DarkHelmetII

If my Tuesday meeting in the Chicago loop ends at 1 PM what are my chances to make a 2:30 flight out of O'hare? Precheck and carry-on only.

Next flight is 3+ hours later and I don't want to wait that long. Perhaps I should book later flight and try standby on earlier flight. Curious of others' experience especially traffic at that time of day.

SUPERTRAVEL

Are you going to return a rental car at ORD, take a taxi or ride the CTA train?
The train might be the best option to get you there in 45 minutes but for the most part you don't have sufficient time.

ATOBTTR

According to Google Maps, via public transit (the L), it's about 45 min from the Loop to ORD and that's if you're by a stop on the Blue Line that runs straight to ORD and don't have to switch trains to the Blue Line somewhere along/within The Loop. If taking a cab or being driven by someone with a car, Google Maps says if you leave at 1:00, Google Maps says "Typically takes 28 min to 1 hour" when departing the Loop at 1:00 PM on a Tuesday. If you have to return a rental car, assuming you actually can't leave until 1:00 and have to return the car, I'd say this is questionable at best even under the best of circumstances (minimal traffic getting to ORD).

Even putting in for midnight with minimal traffic, Google Maps says 20-35 minutes so no matter how you slice it, if you actually don't physically leave the meeting room until 1:00, you'd be cutting it close to make a 2:30 PM flight out of ORD.

Maybe you're just better off booking the later flight and finding a local Chicago style pizza joint to grab lunch at after your meeting and then heading to ORD for the 5:30 PM flight.
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DarkHelmetII

Thanks for the replies. No rental car return, would Uber. I hear you that this is tight any way you cut it.

findark

If 1:00 were the time when the wheels of your ride were rolling, you'd have a fighting chance. If the meeting is scheduled to end at 1:00, no way unless you're heading out quite early.

ATOBTTR

Maybe if you get an Uber that's equipped with "Ludicrous Speed" you could make it**.
**Assuming your FT handle is based on what I'm associating it with

MSPeconomist

If you take the train, wouldn't more time be required to get to T5? Even before the move, it was a hike from the ORD train stop to the DL check in counters and security checkpoints.

My vote is that OP would need to be incredibly lucky for this to work, assuming that the flight is on time.

nomiiiii

Aren't all meetings nowadays with a phone/zoom options? Take the meeting from your phone while ubering to the airport would be what I would recommend.
Otherwise yeah, pick the later flight and as you're pulling into the airport do an in-app standby if you made it to the airport doors and see a short security line by 1:30pm or so

emma dog

I would book the later flight and try to standby on the earlier... it will feel better if you happen to make the earlier flight and get home versus feeling awful that you're forced to sit around Ohare for 3+ hours.

My $0.02? "Own" that 3 hour time difference and pick something unique to Chicago to do for some of it... go up the Willis tower, see the beans, or go to a museum or something. Take a breath and slow life down for an afternoon.

MarkCron

I would book the early flight, and take the later flight if I missed the earlier one.

diburning

I would do the opposite. Book the later flight and stand by for the earlier one. If you book the earlier one and miss it, and the later one ends up being full, you're stuck at ORD. Booking the later flight at least ensures that you're leaving ORD.

sydneyracquelle

Can you switch to MDW?

Duke787

No chance especially now that DL is in T5.

Had a Friday 2:21pm flight on UA at the end of August. At 12:30pm on a Friday, the Uber ride was longer than the "L" (quoted at 1+ hour and getting long), "L" was 45 minutes plus you actually have to walk to the "L" station (likely Clark/Lake or Washington depending where you are in the Loop) -- and then once you get to ORD it's a walk from the train station to T1/T2 (and I'm not even sure how you get to T5 right now, is the people mover open again?).

I left lunch in the loop to walk to Clark/Lake at 12:30pm and I barely made it and only because my gate was literally right past security and there was a very short Pre-Check line -- and if I'd taken an Uber I would've missed my flight. Traffic was either stopped or just crawling for much of the trip (you can see it from the train).

The "L" is also unpredictable. It's only the Blue line that goes out to ORD so if you miss it for some reason it could be 10-20 minutes until the next one comes through (the day I was there the screen showed 15 minutes to the next Blue line train as my train arrived, if I had missed it, I would've missed my flight). There's no alternative option to take a different line and then switch to the Blue, the airport line isn't constructed that way.

Would check MDW as others have noted, you can take the orange "L" there and it's a shorter than the trek to ORD (30 minutes vs. 45 minutes) and the timing might line up better. Otherwise I would book the later flight and standby onto the earlier flight if you are able to get to the airport early

diburning

Yes, the people mover is operating.

Repooc17

OP is taking an Uber. I would go for it.