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

This is a thread developed as part of the American Airlines (now including US Airways) hub airport guides.

Hi all,

I am looking at booking an itinerary that involves a 1hr 40min connection @ORD.

Arr: 3:55pm AA131 HEL-ORD
Dep: 5:35pm AA2343 ORD-DFW

Is 1hr 40min enough? How busy will CBP be at that time? Will be my first time doing a INTL connection @ORD.

Last year, I had a connection that was almost identical to yours. I-D, 1:40 connection at about mid-day in ORD. I am a US Citizen and have Global Entry.

I decided that was too close for my own comfort, so changed to another flight 2 hours later.

On the day of the flight, following an on-time arrival, I got through CBP quickly with my Global Entry, but noticed a long line of others in the normal line. I then got on the train and entered the terminal, where TSA security was fast due to my Pre-Check eligibility.

Once in the terminal, I looked at the Departures board and, out of curiosity, checked out my original flight. It was "Boarding". I could have made that flight, had I run through the terminal, but instead I found a nice comfy spot and read my book for a couple of hours.

Without Global Entry and TSA Pre-Check eligibility, there would have been no way to make that flight.

Thank you for replying. There is a flight about two hours later (3h layover), might be better to book on that one instead.

You are making the same decision I did.

International Arrival in ORD Question
 

Hello -

My wife-to-be and I are going to Jamaica for our honeymoon in July. On our return, we are scheduled to fly from Montego Bay (MBJ) to ORD on a Saturday arriving at 6:00pm and having an overnight layover there. Then in the morning, we fly from ORD to MSP.

My question is, once we go through Customs, will we be able to keep our checked luggage overnight or will we have to give our luggage back to AA immediately after the customs process? This will be our first time having an overnight layover.

Thank you!

You can keep it.

Yup. You can stop at the recheck desk or continue right on our the doors to the arrivals area, doesn't matter.

Without Global Entry your 1.40 hour lay over is very short. OTOH depending on weather, ORD can have large delays and flight cancellations, and since you are incoming on an international flight AA will do its best to get you to final destination on the next flight, so you may try to go for the short connection knowing you may miss it and end up at the later connection.

If for some reason the later connection gets cancelled, you may be stuck in ORD, especially since you may find out too late to catch the earlier flight.

Has anyone tried taking duty free liquids through in their carry-on since the rule change? http://www.tsa.gov/traveler-information/3-1-1-carry-ons

I'm wondering how much time I'll lose in ORD if I get a bottle of Scotch, I'm eligible for Pre-Check but don't always get it re-entering the country. I'm not too worried about missing the connection, but I do worry about not having time to visit the FL lounge.

I just returned from LHR today on AA87 then AA4244 to DCA. No problem with a duty free bottle of booze in my carry-on backpack. Arrived about 1300, and about 10 minutes later after deplaning and the hike to Global Entry was on the way to T3 Pre. Another guy from the flight had booze and some skin care products behind me in Pre and sailed right through also.

They didn’t even look at the bottle packaging.

I was sipping a Sapporo in the Flagship Lounge by 1345 or so, and had about an hour there before heading for my 1530 connection (it was late). As an aside, for about the last year I have not had a Pre fail on reentry thru ORD, DFW or JFK - 100%!.

ORD BA to AA connection / check in
 

I have a connection in ORD between a BA flight and an AA domestic. My BA flight arrives Terminal 5 at about 2pm and the onward domestic is not until about 10pm.

When I arrive at Terminal 5 I assume I need to collect luggage and go through immigration, but then can I go directly to Terminal 3 and check my luggage in for my domestic flight even though it is around five hours before departure?

I was going to ask the same question - except I have a considerably shorter connection time. Arriving from LHR on BA and connecting through to LAX on AA.

BA told me this morning that bags didn't need to be collected and cleared through customs because the alliance enables them to transfer bags directly. This was never my understanding, so I wouldn't take this as gospel. If any others have more concrete information, I'd be keen to hear it.

This is a BA agent who has no idea how things go in the US. Arriving on BA to ORD and transferring to AA domestic, 100% of the time will go like this:

- Clear passport control
- Collect bags
- Clear customs (provide the landing form or GE printout) and exit the baggage hall
- Re-check baggage as soon as you leave the customs/baggage area
- Take the inter-terminal train to T3
- Enter the terminal like any originating passenger by going through security

What the agent was either intending to say (or should have said) is that BA will tag the bags through to the final destination, so all that will have to be done after clearing customs is to drop the bag on the belt (or hand it to the agent who will do the same) and head to the train.