Rules for switching airlines for late international arrival at ORD

Is it all on one ticket purchased from AA?

How much time is there between flights?

As Delta and AA are in different 'alliances' there is no reason I can think of that AA would buy you a Delta flight.

If all on one ticket, putting your checked bag back on a belt is a 10 second chore.

My one experience at ORD arriving from overseas was fine. The rechecking luggage was super easy. There was a small hall were passengers claimed luggage then put it on the next belt. Took about 5 minutes. We had about 45 minutes and were hustling. Then United had equipment issues & we waited hours. We would have been fine otherwise

To joe32F...Thanks for the reply. Yes, it is all on one ticket. Only 2 hours and 15 minutes between flights. Yes, correct, AA and Delta are different alliances. Wishful thinking on my part that AA would transfer my ticket to Delta even with a change fee but thought I'd ask. Rechecking a bag means to me the time it takes to find it at the baggage claim as the part of the time too.

To Mark McG...thanks for the reply. That makes me feel more confident from your experience.

Chances of getting AA to switch your ticket to Delta are exactly zero. AA and Delta are direct competitors, it would be like returning your Ford truck and asking the dealer to give you a Chevy instead.

If there is a schedule change (quite possible between now and July) then you have the opportunity to ask for a different flight(s), more to your liking. If you miss your connections because of a late arrival, they'll accommodate you on the next available flight (unless you have bought separate tickets).

Yes, the retrieving and rechecking the bag is a wildcard, even with Global Entry, that would just mean you stand as everyone else from the regular line arrives and you all wait for your bag.

No they will not switch you to Delta, 2:15 is a reasonable window, otherwise they would not have allowed the ticket, and I assume that this is the original ticket, no changes were made by AA? So basically, when you bought the ticket, you agreed.

I would keep an eye on the itinerary, I have a April/May ticket on Delta, that has changed probably 4 times in as many months, usually only by minutes, but once that added several hours to a layover.

At least you know that they will get you on the next flight if you miss the connection. It is worth it to know what other flights, both AA and other carriers, are available, and if there is a Delta flight, if they cannot get you home the same day, and that flight is available, then that is the time to push for a Delta ticket.

An Edit, just for clarification: In the event an airline cannot reasonably accommodate you, in the example above...if the OP misses the connection and there are no additional flights that day to their home airport, then AA may very well put them on a Delta flight if there is space available. It has happened to me before, and it probably happens more than you think, especially when dealing with regional airports. It is however an option of last resort for the airline, and timing and available seats have to work out. You are also more likely to get that option if you have FF status, or at least there will be a pecking order to who gets switched.

What is your final destination?

2:15 is ample time to make the connection assuming you are on a US passport or have a Green card. Sometimes the lines for those with foreign passports can be long.

Here is my experience at ORD from early January arriving from Brussels - plane parked at the very furthest gate in the Intl terminal
- 5 mins to deplane (yours may be longer depending on how far back you are in the aircraft)
- 10 mins walk to get to immigration (because of where the aircraft parked)
- 1 min getting through GE
- 2 mins to walk out of Customs
- 5 mins to wait for the train
- 5 min train ride to Terminal 1 (UA)
- 5 min to get through Security (TSA Pre)

In summary, I would think you should be able to make it to your departing gate in 1 hour easily if you are on a US passport

Looks like Arnold had no checked luggage. Waiting for luggage to come off the carousel is usually the longest time factor.

If at all possible, travel light and carry on your luggage.

Waiting for luggage at baggage claim is often the difference in making the next flight on time. And I don't hold ORD in high regard as an airport.

Thank you to all that responded. Yes, 2:15 is likely enough but I think there is a definite possibility of a delay in the sequence of 9 steps (according to O'Hare info in the link below) to be on time for the next flight. I've seen too many international connections scheduled by airlines I thought were too short when looking at fares to have confidence they always know what they are doing. But the real life experiences as replies to my post give me some confidence.

https://www.flychicago.com/ohare/myflight/international/pages/default.aspx

Supposedly AA "closes" the door at 15 minutes before departure as a company policy from somewhere I read earlier.
Travelling light is always best for several reasons but I will need to check one bag this time.
My final destination is Huntsville, AL. (HSV) Not anyone's hub. Does it matter what the final destination is?

Supposedly AA "closes" the door at 15 minutes before departure as a company policy from somewhere I read earlier.

I believe this is standard across the industry, maybe even by federal regulation. Flight attendants aren't on the clock (except for Delta) until the doors close, so they cant do their pre-flight work until he doors are shut.

Airlines like to close doors early but that is predominantly because they want to claim an on time departure. My experience is mainly with United and I’ve seen them delay the last flight of the day umpteen times for late connecting passengers. I can’t talk to what AA actually does n practice

I was just checking the American flight schedules to see if there ere any other flights to Huntsville. Looks like you are on the 6:20 pm flight, which is the last one of the day. So if you miss it, you will just have to spend the night in Chicago and take the 11:45 am flight the following day.

Delta flight is a connection through Atlanta departing at 5:55 pm, getting to Huntsville at 10:24 pm. Delta does leave from Terminal 5 now, so that saves some time taking the train to the other terminal. I don't know if you have to go through security again. They moved Delta, Southwest, Frontier to Terminal 5 just a few months ago and I don't know if you can go from the exit from customs to departure level without going through security again. The security lines at Terminal 5 have been a nightmare since they moved domestic carriers into Terminal 5, which was formerly exclusively international flights.

Choose a seat as close to the front of the plane as possible so you can get off quickly. Use the restroom on the plane before landing so you don’t have to stop. Walk briskly, you’ll likely do just fine. If a flight delay causes you to miss your connection AA puts you up for the night and will ge you on the next days flight.

Download MPC to your phone. We used it when arriving in Seattle and were able to wait in a much shorter line, very similar in length to the Global Entry line. I'm not sure if that will be the case in ORD, but it can't hurt and it's free.

https://www.cbp.gov/travel/us-citizens/mobile-passport-control

My final destination is Huntsville, AL. (HSV) Not anyone's hub. Does it matter what the final destination is?

Yes -- because if you arriving into Atlanta, there would be more flights still going to Huntsville than there are likely to be from ORD. Likewise, if your final destination was somewhere in the Midwest or Upper Midwest, there will be more options from ORD.

This is because most U.S. airlines (and certainly AA, United, Delta) operate on a hub-and-spoke system.

I'm a firm believer in not worrying about something until you have something to worry about. In this instance, there is probably something like a 98% chance you will make your connection. Don't sweat the 2%. I went on a trip to Austria in May with a buddy who spent most of our 2-week trip worrying about testing positive for COVID-19 on his pre-return test (and getting stuck in Europe)... it ruined his trip... and of course he tested negative and happily returned to the US without incident.

If you do not have global entry, then you can use the Mobile Passport Control app on your phone for customs at ORD. You upload your information, fill out the customs form on the app, and then use the QR code to scan and go through a typically very short line.
I now have global entry, but I would always be amazed at how many people did not take advantage of MPC.
2.5 hours will be OK in Chicago. I would not worry too much. Just enjoy your vacation, if you don't make the connection, plan to stay in Chicago and get the morning flight out.