Flying DUB to SLB -- one option is AA arrving 12:30pm chicago O'hare connect to DL 4pm. I'm assuming 3 hours is enough time to make it through customs and change terminals. I've had tons of bad weather and/or delayed AA flights connecting in O'hare so wondering what happens if I miss the DL flight. Would DL care if AA is delayed? Does immigration in Chicago get really backed up?

Are these separate tickets or booked on one itinerary?

Please continue the discussion in the Chicago forum. Thanks for your understanding.

Jouy31
TravelBuzz moderator

booked on one itinerary (through travel website)

You should be okay (IIRC, two hours is the airline guideline for inbound international connections) but there is an outside chance that things will go awry. The 4PM is DL's last SLC flight of the day, so if you miss it you'll probably have to stay overnight and take the 7AM.

Never having done all of the things at ORD at the same time, I don't know how long they really take when strung together. Three and a half hours should be enough, provided the flights are on time.

For the DUB > ORD segment on AA, which I did in 2006, we cleared customs in Dublin. You'll only need to show your passport at ORD, if I recall correctly. You might have to give them a form from customs in Dublin, but I don't recall. It was fast. Getting from Terminal 5, where you will land, to the other terminals involves a tram ride to the other terminals. They come frequently, so you shouldn't have to wait long there either.

And for all of the gnashing of teeth about ORD, I've never had to wait obscenely long to check a bag or clear TSA's line. If you aren't checking a bag, there are lots of self-serve check in kiosks.

You no longer clear immigration in DUB - or at least the last 4 (AA) flights I have had have gone from C concourse and immigration is at B (could be other way round).
If you are on AA93 you should be OK if it is on time as it gets in just before the LHR flight so there is hardly any lines at ORD immigration.
Remember you have to change terminals - get on the train from T5 to T3 and then clear security again.

That sucks.

I did AA93 last December and we left DUB from Terminal B and didn't clear immigration before. We had to go through the regular queue in ORD. However, the wait in line was 5 minutes at most and our flight was 1.5 to 2 hours late. FWIW, I have a friend that does ORD-DUB on AA regularly for work. He said he asked about the pre-departure immigration and was told that for some reason AA doesn't really do it anymore. The person he asked at DUB said that space for that service is limited and would have required a change in flight time, or something to that affect. Not sure how accurate that is, but though I would share anyway.