Connecting Flight in Chicago.

Hello,

I'm flying to Las Vegas in a couple of weeks from Dublin (Aer Lingus) Connecting in Chicago O'Hare (US Airways). The flight from Dublin lands at 4:30pm and the flight to Las Vegas leaves at 6:25pm.

Just wondering if anyone has any experiance of O'Hare airport and if you think I have enough time to collect my bags and check-in for the connecting flight?

Any advice would be appreciated.

Thanks.

All my experience with O'Hare has not been great! Flights seem to be always delayed. But with a 2 hour window you should in theory have no problem getting the onward connection, provided the flight from dublin is on time. It's an easy airport to get around though.

You should be fine , but don't hand around when the plane lands. The airport is the size of a small city, and you need to re-do security when changing terminals...

Thank you both for that.

I seem to remember for an internal flight transfer to Seattle I had to collect my bag and bring to some security screening area before dashing for my internal flight. This was a couple of years ago but worth checking out with your airline(s).

Valhalla, you should have enough time alright. Your Aer Lingus flight should arrive into the International Terminal #5, and your US Airways flight should depart from Terminal 2, but check your itinerary. When you arrive in O'Hare, follow the signs for the Airport Transit System, it's a monorail thing that connects the different terminals, so even though it's huge, it's also a very easy airport to get around. Good luck.

Like Myate, my experience with Chicago O'Hare was unhappy.

Arriving in Chicago from Dublin, the flight was on time and there was sufficient time to, like 26cb said, collect my bag and take it through security where all luggage was opened and examined in the owner's presence before re-checking my bag for the onward flight.

The problem arose on the return leg of the journey when the internal flight back TO Chicago was delayed (still not sure exactly why.) As the transfer time was tight, the one hour delay meant that there was little hope of making the flight to Dublin. After a frantic race through the airport corridors, I arrived in time to see the plane being pushed back from the gate.
American Airlines, who operated all the flights involved, were unhelpful and I was pretty much left to my own devices alone in Chicago in a heatwave before I got the flight to Dublin 24 hours later.

The airport itself was ok. You'll probably have to change from one terminal to another. You catch a train to do it. Just make sure there's enough transfer time included in your itinerary to allow for possible delays.

2 hours is tight IMO.

Firstly you have to wait for your bags to arrive, then queue to take them through customs, then change terminals, queue to check in, clear security and get to the gate. That's a lot to do in 1.75 hours.

Your biggest problem seems to me to be that you don't have a through ticket and are using 2 airlines with no alliance. This means that if something were to go wrong you could find yourself being bounced over and back between Aer Lingus and United.

My other worry would be that if there was any delay at baggage claim or customs you might miss the checked in luggage deadline for United.

Those are the things to watch out for, sorry to be so negative but as a frequent traveller through O Hare, it's important to remember that this is one of the busiest airports in the world and it's not all plain sailing.

Thanks again for all your advice. I called Travellers Aid in O'Hare and they think it should be fine because we clear immigration in Dublin so there should be no hanging around in Terminal 5 once I get the bags. They also said that Terminal 2 has the shortest security queues.

I fly into O Hare at least once a month with a 2 hour stop over on my way to New Mexico. If I fly with Air Lingus and then with American Airlines my bags will be checked right through.

Its a really easy Airport to get around esp when you have the trains from one terminal to another.

Have a good holiday.

HJT said:

I fly into O Hare at least once a month with a 2 hour stop over on my way to New Mexico. If I fly with Air Lingus and then with American Airlines my bags will be checked right through.

Click to expand...

Your baggage is only checked through because:
- EI and AA have an interline agreement
- you book through tickets (EI and AA on the same ticket - there's an extra charge in the ticket to cover the fact that you're connecting and they will be responsible for you if they miss the connection).

edit: oops New Mexico is not outside the US!

HJT - your bags will be checked through, but you still have to pick them up in Chicago and bring them through customs yourself. This takes time, especially if the luggage is delayed or a lot of planes have arrived around the same time and customs is backed up. It is important for Valhalla to know this and not to think that becuase the bags are checked through they don't have to do anything other than get to the gate.

z