Anyone been through Chicago O'Hare Airport?

[Disbabe]

Have finally booked our flights - flying with United from LHR to MCO through Chicago O'Hare. This is our 3rd DIY Holday and the 3rd time we've been through a different airport! We've done Washington Dulles with United and through Philly with US Airways.
We're landing at Terminal 5 at O'Hare and take off from Terminal 1.

Have done a search and looking at the maps of the airport and can see they are connected with an ATS system.

Has anyone else done this route? What is the proceedure when you land with baggage? Do you pick it up and drop it off again in terminal 5 and it makes its way to terminal 1 or do we have to pick up and take with us across the ATS and drop it off in terminal 1? How long does it take to go through customs? How long to get from terminal 5 to 1? We've got a 3hr 55min stopover. I know this is going to be long enough but I remember going through different terminals at philly airport that were next door to each other and it was a mad rush with 2 1/2 hours. O'Hare's terminals are further apart and are actually completely seperate.

Any info greatfully received

 

[wayneg]

Not done AA from LHR but we use them from MAN, will be again on the 31st of this month so will try remember to update you with latest info (remeind me if I forget)

Flight : American Airlines 55 BOEING 757
Departure: MANCHESTER UK 8:55 AM TERMINAL 3 8HR 45MIN
Arrival: CHICAGO OHARE 12:40 PM TERMINAL 5 INTERNATIONAL

Flight : American Airlines 1400 MD-80
Departure: CHICAGO OHARE 3:10 PM TERMINAL 3 2HR 35MIN
Arrival: ORLANDO INTL 6:45 PM


Looks like we have a 2hr 30 min connection.

 

[tigger137]

As you've already survived a transit through Dulles, O'Hare should be a breeze!

After going through Immigration in T5 you'll need to collect your bags to go through Customs but then you'll hand them straight back. It's generally just a short walk down a corridor into the area where you hand them back. They should already be tagged for MCO.

O'Hare is a very busy airport but usually pretty well set up in Immigration the only time we've experienced much of a wait is when I was pulled for 'secondary screening'. And even that wouldn't have been so bad if the Immigration Officer had been concentrating more on his job than on the fact that their lunch (Chinese takeaway) had just been delivered. But he was heavily armed (as all Civil Servants should be ) so I refrained from comment, and waited until his colleague asked why I'd been sitting there so long and showed him what he should have done.

Customs takes no time at all, it's just a case of walking past the desk and handing your form in.

The train transit at O'Hare is quick and efficient, and I think even from T5 to T1 should only take a few minutes. You will, of course, have to go through security when you arrive at T1, and that will probably be your longest wait of all. But security at the domestic terminals is very well set up (unlike T5 which is dreadful). With your transit time you shouldn't have any problems at all and will hopefully have some time to relax in T1 before your next flight.

All the O'Hare terminals (except T5) are user-friendly, with places to eat, drink and shop, and plenty of seating with views outside. Except for flying out of T5 (which I'd never do again if I could possibly help it), I always enjoy travelling through O'Hare. It is an excellent airport, completely different to Dulles.

 

[Disbabe]

Thanks Tigger137 - excellent information and answered all my questions

I don't remember that much about Dulles other than taking about an hour to get through immigration and there being lots of people in the queue who were complaining that they were going to miss connecting flights! Luckily we left a 3hr window

 

[disneyholic family]

it all works except when the train between terminals doesn't work.
that happened when we were there....

if the train doesn't show up for a long time, ask the low wage, low IQ, low interest airport worker standing nearby what's up and maybe you'll get an answer.

i'm not a fan of o'hare, but it's not the worst of the possible places to connect.

by the way, United has an excellent business lounge in o'hare if you happen to be stuck there for any length of time...

 

[Kath2003]

Done it several times (without baggage). The train can take seemingly forever to rock up to take you between terminals but 3.5 hours should be fine. I did it in 1.5 hours - though it did involve a sprint through the terminal (took over an hour to get through immigration, but that was back in 2008). It's probably one of the best airports to connect through.

 

[MichelinMan]

Transfers at Ohare are a doddle. Did it once many years ago en-route to Austin with no problems.

I went to Chicago in June this year. Immigration was about 20 mins. Much better than Orlando.