Martyn c

HI

I have read other ORD connection but i don't think i have seen anyone with Global entry and TSA Pre check

I am flying Glasgow to London Heathrow , then London Heathrow to Chicago arrive 13:10 Terminal 5 . I then have a connection flight from terminal 3 at 15.10 Chicago to Tampa.

I have a connection time of 2 hour 5 minutes does this sound like a reasonable connecting time . I am planning on having checked luggage. I think having Global entry and Recheck should give me enough time although i am aware this i believe to Be last flight from Chicago to Tampa of the day.

UKtravelbear

there is a thread on connecting at ORD on the AA board which I think you should have a look at.

One thing to be aware of is they are currently working on the inter terminal transport system so it is taking longer to get between the terminals as they are using buses

QueenOfCoach

I also have GE and Pre-Check and have found that going through Immigration and Customs is very quick. Recheck is also fast. You just shove your already-tagged bag into the Recheck area and continue walking.

Before you leave, make sure you know the logistics of getting from International Arrivals to your departing terminal. Don't just figure it out when you get there.

In my opinion, you will be OK with that connection time if your incoming flight is on time. If it's late, then all bets are off. My suggestion to you is to line up alternatives that you can put in place should your incoming flight be delayed: Know what hotel you could stay in, know the next-day Tampa flights.

QueenOfCoach

Also be aware that at this time of year, ORD can be snowed in with significant weather delays.

Martyn c

Thanks

I Notice the People mover is closed and isn't open until the fall . They have got buses in but there departing every 10/15 minutes. I have been trying to look at map of airport so i know were i am going.


I forgot to day i am planning on flying in the summer in July so hopefully no snow at that time.

TribalistMeathead

You should be fine, but if you're flying out on AA, beware that Terminal 3 is the third and last stop on the shuttle bus route from T5. You might want to look into whether you can take a taxi or Uber from T5 to T3.

Looking at a random weekday in July, it looks like there's also a flight to Tampa at 6:40 pm, you might want to double-check that the 3:10 pm flight is actually the last one of the day.

wrp96

Snow won't be an issue but thunderstorms might.

TMC

Last few times I've been there on United either transferring or going to T2 for the El-Train downtown the buses have been running continuously, even in bad weather it was a case of the line continuously shuffling forward as buses kept pulling up. When you exit customs head right towards the end of the terminal building for the transit buses.

Before I had GE I'd refuse connections less than 3 hours in ORD, even with the transit running, 2 hours with no delay is comfortable with GE, bags took about 20 minutes last week.

corporate-wage-slave

It's a great deal more frequent than every 10 minutes. It's more like one every 3 minutes in peak time. I wonder if you are looking at the previous inter-terminal bus system, which was often used by those with either physical limitations or going on to parts of the airport complex not served by the people-mover / transit.

BA use gates M11 or M12 typically at ORD, and as you follow the passageways to CBP, one line of Tensa - the middle one - is used by GE users. There is an airport agent directing people accordingly. As you approach the main hall, GE is actually further on from the main area, so I'm not sure why they use the middle lane, since the left lane needs to cross over, but anyway. Then the machines are at the top of the hall, you only need to go left or right to an agent if you get a X, if not you get 2 slips if a non resident USA or Canadian citizen, the first includes your photo. You then go to the baggage hall area, there are usually two exit points staffed by the CBP, so go to the quietest one and hand over the photo slip and retain the other slip. In other words ORD still has the traditional customs check which has been removed from other airports. Obviously if you had an X and didn't get to speak to an agent earlier then this is where you would be found out.

Once you go through the double doors to be fully landside, swing rightwards for the transit bus service. It is sign posted and you end up in a porta-cabin like structure after the terminal doors but before the kerbside. The distance here is very short, perhaps 40 metres. This portacabin basically allows a queuing system to get on the next bus but sheltered against the elements. If you are tight for timing an agent there - there are lots of them - will push you towards the front of the line. On Saturday as I was boarding my bus (I was heading for the Chicago metro, not transferring), the next bus was opening its doors to take the next load of passengers and a third bus was pulling into the area. So you will not be waiting long. The buses aren't exactly state of the art, so a bit of a bone shaker with insufficient baggage space and a high platform.

The problem then is that the bus has to loop around the road system and that takes a good 10 minutes to get to T1, then anticlockwise to T2 and presumably the one you want, namely T3 for American. From T3 to T5, to complete the loop, only takes a few minutes since the road network works better in that direction.

This is a lot more detail than you need, which is simply bear right as you get to landside in T5 and follow the signs to the bus. Count on 20 minutes to get to T3 and it may be a bit less.

Martyn c

Thank for the information it was really helpful . Do u think it would be easier getting off at Terminal 1 either walk to terminal 3 go through security or go through security at Terminal 1 then walk to Terminal 3

I had look ur right the last flight is at 6.40 pm

corporate-wage-slave

I would definitely stay on the bus from T1 to T3 rather than get off at T1 (there is another option, which is to use the underground tunnel from T3 to T1, or walk through the carpark on the upper level, neither are worth doing). The slow bit is T5 to T3, from T3 to T1 won't take more than a few minutes.

lcylocal

corporate-wage-slave

Yes, PHL is definitely easier. Personally that would be my choice, since I've only had good experiences there, but there are some FTers who find the passport experience at PHL to be bad.

henley

corporate-wage-slave

Well, that shows up the value of GE + HBO then: I was also on BA295 on Saturday to ORD, I was in my hotel room in downtown Chicago exactly one hour after landing, and I took the connection bus and then metro.