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AA Guide: ORD / Chicago O'Hare International Airport - MCT, Connection, etc.

Old Oct 18, 2015, 7:37 pm
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At Chicago OHare (ORD), American Airlines operates out of Terminal 3



AA Ticket counters Open daily: 3:30am to 10:00pm
Flagship Check-in: Yes
Five Star Service: Yes
Curbside check-in: International only


Check-in times
In most locations, you must be checked in:
At least 45 minutes before scheduled departure, for flights within the United States
At least 60 minutes before scheduled departure, for flights to or from airports outside of the United States


Peculiarities:
ORD can be affected by winter storms or very heavy air traffic; ground holds even at incoming flights' departures airports, are not uncommon at these times. Knock-on effects during lengthy IROPS can manifest themselves systemwide.

NOTE: AA has 66 gates at Terminal 3, and has added five more at Concourse. Alaska, Iberia, and Japan Airlines all depart AA T-3. Alaska has moved to Terminal 2. All international arrivals are at Terminal 5, many international departures as well. AB, BA, CX, EY, QR, RJ depart T-5.

International arrivals from Canada airports without USCBP pre-clearance are sometimes listed as arriving at "IAB" - International Arrivals Building. These aircraft's passengers will not arrive at T-3 as domestic passengers; by Federal law, they must be cleared by USCBP, and that facility is at T-5.

There is no airside connection T-3 <--> T-5; one must go landside and use the free "ATS" airport train. Flyers connecting to BA departing T-5 may use the airside shuttle bus departing near gates G17 and K20. Every half hour 11 am - 9 pm. Sign with orange dot. TTB SERVICE HAS BEEN TEMPORARILY SUSPENDED - TTB service takes travelers from the domestic terminals (1, 2, & 3) to Terminal 5 without having to exit security or be rescreened in Terminal 5 at the TSA​ checkpoint. [Still suspended as of 4/30/2022] Airside connection has been restored March 1, 2023 - SEE BELOW


Operating terminals and gates
Terminal 1 is used by All Nippon Airlines (Departures), Ethiopian (Departures), Lufthansa (Departures), and United.

Terminal 2 is used by Air Canada, Alaska, Delta, and previously US Airways, jetBlue, along with many United Express flights.

Terminal 3 is used by Alaska Airlines, American Airlines and for departures only by Iberia and Japan Airlines (exception: arriving international flights that have been USCBP cleared, e.g. originating in Canada or DUB, arrive at Terminal 3 as domestic flights). Other airlines flying domestically and not mentioned above are also handled in Terminal 3.

Concourse G is used mostly for American Eagle flights
Concourse H and K are used for mainline flights
Concourse K gates 12-20 are typically used for international flights
Concourse L is used mostly for American Eagle flights (as well as non-oneworld carriers)

Terminal 5 is now both an international and domestic terminal. Among the international flights, the following oneworld carriers depart and arrive here: British Airways, Cathay Pacific, Etihad Airways, Finnair, Qatar Airways, and Royal Jordanian; arriving international American Airlines, Iberia and Japan Airlines flights all arrive here as well. In fact, all arriving international passengers from places without pre-clearance will arrive at Terminal 5.

Domestic carriers now using Terminal 5 are: Delta and Delta Shuttle, Frontier, Southwest, and Sun Country.


Getting from terminal to terminal
Landside transfers are normally done by using the Airport Transit System train, which also connects to the airport car parks. The ATS is currently out of service with substitute buses operating at present. April 18, 2022: ATS service has been fully restored and is operating 24/7 daily.

Terminals are connected by frequent landside buses, and AA T3 - International T5 are connected by an airside Terminal Transit Bus (TTB). If you have a boarding pass for your connection (or a printed itinerary of flight confirmation), you can use this bus, boarding at G17 or K20 and arriving airside at T5 Gate M1. The TTB runs 7 days a week, 1100 / 11 am to 2100 / 9 pm while the ATS is shut down, but seasonally and with shorter hours when it is. At other times you must exit landside and use the landside bus.

If you arrive at O'Hare on an international flight you will arrive at Terminal 5. If you have a connecting domestic flight from T1-2-3. You must use the landside bus to T3 after you process Immigration and exit Customs. You will be required to pass through security at T3. Landside busses are frequent.
May 1, 2022: Shuttle buses ended.

Airside:
walking corridors connect Terminals 1, 2 and 3 between terminals. (ATS landslide train must be used to connect to or from Terminal 5 outside of shuttle bus operating times.)

For those holding boarding passes on same day flights out of Terminal 5 (International Terminal), a shuttle bus will operate from T-3 (From Gates G17 and K20) to T-5 (Gate M13) between 11:30 am and 9:30 pm. [Still suspended as of 4/30/2022] March 1, 2023: Service restored. Connecting Traveler Information


Walking between terminals
Walking airside between terminals airside is possible (other than Terminal 5). There are no shortcuts and it can take significant time.


Arrival at the airport:
Within the U.S. as well as flights to Hawaii, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands, check in:
At least 30 minutes prior to departure (if not checking bags)
At least 45 minutes prior to departure when checking bags

For flights to international destinations check in:
At least two hours prior to departure to complete all necessary international requirements


Minimum time for checking in and arriving at the gate
To better ensure an on-time departure, our goal is to close the jetbridge door 10 minutes before departure time. This allows all customers to board and stow their belongings. (AA may release your seat if you show up at your gates less than 15 minutes prior to scheduled departure.)

To retain your pre-reserved seat on a confirmed flight, make sure to follow the minimum check in and gate arrival times.*


Time to baggage delivery:
minimum 20 minutes


Security at ORD
May 2016: security queues have been quite lengthy at times, requiring up to an hour to pass through security, even at PreCheck queues. Options include:

If you have Flagship Check-In privileges, they will place you at the head of the security queue next to that check-in area.

You may choose to process security at Terminal 2 and walk airside to the AA gates (UA is only slightly better than AA). If you have CLEAR, you might want to consider clearing security here.

The mid-terminal Pre-Check line tends to be better than the one at priority security.

Note: coming out from International Terminal Arrivals immigration and customs, you are landside and may find yourself with two options: leave the building land side, or take the escalators or lifts to the ATS train platform to proceed to the other terminals or remote parking lot. To access the other terminals, you will have to process through TSA security.


What is the domestic to domestic or to international Minimum Connection Time (MCT)?
The minimum connect time at ORD, domestic to domestic or international, is 0:40 minutes. Domestic to international is easy if your international flight departs the AA terminal, but domestic to International terminal is comfortably done in 2:00 (not the official MCT, 1:15), because of the lack of connectedness between terminals. International arrival at Terminal 5 with flight departing Terminal 3, Global Entry is likely to allow 2:00 or even less, but non-U.S. or Canadian passport holders with checked baggage might use 3:00 as a better guideline.

If I am making an international to international connection, what is the process?
There is no international transit process in nearly all airports in the USA (MIA has a baggage exception for international to international). Arriving internationally, unless you have been pre-cleared, you must proceed through U. S. immigration (there are kiosks and a fast channel for Global Entry approved passengers), recover your baggage from the baggage carousel and proceed through U. S. Customs. There is a "green line" shortcut for passengers traveling only with carry-on baggage (no checked luggage) which is called "1 Stop" and there are Global Entry kiosks and there have fairly recently been dedicated Global Entry customs lines added, which ORD lacked for a very long time. Global Entry kiosks are located both in the central part of the main immigration hall area, as well as in the hall next to the 1-Stop exit.

Upon exiting Customs there is a bag drop facility; drop your checked baggage, exit to the landside arrivals area. Proceed to the the AA terminal on the ATS train, to counters or kiosks to get boarding passes for your ongoing travel, then proceed through TSA security to airside.



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AA Guide: ORD / Chicago O'Hare International Airport - MCT, Connection, etc.

Old Mar 13, 2018, 7:23 pm
  #781  
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Originally Posted by nwa330
I have 40 minute connection in ORD to MAD on Iberia airlines, is this legal?

IAH(Eagle)-ORD-MAD
MCT is 35 minutes.
Results from https://www.ExpertFlyer.com
Code:
Minimum Connect Times:
Connecting at ORD
Incoming airline AA
Outgoing airline IB
Flight type Domestic to International

STANDARD.D/D...D/I...I/D...I/I.
ONLINE    .50  1.15  1.30  1.30
OFFLINE   .50  1.15  1.30  1.30
** OR * ARE ALL
AA-IB DI   .50 EQP W   - ALL TRM 3  - ** CANADA - ALL   
AA-IB DI   .40 EQP W   - ALL TRM 3  - ** 
AA-IB DI   .45 TRM 3  - ** CANADA - ALL   
AA-IB DI  1.15 TRM 3  - 5  
AA-IB DI   .35 TRM 3  - ** 
**-IB DI  1.15 TRM ** - 5  
AA-** DI SUP   FLT 6100 - 9099 - ALL
DoTheBartMan is offline  
Old Mar 13, 2018, 8:28 pm
  #782  
 
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Originally Posted by nwa330
I have 40 minute connection in ORD to MAD on Iberia airlines, is this legal?

IAH(Eagle)-ORD-MAD
Legal, yes, but I wouldnt do it. If there is/was a schedule change you can call and have the IAH flight changed.
AlwaysSunnyInORD is offline  
Old Mar 13, 2018, 8:29 pm
  #783  
 
Join Date: Nov 2008
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Posts: 2,781
Originally Posted by nwa330
I have 40 minute connection in ORD to MAD on Iberia airlines, is this legal?

IAH(Eagle)-ORD-MAD
Not recommended, but not entirely impossible, either. At a brisk pace, should take you at most 10 minutes to walk from your Eagle gate to the IB gate (who I believe are back on K these days).
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Old Mar 13, 2018, 9:30 pm
  #784  
HNL
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Originally Posted by linglingfool
Not recommended, but not entirely impossible, either. At a brisk pace, should take you at most 10 minutes to walk from your Eagle gate to the IB gate (who I believe are back on K these days).
It will be a walk from the L gates to K19 which is the gate IB uses. Wak fast.
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Old Mar 13, 2018, 9:58 pm
  #785  
 
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Originally Posted by HNL


It will be a walk from the L gates to K19 which is the gate IB uses. Wak fast.
I did have an hour but we had a recent schedule change. Did I mention i have to wait for a stroller for my infant and have my 75 year old mother. I just just dont want to call the airline bacause it was an error fae for $300 rt for July travel.
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Old Mar 13, 2018, 10:09 pm
  #786  
 
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Originally Posted by nwa330

I did have an hour but we had a recent schedule change. Did I mention i have to wait for a stroller for my infant and have my 75 year old mother. I just just dont want to call the airline bacause it was an error fae for $300 rt for July travel.
Call the airline anyway. If your connection is too tight for comfort due to a schedule change, they'll rebook you (if possible) at no additional cost. Best bet: do some research so you already know exactly which flight(s) you want. Presumably you want the same over-water segment, but get onto an earlier flight to ORD.
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Old Mar 18, 2018, 4:16 pm
  #787  
 
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Originally Posted by HNL


It will be a walk from the L gates to K19 which is the gate IB uses. Wak fast.

Or G gates. Skywest CR7's are all over the place. Might get lucky and have it be K2, H1, or H2.

Also, K19 is currently on concrete repair. H16X is being used by Iberia.
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Old Mar 20, 2018, 10:22 pm
  #788  
 
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Originally Posted by akarneboge
H16X is being used by Iberia.
Is that a hardstand? Or what does the X designate?
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Old Mar 21, 2018, 1:09 am
  #789  
 
Join Date: Apr 2010
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Originally Posted by linglingfool
Is that a hardstand? Or what does the X designate?
Looking at the following google maps link, it appears to be a different angle for aircraft to park at H16. Maybe for larger aircraft? Doesn't IB use an A340 for ORD?

https://www.google.com/maps/place/Te...!4d-87.9008276
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Old Mar 21, 2018, 2:53 am
  #790  
HNL
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Originally Posted by linglingfool
Is that a hardstand? Or what does the X designate?
Striping for a wide body parking spot.
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Old Mar 21, 2018, 6:23 am
  #791  
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Originally Posted by cheltzel
Looking at the following google maps link, it appears to be a different angle for aircraft to park at H16. Maybe for larger aircraft? Doesn't IB use an A340 for ORD?

https://www.google.com/maps/place/Te...!4d-87.9008276
They use a 330.
But that still qualifies for the "wide body parking spot", as HNL pointed out.
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Old Mar 21, 2018, 5:43 pm
  #792  
 
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It was a 330 that was there that day. I remember them using a 340 of some type in the past. I can't imagine that a 340 would fit at H16X
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Old Mar 21, 2018, 6:00 pm
  #793  
 
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Originally Posted by akarneboge
It was a 330 that was there that day. I remember them using a 340 of some type in the past. I can't imagine that a 340 would fit at H16X
It is an A330 now. Looks like it is an A340 in the summer.
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Old Mar 21, 2018, 8:19 pm
  #794  
 
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Your 75 year old mother is your golden ticket! Just call the airline in advance and let the airline know that she will assistance (the wheelchairs) and confirm it again when checking in. They will make sure she will get on the plane or reschedule and as long as your'e on the same pnr, you should be good to go.
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Old Apr 1, 2018, 3:02 pm
  #795  
 
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I had a 90-minute connection from an American Eagle flight to a BA-operated flight in T5. I used the bus from G17. It doesn't seem to be on a published schedule, but it took about 25 minutes for the bus to come (so, I must have just missed one). The bus didn't stop at the K gates and was empty when it arrived, so I suspect they use a different bus for the K and G gate routes. The total trip to T5 seemed to take about 5 minutes.

Between the Eagle flight being slightly late and the long wait for a bus, I showed up when the BA flight was nearly done boarding. (On the plus side, the bus drops you off near the BA gate in T5.)

I don't think I would do a 90-minute T3-T5 connection again, but at least the bus works as advertised. (And, I doubt I would have done any better using the train and clearing security again.)
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