V-Flyer

Hope one of you frequent travellers to Chicago can help here.

Intending to use Chicago as our entry point to the USA in the summer (one of the few places I can get 4 PE reward flights during the summer hols). Scheduled arrival is 14.15 and I need to book onward flights further west to Salt Lake City. I have the option of a 4.30 or 6.30 departure but not sure if I'm brave enough to book the earlier one. Most of my Virgin travel is into Orlando where delays arriving appear to be the norm so anyone have any views about punctuality on this route and how long it takes to get your passport stamped?

P.S. Probably a brave question based on the earlier post about the service on this route on the last 2 days!

Thanks

Ian

Welcome to V-Flyer, Ian.

When we landed on the VS39 last May, we cleared Immigration very quickly. There were lots of gates open and O'Hare operates a single queue system, which is very well marshalled.

Having said that, O'Hare is a very busy airport, and there are lots of variables - including delays, staffing levels, how many international flights land just in front of you, and subsequent security queues.

Personally, I would be tempted to go for the later flight. It is only two hours later and it will cut down on the risk of problems.

The views of others may vary though.


Nick

Have to say, ORD is the ONLY airport in the US I'm comfortable booking tight connections within (even when they involve terminal changes).

Domestic, 30 mins is easily do-able. International, 1.5 hours will NORMALLY be more than enough time. Personally, I'd go with the 4.30. IF the flight takes off [:w] you should have no problem clearing ORD immigration/security in time.

Just one thing to check - these ARE through-checked bags, right? (one ticket?) Otherwise, it's out of security, re-check, back into security and the ORD lines to get IN to the gates can be hellish unless you have a Gold/Plat card with the domestic airline. [:?]



Also - bear in mind that US airlines are VERY good with standby. If the worst happens, you COULD get them to put you on the later flight. (Likewise, in fairness, if you get there early, they can also try and put you on the earlier one...)

Im not sure I would take the chance if the international and domestic legs are booked on seperate tickets. As youve seen, so many things can happen you cant control and arriving too late to check in for your onward flight would leave you with very little manouverability. To answer your question about immigration, all international flights to Chicago also arrive at one terminal so are not spread out like at JFK.

Before I went and booked the 1830 tickets I would at least look how much more flexible tickets for the 1630 flights would cost if you dont want to be hanging around the airport for another two hours if you dont need to.

Welcome to V-Flyer [y]

I too was though immgration at ORD in minutes with no waiting at all, but then I had to wait about 40 mins for luggage [n] [n]

Regards

Paul - I bow to your vast experience on transiting in the US. [y]

How do you go about clearing customs in the US, if your bags are checked through to your internal destination? Don't you have to reclaim them at your port of entry?

Nick

You clear immigration, then collect your bags, and then you clear customs. If you're on a connecting flight, right next to the customs area in ORD is a set of connections desks for the airlines - they can put your bag straight through from there. (The same applies in NYC, I don't *think* it exists in SFO international though). Basically, most airports have it.

If you're on a through ticket, they can check you from there, so you have that *little* extra margin for error, and the airline knows you're coming. Consider JFK, for example (ORD isn't anywhere near as bad) - it can take a good 20 minutes plus just to get from one terminal to the other. That can mean the difference between making check-in cutoff time or not.

It's only a small difference, since you DO have to claim your bag at the first point of entry, but it HAS saved my a$$ on more than one occasion...

Thanks. I live and learn. [:D]

Every time I have been to the US, we have always had at least one night at, or near, our port of entry; so I have never experienced that.

Nick

I arrived at ORD 29th Feb and was through customs within 10 minutes [y], but also had to wait 30 minutes for my bags to materialise [n]. There was only one other flight at our (scheduled) time of landing.

Also noticed the re-check area for the luggage as you go through.

Originally posted by preiffer
You clear immigration, then collect your bags, and then you clear customs. If you're on a connecting flight, right next to the customs area in ORD is a set of connections desks for the airlines - they can put your bag straight through from there. (The same applies in NYC, I don't *think* it exists in SFO international though). Basically, most airports have it.

SFO does have a bag re-check in the international terminal, you leave the Customs Hall through a different exit which brings you out on the back of the International Terminal. There are bag drops there for the main airlines at SFO (UA, etc), and from there are walkways to Domestic T1 and T3.

Mike

Originally posted by preiffer
You clear immigration, then collect your bags, and then you clear customs. If you're on a connecting flight, right next to the customs area in ORD is a set of connections desks for the airlines - they can put your bag straight through from there. (The same applies in NYC, I don't *think* it exists in SFO international though). Basically, most airports have it.

If you're on a through ticket, they can check you from there, so you have that *little* extra margin for error, and the airline knows you're coming. Consider JFK, for example (ORD isn't anywhere near as bad) - it can take a good 20 minutes plus just to get from one terminal to the other. That can mean the difference between making check-in cutoff time or not.

It's only a small difference, since you DO have to claim your bag at the first point of entry, but it HAS saved my a$$ on more than one occasion...

They also have it at IAD and when I arrived on a delayed flight I and my bags had already been booked on a later connecting flight as the onward flight was on the same ticket.

Also, as Mike says, I have seen but not used the bag re-check in SFO

Ian, a couple of months ago I had the same dilemma, arriving on the VS039 with a connection to Minneapolis - not on one itinerary either. I too went for a 6pm departure to MSP but as it transpired I would have made the 43opm easily.

I'm with Paul here - the only determinator is whether you're booked through and can recheck your bags immediately after customs.

Assuming the VS039 operates ([}:)] see other thread) and is on time, the security is a doddle at ORD and the interterminal transport very easy.

The last time we went to ORD, we landed and on to our connection within 50 mins and that included a terminal transfer and a ciggie break for the mother and mother-in-law.

Previous to that when we stayed in Chicago, we landed and in the taxi out of the airport within 30 mins.

LHR, JFK and EWR could take some notes on how to run an efficent immigration queue

I've only flown through ORD on American Airlines (arriving into T5 and departing T3, also on AA) and have always found immigration in T5 at ORD to be very fast and dare I say it, friendly. I would say that 90mins is probably enough time for an international to domestic connection, with terminal change at ORD, especially if your bags are checked through to your final destination.

James

Last time I used O'Hare, the immigration queue was two hours. Yes, exactly two hours not including the clear custom.

I won't take the chance to book 4:30 flight.

Edit: it was only a couple of months ago.