Planning to fly into Chicago O'Hare from Madrid this September on American Airlines. The layover before American has a flight connecting to my US destination is 6 1/2 hours. United has a flight that only requires a 3 1/2 hour layover. After I clear customs upon arrival at O'Hare, is there a United ticket counter right there where I can get check in for United flight and check luggage to final US destination without having to go to the domestic check-in counter? If I need to go to domestic check-in counter, I will just fly American. When staying on same airline, bags are checked all the way through to destination so usually just place luggage back on the belt without needing to speak with an agent. Thanks.
Posted by
Twin Cities, Minnesota
1948 posts
When I have flown international to or from Europe, since domestic are in other terminals, I have had to take a light rail or a bus to the domestic terminal and check my bag again. But, lately, I've only been doing carryon if I have to go through ORD. I don't fly United. It was either Aer Lingus or American, I think.
Posted by
Chicago
8123 posts
there is a United counter right after you exit customs in terminal five where you will arrive.
If you are just trying to avoid a checkin line you could check in online before you arrive and then try to see if they will check the bag there for you; or just use the self service bag drop in terminal 1 where all United flights leave from
Posted by
150 posts
Just before you go out the exit door and into terminal five there will be someone there to take your baggage. You will not miss it.
Posted by
Chicago
592 posts
After leaving the secure area for Immigration and Customs with your baggage,
you will next come to a baggage drop-off area (I don't think it's technically a
check-in counter). Each airline has its own desk.
To check-in for the flight and get your boarding pass, I would expect that to
be doable online.
Assuming both your flights are on the same ticket, the bags should be tagged
to final destination in Madrid, so whichever airline you connect to, you should
be able to go over to the baggage desk and drop off your bags. You will then
exit the area, take the people mover train to domestic terminal 1 (for UA) or 3
(for AA) and clear security again.
I believe that the bus you may read about between Intl terminal (5) and domestic
terminals will not be of use in your case, as it departs from inside the terminal 5
secure area and you will exit it to reclaim your bags. You can potentially go
back through security in T5 and take the bus, but at that point it's not much
different than the regular situation.
Posted by
86 posts
We were just there. Is your bags going to be checked all the way through? sounds like you have 2 separate tickets? For us we went thru customs/immigration (have no clue what it is called), we got off the plane and since we have global entry, we went to the computer to scan our face. Others waited in line. Then, we went to the luggage claim area and got our bag. Then you walk through another area with your bag. I believe they do random checks. We had a special screening because my husband forgot to eat his apple. Since, Chicago was not our final destination after you walk through the doors you drop your bag off to be sent to your final destination. Then, you take a tram to the domestic side of the airport and go through security to get into the domestic side. The tram lets you off where you would normally check in for flight.
Posted by
1 posts
After clearing customs at O'Hare, you'll need to re-check your luggage with United if you're switching airlines. There isn't a United ticket counter immediately after customs; you'll have to transfer to a different terminal. With a 3 1/2 hour layover, it might be tight. If you prefer a smoother connection, sticking with American Airlines, which checks bags through to your final destination, is a safer bet. Safe travels!
Posted by
Chicago
592 posts
I have to comment on the last reply from travelthrucon, which I think is a bit
ambiguous or unclear.
First off, something I didn't pick up on earlier - OP's ORD-MAD flight may have an AA
flight number, but it's on Iberia. Unless you're connecting in Philly or Dallas.
In which case the whole question from OP is irrelevant.
Second, the comment that AA will check your bags through to final destination
is ambiguous. If both flights are on the same ticket, AA or IB will tag the bags
with both the 1st and the 2nd flights, which is how you can simply drop the bags
at the baggage recheck counter in ORD intl terminal without having to do anything
else.
The comment about a smoother connection is basically irrelevant. You have to pick
up your bags at ORD Intl terminal after your first flight no matter what, take them over
to the bag drop counter in the terminal and recheck, and then go to either the AA
or UA domestic terminal and clear security again. It's the same procedure either way.
The comment about not having a UA ticket counter after customs, while correct,
should be irrelevant, as OP can check in for the domestic segment of their itinerary
online. And in the worst case, you can go to a kiosk to get a paper boarding pass
and 99% of the time you don't have to stand in line to do that. And you will be
walking right past the kiosks on your way to the security line in either domestic
terminal.
All of this assumes both flights are on the same ticket. From the way OP's original
post reads, the flights have not been purchased yet. So after all this, if the flights
are purchased on two separate tickets, good luck, the process will be more complicated.