JDiver

I've moved the updated contents of this introductory post on DFW to the wiki for ease of updating.

findingnemo1234

Hi all,
I will be flying SYD-DFW-ORD .
I am flying Qantas to Dallas Fort worth terminal D, arriving at 13.45

I then need to get UA3751 at 16.00 from Terminal E.


I am not a frequent, and a bit of a nervous, traveller. So I hoped you might be able to answer the following.

1. What is the procedure if you miss a connecting flight? For example your first flight is late, you get delayed at customs/immigration/security or simply get lost!

2. I understand I collect my bag at customs in Dallas, will I then be able to recheck it when I go through customs, or do I need to go somewhere else?

3.I have read that there is a skytrain between terminals, and also a shuttle van. Am I right in thinking I want the skytrain, unless for some reason I can't recheck my baggage (in what circumstance would that happen).

At sydney will my bag be checked all the way through to ORD?

Any other advice for a smooth trip is always appreciated.
Thanks

thom1033

Edited my original response after I re-read and saw you're connecting to a UA flight. Are you on two separate reservations?

hillrider

This is the AA forum, and you're not flying AA. Can I suggest that this be moved to the QF or UA forum, i.e. the ones for the airlines you're flying?

serfty

If on separate reservations then findingnemo1234 is taking a big risk.

It a large risk, even if on the one reservation IMHO.

• Land
• get to immigration
• queue up
• immigration processing
• down to baggage hall
• collect baggage
• queue up
• pass through customs
• recheck any baggage for UA flight
• head back airside through security
• take train to E
• hope the flight has not closed

JDiver

Hopefully your questions are largely answered up in the first post. But:

1) You might ask the United Airlines folks to add a note in your PNR record that you will be connecting from QF (flight number). Hopefully, if things go upside down UA will then note you arrived late and will arrange (at the United Ticket Counter at Terminal E or if you can call and notify them before you miss the flight).

I don't think you will get lost. Just keep calm and look for the signage and you can even print out a connections guide form the link in the first post, so you can have it for reference. You could get delayed:

2) You will, as indicated above, have to pass through Immigration, assuming you have the required documentation. This can take some time if there are several international arrivals, longer yet if you are not a US citizen or resident. Welcome to America!

Retrieve your luggage at the proper bag carousel, pass through Customs and turn it in at the baggage check counter immediately after exiting Customs (BEFORE you exit the sterile area door).

3) At that point you can process back through security, assuming a boarding pass, and take the skylink to Terminal E; you will see good signage, it is easy and it is fast. It is preferable to using terminal link, in my opinion.

If you arrive too late to make your UA flight or for other reasons have to go to the ticket counter for UA in Terminal E, you can also take terminal link vans to Terminal E and go through Security there.

4) As these airlines do have an interline agreement, you should indeed be able to check your luggage through to ORD.

If you had booked American Airlines, it wouldn't matter as much - connecting oneworld itineraries, even if ticketed separately, guarantee you will be accommodated in case of flight disruptions, As Qantas and United are in separate alliances, this will not apply. You stand a reasonably good chance at making it, but you won't have much time to dawdle. If for some reason you do not, most airlines do offer one some leeway and put us on the next available seat to our destination (why I recommend annotating your record with UA).

findingnemo1234

Thanks all for the replies.

I booked this trip through a travel agent - who was originally suggesting an even shorter connection time, but I asked for a bit longer since I'm an inexperienced traveller. I'm extremely disappointed he didn't warn me about this, he also didn't tell me about the API, I knew of it from previous trips and when I asked him about it he didn't know what I was talking about and said the airline had all my details, despite never telling him my passport number etc. Fortunately I managed to update that online.

I'm not sure how to tell if they are on separate reservations, I think they are on the same since they appear on the same itinerary and when I put my booking number into the Qantas website it also shows my other flights. Unfortunately it won't let me modify my booking online otherwise I would have tried to rebook for a later flight.

I'll phone united tomorrow and see what they say, and ask them to add a note to my PNR record.

Thanks again

swag

This is a long, intimidating list, but really, the main challenges will be the queues at immigration and customs. The security line to get back airside at Terminal D is rarely more than 5 minutes (hint, if you so see a long queue, just walk to the next checkpoint). Once through, the SkyLink train runs every 2 minutes, and the ride to E should be about 5 minutes; add a bit of walking time, and you can still get from D security to your gate at E in 10 minutes.

If you do get delayed and miss the 16:00 flight, it looks like there are later UA to ORD at around 18:00 and 20:15 (check the schedule at united.com for yur specific date of travel).

findingnemo1234

Hopefully with a bit of luck on my side things will work out.

I believe there are two more United Flights, and if for some reason I can't get on with United I will hopefully be able to book a flight with another airline.

I phoned United today and they added a note to my booking, although said there are no guarantees, it is better than nothing and might make them more helpful with putting me on standby for a later flight.

Thanks again

EmailKid

The problem with later flights is seat availability.

With UA's unreliability and many cancelled flights, their flights tend to be rather full trying to accommodate pax from cancelled flights

That said, I think you will be fine with time allotted, and late evening flights tend to have more seats available (in my experience with UA).

Enjoy Chicago, it's a wonderful city Especially this time of the year, but it's damn cold in winter Oh wait, it will be April tomorrow, so may still be winter

BMWMOT

It's been about 6 yrs since I've been to DFW and I've never had to make a connection through there. We have an upcoming trip BOS-DFW-OGG. Obviously I don't know the gates we'll come into and go out of but for sake of discussion, I checked today's flights and the BOS flight came into D and the OGG flight leaves from A.
How much time is needed to change terminals and how is it done? I guess there is something called skylink, which is inside of security? Can you walk between terminals, inside of security or does that require re-screening.
Thanks for the help.

petewinca

All the terminals are interconnected inside security but it's a long walk from D to A (its a 5 minute walk from the Admirals club at A21 to A38!). Skylink trains run every few minutes and are the best way to get from one terminal to another. AA changes gates at DFW very frequently, often to a different terminal so check the monitors before heading to your connection. Assuming a brisk walking pace I'd allow 20 minutes to get between two distant gates on skylink.

swag

Skylink runs in a loop, both directions, airside, two stations per terminal, trains every 2 minutes. Assuming you go in the correct/shorter direction, the maximum ride between stations is 9 minutes, so including the wait it's up to 11 minutes station to station. Add a few minutes to walk station to gate on each end, and 20 minutes should be sufficient for any transfer, gate to gate.

Paint Horse

Yes they do change gates, and terminals on occasion, sometimes several times including back to the one they started with.

salesflyerguy

Skylink wasnt running this morning at 6:30am. Big pain trying to get from D to A.