International Transfers at O'Hare

[JerseyGirl2]

Posted: 12/21/11 at 5:25pm

Is it REALLY as much of a nightmare as I am hearing. We're transferring from Copenhagen to Nashville, from Scandinavian to American and then back the same way three weeks later, but with a PUPPY! We have a 2.5 hour layover each time, but I am reading that you need at least three hours. Apparently you have to go through customs security, back out for the train to your terminal and then back through domestic security.

Anyone had any experiences to share?!

[DRSisLove]

Posted: 12/22/11 at 1:50am

I'm not sure about O'Hare, but that's how it is when I've had international connections (JFK, Boston, Atlanta). You go through passport control, get your bags, then customs. THEN, you basically exit the airport, and recheck in. If you have a quick connection, though, they TRY and help.

[James885]

Posted: 12/22/11 at 9:38am

Yeah, I've never done an international/domestic connection at O'Hare either, but I've done it at the airports in Los Angeles and Charlotte and both times they made us clear customs first, claim our bags, re-check them at another kiosk and then exit to the main concourse to go back through security.

At LAX, they pulled the folks who had a quicker connection time out of line and sent them to a shorter, faster line. At Charlotte, they made no such attempt, but had agents standing by to re-book people who missed their connections.

[Broadwayboobs]

Posted: 12/22/11 at 9:47am

I always find O'Hare to be a nightmare for Domestic. I can't even imagine International. JG2, you should look into Global Entry for the future.

[Elphaba]

Posted: 12/22/11 at 11:02am

no, not as bad as you hear (especially going...we flew from here to O'Hare and then transfered to an Iberia flight to Madrid (ending in Naples). You just take their little train from one terminal to the next. Coming back, you have to pick up your bag, go through Customs, and drop off your bag to be transferred (sounds more confusing than it is). Then for some ridiculous reason you go through Security again, but it's not the main Security, it's only for incoming foreign flights that are transferring... We only do carry-on now, so we don't have to wait for our bag before Customs. We've done 4 round-trip European flights in the past 12 months, and never had a problem...

[Elphaba]

Posted: 12/22/11 at 11:06am

of course having said all of the above, I would much rather fly through Dallas or San Francisco...LA sucks cause if you say fly to LA to catch an international flight, you leave the terminal and go outside to take a bus to the international terminal and completely go through full security again....ridiculous when you just went through it an hour prior at your home airport

[JerseyGirl2]

Posted: 12/22/11 at 3:07pm

Thanks so much, guys. We usually transfer in Toronto, so it's bad, but not a nightmare. Scandinavian Air seems to like O'Hare. I am hoping next time we'll fly into New York and spend a few days before traveling on.

[~FloweryFriend~]

Posted: 12/22/11 at 4:43pm

The worst connection I've had was at Miami International. O'Hare isn't great, but it isn't horrible.

It's not just an O'Hare thing. Every airport I've made an international connection in has made you go back through security. It's because on the international flight, you were checked by a different country, according to that country's standards. Once you're in the USA going on a domestic flight, you have to be checked in according to the standards of the USA.

It's a pain in the neck, and I hate it. But I understand why they do it.