Short connecting time ORD

[XSBaggage]

Wonder if anyone out there can give me some advice?

I am looking at flights UK-US West Coast, and one of the fares on offer with AA has a return flight via ORD with only a 35 minute connection in ORD on the PDX-ORD-GLA route.

Do you think this is a long enough time to connect for both me and my baggage (not excess baggage, despite the name)? Having not been to ORD for several years I cant remember the terminal exactly. Surely if they are selling this as a connection they have an obligation to reroute me and my bag if anything goes wrong?

Thanks,
XSB

[Middle Seat]

It is doable, with a couple of conditions being met:

1) Your PDX flight is on time or early into ORD
2) Your arrival gate is in the H/K terminal (I think International departures are all out of H/K. Arrivals at M terminal.

I've made connections this close before, and a lot will depend on how well things are going.

Are they giving you a single connection option or a double connect?

LH also serves PDX...might peek there as well.

[XSBaggage]

Middle Seat,

Thanks. It is just a single connect they are offering, PDX-ORD-GLA. DL also fly EDI-ATL-PDX but connection is circa 5 hours both ways! Didnt know about LH though, will definitely look there.

If they are responsible anyway for ensuring I get back to GLA somehow or other I might just go for it and see what happens!

XSB

[Globaliser]

Do you think this is a long enough time to connect for both me and my baggage (not excess baggage, despite the name)? Having not been to ORD for several years I cant remember the terminal exactly. Surely if they are selling this as a connection they have an obligation to reroute me and my bag if anything goes wrong?That's true, but you have to remember that there's only one ORD-GLA flight a day and you will probably end up being re-routed through LHR if you miss the non-stop.

Personally, I wouldn't do it; I'd be looking for a longer connection. Although I'm not an ORD expert, I have been through the AA terminal there a good handful of times over the years. You'd only need to be 14 minutes "late" in (not even an officially late flight) and at a gate at the wrong end of the terminal to suddenly be very, very uncomfortable.

Your other risk is that AA will reschedule the PDX-ORD flight after you book. With such a tight connection, you'd risk the connection becoming illegal even if the retiming is by a few minutes. You'd then be stuck with having to fly on an earlier flight from PDX to ORD, which might then involve a long layover.

[lexxity]

You can do it as long as your flight from PDX is on time. IIRC AA operate all their flights from the same terminal, you may have to jog but you should get there. Was this booked as a through ticket or two seperate itineraries?

[seacue]

What time of year is your flight?

I've looked at the AA.com web site for some dates in July and the only connx they show on PDX-ORD-GLA has you sitting at ORD for 6 hours. They do NOT show what is now a 30-minute connx. I think that is a very strong hint.

If I just ask for PDX-ORD they show a flight that arrives at 7:30 pm as well as the morning flight. The ORD-GLA departure is now 8:00 pm in early July.

I would NOT consider such a short connection.

[radeng]

Wouldn't touch it myself. Especially spring/summer, when wx can cause major delays on flights at ORD. I'm going to Dayton in May, and to get there on Thursday, I'm flying to ORD on Wednesday and overnighting......been caught out too often with ORD's afternoon flights suffering wx cancellations.
Most of the UK flights from ORD go from K22/23/24 type area. Marvellous if you have a BA Gold Card 'cos the Flagship lounge is just round the corner.....
The only time I ever flew AA to GLA, we circled for an hour because of mist and diverted to Edinburgh. Then they didn't unload my bag!
Of course, if they will sell you the ticket and you don't care if you're late and re-routed..............

[spanishflea]

I flew SFO-ORD-MAN with AA a few weeks back. We had a similarly timed connection in ORD and were fully prepared for a reroute through LHR, but we arrived on time, disembarked, crossed the corridor to the opposite gate and actualy had to wait the whole half hour in the lounge instead.

A reroute through LHR is probably only going to cost you the same amount of time as it will to wait for the next PDX flight anyway, so worth going for IMHO.

[seacue]

Check the aa.com web site for your PDX-ORD-GLA itinerary. If your connection doesn't appear it means that AA doesn't think it is a reliable conx. Even if there is a note "Short connecting time", I wouldn't risk it.

There are very few AA direct flights from PDX to ORD. Most PDX-ORD AA service I found involves a change at Seattle.

I wouldn't accept anything less than a one-hour connection - and I'd worry about that.

[lexxity]

Hi again XS, I've looked at the aa site and as others have said the only valid connection PDX/ORD/GLA has you on the ground for hours at ORD. I wouldn't touch the connection you have as it seems to be two seperate ticketed itineraries, which would usually mean that if you do miss your connection then you'll be on your jack jones overnight. Even if you do have tickets with the same carrier it is becoming standard practice with a lot of carriers to not help you.

Would you consider two changes, perhaps with another carrier, so you either have more chance of making your connection/not sat around in o'hare for ages?

[XSBaggage]

Thanks for all the advice. Dont think I will risk it then. It was for a flight returning late September. On the aa.com site they do have the "short connection" warning showing. DL cost GBP 10 more from EDI via ATL so think I may try there instead.

Mike, that got me thinking about internal flights in the US. Hardly had a smooth one myself either. Definitely need a longer connection!

Thanks again,
XSB

[Eboy]

I am with Mike Jenvey and radeng. It can work if no problems, but I expect problems half the time at O'Hare. Add routine air traffic delays due to the rise of discount carriers, though they have a better handle on that these days.

Depends on the important of the trip, also. At O'Hare, if I "HAVE" to make the connection, such as for business, I plan one hour for domestic and two hours for international connections. No less. If it is a personal trip, and a missed connection would not be that big a deal, I will cut it shorter as you want to do. Let us know how you do!

[radeng]

However, don't forget that it is said that Delta stands for 'Don't Ever Let them Through Atlanta'.

[XSBaggage]

Eboy,
Just a personal trip to see "Mrs" Baggage on the West Coast so might risk it since it is cheaper and from GLA (easier for me) but I will eventually let you know how I get on (planning to go in September and book in June).

Thanks again,
XSB

[knobbygb]

As others have said - internal US flights often don't run as smoothly as planned. With my luck it always seems to be the connecting leg for my return trans-atlantic that is late. Having said that I've never yet missed such a connection. The worst case is when you land on time but sit for 30 mins. waiting for a gate, watching your outbound flight being loaded (i.e. NEWARK!)

Last year flew RDU-ORD-MAN with AA - 55 minute connection (shortest I've ever risked) and a 45 minute-ish delay! Luckily parked at the opposite gate to my departing flight - legged it over the corridor and just got onboard. Was 'on the ground' in ORD for less than 20 seconds - hows that for a connection? Pushed back about 2 or 3 minutes later and... to my surprie my bag somehow made it too!

Missing the return flight is MUCH less stress than a similar probelm outbound (depending on the purpose of your trip), but how important is purchasing duty free to you? Buying a final beer with $5 in loose change?

And if you get re-routed - you get to fly on a nice shiny 777 instead. But, being late to check in for this, you might end up with a middle seat...

All depends on prorities. I'd do it just for the hell of it.