Customs and Immigration in ORD
Feb 17, 2006 | 11:13 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: NYC, USA
Programs: AA Platinum, FB Silver, Krysflier, Hertz #1 Gold, A|Club Silver
Posts: 175
Customs and Immigration in ORD
I'm on a LONE3 and travelling through the US via a CAI-LHR-NRT-ORD-MIA nonstop with a stopover in MIA for 3 days.
US Customs and Immigration regulations require PAX to disembark at their first port of call in the US to clear customs and immigration, which means I have to do that at ORD. Does anyone have any experience with the process compared to LAX ? Is it doable in 2h30 ?
US Customs and Immigration regulations require PAX to disembark at their first port of call in the US to clear customs and immigration, which means I have to do that at ORD. Does anyone have any experience with the process compared to LAX ? Is it doable in 2h30 ?
Feb 17, 2006 | 12:21 pm
#3
Original Member
Join Date: May 1998
Location: Portland OR Double Emerald (QF and AA), DL PM/MM, Starwood Plat
Posts: 19,593
Lines are short at ORD in the winter; most likely 10 minutes to clear immigration. It can be over an hour in the summer, though, for visitors. Generally ORD is one of the better ports of entry though some flights arrive together causing a bit of delay. I generally make 45 minute connections at ORD (int AA arrival to domestic AA departure).
Feb 17, 2006 | 1:55 pm
#4
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Boston, London
Programs: BA GGL/GfL. DL DM. LH SEN.
Posts: 442
As mentioned ORD T5 is one of the nicer ways to enter the US, certainly compared to the 'connections' INS at IAD which took about 90 mins a few weeks ago 
There are plenty of desks and they can normally staff up to meet the lines if they start to build up.
Sometimes in winter I even beat my wife through and she's waving the blue passport
There are plenty of desks and they can normally staff up to meet the lines if they start to build up.
Sometimes in winter I even beat my wife through and she's waving the blue passport
Feb 18, 2006 | 7:58 am
#5
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: NYC, USA
Programs: AA Platinum, FB Silver, Krysflier, Hertz #1 Gold, A|Club Silver
Posts: 175
Awesome ! Thanks for the confirmation !
I actually picked ORD randomly only because I wanted to avoid that insane LAX experience.
I actually picked ORD randomly only because I wanted to avoid that insane LAX experience.
Feb 20, 2006 | 12:56 am
#7
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: London
Posts: 135
Originally Posted by Jlove
Is 90 min. sufficient for a return to the US from ams to clear customs and catch a dom. connection? (late March, no checked bags)
Transit from a flight arriving at Tom Bradley and departing from the AA terminal has always taken lots of time. On the other hand, if it's AA in/AA out then it shouldn't be a problem. Most of the transit time seems to go for the endless walking and the security check line. Immigration has never taken more than a couple of minutes there.
/hv