ORD - Customs Question
 

Mrs Road King and I will be returning to ORD from FCO on Mon 4/10 at 3:05 P.M. How much time do we need to allow for clearing customs before our flight to ICT? The ICT flights are all ER4 regional aircraft so boarding usually is no big deal. The reason for the question, there's a 4:19 P.M. or an 8:05 P.M. choice and naturally, we'd prefer the 4:19 P.M. I know that's not a lot of time, but is it possible? Thanks

The "legal" connecting time for Intl to domestic connections at ORD is 1:15. (Thanks to Andrzej for keeping me honest!)

The issue is how long it will take to take the Tram from T5 (Intl) to T3 (AA) and reclear security. I've heard of it done in an hour or so, but if you are delayed in customs or waiting for the tram you'll miss the 4:19 flight.

It's possible if:
your flight is on time
no checked luggage
you are one of the first people of your FCO flight
you walk fast - depending on the gate it could be one long walk to the customs hall
there are no other major flights arriving just before you

Coming into gate M5(long walk) in J on 763 I made it to the FL at the end of the K terminal in about 30-35 minutes and that wasn't only once, but I didn't have checked luggage. The one time I did, it took about 15-20 minutes for the carousel to start and another 10 or so minutes for my case to arrive, so you can see the difference.

That's not what the following says:

ORD DD- .29( 2) DI- .35( 3) ID-1.10( 4) II-1.30( 4)

( 4) Europe/NRT -> All = 1.15

I've had AA book me on a flight that had an "illegal" connection time (Int'l to Dom.). They just added to my comments that I requested it and would need to go standby if I missed it.

My experience at ORD is that it's possible to clear customs and make it to the AA domestic gates in an hour. You do have a shot at making the 4:19pm. If you're checking bags and you're able to get ticketed on the 4:19pm flight, don't expect your bags to make it. ORD is notorious for not getting checked bags from customs to domestic flights within a 2 hour window. Also, an important caveat is that this is also an illegal connection, so you do have to worry about what happens if you miss the flight. The good news is that there are usually plenty of open seats on both the 4:19pm and the 8:05pm flights.

If it were me, and there's no checked luggage, I'd ticket the 8:05pm flight and then attempt to standby on the 4:19pm. It's nice because if you're delayed in customs or making it to the flight's gate, you're holding confirmed seats on the last flight out. Otherwise, you'll be on a standby basis for the last flight. Personally, I'd minimize the chance of an overnight in ORD on the return leg of an international trup.

You have ample time.... check this http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=474348

I was able to make that connection, with time to grab some food

Regards,
Ken

I make 1 hour connections from international arrivals to departure from another terminal rather routinely at ORD, and this is at various times of the day. As long as no checked-in luggage is involved, I generally have no issue regardless of time of day as long as my flight arrives close to on time. However, if there are delays on departure to ORD or holds/gate issues on arrival at ORD, then all bets are off. If there is checked luggage involved, that can really wreck plans.

I appreciate all the info. :) Since Mrs Road King and I will have checked bags, we'll probably take the later flight. We have a 2 1/2 hr drive once we get to ICT so if the bags don't make it, that presents another problem. Thanks again for all the help!

If you do take the long layover in Chicago and you don't already belong to the Admirals Club, you might think about getting a day pass for Mrs. Road King and yourself. It's much more comfortable and quiet than the gates. The HK club even has showers.

Have a great trip!

Hopefully by choosing the longer connection you won't have a problem with your luggage keeping up with you. But... if for some reason the bags don't make it home at the same time you do, AA will have them delivered to you. If ICT is the closest airport to your address, they'll be delivered from there. If another airport is closer, they bags will be flown to that airport and then delivered to you.

My most recent experience was arriving on AA89 (scheduled arrival 13:15, we were officially at the gate at 13:19.) Weather was decent, ops were pretty normal.

We were up front, with only carryons, were perhaps fourth and fifth off. It was a long walk to immigration, which had lengthy queues due to arriving 747s etc. Customs was a breeze, we waited a minute for the train.

At AA, there was a slow security queue, lots of unprepared people slowing everything up, including elite lines. We're fast walkers - so it wasn't the disatnces, it was the slow immigration and security queues as much as anything.

By the time we arrived at a reasonable trot to our gate to catch AA 1835 (departing 14:54) Group 3 or so was boarding.

If we'd checked bags, we would absolutely not have made it, with 1:35 between arrival and departure. Of course, YMMV; good luck.

It took me 1:15 hour to get off the plane today, clear immigration and clear customs (bag was there by the time I got through customs and make it to the lounge. The line for security was atrocious. Now I know why I don't take the 2:15 from LHR to ORD. I would give myself plenty of time.

lalala

I know that this isn't the question that you asked, but I noticed that the 8:05 ICT flight gets in around 10. If you are claiming bags and renting a car to drive home, you will probably be leaving the airport for your 2 1/2 hour drive home around 11, arriving home around 1:30. Coupled with a 7 hour time change, this is moving from long day status to fairly dangerous. If I were doing this, I would think about staying overnight at an airport hotel in ICT, and getting up early (which you would be doing anyway, thanks to the time change) to drive home. If someone is picking you up, and all you have to do is drag yourself off the plane, get your luggage, get in their car and promptly go to sleep, then all this doesn't apply.

I got in on AA47 yesterday and it was a mess at ORD immigration. Longest queue I have ever had to wait in and the line at one point was stretching a couple of hundred feet all the way down the corridor towards gate M1 in addition to being completley full in the ropes for the US Citizens line. The flight was early, getting in by about 430-440 but I wasn't on the tram until 530-535. Luckily the DHS agents opened up some other stations otehrwise I would have definitely bewen waiting a lot longer. Teh problem was taht a few AA flights, a LOT flight, and a few others (LH maybe?) all got in at around the same time.