hall, it seems pretty wide, so I wondered if doors A & B simple coincided with the doors closest to the baggage claims. The maps make it seem as if it's one big hall: http://airportczar.com/public/images/ohare/maps/ohare_terminal_5.pdf

Yes, the baggage carousels are all together in the same hall, but for immigration lines you enter from one of the sides (depending on the gate), and there is rope in the middle. I think. I haven't been there since last fall. :)

Thanks to all who responded, even the one who responded with the "DUh.. think about it response". :rolleyes: I really enjoy forums where people are condescending towards me. Thanks. And yes, I do understand your point. Pretty obvious when one considers security and immigration.

As for everyone else, I appreciate the frank and informative replies. I budgeted an hour between my arrival and her flight arrival to give myself time to find my way over to the arrivals terminal and buy some overpriced flowers.

thanks again!
D

You know...I've always wondered about that. I only picked up international arriving passengers a few times, so I haven't paid that much attention, but I was aware there were 2 sets of doors. However, inside the hall, it seems pretty wide, so I wondered if doors A & B simple coincided with the doors closest to the baggage claims. The maps make it seem as if it's one big hall: http://airportczar.com/public/images/ohare/maps/ohare_terminal_5.pdf

In the morning when gates are assigned to the airlines, AA and partners almost always get the low numbered gates and UA and partners the high numbered gates. When the plane lands and carousels are assigned, it generally is the same - AA carousels 1- 5 and UA 5 - 9. There are usually 2 customs lines open. UA passengers tend to pass thru Customs nearest their carousel and exit by the McDonalds , AA passengers pass thru the opposite line and exit thru door 1.

Things like gate changes, the carousel assigned, passengers getting sent to secondary screening, number of Customs lines open may change the above.