ORD Terminal 5 to 3
 

Arriving ORD Terminal 5 from London Heathrow next Saturday at 13.50

I have to book a connecting flight to Columbus.

First option is an AA flight leaving Terminal 3 at 15.15

In view of current problems in ORD do I have sufficient time?

Would I be able to book my luggage all the way through to Columbus or would I have to pick it up at Terminal 5?

As I will be flying business from London and first to Columbus does this make a difference? I do not have an American passport or Green card.

I think you will almost have to re-claim your luggage and go through Customs after having cleared Immigration. Because of your access to that luggage that means another go through Security.

If you are thinking of booking a flight on American to Columbus that means almost undoubtedly it will also be a British codeshare. If it IS, can you book the flight through BA and get it onto your transatlantic itinerary? If you do that and for some reason you miss the Columbus flight I suspect it might be easier to make a later segment.

Don't worry because somebody here is going to "know" this and will comment after they emerge from their mound of spredsheets used to count all their frequent flyer miles LOL.

The good news is that AA has several ORD-CMH flights a day, the bad news would be missing your flight because of a security line and waiting for AA to get you on a later flight

imo- Choose something after 4pm or even 5pm

When you arrive at T5, you will proceed through immigration/passport control, then claim your bags. To exit the arrivals hall, you will pass through two sets of doors. Between the first and second set, you'll see desks for American and all the other airlines.

Drop your bags there and the agent will make any necessary changes to your connecting flight. Then, head upstairs and take the tram to T3.

First: You need to see if you're going to have to go in and out of the secured area.

If yes, that means you have to go through TSA control at T3 and it's at the TSA checks that O'Hare has its "current problems."

Second: you should never book less than 2.5 to 3 hours for transfer time in the US if you're coming off an international flight and you're not an American. Non-EU arriving passengers in the EU and non-UK arrivals in the UK take longer in those airports to clear customs. No difference.

Actually it's Immigration that takes longer for non US citizens - not customs.

But agree that you need more time - even if you can check your luggage all the way through you still have to go through Immigration on landing and a lengthy security line for your next flight.

I would think even 3 hours is cutting it fine.

As has been said, the immigration line for non US citizens is typically long and slow moving at Ohare. There are very busy times when many international flights are arriving at about the same time, from all over the world.

After immigration you will collect your luggage and proceed to the customs line. This line does move much quicker. Hand over your customs form and walk through the first set of automatic doors. Here you will see airline counters for dropping off your checked bag going on to Columbus.

Go through the next set of automatic doors and head straight for the escalator up to the airport shuttle. Terminal 3 will be the first stop when leaving terminal 5. You will find a long security line, no doubt, but supposedly things are going to get better.....we shall see about that. Once through security you can find your gate, or proceed to an AA counter to see about a missed connection.

I would agree with allowing a minimum of 3 hours between international arrival and domestic flight to Columbus. Ohare isn't a very fun airport to have to spend time, but I would rather be safe than sorry...and possibly stuck over night due to a too-short connection time.

Hope this helps.

Carol

Yeah, I'm using "customs" as a catch-all because the time it takes to arrive in the country ends with clearing customs.

You're not American, you're not getting through in 85 minutes. Even if you were American, no one would advise you to book an 85 minute transfer at O'Hare or any other major US international arrival airport. I wouldn't even advise it at the two big ones in Texas, which have historically been far quicker than most.