wiljefjoe

Hello gurus~
I am meeting my 16 year old daughter flying in from a year abroad in Madrid Spain. She will have a 2 HR layover before her connecting flight back home to Minneapolis.
Is there any area? or resource to call? so that I am able to see her during her layover

Often1

She will be processed through CBP at ORD. Meet her outside CBP. Many people do. Just have her call you as she is walking out.

ords

I would say you won't have much time to sit and talk. If anything just meet her outside the CBP exit, both take the shuttle bus over to whichever Terminal she's departing from and then drop her off at the security check point.

wiljefjoe

THANKS! Okay.. how about this... is their any place right there to grab a quick bite? Never have done this before - - thanks for you help!

Repooc17

Depends on how fast she is processed through immigration and customs. If there is any delay on arrival, and if lines are long, there may not be much time to get to the connecting flight.

glg

There's a McD's outside arrivals and that's about it. Any chance she can switch to a later MSP flight to give you more time?

wiljefjoe

THANKS AGAIN YOU GUYS! That "McDonalds" you're talking about... Is that inside the airport - near or (outside the CBP exit) ? -- You said "Outside Arrivals" ? I'd like to be able to meet her after she gets through customs... That way I can grab her stuff and drive her over to departures for her connecting flight to MSP (instead of her having to take the shuttle)... ---------- I hope I have that right ----

MADPhil

The McDs is right by the exit from CBP. I don't know whether the buses get any preference but it could be a slow drive to the other terminals and you will have to walk over to the ramp first.

wiljefjoe

Once again thank you

MADPhil

As one sample, we took a taxi from T5 to the Hilton (which is pretty much the same as T1-3) around 6:30 on a Sunday evening and it took about 40 minutes. It would be much quicker to walk if there was a route.

glg

Specifically the McD's is on the left end of the terminal when you enter. There are two exits from customs. One is next to McD's, the other is at the other end (to the right as you enter the terminal). Appears MAD-ORD is Iberia. Others here may know which exit is most likely for that flight.

TribalistMeathead

The monitors in the international arrivals waiting area will indicate which exit they'll come through.

milepig

To be very explicit:

The "arrivals area" we're talking about is inside the ground level of T5 and will be well signposted. It is normally very busy and crowded so no real space to sit and talk there. If driving, there is a special T5 lot just outside, and with a walkover into the terminal one level up. If taking an Uber/Taxi, ask them to drop you at the Arrivals level, and you'll be right where you need to be, just go inside. If you're taking the CTA Blue line, you'll need to take a shuttle from the station to T5, if you follow the signs to T3 and then the shuttle from there you'll be closest. It would be very hard, if not impossible to walk this.

When you enter the T5 arrivals area, there are two doors that travelers emerge from, A and B. Door A, on your right as you face forward, is usually American, the rest of One World and other various airlines. I expect Iberia will use that. B, on your left, is United and Star Alliance. There is a board that posts which gate which flights use. The area immediately by the doors will be VERY crowded with people waiting to meet someone. If she can call you from a mobile phone I'd have her do that. There are signs inside immigration/baggage that say "no phone" but no one seems to pay much attention.

The McDonald's is the only place I can remember to eat, and it is all the way on the left, beyond the B door.

From there you would normally go up two levels to take the inter-terminal shuttle, but that is closed. There are buses instead, and expect that to take some time,and then you go back through security at the departure terminal for MSP.

I would follow the advice to find each other and then talk during the transit, I don't think you'll have time to stop and sit. You will not be allowed through security at the domestic terminals, so don't look to that as an option.

glg

It's impossible. The access road is expressway standard.

o1281

Is a 2 hour layover even possible going from a International to domestic flight? Getting through customs and picking up luggage usually takes an hour, then you need to switch terminals and recheckin which could take another 1-2 hours.