Minimum connectiontime in ORD
 

Hi, im flying from ARN on SK vonnecting to UA domestic us flight on a 92min connection, seems utopistic to me can it really be done? Never been to ord and havent been to USA since 9/11

I think international arrivals still come in at Terminal 5. So you have to do the immigration/baggage/customs/baggage-recheck thing there. Then to get to Terminal 1 (where most UA departures, domestic and international, are), you would have to take the train. Terminal 1 is the last terminal you hit on the train. There is a chance your flight would be from Terminal 2, which is one stop sooner. Then through security (queues are long sometimes), and depending on what gate your flight is from, it might be a short walk, or a fairly long walk through an underground tunnel, possibly followed by another moderately long walk through the terminal.

It is possible to make it in 92 minutes, but it is also possible not to :( If it is extremely important for you to make the final destination on time, I'd be at least a little worried.

Hmm... be prepared to run... if you have no luggage immigration in T5 will take 30-45 min, then you need 30 min to get from T5 to your UA gate in T1/T2 including security.

My personal record at ORD is arriving from ARN at 11.58 (22 min ahead of schedule) and being through Terminal 1 security at 12.30, 32 minutes after landing, 12 mintes after scheduled landing. Priority tagged luggage, and seated in C meant that I was first off the plane, and first in immigration lane.

But I would also rebook if at all possible to later flight. If not: check that your travel insurance covers the hotel costs for an extra night in Chicago. Less than two hours is risky for all US INT/DOM connections, and I would feel better with three. YMMV

If you could indicate the final destination that could possibly provide some information about which gates you're likely to leave from, and the gate can make a big difference on UA at ORD.

Its a tight connection, but definately possible. Since you are EBG your checked bags should theoretically come out first, and you should be able to go through the priority security line. This will save you up to almost 30 minutes if security lines are long and your bag doesn't come out last. As long as your flight from ARN lands on time and there is no delay getting off the plane, I don't see why you wouldn't make it under normal circumstances. However, I wouldn't waste any time until once you are at the connecting gate with, if any, time to spare.

Worst case senario is that they rebook you on the next flight if you miss your connection. IMHO ORD isn't the worst airport to waste time at if all goes wrong.

Thank you both :) sounds super great :)

I guess i have to pray alot :D as the next connection is NOT nonstop...

I assume if I do not make my connecting flight due to immigration etc that they will rebook me or ?? :)

If it's on the same ticket, they should rebook you, but whether you get anything beyond that (e.g., hotel) would depend on a lot of factors.

I don't fly in within the US much these days, but a couple of years ago, I did quite actively, and they were really filling up the planes. So availability for the rebooking can often be a problem. Not sure if it is any better now.

Yes im EBG and Im also flying C so I should have the time gods on my side, So maybe its not a lost cause after all :)

Thank you all for your help, as this is my FIRST USA trip in 11 years and my first ever though ORD I was a bit apprehensive when looking at the details...

Now I can sleep better :)

The ARN flight lands just before a bank of EU flights land in T5, so if they are early, you should be OK, if not, then even deplaning quickly won't help if you end up behind a 747 from BA/LH filled with Chinese/Indians that have visas and will be grilled by the CBP. The luggage is usually on the belt by the time you are past immigration, make sure you just drop the bag on the belt just before the exit and don't queue for the UA checkin on the right.

If you miss the connection and have to overnite, ask for the Hilton opposite the terminal, if they don't give it, go back to T5 and ask for a SAS station rep: if they bring you in late, the carrier who got you into ORD has to pay to reaccomodate. They can rebook you onto AA or other carriers...@:-)

If all fails, the Hyatt at the airport has a 65$/night distressed traveller rate. The United agents can give you a paper to show the hotel that you are eligible.

90 minutes can be tight for an ARN-ORD trip with an onward domestic connection, but a majority can pulled it off. If their are plans whose disruption will cause substantial inconvenience, then I'd pad in more time for a connection via ORD. 120-150 minutes is far more comfortable.

Is finding an SAS station rep at that time of day easy?

It would be a lot easier if you would let us know if you have baggage, and the final destination.

It is normal procedure for UA to rebook if you miss a connecting flight that is on the same ticket. Check and see if there are later UA flights to your final destination.

It takes about 10 minutes to walk to immigration from the gate. Walk fast. Last time I was in ORD a week before Easter, there was only one person in immigration the first 25 minutes, and it took forever to get through. This is not normal, but stuff happens.

Once you pick up your luggage (priority works about 50% of the times for me) you have to que up at the exit to give customs the white customs form. If there are two custom agents, the line queues from the left and right. It can sometimes be an advantage circling around to use the guy on the left. There is a 10% chance of getting diverted to extra luggage check, but this normally is just putting your luggage through a scanner. They expect you to put all you luggage on the belt. It takes about 5 minutes. Taking no items (that you are leaving) into the States will help avoiding this extra check, but is no certainty.

If you exit through the normal exit (for this flight) on the right (exit B) and if you you have 45 minutes or more, drop your luggage off on the belt on the right, just before you exit into the public area. Hurry to the stairs, escalator to the train. You still have to get from terminal 5 to terminal 1 (there is no terminal 4), and then through security again. It can also take an extra 10 minutes if your connecting flight leaves from Concourse C and as opposed to Concourse B.

If you're late, use the checkin counter to the left of the doors before you go out to the public area. If you are in doubt, there are normally UA people you can ask for help at the transfer luggage belt.

Check-in for the return flight opens three hours before departure, so if the OP has missed his onward connection it's getting close to 2PM, and thus SAS should have staffed their check-in

The MCT for your proposed connection is 90 minutes:

[KVS Availability Tool 7.0.2/Diamond - Reference: Minimum Connection Time [MCT]: ORD/SK-UA]

SAS has sold me a ticket with connecting time 85 min at ORD SK945->AA. So I was assuming a shorter MCT than 90 minutes. I've been rebooked on the next flight at ORD several times, so I know that it ususally works out one way or the other, but it's still strange.