Risky connection at ORD? (irrops?)
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Aug 2015
Programs: Virtuoso Luxury Travel Agent; Bonvoy Titanium Elite; Hilton Diamond
Posts: 662
Risky connection at ORD? (irrops?)
We are currently booked on FRA-ORD (UA F) - HND (NH F) - BKK (TG F)
We arrive into ORD at 3.10 pm and continue onwards with NH at 5.25 pm. This is well covered by MCT, but in case something goes awry, does anyone know how UA handles irrops in F? I'm not thinking that the flight itself is necessarily late, but that it could be that we get stuck in border control and miss the connection. Does UA have any ground support escorting F passengers through customs?
Would UA for instance be open to rebooking us with EK F that leaves at 8.30 pm? We are on a RTW award ticket, so we'd still need to arrive in BKK around the right time to not miss onward connections.
We are really hoping that LH F opens up so we arrive into ORD earlier and won't have this scenario in the first place, but can never know whether it will open or not.
We arrive into ORD at 3.10 pm and continue onwards with NH at 5.25 pm. This is well covered by MCT, but in case something goes awry, does anyone know how UA handles irrops in F? I'm not thinking that the flight itself is necessarily late, but that it could be that we get stuck in border control and miss the connection. Does UA have any ground support escorting F passengers through customs?
Would UA for instance be open to rebooking us with EK F that leaves at 8.30 pm? We are on a RTW award ticket, so we'd still need to arrive in BKK around the right time to not miss onward connections.
We are really hoping that LH F opens up so we arrive into ORD earlier and won't have this scenario in the first place, but can never know whether it will open or not.
Last edited by brokenwindow; Jun 18, 2017 at 9:39 am
#3
Original Poster
Join Date: Aug 2015
Programs: Virtuoso Luxury Travel Agent; Bonvoy Titanium Elite; Hilton Diamond
Posts: 662
Is there an escort on arrival in ORD when flying Global First and connecting to an ANA First Class flight? Tight connection, so assistance would be great..
#4
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 2000
Location: Los Angeles
Programs: UA Plat 2MM. DL Plat, AS MVP
Posts: 12,745
We are currently booked on FRA-ORD (UA F) - HND (NH F) - BKK (TG F)
We arrive into ORD at 3.10 pm and continue onwards with NH at 5.25 pm. This is well covered by MCT, but in case something goes awry, does anyone know how UA handles irrops in F? I'm not thinking that the flight itself is necessarily late, but that it could be that we get stuck in border control and miss the connection. Does UA have any ground support escorting F passengers through customs?
Would UA for instance be open to rebooking us with EK F that leaves at 8.30 pm? We are on a RTW award ticket, so we'd still need to arrive in BKK around the right time to not miss onward connections.
We are really hoping that LH F opens up so we arrive into ORD earlier and won't have this scenario in the first place, but can never know whether it will open or not.
We arrive into ORD at 3.10 pm and continue onwards with NH at 5.25 pm. This is well covered by MCT, but in case something goes awry, does anyone know how UA handles irrops in F? I'm not thinking that the flight itself is necessarily late, but that it could be that we get stuck in border control and miss the connection. Does UA have any ground support escorting F passengers through customs?
Would UA for instance be open to rebooking us with EK F that leaves at 8.30 pm? We are on a RTW award ticket, so we'd still need to arrive in BKK around the right time to not miss onward connections.
We are really hoping that LH F opens up so we arrive into ORD earlier and won't have this scenario in the first place, but can never know whether it will open or not.
I take it you will have checked bags. What time of year is the flight?
#5
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: ORD
Programs: United Plat 2MM, Hilton Gold
Posts: 2,727
2:15 is plenty of time. My worst time at ORD, with bags, was just over an hour. However, stuck in customs is not "Irrops".
#6
Original Poster
Join Date: Aug 2015
Programs: Virtuoso Luxury Travel Agent; Bonvoy Titanium Elite; Hilton Diamond
Posts: 662
I assume we have some say into which flights we are put onto, even though we are on an award?
So if you are actually stuck in customs. What happens then? It has happened to us before in the US.. are you just .... out of luck then?
Last edited by WineCountryUA; Jun 18, 2017 at 11:44 am Reason: merging consecutive posts by same member
#8
Join Date: May 2006
Location: MYF/CMA/SAN/YYZ/YKF
Programs: COdbaUA 1K MM, AA EXP, Bonbon Gold, GHA Titanium, Hertz PC, NEXUS and GE
Posts: 5,837
All international arrivals at ORD are in T5. That said, this is largely irrelevant, as the OP must clear customs and immigration and then reclear security, so the terminal transfer time isn't really a determining factor. Once out of the customs hall, the time to T1 pretty much maxes out at 10 minutes, if you have to wait for a train.
#9
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 2001
Posts: 10,960
All international arrivals at ORD are in T5. That said, this is largely irrelevant, as the OP must clear customs and immigration and then reclear security, so the terminal transfer time isn't really a determining factor. Once out of the customs hall, the time to T1 pretty much maxes out at 10 minutes, if you have to wait for a train.
If OP came in on UA PF, then I guess OP can use the Polaris Lounge in the C Concourse, right? So, budget time for that
Another thing I wonder is if NH will provide any assistance - if not upon arrival at T5, at least clearing security at T1? It might end up taking more time for OP to track them down if OP does not need a boarding pass.
#10
Join Date: Apr 2014
Programs: DL Gold, UA nothing (ex-GS), Marriott lifetime Plat, Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 920
If you’re flying in F once you get to T1, you can use the UA Premier Access security line near door 1F, which is also the *A Gold Track security line. The line is almost always very short.
#11
Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: LAX
Programs: UA:1k; MR: PLT; Hilton: Gold
Posts: 1,324
We are currently booked on FRA-ORD (UA F) - HND (NH F) - BKK (TG F)
We arrive into ORD at 3.10 pm and continue onwards with NH at 5.25 pm. This is well covered by MCT, but in case something goes awry, does anyone know how UA handles irrops in F? I'm not thinking that the flight itself is necessarily late, but that it could be that we get stuck in border control and miss the connection. Does UA have any ground support escorting F passengers through customs?
Would UA for instance be open to rebooking us with EK F that leaves at 8.30 pm? We are on a RTW award ticket, so we'd still need to arrive in BKK around the right time to not miss onward connections.
We are really hoping that LH F opens up so we arrive into ORD earlier and won't have this scenario in the first place, but can never know whether it will open or not.
We arrive into ORD at 3.10 pm and continue onwards with NH at 5.25 pm. This is well covered by MCT, but in case something goes awry, does anyone know how UA handles irrops in F? I'm not thinking that the flight itself is necessarily late, but that it could be that we get stuck in border control and miss the connection. Does UA have any ground support escorting F passengers through customs?
Would UA for instance be open to rebooking us with EK F that leaves at 8.30 pm? We are on a RTW award ticket, so we'd still need to arrive in BKK around the right time to not miss onward connections.
We are really hoping that LH F opens up so we arrive into ORD earlier and won't have this scenario in the first place, but can never know whether it will open or not.
The real question is where are you going after BKK and when. I'm scared for you (and any companions traveling with you) if you're going to do FRA-ORD-HND-BKK-??? without any real stops in between, even in F. If you misconnect in ORD, you can push to take the next day NH via NRT. I never seem to have a problem finding FRA-ORD in LH F when I'm looking for FRA-LAX. Start lookin at 14 days out, and keep checking until departure.
Another obvious answer is skip ORD all together and go through IAH/SFO/LAX but that would require you find NH F space again. So finding FRA-ORD in F is your best bet.
#12
Join Date: Sep 2013
Location: CHS
Programs: UA GS, Bonvoy Amabassador, Hertz PC
Posts: 2,589
You land at T5
You go thru customs and immigration at T5
You collect your thru checked bag and re check at T5.
If it isn't thru checked, it goes on the train with you to T1
You take the train to T1, go thru security
Go to Polaris lounge
I made it from door on plane open to T1 at Polaris lounge (I had a 5hr layover at T2) in about 23 minutes just last week. I have Global Entry and Pre Check. I would have been quicker, but had to wait for bags.
If you don't have global entry, then add probably 15-20 minutes. (most of that time, you will need for bags anyway.)
2:15 is your layover, you should have tons of time, I mean even if everything went south, it is still tons of time. T5 is kinda nice as all they do is Int'l, so you have zer domestic traffic to worry about, everyone is in the same boat as you and they try and get you in and out quickly.
You go thru customs and immigration at T5
You collect your thru checked bag and re check at T5.
If it isn't thru checked, it goes on the train with you to T1
You take the train to T1, go thru security
Go to Polaris lounge
I made it from door on plane open to T1 at Polaris lounge (I had a 5hr layover at T2) in about 23 minutes just last week. I have Global Entry and Pre Check. I would have been quicker, but had to wait for bags.
If you don't have global entry, then add probably 15-20 minutes. (most of that time, you will need for bags anyway.)
2:15 is your layover, you should have tons of time, I mean even if everything went south, it is still tons of time. T5 is kinda nice as all they do is Int'l, so you have zer domestic traffic to worry about, everyone is in the same boat as you and they try and get you in and out quickly.
#13
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2014
Location: 4me
Posts: 11,956
#14
Original Poster
Join Date: Aug 2015
Programs: Virtuoso Luxury Travel Agent; Bonvoy Titanium Elite; Hilton Diamond
Posts: 662
Only on FT would you have somebody going from FRA-BKK via ORD and TYO. And then desire to switch to EK from ORD and backtrack to DXB to BKK. You sir, are my hero
The real question is where are you going after BKK and when. I'm scared for you (and any companions traveling with you) if you're going to do FRA-ORD-HND-BKK-??? without any real stops in between, even in F. If you misconnect in ORD, you can push to take the next day NH via NRT. I never seem to have a problem finding FRA-ORD in LH F when I'm looking for FRA-LAX. Start lookin at 14 days out, and keep checking until departure.
Another obvious answer is skip ORD all together and go through IAH/SFO/LAX but that would require you find NH F space again. So finding FRA-ORD in F is your best bet.
The real question is where are you going after BKK and when. I'm scared for you (and any companions traveling with you) if you're going to do FRA-ORD-HND-BKK-??? without any real stops in between, even in F. If you misconnect in ORD, you can push to take the next day NH via NRT. I never seem to have a problem finding FRA-ORD in LH F when I'm looking for FRA-LAX. Start lookin at 14 days out, and keep checking until departure.
Another obvious answer is skip ORD all together and go through IAH/SFO/LAX but that would require you find NH F space again. So finding FRA-ORD in F is your best bet.
FRA-ORD-HND
1 day in tokyo
HND-BKK
1 day in Bangkok
BKK-DXB
- final destination -
#15
Join Date: May 2014
Posts: 24
To avoid an unnecessary delay in customs, try to avoid bringing anything with you that would attract unwanted curiosity from the customs dogs. My wife had a whole bag full of chocolate and tea, and a rather fat beagle who clearly understood the relationship between "act really interested in smelly luggage" and "get another treat", just about sat on the bag. This got us redirected through agriculture and we had to have everything screened and searched. I was really hoping to avoid all of that, due to the excessive amount of liquor I was bringing back too, but thankfully they paid no attention to that at all. Had all of the bags x-rayed and the suspect bag completely emptied and repacked. Probably only took an extra 15 minutes, but that can make a huge difference on a tight schedule