Going through customs at O'Hare or Dallas/Ft. Worth - opinions?
 

Starting to plan autumn/winter travel between west coast U.S. and Europe. Flying American with a choice of connections. How's the customs/immigration situation at either O'Hare and/or Dallas Fort Worth? I'm familiar with going through JFK, is it comparable? Many thanks.

What are you trying to smuggle back? If you give us more details, maybe we could help.

My question is: what is the ease of connection between the immigration/customs area and domestic flights. At JFK, the terminals are set up so that one often has to run to make a connecting flight after clearing customs - so, a layover of one and a half hours is barely enough time. Any serious answers to a sincere question?<BR>Thank you.

Not familiar w/DFW, but ORD's international terminal is set apart from the others with an overhead tram to take you around the airport. I couldn't tell you how quickly they process you there, but on principle I always allow a minimum 2 hr. layover in ORD, even for domestic flights, just to cope with weather or other delays. In the past 2 months, I have been glad I did that on 2 separate occasions.<BR><BR>As a matter of distance, I would think you'd want to do the US-Europe link through O'Hare anyway. (Consider maybe going through Boston -- the BOS-Europe trip is quite short.)

It usually takes less than 30 minutes to go through customs and immigration at DFW; O'Hare tends to take longer quite a bit longer. At DFW when you exit, you are in the unsecured portion of the terminal but it should not take more than twenty minutes to get to any other AA gate. At O'Hare, you are at a satellite terminal and transfer to the main concourse can be time-consuming, especially on a crowded day. DFW is easier and faster.

I prefer DFW. C&I seems to flow faster. There is a connection security entry into the terminals at the top of the escalator which is faster than ORD - IMO.<BR><BR>For me, routing via DFW from Europe also results in more FF miles.

I'd avoid DFW at all costs -- hate sprinting through that terminal. Haven't done the international thing there, but if you emerge into an unsecured area, that means you have to go back through another security line, no?<BR><BR>Anyone know if changing terminals at ORD means you have to go through a second security check?<BR><BR>I'm guessing the last two posters are from Texas and the previous one from Illinois, because they sound so 'loyal.'<BR><BR>I'm from NC, just prefer ORD to go west, even with some of the hassles there. Will note that if "lizbeth" plans travel in the depths of winter (or anytime after about Nov. 20), weather problems tend to be greater at ORD than at DFW, which is an argument for the DFW connection.

Weeeeyurd:<BR><BR>Usually when I "guess" I'm wrong also. Not from Texas or Chicago but have traveled many times via ORD and DFW on international travel - which is the question here.<BR><BR>All international arrivals into the U.S. that are not transiting to another COUNTRY, clear customs and immigration at the first port of entry. All airports that I've experienced then exit you outside of the connecting terminal security check point.<BR><BR>ORD you must take the train/tram back to the main terminal and clear security with all the other originating passengers. My experience has been it takes anywhere from 15 minutes to 45 minutes after customs to clear security.<BR><BR>DFW has a security entrance that is primarily used by arriving international passengers that I've found rarely crowded. I've also found the AA TRAM and moving walkways to be helpful. 15 minutes is about an average time after customs for me. No doubt it can be a hike but only if you want it to be.