cussmuppet

Evening all,

I need to get to SLC as early as possible in a couple of weeks and the most suitable option appears to be the LHR-ORD-SLC connection on AA87/AA3352, but it only gives me 1h 40m through ORD.

I've not flown through ORD for some time, but I remember connecting through it years ago wasn't so much fun. I'm flying back from elsewhere on the Saturday and so no option to fly the day before sadly.

Looking at AA.com, both flights come into/depart ORD T3, so it might not be too bad.

I'll be travelling on a Sunday and will be hand baggage only.

Thanks for any help...

henkybaby

Why not fly LHR-MAD-SCL and avoid a US transit altogether?

LAN 787 is also not bad.

CCayley

Maybe because SLC and SCL aren't the same place?

Airprox

Presumably because the OP is going to Utah and not Chile.

AA87 will arrive at ORD T5 where you will clear immigration then have to get the landside train over to T3 for your SLC flight. As you are HBO, ORD does benefit from a one-stop desk for people without checked luggage where you do immigration then customs with the same person.

skye1

Wishful thinking this time of year

SCL - Santiago, Chile - summer, warm, sunshine
SLC - Salt Lake City, Utah, US - winter, skiing...

Often1

SLC is a DL hub. Given all the travails of OW connections to what will be a smallish outstation for AA, why not fly DL through JFK or MSP or VS through JFK or PHL? Lots of good options and MSP makes for a nice US entry and connection without changing carriers.

A case study for the marketing cookies?

corporate-wage-slave

I was in SLC in the summer, and I did it via PHX. ORD is more sensible on the map, but as you've seen the terminal issue there is a bit of a nuisance. Less so at PHX, though with BA you do have to leave via landside to clear immigration. LAX and SFO are also available, but they all seem to be one or two flights a day. SFO's flight is late on. Don't be too put off on arrival, SLC for obvious reasons is somewhat quiet on a Sunday.

dera

1:40 generally is undoable at ORD. Go via PHX like c-w-s suggested.

dylanks

PHX will have by far the most connecting flights into SLC, probably of any city in the US if I had to guess, but definitely for AA. That said the flight into PHX is timed fairly late in the day compared to ORD. DEN also has many connections into SLC, but not on AA.

cussmuppet

My ORD fears are confirmed once again (I was hoping things might have changed in the last 4-5 years :-)). Even with both flights going T3, it's still too tight i think.

I may consider going across the pond with OW metal and then switching to another carrier on separate bookings.

The offsite we are attending is a 3-4 hour drive from SLC so I'm on a massive push to get in there as early as I can...but they may just have to wait!

thanks all

QueenOfCoach

A year or two ago, I had an LHR-ORD-LAX connection with a 1:40 connection. I decided that was too tight for my personal comfort, so switched to an LAX flight two hours later.

I am a US citizen with Global Entry and TSA Precheck.

On the day of the flight, I zipped through CBP with GE, got on the train, and zipped through TSA as their Precheck line was really short. Once I got into the AA terminal, out of curiosity, I looked up the earlier flight on the monitor. It was "Boarding". Had I been willing to sprint the length of the ORD concourse, theoretically, I might have made the flight.

As it was, I moseyed over to the AC and waited a couple of hours in some comfort.

af101

Sorry to hijack thread, but I'm doing a similar connection to OP in a few days, but with checked bags, and a bit more time. Not done bags at ORD, what's the procedure? Someone told me there was a bag drop desk in T5, and someone else said I had to go to T3 with them, so now I'm confused!

corporate-wage-slave

Best not to do bags!

More seriously, you first need to ensure that your bags are through checked to SLC, in terms of the long thin label needs to have SLC very visible on it. This is when you check in Europe. Then as you come off the BA aircraft at ORD, you'll end up in a big hall in ORD for passport control, go through that rigmarole and follow the corridor into baggage reclaim. Your bag will appear there, they sometimes take them off the carousels if you had a long wait at passports. You reclaim your bags and go through Customs and handle any questions they have for you.

Very shortly after customs (I think it's on the left side) before you get fully landside there is a baggage belt for those with onward connections. There's usually someone staffing the belt, checking the labels, hence stage one. It then goes into the depth of ORD and will reappear in SLC, which is a fairly small airport and doubtless very efficient with baggage reclaim.

Some people like to take their bags to the departing terminal to recheck it in there. They may not be aware of the baggage belt at Customs, or they think it more likely the bag will make it if taken to the right terminal (though USA baggage handling is pretty good on the whole). Also if the bags get to the right terminal and it turns out the connecting flight is cancelled then you may want that bag. Finally some people like to move stuff between hand and checked baggage when in ORD so taking the bags from Customs gives them a chance to sit down somewhere and sort it all out. Just so you know.

The above assumes you are not doing pre-clearance.

cussmuppet

Leaning towards Delta from LHR-CDG-SLC.....

1h 40m connection time in CDG :/
Delta (economy) :/

greg5

Delta does have 'economy comfort' pretty much the same as economy, but with more legroom and alcoholic drinks included. It is survivable, I've done it.