customs

In Chicago, you'll arrive at the international terminal, where you'll go through passport control, retrieve your bags & go through customs (basically just a walk-through). Then you'll have to recheck your bags and change terminals (there is a shuttle train between terminals) to get to your domestic Chicago to New Orleans flight. Then you'll have to go through another security check before you board your New Orleans flight. It sounds like a lot, but O'Hare generally has a lot of agents on duty and people get processed pretty fast. Yes, really. The shuttle stop in the International terminal can be a bit hard to find; follow the signs carefully and ask anyone who doesn't look lost. With 1 1/2 hours, I think you'll be OK. You didn't say when you were traveling; if it's snowing at O'Hare all bets are off.

Generally you go through U.S. customs when you first land in the U.S. Therefore you would collect your luggage in Chicago, go through customs, recheck your luggage and then continue on to New Orleans.

You'll go through custom in chicago. It's a little tight and weather may not work with you. This is the stop you'll have to run as quickly as you can to beat the traffic at the custom and hope for as few stupid quesitons as possible.

Their first US stop is in Kentucky (Frankfort).

tks for the advice......we will be traveling in May so no snow probs in Chicago..........our other alternative is to fly from Istanbul to Munich then onto Newark instead of Chicago; however we have only 40 minutes in Munich to get to our flight to Newark...........but then we will not have to find our way around the larger airport in Frankfort (Germany, not Colorado)........but we would have 1 1/2 hours in Frankfort vs 40 minutes in munich.............neither is great...........once we would get to Newark we have 1 1/2 hours to go through customs and catch our flight to New Orleans............

merle, if your stopover is in Germany than the airport would be Frankf urt and not Frankf ort.

Thanks, Beatrix for setting him straight. I tried but it didn't take. Frankfort is only a city in Kentucky; Frankfurt is the city with the largest airport in continental Europe. First, if you are connecting from Istanbul, other than on Lusthansa, Munich might not be your best option. Flights on airlines other than Lufthansa come in one Terminal 1, which is quite a distance from Terminal 2 used by Lufthansa. Flights in Frankfurt use different terminal too, but they are closer and better set up for changes. Second, I would do anything to avoid using Newark. Chicago is much more efficient at handling international to domestic flights.

Merle - On your return flight you are far better off with a 90-minute turnover in Frankfurt than a 40-minute turnover in Munich. On your outbound flight, I think an 80-minute turnover in Frankfurt is adequate. I'm presuming you're flying on a single ticket, which means your luggage will be checked all the way through to Athens and you won't have to bother with it in Frankfurt. You'll already have your boarding pass for the Athens flight, so all you'll have to do after the passport line is find your gate and go through another security check. My advice is relax, I think your whole itinerary is OK.

Thank you all for your responses to my first inquiry. I have another question. Do you think I can make a very close connection in Frankfurt Germany arriving at 4:40 p.m and departing for Athens at 6 p.m. I understand the Frankfort airport is difficult! This is on a Sunday in May.

I think you need to ask your second question in a new post. It gets lost in the thread. This said, I think you are really setting yourself up for trouble with only an hour and 10 minutes to make your connection. It takes at least 15 minutes to de-plane, often longer. Then you're running madly through huge airports to find your connecting flight. Plus you and your luggage may need to be screened again. Finally, any little delay in your initial departure, of which there are always many, will ensure you miss all your connections. Then what? It's not worth it. Why are you doing this to yourself? It's very different than catching a connecting train.

One more thought re Istanbul to Germany to the U.S. Check to see what security and customs will be needed when you come to from Turkey to Germany. You are entering the E.U. at that point, and usually there is a "non-EU" line and an "EU member" line. Non-EU, which you will be in, might be long. Also, the screening for flights to the U.S., particularly coming from the Middle East, is likely to be QUITE thorough: questions, rigorous inspections, scanning, etc.

As a transfer passenger entering Germany/EU he won't have to go through immigration. One simply follows the signs to the gate. There will be multiple security screenings; probably three: -the general security screening every transfer passenger has to pass through. -a security check to enter the section of the terminal that handles flights to the US.
-a final security screening at the gate

This past autumn we flew, on Lufthansa, SFO to Frankfurt to Istanbul and Athens to Munich to SFO. I can't remember if it was on the outbound or return part of our trip - - probably outbound - - that the airport procedure seemed a mess. Hundreds of people arriving into a small area; very poor signage to indicate where tranferring passengers should go; and curt, unhelpful airport personnel. Since we were on LH all the way, I assumed the 1.5 hour connection would be okay (it was); but if you need to change terminals, I think you're cutting it very close.

You guys are great........I will not risk the Munich to Newark leg but instead go through FRANKFURT. Thanks for all the helpful, insightful advice. My husband and I are looking forward to our Athens/Istanbul trip in May. Thanks!

"On your return flight you are far better off with a 90-minute turnover in Frankfurt than a 40-minute turnover in Munich" Munich Airport specializes in, and the terminals specifically designed for, tight turnovers. The airport's "claim to fame" is that anyone traveling anywhere in the world can make a 30 minute layover.