I'm going to Maine next week (yay!), but am concerned about my flight back home to Seattle on the 21st. I booked on Expedia, and my return flight starting in Portland, connecting at O'Hare has been moved back half an hour, leaving me 45 minutes to connect once I get to O'Hare.

I think the odds are with me, that my 3:50 pm flight out of O'Hare will be delayed, but with that tight a connection, there is a chance I could miss it if my originating flight is late.

So, all you experienced travellers, IF I'm stranded in O'Hare, what's the best way to get home? I've heard that you don't get in line, but rather call the Airline (Alaska). Since I booked through Expedia, should I call them? OR should I just get in line to get on a new flight? I just want to be prepared, so thanks for your advice!

sgirlie, you don't think 45 minutes is enough time to connect? Are you connecting to the same airline that you're taking into O'Hare? If so, be sure to tell the airlines that you're worried, and see what they say.

I think you need to deal with the airlines not expedia. One thing you might want to do is check on what are the flights to Seattle that you can take if you miss yours. And not just on your airline but on others.

Connecting from America West to Alaska. And my concern is if my originating flight is late, which I'm assured it usually is, that the 45 minutes will be further diminished, making for a missed connection.

I don't know Ohare at all. It can be a problem to connect to a different carrier because they wont cooperate with each other. But you shouldn't call Expedia, rather call the airlines if you call anybody.

Have you checked to see if there are later flights on Alaska to Seattle? The day before you leave you could go on-line to see what sort of availability there is on these later flights and that way you'll know how much leverage the airline has to work with you. But it is really up to them. Go to the gate and smile a lot.

Check the layout for Ohare so you know where you're going. And...run like hell!

That's the best advice I can offer.

Alaska is Terminal 3, America West is Terminal 2 according to the O'Hare info guide. That would definitely require more time to connect - unless one of these is a code share. Are you saying you booked these two flights independently and not together? You aren't checking bags, are you?

The good news for you: PWM is a small airport, so if there is some sort of weather delay there, you have a good chance to get to ORD near on-time. Don't count on you connecting flight out of ORD being delayed, though. In May, I connected in ORD but was delayed out of Newark due to a thunderstorm. My plane leaving ORD left right on time, so I missed it and got stuck overnight (no free hotel) at O'Hare.

Suggestions: do research on outbounds leaving Chicago-Seattle that leave after yours, on American, Alaska, or other partners of your original airline. So if you miss your connection, you'll know what other options you might have to get back to Seattle that night. You can usually standby same-day for free on most airlines for later flights. On partners, you might be able to get on a code share flight. With Alaska, those could be AA or Continental flights.

Of course, don't check a bag if can help it! Do carry-on all the way.

Any way you can take an earlier flight out of PWM, maybe free via standby, to give yourself more time in ORD?

Andrew

I don't believe America West serves PWM-ORD. If you bought through Expedia then you'll likely be on American Eagle, a part of American Airlines, and a "codeshare" flight with an Alaska AL flight number. Both will use T3 at ORD, and your bags will be checked through. If your flight from PWM is delayed slightly, no biggie. If it's delayed big time, AS will probably just put you on the next SEA departure at 5:50 PM.

Gardyloo gives good advice. In addition, you don't need to do anything UNTIL you miss, if you even do so, the connection...if you do then you go to Alaska and they'll arrange to move you on the next available flight.

Tandoori Girl:

"smile a lot"
"run like hell"

Excellent advice, in this, and many other situations.

And I'll bet they don't call you Litespeed for nothing, heeheeheehee.

I've done an OJ through O'Hare Airport and it wasn't fun.

Call your airline. I think there is a minimum connect time with that airport and it seems to me it is 60 minutes.

I believe she is on AA 4274 (Eagle) PWM-ORD arr. 3:07 PM connecting to AA 6973 ORD-SEA dep. 3:50 PM, the latter actually being AS 063, carrying both flight numbers. No sweat.