I live in the chicago suburbs. I have a friend travelling from Dublin Ireland, to Phoenix AZ, who has a layover of about 2 hours at O'Hare this week. I would *love* to be able to visit with her during that time, but am not sure how it all works, these days, with security & International flights.
Will she & her family be confined to an area where they can't mingle with the Chicago populace? Will I be able to go in by her, or her come out by me?
2007-11-05 04:34:47 · 3 answers · asked by Maureen 7 in Travel ➔ Air Travel
FYI - I just got this reply from O'Hare information email contact:
"She will need to clear customs in Terminal 5 - that will take anywhere from 20 minutes to over an hour. She will then need to take the ATS from Terminal 5 to Terminal 3 and go through security to get to her gate area.
It is hard to say how long it will take her to clear customs and how long it will take her to clear security in Terminal 3.
You will have the time in between to see her, but will not be able to wait with her at her departure gate."
2007-11-05 05:46:29 · update #1
Two hours is not a very long time as they will need to check in for their flight.
Every time I travel from the United Kingdom to O'Hare enroute to Denver, it as always been possible for passengers to check-in and get their boarding cards and then come outside of the Terminal. There is nothing stopping them, so you will be able to meet your friend, you just will not be allowed to go through the security screening when she goes to board.
Just find out which Terminal (either 2 or 3) your friend will be flying out of (O'Hare to Arizona) and plan to meet outside the main doors as it is less crowded. Outside there will be the yellow line and then barriers beyond the pavement, easy to spot people.
Just be aware that as she only as two hours, she will not have a long period of time 20-30minutes at the most as she will have to go through screening and security, which depending on how busy it is could take 40-50minutes.
Realistically - I doubt she would have even 20-30 minutes. Take into account, reclaiming baggage, transferring terminals, checking in, the long security line, the walk to the gate - this could all take the best part of an hour at O'Hare.
2007-11-05 04:52:37 · answer #1 · answered by CPG 7 · 1⤊ 1⤋
With the way the security lines are and the delays in and out of O'Hare airport in Chicago and the fact that she may have to transfer from one terminal to another or the incomming flight might be many gates away from the outgoing flight then two hours realisticly will leave very little time for her to do anything and also now with the security measures you cannot go out to the departing gate area since you do not have a ticket for a flight. Perhaps if she had at east a four or five hour layover then maybe she would be able to come out of the transit area and see you and then she would have to go back through the long security check-in line again.
Under the best of circumstances there would be very little time factoring in the fact that most flights arrive late and that leaves even less time for her to be able to meet you.
I hope this will help you in making your decision to go to the airport or not.
2007-11-05 04:51:04 · answer #2 · answered by eimittaa 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
If she is checked all the way through to Phoenix she will not be allowed out of the secured check point. If she has to check in for the flight when she arrives in Chicago, she'll probably have 20 minutes to visit with you. (once she claims her luggage, goes thru customs and stands in line to check in for next flight, then security.)
2007-11-05 04:44:30 · answer #3 · answered by dlil 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋