jerry_greece

Hellow ORD-ers! I am looking at booking a CPH-ORD-PHX (1st leg on SK, 2nd on UA) but the connection is only 1h42min. I will have no luggage, traveling on ESTA. What are the chances to actually make it? I see that there is another flight from UA to PHX but SK apparently only sells the short-time option

TomMM

When are you traveling?

jerry_greece

Early March.

WineCountryUA

You need to be aware of this
https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/unit...ll-2019-a.html

threeoh

No luggage, no line at immigration, and no line for the bus -- you'll make it.

Immigration line is always unpredictable and the bus line seems to vary between "less than 3 minutes" most days to "90 minutes" when they're having a melt-down day. If it's a 90-minute day I'd take a taxi. There is no way to walk from T5 to T1.

Questions to ask yourself: Will UA or an OTA sell you the longer connection? Can you find the connection you want on google flights and click through to buy it on SK even though the SK search engine doesn't show it for you? Do you think there will be seats left on the remaining ORD-PHX flights if you miss your connection? Do you mind a middle seat? How bad would it be for you, on this trip, to have to stay in a hotel and fly the next day? Do you have travel insurance that would pay for the hotel / etc.?

jerry_greece

Thanks for posing these questions. After a bit of searching around, I managed to find the longer option via an OTA. That leaves 2h55. I will take some time to think about it.

JimInOhio

Some potentially beneficial changes to Intl --> Domestic connections at ORD this year:

https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/30745358-post167.html

747FC

Our connection in ORD from YUL just got shortened to 65 min. As I see it from past UA YUL-ORD flights, these come into F terminal and the ORD-HNL flight tends to leave from the B terminal.

I'm assuming that given normal circumstances, this 65 min window is way more than sufficient to make this connection. We are in F on both flights.

Many thanks.

goodeats21

Yes. Assuming you are coming into ORD as pre-cleared Immigration / Customs, then 65 minutes is doable. About a 10-15 minute walk between F and B gates.
ORD-HNL will start boarding pretty early (45 minutes?), so you will not have much spare time.

Brick

Sorry if this is a bit of a dumb question, but I haven't transited through ORD in quite a while and want to make sure a flight I'm about to book isn't asking for trouble. I'm traveling SBN-ORD-DEN on a Friday evening in early April. I have a choice between a 65 minute connection or a 3+ hour connection.

I'll be coming in on a CR2, so that means I'll be arriving on Concourse F and I'll also have to wait for green tagged bags to be delivered to the jet bridge (I will not be checking a bag). Is a 65 minute connection advisable on this routing? If I miss the connecting flight to Denver, there are 2 later flights. They may be full however since it will be a Friday evening and I'm not sure if Silver status will help me much if I have to go standby.

jsloan

It's borderline at best. The two later flights are the only saving grace -- but, as you pointed out, they could easily be full, and if there are any misconnecting passengers with higher status, they'd be put onto the standby list ahead of you.

If everything is on time, you'll be fine. However, an afternoon in April means that there could easily be thunderstorms, and the 50-seat planes are among the first to get delayed when the weather is bad.

threeoh

If it's on time and you are an able-bodied walker, then no problem. T-65 door opens, T-55 you have your green-tagged bag, T-35 you are at your new gate just as boarding begins. More realistically you are there at T-45. You need to be there by T-15 or risk your seat.

However, it doesn't leave you a lot of room for error, a delay of even 20 minutes could put your connection in jeopardy. On the plus side, you're connection is hub-to-hub and there are not one but two backups, so I'd feel pretty comfortable you'll get there same day unless there is a snow storm.

Overall, given the good backup connection options and the ability to drive the first leg if needed, I'd take the 65m connection unless it's life or death you get there on Friday. I'd say 80% you make your connection, 97% you make it Friday, 3% you fly early Saturday. But I would use a CC with free travel insurance and understand there's a 3% chance I'll enjoy my view from the ORD Hilton.

Questions I'd be asking myself:

• How bad is it if I have to spend the night in ORD and fly the next morning? Just annoying or really bad?
• Do you have travel insurance / are you comfortable self-insuring for a hotel in Chicago?
• If SBN-ORD is cancelled or showing a delay ahead of time, could you drive/train to ORD (2 hours drive, 3.5 hours on transit, $137 uber)? (If you do this you need to call United to tell them you are doing it)
• Is it just you or you plus 5 family members? One solo adult traveler is a lot easier to slot into a later flight; finding 6 seats, let alone 6 seats together, is much harder
• Are you ok losing your seat assignment and sitting E- middle on your ORD-DEN backup flight?

TomMM

Brick

Thank you jsloan, threeoh, and TomMM for your responses! I chickened out at decided to book the 3 hour connection. That also allows me to have a real dinner at ORD instead of whatever I can grab real quick before boarding at the SBN airport.

threeoh, I found your questions helpful as I have been out of heavy travel for so long I am out of practice in asking myself these types of questions when I'm contemplating a booking. Thanks mate!

CHSDOC

Arriving on SK at 12:20 (on a Monday). OK to connect to United express domestic leaving at 1425? Check bags, no status, TSA pre.