Short Layover at ORD
 

I will be flying from LHR to ORD, then on to AUS and my layover is exactly 90 minutes. For most connections I would not consider 90 minutes to be a short connection. But because I'm coming from overseas I must get my luggage, clear customs, change terminals and clear security. I have only connected once through ORD and it seems like it took forever due to long lines at customs. What do you think my chances are? If it matters, I'm traveling on Tuesdsay, 4/18. I'll be arriving at ORD at 10:15am and departing for AUS at 11:45am. I'm hoping that mid-week travel will make the airport less busy. Your opinions are welcome, thanks.

You are fine. You will probably have enough time for a slice of Chicago pie.

You'll come in to terminal 5, go through immigration and customs, usually no more than 15-20 minute process. Drop off your checked luggage right outside the exit from customs, take the escalator upstairs to the airport train, take thatto your connecting terminal (I'm assuming it's AA), so it will be the first stop at terminal 3. Go through security and you're done. The entire process should not take more than 45 minutes, 1 hour at worst.

Have a great trip!

Thanks, AAFF, I knew you'd have the answer. I will be flying AA, so I'll make a note of this good info. :-)

It's the exact same information for any airline except for the stop - AA is is in the last Domestic terminal making it the first stop from the International terminal whereas United is in the first terminal at ORD making it the last stop when coming from International. (Pls note I usee the designation Domestic as this is where they land not where their International flights depart.)

I don't know how UA does it, but all AA international departures are from the domestic terminal 3, and arrivals are in international terminal 5.

AA does the same as UA - international arrivals in International and departures out of the main domestic terminal. (Who by the way is willing to give you points on UA if you chose to fly them over the water unlike AA's partners. What a surpirse when that happened to me after years of 'AA-only' attitude.)

Is that what you said in your earlier post?

It's only BA that does not give AA miles over the big pond,(few exceptions, to MAN when it's AA codeshare, you get few miles) but it's more to do with politics and the 2 airlines having a stranglehold over USA-London routes, not because they choose to do it.

UPDATE: The flight from LHR left 15 minutes early so it arrived early into ORD. When I got to ORD I thought at first something was wrong because the line for customs was almost empty. The whole process was a breeze and before I knew it I was safely at T3, eating Chicago pie and waiting for my flight to AUS. I even brought home some of that good Chicago pie so DH and I had it for dinner.

Thanks, AAFF. :-)

A little side note--on the outbound I left from DFW. The new Terminal D at DFW is REALLY nice!!