crumblindown

Thanks. I do agree with you. I have TSA, which will help slightly. I'm just going to do my best to make it. If not, I'll take a morning flight. Thanks!


Thanks a bunch! I do have TSA, which will help. I'm just going to do my best to bust my ... and get through the steps. I greatly appreciate you help! If I don't make it, I'll take a morning flight. Thanks!

Thanks for the detailed tips. I do have TSA pre, so that does help. I originally had a 3 hour layover, but had to reschedule my return date. Between the time of my original return and my new return date, the late late flight home is no longer. They only do the regular late flight, which is the short connection. Appreciate all the help!

emcampbe

This is a bad idea, especially at an airport like ORD where you need to transfer terminals after arriving (and with possibility of weather at many times of the year). Is it possible? Maybe - if everything goes right. Would I ever do a 'connection' like this - even with GE and no checked bags - never - and especially with things as they are [in general] now.

First, let's start with terms...you are not connecting. That would require being on the same itinerary. You are landing in Chicago, and then transferring to a different flight on a new reservation. Connection requires being on the same itinerary.

Then there are other items. Without GE, I'd make sure to do MPC if available to you. If not, customs alone is going to likely eat up a lot of time. So there's that. You may be able to check your bag at the UA transfer desk in the international terminal once you exit - I'm not sure. If you can't, you'll need to lug on train and check in in T1. This needs to be complete at 45 minutes prior to departure. So that leaves you 40 minutes. Again, is it possible - maybe? Likely? Doubt it.

Then there is the inbound flight. According to FlightStats (https://www.flightstats.com/v2/fligh...ing/FI/853/KEF) - the KEF-ORD Icelandair flight was on time 52% of the time between Aug 1 - Sept. 30. Another 22% of the time, it was either very or excessively late (I forget the exact thresholds for those, but either way if you hit either of them, you are definitely going to miss it). I personally, having spending a good portion of my travel days transiting ORD, think on the normal days, it is pretty efficient, but that all goes out the window if weather hits. Don't know when this would be, but common to have snow days/wind in the winer, and thunderstorms in summer. That may ultimately help, as domestic UA flight (I guess I'm making an assumption on the 'domestic' part) is more likely to be delayed than international inbound, but could go either way. So another factor to consider.

All in all, I would never do this - I'd leave several hours between at least on separate tickets (though these days, with lack of change fees, at least its a bit easier, but fare difference still applies). If there is no later flight than 7:45pm, I'd say relax in ORD, book at the Hilton by T2 (or another airport hotel) and go for a flight the next morning, I'm not going to sugar-coat it - this is essentially a disaster waiting to happen - could get lucky but I'd set the expectation that you are likely to miss onward flight - or checked bag cutoff.

Amarillo By Morning

FT Friends,

I need some advice / encouragement, please. I have not yet had the pleasure of transiting ORD on an international-domestic connection.

Currently booked MUC-IAH in UA P on Sunday 5/28/23. Would prefer to return on Saturday 5/27/23, but Sunday is o.k. (Memorial Day weekend.)

MUC-ORD-IAH is an option on Saturday 5/27/23 (arriving ORD at 14:05); specifically:
* MUC-ORD: UA 952 (787-9, which is would be a slight improvement on the 767-300 that operates MUC-IAH)
* Scheduled 3 hr 45 connection time
* ORD-IAH: UA 2040 (arriving later than our MUC-IAH nonstop, but it's a domestic arrival, and we would have presumably had time to visit the P lounge in ORD T1?).

We are both US citizens with GE. I expect we will have at least one checked bag. (Sigh.)

I suppose this all comes down to whether the inconvenience of the ORD connection and risk of a WX delay (or other inconvenience) at ORD is outweighed by the benefit of potentially arriving back at IAH early. (UA MP cost for MUC-IAH nonstop on Saturday is an additional ~100K miles.) My Spidey sense tells me to stick with the MUC-IAH nonstop and enjoy the extra day in Munich, but I'm wondering if I am overlooking any considerations here.

Thank you in advance and apologies if I posted this in the wrong format / forum. Still a rookie.

fumje

MUC-ORD-IAH is a longer journey, but that particular itinerary is fine in terms of IRROPS risk. Wx not that likely Memorial Day. You can use PL both at ORD and IAH, although with checked bag you have to think a little bit about what you're doing when you get to IAH (let bag circulate and go find later? hope it arrives on earlier flight and is held for you? decent chance of that happening given long connection). You can sit together on 789 if you want; no comparable option on 763.

JimInOhio

If you want to get home a day early then go ahead. There's nothing about that ORD connection to be concerned about.

Silja

Thoughts on a 55 minute connection Dom-Int?
XNA- ORD- DUB, on a Sunday next June.
In a smaller airport I would say no problem, but ORD is huge (and I haven't been there since before covid), and don't they sometimes close the doors 45 mins pre-departure on TA flights?

3 pax, economy, no status to speak of. We can run- if the bags don't make till next day we'd be ok- but we do need to make the flight.

JimInOhio

In most cases, you have enough time but comes down to what you feel comfortable with around "most". As for them closing the doors, they aren't going to close them at T-45 when they know they have connecting passengers in the airport.

Question for others... Will UA put mis-connects on the EI late flight to DUB?

edit: Also keep in mind there will likely be multiple schedule changes between now and then anyway.

jsloan

No, they don't close the doors 45 minutes prior to departure. They do reserve the right to offload you 30 minuets prior to departure if you're not available in the gate area.

If you need to make the flight, don't book a 55-minute connection at ORD in the summer.

Economy passengers, on a non-JV partner? Probably not, and certainly not if the disruption is due to weather, which is entirely possible in June at either XNA or ORD.

This is definitely true.

happiest_at_40000

I'm a bit confused how to get around ORD. Havent been there in ages. Arriving on UA from GRU and need to get to a domestic flight on UA. So am I looking for this new train I read about or is it a bus? I cant even seem to figure out where in the International terminal I will find this.

Thanks.

JimInOhio

The train (called ATS) is outside security between the arrivals and departures level right in the middle of the terminal. Just follow the signs for Terminal 1 once you exit customs.

happiest_at_40000

Thanks for the help. Appreciate it. When exiting customs will I be going up an escalator since had mentioned ATS is in between the 2 levels?

LarryJ

There are escalators on each end of the train platform. You exit from immigration and customs to the bag recheck area. Exit the bag recheck area and either left or right to the escalator. The train ride only takes a few minutes.

PeggyJM

We are looking at traveling on Lufthansa from Singapore to Munich to ORD and connecting to a UA flight to MSP. The connection time is only 2 hours and we'll have two cats with us. What are your thoughts as to whether that is enough time to clear immigration (and I think we have to go through agriculture inspection or something for our cats?) and then get from terminal 5 to terminal 2 clear security (which I believe will take longer because cats have to be taken out of their carriers and hand screened) and make our connection in terminal 2? Thanks!

JimInOhio

Firstly, it's most likely your UA flight to MSP will depart from Terminal 1.

Have you checked with Lufthansa on their requirements? I think as long as your cats look healthy and you have your vaccination records with you (in English), it's not a big deal.

Two hours is probably fine if you're on the early Lufthansa flight. Even if you miss the connection, there are later UA flights up to about 8 PM.

PeggyJM

Thanks. I haven't flown United for probably 25 years! (Being from Minneapolis, Delta is almost always the easiest choice.) I've checked with the airlines and have to have paperwork to clear the cats through Europe and a CVI and rabies vaccine certificate for the US, but I think we have to clear the cats through our port of entry in the US. (We've never done this, so I'm not sure what the procedure is.) I know that there are later flights, but don't know whether they would have "pet space" available on those flights. And, since the flight is 29 hours if we make the earlier flight, I'm not too keen on having to take a later flight. Is the tram running now? We flew Delta to ORD and connected to a Korean Air flight in January and it was a real hassle to have to stand up on a bus with our luggage. I can't imagine doing that with the cats, too.