So the subtle thread heading not withstanding is this a AA, OW or airport specific problem?

mike

Umm...wasn't the OP or the one who wrote the title - just responding. I do, however, see the AA relevance as all the AA codeshares ex-ORD would leave from T5 except Iberia. Ok granted, that's not that many - JAL to NRT, JAL to KIX and Aer Lingus is AA is still coding them. BA of course also leaves from T5 but they aren't AA codeshares.

Is this a typo? You don't agree that the principal purpose of an airport is to connect passengers and airplanes?

they sure do, and they do get it in ord t5. i really don't know where the op was looking but there are at least 3 restaurants/bars open from early morning to late evening. newspaper/personal items shop is open all day. there are couple of specialty shops that are also open all day. duty free opens and closes as needed, and i can't say i blame them.

i'm just guessing but i would say at least 1/2 if not more of international flights at ord leave out of all the other terminals. t5 has busy periods and that's when everything is open but it does not make sense for some of the shops to be open and staffed if there are no flights for 3-4 hours.

OP was looking after security where there are indeed, very few facilities: 2 or 3 beverage/snack carts (only 1 of which was open prior to JAL departure) and a mini-shop on wheels.
There are fairly good facilities as nacirema describes before security, and if you fail to notice the (fairly prominent) sign as you approach security, warning you of the lack of facilities thereafter, then you could be disappointed.
And the JAL lounge is a bit gloomy.

It's not LHR, or NRT, or HKG, but it does have most of what you really need pre-flight.

(What it also has, is a fascinating series of photographs, running the length of one wing of the terminal, depicting the lives of families around the world, including photos of those families outside their homes with all their possessions from inside their homes. It's quite startling when you see the contents of the typical North American or European home, compared with that from countries such as Nepal, Guatemala and others.)

Happy Travels.

Has nothing to do with Al Qaeda - it has everything to do with a small group of committed holdover farmers who were upset when (almost all) their land was taken by the government for Narita International Airport. The protests went on for years, the farmer faction installed towers in the runway paths and attempted other methods of sabotage. (I remember because I was there during some of that time.)

A summary of the issue is here.

Perhaps they don't have any AM arrivals. Back when I was a sucker and flew United, I would commonly walk between terminals at OHare to get the food I wanted. I"m guessing that they don't have many flights in the AM, few people connect between flights directly in that terminal and they likely have more traffic in the afternoon. Were there money to be made by having shops open there, I would think they would be open. That's the wonderful thing about capitalism. If there was demand, there would be supply.

I've actually had some of my easiest and among my most least painful airport experiences at third world airports. I particularly remember Entebbe in Uganda. I always arrived there late still able to check in, then just waltzed through security and straight onto the tarmac directly into the waiting aircraft. Sometimes my bag(s) were already on the tarmac waiting to be loaded, and one smaller flights I actually brought them directly to the aircraft myself (nice knowing the bags will actually arrive with me). When the aircraft had its full passenger complement, doors were closed and two minutes later we are airborne.

No endless taxiways. No slot restrictions and maddening circling. No ATC delays. No infuriating waits at immigration and baggage caroussels. No lost luggage. No boring waits in lounges (where spa appointments are rarely to be had) or mindless wanderings through airport malls.

Travel as it should be.

1. us airports are not set up to do int-int connections without going through imm/customs
2. no matter what, by the time you are done with int arrival, you are landside and you basically need to start from scratch, re-check luggage, security.
3. i doubt very much ord has many int-int connections in term5 anyways as,
4. all us based and few int airlines go out of domestic terms
5. the int airlines that use term5 for departure have certain busy periods, but mostly leave late afternoon, evenings.

so, term5 is set up that way. why have shop\employees play with their thumbs on the airside when there is nobody there for hours.

different set up, different shop hours. of course one would think that anybody that travels a great deal should have learned that by now.....

Sounds more like BBU, except BBU does not have fast security or airline lounge, and is very rich in passive smoking opportunities. :D:D