Connecting at O'Hare

I'm planning a trip that would involve arriving at O'Hare terminal 5
(the International one) and then continuing from terminal 3 (the
Y-shaped domestic AA one).

I don't think there are any airside transfers available (last time I was
there I'm sure I caught a train), so what with all the current security
arrangements what time does the team think I should allow between
scheduled arrival and departure? I have a Green Card and can use the "US
residents + Green Card" lines at immigration, which is normally quicker
than the "Foreigners" lines.
--
Roland Perry

"Roland Perry" <roland@perry.co.uk> wrote in message
news:DXn$8p0PZhMAFAa2@perry.co.uk...
> I'm planning a trip that would involve arriving at O'Hare terminal 5
> (the International one) and then continuing from terminal 3 (the
> Y-shaped domestic AA one).
>
> I don't think there are any airside transfers available (last time I was
> there I'm sure I caught a train), so what with all the current security
> arrangements what time does the team think I should allow between
> scheduled arrival and departure? I have a Green Card and can use the "US
> residents + Green Card" lines at immigration, which is normally quicker
> than the "Foreigners" lines.
>

1.5 hours should be fine, in the few :-) US internal trips through the TSA I
have done (only 5 this year so far) they seem to be managing the queues much
better now.

Just try not to book on the last flight out of ORD so you have another
option in case of weather delays.

and yes, there are no airside transfers as you have to go through
Immigration at your point of arrival.

If the bag drop place is busy at T5 you are allowed to carry your bags to T3
and use the domestic checkin/bag drop.

In message <c0t5tg$1c08oi$1@ID-201440.news.uni-berlin.de>, Miss L. Toe
<missltoemissltoe@m> writes
>1.5 hours should be fine

Good. (I note that the AA flight I'm picking is 40% "on time", so odds
are it will be leaving late!)

>Just try not to book on the last flight out of ORD so you have another
>option in case of weather delays.

There's at least two later flights (assuming AA will play ball on a
discount ticket).

>and yes, there are no airside transfers as you have to go through
>Immigration at your point of arrival.

I wasn't trying to dodge the Immigration, but rather avoid the extra
delay of a more severe security check as a result of going landside. But
perhaps the checks on transfer passengers are the same these days.

>If the bag drop place is busy at T5 you are allowed to carry your bags to T3
>and use the domestic checkin/bag drop.

But AA are quoting 90 minute minimum checkin time for bags at T3 :-(
--
Roland Perry

"Roland Perry" <roland@perry.co.uk> wrote in message
news:lZCWvYAbziMAFAvz@perry.co.uk...
> In message <c0t5tg$1c08oi$1@ID-201440.news.uni-berlin.de>, Miss L. Toe
> <missltoemissltoe@m> writes
> >1.5 hours should be fine
>
> Good. (I note that the AA flight I'm picking is 40% "on time", so odds
> are it will be leaving late!)
>
> >Just try not to book on the last flight out of ORD so you have another
> >option in case of weather delays.
>
> There's at least two later flights (assuming AA will play ball on a
> discount ticket).
>

That really shouldn't be a problem unless you have booked the two legs
separately.
Even then the US carriers seem a lot more forgiving than the UK ones about
changing unchangeable tickets. I even got a 'song' delta's low-cost airline
ticket changed for no fee.

> >and yes, there are no airside transfers as you have to go through
> >Immigration at your point of arrival.
>
> I wasn't trying to dodge the Immigration, but rather avoid the extra
> delay of a more severe security check as a result of going landside. But
> perhaps the checks on transfer passengers are the same these days.
>

Yep - transfer pax go through the same security as other pax. I think that
there is more than one entrance to T3. It might be worth finding a map so
you can go in another entrance and walk if the one you reach first looks
busy. I think you can get in the next terminal to the right (looking from
outside) and walk through.

> >If the bag drop place is busy at T5 you are allowed to carry your bags to
T3
> >and use the domestic checkin/bag drop.
>
> But AA are quoting 90 minute minimum checkin time for bags at T3 :-(

Which means that they will probably put you on the next flight and tell you
you cant get on the flight you are booked on, then send you bags on the
original flight, if that happens dont waste time waiting for yours bags at
your destination just go to the baggage handling area for AA and they should
be waiting for you.