Chicago - Consolidated ORD luggage storage thread

Have they removed lockers from MDW or ORD as part of the new security measures?

I will be traveling with a group and we planned to have an all-day stopover in CHI. But, if the lockers are gone, we won’t know where to put our luggage!

As far as I know, all lockers have been removed.

I would goto the Hilton at the airport and tip the bellman to hang onto your luggage.
I have not done this at this Hilton, but at many other hotels near airports, both domestic and international.

I'm doing an SFO-ORD-CLE trip in 2 weeks where my stop in Chicago is for about 8 hours. Is there any sort of left luggage location at the aiport? I've never seen one there, but they always seem to have them in Europe. I guess my alternative is to see if I can check my bag through so that the airline holds onto, but it is a less preferred option.

I'm doing an SFO-ORD-CLE trip in 2 weeks where my stop in Chicago is for about 8 hours. Is there any sort of left luggage location at the aiport? I've never seen one there, but they always seem to have them in Europe. I guess my alternative is to see if I can check my bag through so that the airline holds onto, but it is a less preferred option.

From the O'Hare FAQ

# Are storage lockers available at the airport?
Due to security measures, there are no luggage storage facilities at this time.

http://www.flychicago.com/ohare/about/ORDFAQ.shtm


How about the bell desk at the Hilton?

I'm flying to PHL-ORD-MLI in a few weeks and want to go to the White Sox game on my layover. I'm flying US/UA. I don't have club membership with UA.

Is there anywhere I can store my bags for 12 hours at the airport while I go to the game?

Thanks for the help.

I'm flying to PHL-ORD-MLI in a few weeks and want to go to the White Sox game on my layover. I'm flying US/UA. I don't have club membership with UA.

Is there anywhere I can store my bags for 12 hours at the airport while I go to the game?

Thanks for the help.

Particularly given today's increased security concerns, your best best is to check your luggage through to MLI. O'Hare has no place to store luggage. You can try to check it at the O'Hare Hilton:
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=498978&highlight=storage

Can you check bags through if my layover is 10 hours or will they make me recheck them?

Can you check bags through if my layover is 10 hours or will they make me recheck them?

I don't see why not, but I'm not an US/UA flyer...I'd just pick up the phone and call them if I were you.

Just wondering if there is any place I can store luggage in O'Hare for an afternoon. I will be flying to Chicago for a business lunch and then flying out, and I don't want to drag my luggage downtown and back.

I googled "O'Hare lockers" and discovered that there aren't any lockers at O'Hare. Do you think the O'Hare Hilton would let me store my luggage there if I pay a fee (even if I am not a guest)? (If it makes any difference, I am Silver VIP with Hilton.)

I will not check luggage with my airline, as I never check luggage.

Thanks for any replies!

Moving thread to the FT Chicago Forum.
Obscure2k
TravelBuzz Moderator

Usually you can check luggage with Bell Captain at any airport hotel, often for no more than a tip when you pick it up.

Contact the hotel by email and ask. Carry reply with you.

Is there some place I can store a rollerboard (carryon) bag in ORD?

ORD is my "home airport" but I haven't noticed anything.

Here's my situation. I found myself a few segments short of 1P so I booked myself on a segment run. I'm dovetailing the segment run with a business trip, so (all in the same day) am segment-running ORD-PHL-BOS-PIT on a one-way ticket, and PIT-ORD-MSP on (more or less) the client's dime.

Rather than struggling with my rollerboard throughout the entire day, I'd like to drop it off at ORD when I start my travels, and pick it up before my last segment of the day.

Fortunately, I have a layover of just under 2 hours on the last segment so (assuming no delays) I think I theoretically would have time to venture outside of the secure area and re-clear security. Heading back to the trunk of my car seems to be pushing my luck, though.

ORD's my home too, and I haven't seen anything, but if worse comes to worse, you could try to leave it at the Hilton Hotel with the bellman. Don't know whether they screen to make sure you were a guest. Only slightly less time consuming than taking it to your car, if you are in the hourly lot.

I think this is a topic that is not specific to UA; left luggage facilities in ORD seem to be a general question. As such, I'm moving it over to the Chicago Forum so other travellers can add their input.

Thanks,

FlyinHawaiian, Co-Moderator
United Mileage Plus Forum

I don't think any airports (in the US anyways) have lockers or baggage storage due to security reasons.

In retrospect, even with a 2-hour layover fairly late at night, I suspect that even a slight delay will deny me the ability to all the way out to the Hilton bell stand (or my car).

Does anyone think that I have a chance of checking my bag at ORD at dawn that same day? The itinerary in question would be PIT-ORD-MSP; can I show up at ORD 12 hours early and request my bag be checked to MSP? Or is that way too risky?

(Mods, I apologize if this followup question is not kosher following the thread being moved.)

I'm the sort who never checks bags, but UA baggage staff at ORD have told me that you can check bags with them pretty much anytime the day of your flight. However, they're not allowed to separate passenger and bag, and having the bag try to follow you around on your segment run (including a re-check at PIT) is really risking it.

Might consider shipping the bag to MSP instead.

BTW, good score on that segment run. Gotta love those zany US routings.

Thanks for the tip! The HILTON THING works. Although the bell man refused initially after I admitted that I have no room #, a bri..err..tip of $10 opened the door to the storage immediately! I had schlep-and-hassle-less five hours ad Chicago downtown.

Has anyone tried this recenty?

I need to travel to the Chicagoland area, specifically an hour west of Chicago, for work in September. As the cubbies are playing on the preceeding Sunday afternoon, and since I have never been to Wrigley for a game, I am looking into flights to get out there early enough to catch the 1PM start. The last thing I want to do is lug my stuff around downtown or in Wrigley. So, does the Hilton trick still work? Also, I will most likely be traveling with as many as 4 or 5 of my colleagues, so multiply the amount of baggage. Would the extra bags be an issue?

Since we need to pass ORD after the game to get to our final destination, it'd be real convenient to drop and go for a few hours. Or, does anyone know of any places downtown to drop our stuff for a few hours while we catch the game? I'd imagine another hotel, or is this type of stuff not as common at non-airport hotels?

Thanks!

Any improvements in this area? Is there really no storing of baggage? I need to store bags for a few days.

I don't think there's anything at ORD or near. Other countries have managed to take care of security concerns in other ways: At LHR and NRT, the luggage is screened, and the cost of such screening is built into the storage charges. At DEL, the luggage storage is at some distance from the main terminal. Etc. Not sure why US airports haven't found a solution.

Interesting the airport is calling it 'for security reasons'. The buzz around the airport is that the lockers were removed as part of an effort to remove the homeless - that the homeless were living at the airport and storing what they had in the lockers.

Outside of the US, at most every major airport in the world, and train station for that matter, they have staffed baggage storage facilities. It is a service provided to travelers. In high security places where there has been terrorism before (Paris, London, etc.) they have x-ray facilities to scan what is inside your bag before you store it.

But I shouldn't be surprised. In America the concept of service has long gone away. :(

This is the classic bureaucratic instinct. A staffed and screened luggage luggage storage facility would have dealt with both the homeless and security concerns.

Not a surprising response from the system which concluded, after its own policies and implementations failed on 9/1, that what really needed to be done is make millions of people remove their belts and shoes several times - and to prevent families from saying good byes in a coffee shop or food court. :)

It doesn't help that US public has been educated to think that any real service to taxpayers amounts to "socialism". :)

So, to make a long story short, sorry, no left luggage facility at ORD.

I don't think any airports (in the US anyways) have lockers or baggage storage due to security reasons.

Last year I stored a bag at PDX for the day (arrived 10am, picked it and our rental car up at 10pm after spending the day exploring downtown Portland.) The facility was in the arrivals area, near the airline baggage desks. Don't know if any other airports offer this.

Doesn't DEN have a storage facility in the main hall?

Any improvements in this area? Is there really no storing of baggage? I need to store bags for a few days.

No- if the Hilton balks at u wanting to leave bags for a few days the next cheapest option is to priceline the cheapest car available and park it in a off airport long term parking and put bags in the trunk. Still runs into some $ for even few days. If you don't need the bags why not just fed ex them to your final destination?

So, to make a long story short, sorry, no left luggage facility at ORD.

Feels funny to quote myself but I assume that the above statement is still true.

However, I would like to expand the question somewhat: Is there any sort of facility anywhere along the Blue Line where one can store luggage for a few hours?

Though less convenient, it would serve the same purpose, ie, free you up to go around the city and do something for a few hours.