NYC to Chicago connection
 

Hi there! I'm Alex, and i'm planning a trip to USA with my parents for august. We've already booked the flight from Italy (where i live) to Chicago, Basically that's the plan: arriving in Chicago at 8.00 pm on the 7th of august, spend three nights there and then rent a car to go to Milwaukee (one night), Marquette (2 nights), Traverse City (one night), Detroit (2 nights), Niagara Falls (1 night), 1000 Islands (don't know yet where to sleep, anyway one night), Montreal (2 nights) , Quebec (3 nights), Portland, Maine (one night), Cape Cod (two nights), NYC (three nights), then back to Chicago to chatch the flight to Italy.
The questions are:
1) Is it convenient to rent the car in Chicago on the first day? I've been twice to NYC and we mainly used underground and taxis, but i'm not sure about Chicago. Consider it's the four of us, so the taxi is more convenient than the underground (usually)
2) The flight from Chicago leaves at 10pm. and we were planning to catch the JetBlue flight from NYC at 4.10 pm which arrives at Chicago ORD at 6.05 pm. I imagine we'll have to change terminal, and obvioulsy collect our luggages. Is there enough time to do that?
Thanks so much!
Alex

Don't rent a car for your Chicago stay. Wait until the last day. Chicago has great public transportation. Buy a 3 day visitor pass. I believe it's ~$20-25 per. Taxis are expensive. www.yourcta.com

You have plenty of time at O'Hare provided your JetBlue flight is on time. JetBlue does not interline with any major airlines, so you will have to collect your bags and leave the secure area and then check in with the airline that will take you home. You didn't say what airline is that so I can't help you with any instructions on how to get to that airline's terminal. http://www.flychicago.com/Ohare/OhareHomepage.shtm

Also, you will be renting a a car on a one-way basis. That may get somewhat expensive. Finally, you need to ask the rental company if they allow taking the car out of the country. They may, but that could be additional charge as well.

Have a great trip!

I'm flying with British Airways...sorry about that.
Have you ever cought a JetBlue flight? are they usually in time?
thanks ^_^

I'll be going fom terminal 2 to terminal 5, and it should be pretty esay. Thanks a lot!

Alex

Unfortunately JetBlue has one of the worst on time records, but with 4 hours you have some room. Once again, unfortunately JB and BA don't interline so if you do miss your return flight with BA, BA may and probably will make you pay for a new ticket to get home. That can get VERY expensive. If I were you I would plan on an earlier flight with JB at the very least or 1 more night in Chicago before your flight home just to be sure.

The airline itself is great. It's known for great proactive service. Live DirecTV on personal seat back screens. Newer planes. Nice service.

JB uses terminal 2, BA flights go out of international terminal 5. You will need to collect your bags, take a train from 2-5, check in and go through security. You should give yourself at least 2 hours to do the transfer. Hint: if you do arrive on time and everything goes smoothly, once you get to terminal 5 and after checking in you find yourself with couple of hours of free time, do not go through security. The air side in terminal 5 has very little to offer. The better restaurants and stores are land side.

btw, the 3 day pass for any CTA train and bus is only $14 per. The pass is good for 72 hours from the time of first use. That's the way to go. $56 is probably the amount you would spend just on a one way trip in a taxi from O'Hare to downtown. The Blue Line train will get you there in about 50-60 minutes. Depending on the traffic, it may be just as long or longer in a taxi.

I was right checking the pass fare! Cool, i'm definitely on the public transport.
About the taxi, i found this on google:

http://www.airwise.com/airports/us/ORD/ORDbytaxi2.html

Anyway, after a 17 hour trip and with all the luggages, i reckon we'll catch a taxi ^_^

I VERY much doubt that you have any chance of making that connection in Chicago. Flights from NYC are often late, esp in the afternoon. And for an international flight they will want you to check in 3 hours in advance. So - you're landing an hour after optimal check in time.

Once the plane lands you will have to find a jetway, deplane, trek through the airport (and O'Hare is huge), collect your luggage, get to the other terminal, wiat to check your luggage (may take 5 minutes, but 30 is more likely), get through the security line (again could be 10 minutes or could be 30) and then reace for the plane. To be safe, I would arrive in Chicago the night before. If you can;t do that I would take an early am flight out of NYC - no later than 8 am. (Since there are so many flights NYC to Chicago every day the airlines tend to cancel any that aren't full and move you to later flights - so don;t count on the flight you're ticketed on actually departing at all.)

I'll be landing in Chicago 4 hours before my plane leaves, that means one hour before optimal check in time.. ^_^ Is making my connection that impossible?
The probem for the day before is that it's a friday, and the flight i wanted to catch is at 8 pm, that means be at the airport by 6, leave the big Apple around 3 o'clock, considering my previous experiences with the tunnels in the rush hour.
And more, the flight costs something like 140 euro!

Could you not have made an open jaw flight leaving NYC back to Italy? Certainly there are flights from NY to Italy.

well yes, but it will cost loads. consider it's the four of us, and is gonna be a sort of budget holiday ^_^
the flight is already booked, i paid 550 euro each, round trip, and to make it open jaw it would have been at least four times what i paid.

What's done is done then. My only worry is what the others have said about your return to Chicago from NY. You do not say when you will be flying, but the weather can be very volatile in any season here what with thunderstorms, tornadoes even blizzards so without building in any kind of buffer between your already paid for return flight to Italy, and if you miss it then you will incur extra charges for another flight and you will have wished you bought that open jaw flight from NY.
The problem as expresed above by others is that you are not flying on one ticket from NY to Chicago and on to Italy. If you were, and your flight was delayed, and you missed your overseas flight, the airline would most likely reaccommodate you without additional expense on another flight. Since you bought separate tickets for the US domestic flights you are basically on your own and if you miss your flight your return ticket will be cancelled.
I would find another airline to fly from NY to Chicago and arrive early in the day so that you won't miss that return flight.

my return flight is at the end August, hopefully no thunderstorms... ^_^Anyway thanks to all for the precious suggestions ^_^

Sorry - August is prime time for thunderstorms and they often roll in during the afternoon hours when it's the hottest most humid. I've been delayed numerous times due to T storms - and when we had a meeting there about 1/3 of the attendees couldnt get in until the following morning due to flights cancelled due to the storm - or places being stuck in the wrong cities.

There are planes from NYC to Chicago at lest once an hour (considering all 3 airports). Can;t you just switch to an early morning flight?

Jetblue has 4 JFK-ORD a day. The OP is on the 3rd one, so there are two earlier flights. The OP can call to get a confirmed same day change, starting at midnight for $40; or they can call 24 hours before their original flight to put on a standby waitlist (but no guarantee) for free.

I'd keep an eye on the flight status and weather around the NYC area the day before (or even earlier). Like others have said, summer time delays in the NYC area can be horrible. 3-, 4-hour delays are extremely common.

Ouch...do you think the 1.42pm flight would be better? (lands in chicago at 3.30 pm)

Anyway, still thanks to all!!! ^_^

I would go for the 1:42. But me personally, I would arrive in Chicago the day before any international flight but thats me.
What airline are you flying home on? Jet Blue arrives in Terminal 2.

i'm flying with british airways, terminal 5. should be fine with the airtrain.. just a few minutes from one terminal to the other.

as posted by <b>nytraveler</b>

<i>And for an international flight they will want you to check in 3 hours in advance</i>,

Never heard of that. Airlines <b>suggest</b> 2-3 hours, but they will check you in 1 hour with luggage or even 45 minutes with carry on only.

<i>Since there are so many flights NYC to Chicago every day the airlines tend to cancel any that aren't full and move you to later flights</i>

please stop this urban legend.....