iluv2fly

A bit off-topic, but I arrived in SFO this morning and went through GE. Fingerprints, the picture taken, then paper receipt. No passport needed. Very quick and efficient.

JimInOhio

Are those older GE kiosks at SFO? There were newer ones at IAD when I was there in May which don't use fingerprinting. Which are at ORD?

gfunkdave

No fingerprints needed at ORD, just put your head in the outline on the screen and press the "take photo" button, then walk over to the CBP officer with the iPad for a card you give to the CBP officer at the exit.

iluv2fly

My bad. It was a photo at SFO, not fingerprints. I got that confused with SIN where you needed fingerprints. Or was it Clear in SFO to my domestic flight. So sorry. Us older people get confused sometimes.

crankychick

Not ORD, but landed in Houston on Tuesday and just a photo at the machine, no receipt, and no CBP with an iPad. I got a green proceed on the screen. I was like what? I rock up to CBP and they welcomed me home and that was it.

BCH

So… is Delta still moving to T5 this Saturday night?

JimInOhio

There's a post somewhere claiming DL's move to T5 is pushed out to October. Don't remember where I saw it, though.

GUWonder

Yep.

This summer, they haven't always given a card for GE 2.0 users at ORD.

CBP@ORD sometimes used to give a card for MPC users at ORD to present to CBP after baggage claim, but MPC's been gone from ORD for over 2 years.

GUWonder

From the DL forum:

DeeGee26.2

Not sure if this is the right place for my question. I'm flying into ORD on the BA flight from LHR on 6th October, for the Marathon. The flight arrives at 6:20pm.

My usual approach to jetlag is to try and stay up as close as possible to a sensible bedtime at my destination.

I have a few questions, some of which are probably OK here, others might need another thread. I'm hoping regular travelers through ORD might be able to give me a general idea.

First one is related to arrival at T5. I'm wondering how long it is likely to take to carry out the necessary arrival formalities (immigration/customs) on arrival at that time of the evening? I am a UK citizen, travelling on an ESTA. I have traveled to the USA previously on this passport - biometrics have been taken. If I choose to check a bag, will I likely be waiting a long time for this to be offloaded and to appear at the reclaim?

I'm staying at the new Hilton Garden Inn opposite Willis Tower. I've looked at the CTA map, and it's not far, 4 blocks or so, from Jackson Blue Line Station. Is that likely to be my best way to get to the hotel from ORD? Is it straightforward getting tickets. Will it be busy at that time in the evening?

Given the arrival time, I'm likely to be hungry when I arrive. Is there likely to be anywhere where I can grab a bite to eat after immigration/customs? Or is it just vending machines - I get the impression T5 is not great for food.

I'm returning home 9:15 on the Monday night. I've read here that there isn't much to be eating at T5. Is it straightforward to be moving between terminals at ORD, or am I best off eating in the Loop before setting off for the airport. How long do I need to leave in order to arrive at the airport on time?

GUWonder

Many US and repeat ESTA visitors into ORD this year at around the time of my 5-6:30 pm flights seem to take long enough with the passport control step that they don't have much if any baggage claim wait. And if the arrival passengers from my flights get out very quickly to the baggage claim area, the delivery of bags onto the baggage claim belts has typically been well under 40 minutes to get out of there for my arrivals at around that time. But then there are also times where the passport control line wait can be even more than 100 minutes. But at least then you likely won't be waiting for bags as much as you may be wandering around looking to where your bags have been put on the side for collecting.

After clearing customs at ORD and going past the baggage recheck-in space, proceed out to the public, land-side area. To the right is a McDonalds which anyone land-side can use to buy fast food.

CTA payment can be done with ApplePay, if you happen to have an iPhone with the Wallet loaded with a Wallet-enabled bank card.

About ORD-Europe T5-departing evening flights, I usually try to eat in the city or elsewhere beyond the airport before catching my evening flights out of ORD T5.

gfunkdave

I've done it twice in the last few months. The first time there was a line that wrapped multiple times around the terminal and probably took the poor people in it 2-3 hours. I have Global Entry so was able to skip the line. This past Monday when I arrived there was no line and virtually all passport inspection lanes were open. It appears they have fixed things. Bags took the usual 10-15 mins to start showing up. Pay attention to the announcement in the plane when you arrive as to which carousel your bags will be at. Our bags showed up on the carousel they announced but the TV monitors didn't show anything for our flight.

If you don't mind carrying your bags the four blocks, the Blue line is the easiest and cheapest way downtown. Just tap a credit card at the turnstiles to get into the El. I think they charge $5 for trips originating at O'hare but the standard fee otherwise is $2.50. The station is under Terminal 2 - just take the ATS to terminal 2 and follow signs for "Trains to City". It's about a 40 minute ride to Jackson. The train will be empty when you board since the ORD station is the end of the line.

I wasn't looking for food a few days ago but I do remember a Starbucks after leaving the customs area. Probably better options when you get to your hotel if you can wait.

Terminal 5 is a little distant from the others; you need to take the ATS train from Terminal 5 to Terminals 1-3. The ATS is outside security. I think there used to be an airside bus from terminal 5 to others but I don't know if it's running these days. The Blue line from downtown is, as mentioned above, about a 40 minute ride to ORD.

TWA884

The Blue Line is your most direct and fastest way to the loop. The fare from ORD is $5.00 (going back to the airport it will be $2.50). There are vending machines at the ORD CTA station selling Ventra cards; credit cards are accepted. Once you register the card online or on the Ventra app, the $5.00 purchase fee is returned to you as transit value. Unless I arrive at ORD late at night, as in after 10:00 PM, I always take the Blue Line when I head to the downtown area. By the time that you will be getting on the train, the rush hour will be long over, although the train may get a bit crowded as you get closer to the Loop.

There are plenty of food options near where you will be staying. If you don't mind eating a bit earlier, before leaving for the airport, you are going to be close to the West Loop and Fulton Market area, a foodie heaven. It should not be hard to get a seat at a bar at one of Chicago's better restaurants. The food there will be infinitely better than anything that you will find at the airport.

DeeGee26.2

Thanks so much for this information. It kind of matches with what I was expecting.

_kurt

If you plan on taking the CTA at all during your time in Chicago, consider the multi-day passes. They do not have any surcharge for originating at O’Hare. So, for example, the $5 1-day pass would get you from O’Hare to Jackson plus give you free rides on any CTA train or bus for a further 24 hours. You can buy these by tapping your contactless credit card at one of the vending machines in the tunnel before you descend to the platform.

No good food options outside security at O’Hare, unfortunately. I believe the Hilton in the center of the T1-T3 drive has a restaurant and a grab-and-go cafe.